Manchester City star Jack Grealish dedicated his long-awaited goal in Wednesday's 2-0 win against Leicester to his late brother. Grealish netted from close range in the second minute at the Etihad Stadium, scoring in the Premier League for the first time in 16 months.<o:p></o:p>
The 29-year-old England winger marked his first league start since last December by helping City move back into fourth place as they chase Champions League qualification to salvage a dismal season.<o:p></o:p>
It came on the 25th anniversary of the death of his younger brother Keelan, who died at the age of just nine months.<o:p></o:p>
"This day is always hard in the family, but I was happy to score," Grealish said. "My mum and dad were here. This day is always difficult in the family. So to score and to win was brilliant."<o:p></o:p>
Grealish has struggled for regular action this season due to fitness and form issues, losing his place to Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Savinho.<o:p></o:p>
But Guardiola has been impressed with the way Grealish has handled his issues.<o:p></o:p>
"Jack is an incredible human being in terms of gestures and he's incredibly generous," Guardiola said. "I didn't know that. I can't imagine how tough it was, but to be with his mum and dad, his sister and all the family, it's good.<o:p></o:p>
"He scored a goal and made a good game. I'm happy for him. I know it's not easy when you don't play quite regularly."<o:p></o:p>
Omar Marmoush added the second goal after 29 minutes and City eased through the remainder of the game to push second-bottom Leicester, who remain 12 points from safety, closer to relegation.<o:p></o:p>
"It wasn't easy with 10 players behind the ball in the box and we missed the third goal to be more relaxed," Guardiola said. "But we didn't concede anything until near the end, and I'm pleased for a good performance."<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola also offered clarification on the length of Erling Haaland's absence after the Norwegian suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final win at Bournemouth.<o:p></o:p>
The striker has since received specialist treatment from Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona.<o:p></o:p>
"He saw him and we expect five to six weeks," Guardiola said.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Sports, Football: Grealish marked his first league start since last December by helping City move back into fourth place as they chase Champions League qualification.

Manchester City star Jack Grealish dedicated his long-awaited goal in Wednesday's 2-0 win against Leicester to his late brother. Grealish netted from close range in the second minute at the Etihad Stadium, scoring in the Premier League for the first time in 16 months. The 29-year-old England winger marked his first league start since last December by helping City move back into fourth place as they chase Champions League qualification to salvage a dismal season. It came on the 25th anniversary of the death of his younger brother Keelan, who died at the age of just nine months. "This day is always hard in the family, but I was happy to score," Grealish said. "My mum and dad were here. This day is always difficult in the family. So to score and to win was brilliant." Grealish has struggled for regular action this season due to fitness and form issues, losing his place to Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden and Savinho. But Guardiola has been impressed with the way Grealish has handled his issues. "Jack is an incredible human being in terms of gestures and he's incredibly generous," Guardiola said. "I didn't know that. I can't imagine how tough it was, but to be with his mum and dad, his sister and all the family, it's good. "He scored a goal and made a good game. I'm happy for him. I know it's not easy when you don't play quite regularly." Omar Marmoush added the second goal after 29 minutes and City eased through the remainder of the game to push second-bottom Leicester, who remain 12 points from safety, closer to relegation. "It wasn't easy with 10 players behind the ball in the box and we missed the third goal to be more relaxed," Guardiola said. "But we didn't concede anything until near the end, and I'm pleased for a good performance." Guardiola also offered clarification on the length of Erling Haaland's absence after the Norwegian suffered an ankle injury in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final win at Bournemouth. The striker has since received specialist treatment from Dr Ramon Cugat in Barcelona. "He saw him and we expect five to six weeks," Guardiola said. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

PL: Grealish dedicates long-awaited goal to late brother as Manchester City return to top four

Liverpool&nbsp; vs Everton, 2024-25 Premier League Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: Liverpool could take another step towards the 20th league title as they face arch-rivals Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday (April 2). Needing a maximum of 16 points to win the Premier League title, Arne Slot's side can push for the title while they chase redemption against Everton who held them for a 2-2 draw earlier in the season. Ahead of the Premier League contest between Liverpool and Everton, here are all the live streaming details.&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match Live Streaming online on OTT in India? (Liverpool vs Everton Live Streaming)</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India.
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match on TV in India?</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be telecasted on Star Sports Network in India.<o:p></o:p>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match in USA?</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be live-streamed on the NBC app and website and telecast on Peacock Network on TV in USA.
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match in Australia?</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be telecasted on Optus Sport 1 Network in Australia.
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match in UK?</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be live-streamed on the Sky Go App and website and on Sky Sports Network on TV in UK.
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">Which stadium will host the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match?</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be played at the Anfield in Liverpool.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What time will the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match?</h2>
The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will start at 8:00 PM CET (12:30 AM IST) on Wednesday (April 2).&nbsp;
ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ipl-2025-updated-points-table-indian-premier-league-rankings-standings-net-run-rate-8888780" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">'Updated IPL 2025 Points Table': Check points table, match results, NRR with wins, loss and other key details</a> 
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Liverpool vs Everton Probable Starting XI</h2>
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Everton: Alisson; Quansah, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo.
Everton predicted lineup vs Liverpool: Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Young; Alcaraz, Gueye, Garner, Doucoure, Harrison; Beto.

Sports, Football: Liverpool could take another step towards the 20th league title as they face arch-rivals Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday (April 2).

Liverpool vs Everton, 2024-25 Premier League Live Streaming, Date-Time, Venue: Liverpool could take another step towards the 20th league title as they face arch-rivals Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday (April 2). Needing a maximum of 16 points to win the Premier League title, Arne Slot's side can push for the title while they chase redemption against Everton who held them for a 2-2 draw earlier in the season. Ahead of the Premier League contest between Liverpool and Everton, here are all the live streaming details. Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match Live Streaming online on OTT in India? (Liverpool vs Everton Live Streaming) The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be live-streamed on the JioHotstar app and website in India. Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match on TV in India? The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be telecasted on Star Sports Network in India. Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match in USA? The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be live-streamed on the NBC app and website and telecast on Peacock Network on TV in USA. Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match in Australia? The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be telecasted on Optus Sport 1 Network in Australia. Where to watch the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match in UK? The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be live-streamed on the Sky Go App and website and on Sky Sports Network on TV in UK. Which stadium will host the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match? The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will be played at the Anfield in Liverpool. What time will the Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match? The Liverpool vs Everton Premier League match will start at 8:00 PM CET (12:30 AM IST) on Wednesday (April 2). ALSO READ | 'Updated IPL 2025 Points Table': Check points table, match results, NRR with wins, loss and other key details Liverpool vs Everton Probable Starting XI Liverpool predicted lineup vs Everton: Alisson; Quansah, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Diaz, Gakpo. Everton predicted lineup vs Liverpool: Pickford; O'Brien, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Young; Alcaraz, Gueye, Garner, Doucoure, Harrison; Beto.

Liverpool vs Everton Live Streaming: How to watch on TV channel online app free streaming option, date, time in India, US, Australia, UK?

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/premier-league">Premier League</a> has confirmed that semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will be introduced in England&rsquo;s top-flight football from April 12. The decision comes after successful trials during <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fa-cup">FA Cup</a> matches earlier in the season, where the system was tested for accuracy and efficiency.
This cutting-edge technology is designed to improve the speed and precision of offside decisions, reducing delays and minimising human errors. The system uses specialised tracking cameras and artificial intelligence to create a 3D model of players' positions on the field, allowing referees to make faster and more reliable calls.
"The Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside technology on Saturday 12 April (Match Round 32). This follows non-live testing in the Premier League and live operation in the FA Cup this season," a statement read.
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"Semi-automated offside technology automates key elements of the offside decision-making process to support the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/var">video assistant referee</a> (VAR).
"It provides more efficient placement of the virtual offside line, using optical player tracking, and generates virtual graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for fans.
"The technology maintains the integrity of the process while enhancing the speed, efficiency, and consistency of offside decision-making.&nbsp;"The Premier League has worked in collaboration with PGMOL and sports data and technology company Genius Sports to develop the new semi-automated offside technology system."
<h2>SAOT has been implemented in UCL &amp; FIFA WC</h2>
SAOT has already been implemented in major competitions such as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-league">UEFA Champions League</a> and the FIFA World Cup, where it has significantly enhanced the decision-making process. By integrating this technology into the Premier League, officials hope to ensure fairer outcomes and a smoother match experience for players and fans alike.
The introduction of semi-automated offside technology is expected to be a significant step forward in modernizing officiating standards in English football, reinforcing the league&rsquo;s commitment to embracing innovation for the betterment of the sport.
(With inputs from agencies)

Football, Sports: The decision comes after successful trials during FA Cup matches earlier in the season, where the system was tested for accuracy and efficiency

The Premier League has confirmed that semi-automated offside technology (SAOT) will be introduced in England’s top-flight football from April 12. The decision comes after successful trials during FA Cup matches earlier in the season, where the system was tested for accuracy and efficiency. This cutting-edge technology is designed to improve the speed and precision of offside decisions, reducing delays and minimising human errors. The system uses specialised tracking cameras and artificial intelligence to create a 3D model of players' positions on the field, allowing referees to make faster and more reliable calls. "The Premier League will introduce semi-automated offside technology on Saturday 12 April (Match Round 32). This follows non-live testing in the Premier League and live operation in the FA Cup this season," a statement read. Also Read: South Africa's white-ball coach Rob Walter resigns due to 'personal reasons' "Semi-automated offside technology automates key elements of the offside decision-making process to support the video assistant referee (VAR). "It provides more efficient placement of the virtual offside line, using optical player tracking, and generates virtual graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for fans. "The technology maintains the integrity of the process while enhancing the speed, efficiency, and consistency of offside decision-making. "The Premier League has worked in collaboration with PGMOL and sports data and technology company Genius Sports to develop the new semi-automated offside technology system." SAOT has been implemented in UCL & FIFA WC SAOT has already been implemented in major competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup, where it has significantly enhanced the decision-making process. By integrating this technology into the Premier League, officials hope to ensure fairer outcomes and a smoother match experience for players and fans alike. The introduction of semi-automated offside technology is expected to be a significant step forward in modernizing officiating standards in English football, reinforcing the league’s commitment to embracing innovation for the betterment of the sport. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Premier League to use semi-automated offside technology from THIS date

The Premier League will have two transfer windows this summer to allow Manchester City and Chelsea to register players for the Club World Cup. Clubs in the English top flight will now be able to recruit and retain players in a special window between June 1 and 10.<o:p></o:p>
The exceptional registration period was approved by FIFA last October and is open to any national association which has teams involved in the new expanded Club World Cup, which starts in the United States on June 14.<o:p></o:p>
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Winners of the competition could earn up to $125 million in prize money with a $1 billion collective pot on offer to the 32 teams involved.<o:p></o:p>
Chelsea and City are England's two representatives thanks to winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023 respectively.<o:p></o:p>
An earlier registration period could allow Real Madrid to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool in time for the tournament with the England international reportedly close to joining the European champions on a free transfer when his deal expires on June 30.<o:p></o:p>
FIFA regulations limit closed-season transfer windows to a maximum of 12 weeks, so the Premier League window will be closed again from June 11 to 15, and reopen on June 16 through to Monday, September 1.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Winners of the competition could earn up to $125 million in prize money with a $1 billion collective pot on offer to the 32 teams involved.

The Premier League will have two transfer windows this summer to allow Manchester City and Chelsea to register players for the Club World Cup. Clubs in the English top flight will now be able to recruit and retain players in a special window between June 1 and 10. The exceptional registration period was approved by FIFA last October and is open to any national association which has teams involved in the new expanded Club World Cup, which starts in the United States on June 14. Also read | There's more to Maradona's death than just heart failure, forensic expert tells court Winners of the competition could earn up to $125 million in prize money with a $1 billion collective pot on offer to the 32 teams involved. Chelsea and City are England's two representatives thanks to winning the Champions League in 2021 and 2023 respectively. An earlier registration period could allow Real Madrid to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool in time for the tournament with the England international reportedly close to joining the European champions on a free transfer when his deal expires on June 30. FIFA regulations limit closed-season transfer windows to a maximum of 12 weeks, so the Premier League window will be closed again from June 11 to 15, and reopen on June 16 through to Monday, September 1. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League gears up for major haul in transfer window to accommodate Club World Cup

West Ham forward Michail Antonio says he came close to dying in a horrific car crash that shattered his leg but is "100 per cent" confident he will play football again. The Jamaica international required surgery after crashing his Ferrari into a tree on December 7.<o:p></o:p>
"All I know is that I hit a tree," he told the BBC. "I don't know how I hit a tree, that the police came and when they found me in the car, I was in between the two seats."<o:p></o:p>
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The 34-year-old, who also had a serious car accident in 2019, said he broke his femur bone in four places but revealed his comeback is three months ahead of schedule.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm a good three months ahead of where I should be," he said. "I've lifted 130 kilogrammes on the leg and I'm trying to do other things and just focus on myself, so it's definitely a good place right now and mentally I'm in a good place too."<o:p></o:p>
He added: "I'm 100 per cent (certain) that I'll be back on the pitch. This is what I'm focused on."<o:p></o:p>
Antonio paid tribute to West Ham for their support but explained how he had sought therapy and struggled when manager Julen Lopetegui was dismissed and replaced by Graham Potter in early January.<o:p></o:p>
"If I try and rush myself back, go out there and try and show him what I can do when I'm not physically right, it puts me in a bad stead because I won't be right and I won't be able to do the things that I want to do," he said.<o:p></o:p>
Antonio, West Ham's all-time top scorer in the Premier League, admitted he was embarrassed after the crash, near London.<o:p></o:p>
"Obviously, I've almost died in the car crash. It just made me slightly embarrassed that it was that bad," he said. "Physically, I'm getting better but mentally trauma lasts a long time," he added. "So, there is always going be periods and going to be times where something's going to affect me."
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Antonio, who also had a serious car accident in 2019, said he broke his femur bone in four places but revealed his comeback is three months ahead of schedule.

West Ham forward Michail Antonio says he came close to dying in a horrific car crash that shattered his leg but is "100 per cent" confident he will play football again. The Jamaica international required surgery after crashing his Ferrari into a tree on December 7. "All I know is that I hit a tree," he told the BBC. "I don't know how I hit a tree, that the police came and when they found me in the car, I was in between the two seats." Also read | Newcastle United revel in 'strange smell' of success after League Cup glory against Liverpool The 34-year-old, who also had a serious car accident in 2019, said he broke his femur bone in four places but revealed his comeback is three months ahead of schedule. "I'm a good three months ahead of where I should be," he said. "I've lifted 130 kilogrammes on the leg and I'm trying to do other things and just focus on myself, so it's definitely a good place right now and mentally I'm in a good place too." He added: "I'm 100 per cent (certain) that I'll be back on the pitch. This is what I'm focused on." Antonio paid tribute to West Ham for their support but explained how he had sought therapy and struggled when manager Julen Lopetegui was dismissed and replaced by Graham Potter in early January. "If I try and rush myself back, go out there and try and show him what I can do when I'm not physically right, it puts me in a bad stead because I won't be right and I won't be able to do the things that I want to do," he said. Antonio, West Ham's all-time top scorer in the Premier League, admitted he was embarrassed after the crash, near London. "Obviously, I've almost died in the car crash. It just made me slightly embarrassed that it was that bad," he said. "Physically, I'm getting better but mentally trauma lasts a long time," he added. "So, there is always going be periods and going to be times where something's going to affect me." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

‘I will be back on the pitch,’ West Ham’s Antonio on comeback after horrific car crash

Chelsea's challenge for a place in next season's Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday as Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0. Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish. The Blues remain in fourth for now but have five sides, from Manchester City in fifth to Aston Villa in ninth, within four points of Enzo Maresca's team.<o:p></o:p>
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Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break.<o:p></o:p>
Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson, and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3.<o:p></o:p>
"We did enough to deserve to win the game," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. "Now we have the international break, so let's take a chance to breathe and bring some players back hopefully."<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role.<o:p></o:p>
The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard's delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
Chelsea barely threatened but were nearly gifted a route back into the game when David Raya fumbled Marc Cucurella's shot and the ball trickled wide.<o:p></o:p>
At the other end, Chelsea's Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal's lead with the best effort of the second half.<o:p></o:p>
But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Maresca's style of play among the Chelsea support.<o:p></o:p>
"There was not a big difference in the two games between us," said Maresca. "Given the injuries, we fought until the end."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Spurs' European hangover<o:p></o:p></h2>
Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarterfinals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers at Craven Cottage.<o:p></o:p>
Victory for Fulham propels Marco Silva's men into the race for Champions League places as they climb to eighth, four points off the top four and three outside the top five.<o:p></o:p>
A top-five finish will almost certainly secure a place in Europe's top club competition next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.<o:p></o:p>
Spurs, though, have struggled to handle the burden of Thursday nights when it comes to their Premier League form.<o:p></o:p>
Ange Postecoglou's side have won just three times in the 10 league matches that have followed a midweek Europa League fixture.<o:p></o:p>
"It's been a difficult campaign for sure," said Spurs captain Son Heung-min. "But I feel we've lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games."<o:p></o:p>
Fulham had to wait until 78 minutes to take the lead when Rodrigo Muniz steered home from Andreas Pereira's pass.<o:p></o:p>
Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a brilliant second against his former club to secure victory late on.<o:p></o:p>
Spurs remain down in 13th, now 10 points off the top half.<o:p></o:p>
Manchester United are in action later on Sunday when Ruben Amorim's team visit lowly Leicester.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish.

Chelsea's challenge for a place in next season's Champions League faltered in a toothless 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday as Fulham beat Tottenham 2-0. Mikel Merino scored the only goal of a disappointing contest at the Emirates as Arsenal pulled clear in second place and to within 12 points of runaway leaders Liverpool. Chelsea badly missed the presence of the absent Cole Palmer due to injury as they meekly surrendered to a damaging defeat for their hopes of a top-four finish. The Blues remain in fourth for now but have five sides, from Manchester City in fifth to Aston Villa in ninth, within four points of Enzo Maresca's team. Also read | Formula 1: Lewis Hamilton on difficult Ferrari debut - 'Worse than I thought' Both managers are hoping to be stronger after the upcoming international break. Bukayo Saka is nearing a return for Arsenal, while Maresca is confident of having Palmer, Nico Jackson, and Noni Madueke back when they are next in action at home to Tottenham on April 3. "We did enough to deserve to win the game," said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. "Now we have the international break, so let's take a chance to breathe and bring some players back hopefully." Arsenal have struggled badly for goals since the loss of Kai Havertz to a season-ending injury forced midfielder Merino into a makeshift centre-forward role. The Spanish international proved the match winner from a corner as he looped a header from Martin Odegaard's delivery inside the far post on 20 minutes. Chelsea barely threatened but were nearly gifted a route back into the game when David Raya fumbled Marc Cucurella's shot and the ball trickled wide. At the other end, Chelsea's Robert Sanchez made a brilliant stop to prevent Merino doubling Arsenal's lead with the best effort of the second half. But the game petered out with little goalmouth action as a limp performance will do little to quieten the critics of Maresca's style of play among the Chelsea support. "There was not a big difference in the two games between us," said Maresca. "Given the injuries, we fought until the end." Spurs' European hangover Tottenham kept their season alive by reaching the Europa League quarterfinals with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, but suffered the latest in a series of European hangovers at Craven Cottage. Victory for Fulham propels Marco Silva's men into the race for Champions League places as they climb to eighth, four points off the top four and three outside the top five. A top-five finish will almost certainly secure a place in Europe's top club competition next season thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions. Spurs, though, have struggled to handle the burden of Thursday nights when it comes to their Premier League form. Ange Postecoglou's side have won just three times in the 10 league matches that have followed a midweek Europa League fixture. "It's been a difficult campaign for sure," said Spurs captain Son Heung-min. "But I feel we've lost too many games that we should have got stuff out of, and this was one of those games." Fulham had to wait until 78 minutes to take the lead when Rodrigo Muniz steered home from Andreas Pereira's pass. Ryan Sessegnon then curled in a brilliant second against his former club to secure victory late on. Spurs remain down in 13th, now 10 points off the top half. Manchester United are in action later on Sunday when Ruben Amorim's team visit lowly Leicester. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Arsenal close gap with leaders Liverpool after win over Chelsea; Fulham beat Spurs

Manchester City failed to ease fears of missing out on next season's Champions League after twice blowing the lead to draw 2-2 against Brighton, while third-placed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/nottingham-forest">Nottingham Forest</a> thrashed Ipswich 4-2 on Saturday.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/erling-haaland">Erling Haaland</a> and Omar Marmoush put City in front, but high-flying Brighton extended their unbeaten run to seven games thanks to Pervis Estupinan's free-kick and an Abdukodir Khusanov own goal.
City boss Pep Guardiola said on Friday that just qualifying for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-league">Champions League</a> would be a "big success" after a difficult season for a side used to lifting the league title.
The English champions' early exit from Europe's top competition to Real Madrid had at least ensured a full week's preparation for Guardiola's men to bounce back from last weekend's dismal 1-0 defeat at Forest.
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Marmoush was restored to the starting line-up and proved to be City's brightest spark going forward.&nbsp;The Egyptian won the penalty from which Haaland opened the scoring with his 29th goal of the season.
City's lead lasted only 10 minutes as Estupinan curled a free-kick in off the post past the leaden-footed Stefan Ortega in the City goal.&nbsp;Marmoush blasted City back in front from long range before half-time.
Brighton, though, took just three minutes into the second half to level again when Jack Hinshelwood's shot was turned into his own net by Khusanov.
Nico Gonzalez hit the post as City pushed in vain for a winner.&nbsp;A top-five Premier League finish will almost certainly secure a Champions League place this season thanks to English clubs' strong performances in European competition.
A point leaves City still in fifth, just one point ahead of Brighton in seventh.&nbsp;"I'm always confident, in that I am a master. I do have moments when I can doubt but I find the right way, the positiveness in everything," said Guardiola.
"I know it will be difficult for many reasons but we have nine games, nine finals."
<h2>Forest hit four</h2>
Forest's charge towards Europe's top club competition for the first time since 1980 continued with a dominant display at Portman Road.&nbsp;The visitors struck three times in six first-half minutes to close to within one point of second-placed Arsenal and move six clear of City.
Nikola Milenkovic controlled a loose ball inside the area and blasted in on off the underside of the bar to open the floodgates.&nbsp;Anthony Elanga then drilled in his first goal since Boxing Day at the end of a blistering Forest counter-attack.
Two minutes later Elanga took advantage of dreadful Ipswich defending to sprint clear and slot in his second of the afternoon.&nbsp;"There is a good spell in the first half that really changed the game for six minutes," said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who is not getting carried away dreaming of Champions League football.
"We have to focus on ourselves. Work as much as we can because there is a lot of football to be played yet."&nbsp;Jens Cajuste and George Hirst scored late consolation goals for Kieran McKenna's men either side of Jota Silva's fourth for Forest.
Ipswich's uphill task to beat the drop suffered another blow as Wolves pulled nine points clear of the bottom three with a 2-1 victory at Southampton thanks to a double from Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Paul Onuachu pulled a goal back but Southampton remain on course to post the worst ever points tally in Premier League history.
Bournemouth's bid to qualify for Europe for the first time is fading after a 2-1 home defeat to Brentford.&nbsp;Goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard earned the Bees victory after Vitaly Janelt's own goal had opened the scoring for Bournemouth.
Everton extended their unbeaten league run to nine games thanks to Jake O'Brien's 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw against West Ham.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.

Sports, Football: City boss Pep Guardiola said that just qualifying for the Champions League would be a big success after a difficult season for a side used to lifting league title

Manchester City failed to ease fears of missing out on next season's Champions League after twice blowing the lead to draw 2-2 against Brighton, while third-placed Nottingham Forest thrashed Ipswich 4-2 on Saturday. Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush put City in front, but high-flying Brighton extended their unbeaten run to seven games thanks to Pervis Estupinan's free-kick and an Abdukodir Khusanov own goal. City boss Pep Guardiola said on Friday that just qualifying for the Champions League would be a "big success" after a difficult season for a side used to lifting the league title. The English champions' early exit from Europe's top competition to Real Madrid had at least ensured a full week's preparation for Guardiola's men to bounce back from last weekend's dismal 1-0 defeat at Forest. Also Read: Hockey India Annual Awards 2024: Savita & Harmanpreet named Players of the Year Marmoush was restored to the starting line-up and proved to be City's brightest spark going forward. The Egyptian won the penalty from which Haaland opened the scoring with his 29th goal of the season. City's lead lasted only 10 minutes as Estupinan curled a free-kick in off the post past the leaden-footed Stefan Ortega in the City goal. Marmoush blasted City back in front from long range before half-time. Brighton, though, took just three minutes into the second half to level again when Jack Hinshelwood's shot was turned into his own net by Khusanov. Nico Gonzalez hit the post as City pushed in vain for a winner. A top-five Premier League finish will almost certainly secure a Champions League place this season thanks to English clubs' strong performances in European competition. A point leaves City still in fifth, just one point ahead of Brighton in seventh. "I'm always confident, in that I am a master. I do have moments when I can doubt but I find the right way, the positiveness in everything," said Guardiola. "I know it will be difficult for many reasons but we have nine games, nine finals." Forest hit four Forest's charge towards Europe's top club competition for the first time since 1980 continued with a dominant display at Portman Road. The visitors struck three times in six first-half minutes to close to within one point of second-placed Arsenal and move six clear of City. Nikola Milenkovic controlled a loose ball inside the area and blasted in on off the underside of the bar to open the floodgates. Anthony Elanga then drilled in his first goal since Boxing Day at the end of a blistering Forest counter-attack. Two minutes later Elanga took advantage of dreadful Ipswich defending to sprint clear and slot in his second of the afternoon. "There is a good spell in the first half that really changed the game for six minutes," said Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who is not getting carried away dreaming of Champions League football. "We have to focus on ourselves. Work as much as we can because there is a lot of football to be played yet." Jens Cajuste and George Hirst scored late consolation goals for Kieran McKenna's men either side of Jota Silva's fourth for Forest. Ipswich's uphill task to beat the drop suffered another blow as Wolves pulled nine points clear of the bottom three with a 2-1 victory at Southampton thanks to a double from Jorgen Strand Larsen. Paul Onuachu pulled a goal back but Southampton remain on course to post the worst ever points tally in Premier League history. Bournemouth's bid to qualify for Europe for the first time is fading after a 2-1 home defeat to Brentford. Goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard earned the Bees victory after Vitaly Janelt's own goal had opened the scoring for Bournemouth. Everton extended their unbeaten league run to nine games thanks to Jake O'Brien's 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw against West Ham. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Manchester City stumble, Nottingham Forest soar in Champions League chase

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manchester-united">Manchester United</a> on Tuesday announced plans to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium close to their historic Old Trafford stadium that co-owner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jim-ratcliffe">Jim Ratcliffe</a> said would be the 'world's greatest' football ground.
The momentous decision by the Premier League club comes after an extensive consultation process around whether to develop their creaking current ground or move, in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force.
United have now confirmed their 'intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area'.
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The club hopes the new stadium, which will cost a reported &pound;2 billion ($2.6 billion) can be finished in five years, though the start date remains uncertain.
See more conceptual images here:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m84iycat-7g3aoi3l-s8jdufzx">
This is your future. Your home. Your United.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/cK7yVnOm1X">pic.twitter.com/cK7yVnOm1X</a>
&mdash; Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1899399915417297017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Scaled models and conceptual images for how the new stadium and surrounding area could look like were revealed on Tuesday at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district.
"Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world's greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford," Ratcliffe said in a club statement.
See more images:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m84iyxkk-jnot4hr4-6l5m9rlb">
📸 Delivering a stadium befitting of our supporters that will serve the surrounding area.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/7XrOXzjYth">pic.twitter.com/7XrOXzjYth</a>
&mdash; Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1899425899008717095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
"Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport."
United said the stadium and a wider regeneration project had the potential to deliver an additional &pound;7.3 billion per year to the UK economy, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs.
"United is the world's favourite football club and the biggest in my opinion and it deserves a stadium befitting of its stature," Ratcliffe said in London on Tuesday.&nbsp;
"It's more challenging to build a stadium of 100,000 but I think the UK needs a stadium of that kind of presence and the north of England I think is the best place to build it."
<h2>Ferguson backing</h2>
The move to a new ground has been backed by former United boss <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sir-alex-ferguson">Alex Ferguson</a>, who won 13 Premier League titles during his reign of more than 26 years.
"Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in," Ferguson said.
"Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made."
United, struggling on and off the pitch, are around &pound;1 billion in debt and have yet to say how they will pay for the new stadium.&nbsp;Regarding the financing of the project, chief executive Omar Berrada said Tuesday: "It's a very attractive investment opportunity so we're quite confident we'll find a way to finance the stadium."
Old Trafford, England's biggest club ground with a capacity of around 74,000, has been United's home since 1910 but criticism of the stadium has grown in recent years, with issues including leaks from the roof.
More conceptual images:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m84j3dlr-wxxidtqr-dqpjz7ri">
A place of pride, hope and ambition for our fans and the local community ❤️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MUFC</a> <a href="https://t.co/9kNxpbSPqS">pic.twitter.com/9kNxpbSPqS</a>
&mdash; Manchester United (@ManUtd) <a href="https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/1899401227064025344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Norman Foster has designed some of the world's most iconic buildings, including the HSBC Building in Hong Kong, London's "Gherkin" skyscraper and the reconstructed Reichstag in Berlin.
Foster said the stadium would feature an umbrella design sheltering a public plaza that is "twice the size of Trafalgar Square" in London.
The design will feature three masts described as "Trident", which the architects say will be 200 metres high and visible from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away.
The Manchester United Supporters' Trust said it was vital that fans were consulted throughout the process.&nbsp;The group said in a statement: "Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans' top priority in the ground?&nbsp;
"Will it add to the debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades? Will it lead to reduced investment in the playing side at a time when it is so badly needed?"
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: United have now confirmed their intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centerpiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area

Manchester United on Tuesday announced plans to build a new 100,000-capacity stadium close to their historic Old Trafford stadium that co-owner Jim Ratcliffe said would be the 'world's greatest' football ground. The momentous decision by the Premier League club comes after an extensive consultation process around whether to develop their creaking current ground or move, in conjunction with the Old Trafford Regeneration Task Force. United have now confirmed their 'intention to pursue a new 100,000-seater stadium as the centrepiece of the regeneration of the Old Trafford area'. Also Read: Indian wrestling gets a boost as sports ministry restores WFI recognition as NSF The club hopes the new stadium, which will cost a reported £2 billion ($2.6 billion) can be finished in five years, though the start date remains uncertain. See more conceptual images here: This is your future. Your home. Your United.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/cK7yVnOm1X — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2025 Scaled models and conceptual images for how the new stadium and surrounding area could look like were revealed on Tuesday at the London headquarters of architects Foster + Partners, appointed in September to design the stadium district. "Today marks the start of an incredibly exciting journey to the delivery of what will be the world's greatest football stadium, at the centre of a regenerated Old Trafford," Ratcliffe said in a club statement. See more images: 📸 Delivering a stadium befitting of our supporters that will serve the surrounding area.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/7XrOXzjYth — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2025 "Our current stadium has served us brilliantly for the past 115 years, but it has fallen behind the best arenas in world sport." United said the stadium and a wider regeneration project had the potential to deliver an additional £7.3 billion per year to the UK economy, including the possible creation of 92,000 new jobs. "United is the world's favourite football club and the biggest in my opinion and it deserves a stadium befitting of its stature," Ratcliffe said in London on Tuesday. "It's more challenging to build a stadium of 100,000 but I think the UK needs a stadium of that kind of presence and the north of England I think is the best place to build it." Ferguson backing The move to a new ground has been backed by former United boss Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles during his reign of more than 26 years. "Manchester United should always strive for the best in everything it does, on and off the pitch, and that includes the stadium we play in," Ferguson said. "Old Trafford holds so many special memories for me personally, but we must be brave and seize this opportunity to build a new home, fit for the future, where new history can be made." United, struggling on and off the pitch, are around £1 billion in debt and have yet to say how they will pay for the new stadium. Regarding the financing of the project, chief executive Omar Berrada said Tuesday: "It's a very attractive investment opportunity so we're quite confident we'll find a way to finance the stadium." Old Trafford, England's biggest club ground with a capacity of around 74,000, has been United's home since 1910 but criticism of the stadium has grown in recent years, with issues including leaks from the roof. More conceptual images: A place of pride, hope and ambition for our fans and the local community ❤️#MUFC pic.twitter.com/9kNxpbSPqS — Manchester United (@ManUtd) March 11, 2025 Norman Foster has designed some of the world's most iconic buildings, including the HSBC Building in Hong Kong, London's "Gherkin" skyscraper and the reconstructed Reichstag in Berlin. Foster said the stadium would feature an umbrella design sheltering a public plaza that is "twice the size of Trafalgar Square" in London. The design will feature three masts described as "Trident", which the architects say will be 200 metres high and visible from 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. The Manchester United Supporters' Trust said it was vital that fans were consulted throughout the process. The group said in a statement: "Will it drive up ticket prices and force out local fans? Will it harm the atmosphere, which is consistently fans' top priority in the ground? "Will it add to the debt burden which has held back the club for the last two decades? Will it lead to reduced investment in the playing side at a time when it is so badly needed?" Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Manchester United announces plan to build brand new 100,000-seat stadium

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/ollie-watkins">Ollie Watkins</a> returned to haunt old club Brentford once more as Aston Villa closed on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/premier-league">Premier League</a>'s top four with a 1-0 win in west London on Saturday.
The England striker has now scored six times in his last six games against the Bees but had Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken to thank for his part in the winner.
Victory lifts Villa up to seventh and within two points of the top four to round off a fine week for Unai Emery's men.&nbsp;After progressing to the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend, Villa took a giant stride towards the last eight of the Champions League with a 3-1 away win in the first leg of their last 16 tie against Club Brugge on Tuesday.
"We have to be extremely demanding for the rest of the season," said Emery.
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"Now we are really hungry to play the last two-and-a-half months (of the season). We lost something in our way this year and we have to try to recover it now, especially in the Premier League."
Emery had to cope without the injured Emi Martinez, while <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/marcus-rashford">Marcus Rashford</a> dropped to the bench in the Spaniard's only two changes from midweek.
Villa had won just one of their last seven Premier League games to place their chances of a Champions League return next season in serious jeopardy.
But they ground out a vital three points as Brentford's prolific forward duo of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa failed to fire.&nbsp;After a flat first half, the game came to life just four minutes into the second period when Watkins' powerful low shot slipped through Flekken's grasp.
Moments later the visitors thought they had a second as Watkins this time played provider for Morgan Rogers to stroke home.&nbsp;However, a VAR review for offside came to Brentford's rescue.&nbsp;The home side did most of the pressing in the final half hour.
Keane Lewis-Potter came closest to an equaliser when his shot from outside the box hit the post.&nbsp;Villa, though, should have made a nervy finale more comfortable when Watkins raced clean through but got the execution on an attempted chip over Flekken all wrong.
A first away league win in nearly two months brings Villa right back into contention for the Champions League places.&nbsp;A top-five finish is almost certain to be enough due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition this season.
Villa are now just one point outside the top five as five points separate Manchester City in fourth from Fulham in 10th.
<h2>Barca Liga match postponed after club doctor dies</h2>
Barcelona's La Liga match against Osasuna was postponed on Saturday after one of the club's first team doctors died.&nbsp;"Barcelona is sorry to announce the sad news of the death of the first team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, this afternoon," said the club in a statement.
"For this reason, the match between Barcelona and Osasuna has been postponed until a later date.&nbsp;"The board of directors and all the staff at Barcelona wish to convey our most sincere condolences to his family and friends, we are with them at this difficult time."
Fans had begun entering the Olympic stadium for the league leaders' clash against Osasuna, before it was called off around 20 minutes before the expected kick off at 2000 GMT.
"I still can't believe it, a big hug to the family and friends of Carles," wrote Barcelona midfielder Pedri in a post on social media network Instagram.
The doctor, 53, leaves behind a wife and two children, said Barcelona president Joan Laporta.&nbsp;"This is incredibly painful news for Barcelona, it has left us heartbroken, in shock, because it was so sudden," said Laporta.
"We contacted his mother and his wife, to express our condolences and support them in these incredibly painful moments...
"It is our duty to be there for all of them, his wife, his children, his mother."
The doctor had been working with different Barcelona sides since 2017, and began working with the men's football first team a few months ago.&nbsp;Osasuna president Luis Sabalza said his team had no objection whatsoever to the match being postponed.
"We understand that life is the most important thing and you can't play a game thinking that the person with whom you've lived with for so long is not there any more," he told DAZN.
Osasuna offered their condolences in a post on social media platform X.&nbsp;"Osasuna wishes to convey its deepest condolences to the family of doctor Carles Minarro Garcia and would like to send a big hug at this difficult time to all the staff of Barcelona, as well as their fans. May he rest in peace," wrote the club.
On Monday Villarreal's game against Espanyol in La Liga was also postponed because of a heavy rain alert in the region.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: The England striker has now scored six times in his last six games against the Bees but had Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken to thank for his part in the winner

Ollie Watkins returned to haunt old club Brentford once more as Aston Villa closed on the Premier League's top four with a 1-0 win in west London on Saturday. The England striker has now scored six times in his last six games against the Bees but had Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken to thank for his part in the winner. Victory lifts Villa up to seventh and within two points of the top four to round off a fine week for Unai Emery's men. After progressing to the FA Cup quarter-finals last weekend, Villa took a giant stride towards the last eight of the Champions League with a 3-1 away win in the first leg of their last 16 tie against Club Brugge on Tuesday. "We have to be extremely demanding for the rest of the season," said Emery. Also Read: Bundesliga: Bayern Munich unpunished for shock loss as Bayer Leverkusen fall to defeat "Now we are really hungry to play the last two-and-a-half months (of the season). We lost something in our way this year and we have to try to recover it now, especially in the Premier League." Emery had to cope without the injured Emi Martinez, while Marcus Rashford dropped to the bench in the Spaniard's only two changes from midweek. Villa had won just one of their last seven Premier League games to place their chances of a Champions League return next season in serious jeopardy. But they ground out a vital three points as Brentford's prolific forward duo of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa failed to fire. After a flat first half, the game came to life just four minutes into the second period when Watkins' powerful low shot slipped through Flekken's grasp. Moments later the visitors thought they had a second as Watkins this time played provider for Morgan Rogers to stroke home. However, a VAR review for offside came to Brentford's rescue. The home side did most of the pressing in the final half hour. Keane Lewis-Potter came closest to an equaliser when his shot from outside the box hit the post. Villa, though, should have made a nervy finale more comfortable when Watkins raced clean through but got the execution on an attempted chip over Flekken all wrong. A first away league win in nearly two months brings Villa right back into contention for the Champions League places. A top-five finish is almost certain to be enough due to the strong performance of English sides in European competition this season. Villa are now just one point outside the top five as five points separate Manchester City in fourth from Fulham in 10th. Barca Liga match postponed after club doctor dies Barcelona's La Liga match against Osasuna was postponed on Saturday after one of the club's first team doctors died. "Barcelona is sorry to announce the sad news of the death of the first team doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia, this afternoon," said the club in a statement. "For this reason, the match between Barcelona and Osasuna has been postponed until a later date. "The board of directors and all the staff at Barcelona wish to convey our most sincere condolences to his family and friends, we are with them at this difficult time." Fans had begun entering the Olympic stadium for the league leaders' clash against Osasuna, before it was called off around 20 minutes before the expected kick off at 2000 GMT. "I still can't believe it, a big hug to the family and friends of Carles," wrote Barcelona midfielder Pedri in a post on social media network Instagram. The doctor, 53, leaves behind a wife and two children, said Barcelona president Joan Laporta. "This is incredibly painful news for Barcelona, it has left us heartbroken, in shock, because it was so sudden," said Laporta. "We contacted his mother and his wife, to express our condolences and support them in these incredibly painful moments... "It is our duty to be there for all of them, his wife, his children, his mother." The doctor had been working with different Barcelona sides since 2017, and began working with the men's football first team a few months ago. Osasuna president Luis Sabalza said his team had no objection whatsoever to the match being postponed. "We understand that life is the most important thing and you can't play a game thinking that the person with whom you've lived with for so long is not there any more," he told DAZN. Osasuna offered their condolences in a post on social media platform X. "Osasuna wishes to convey its deepest condolences to the family of doctor Carles Minarro Garcia and would like to send a big hug at this difficult time to all the staff of Barcelona, as well as their fans. May he rest in peace," wrote the club. On Monday Villarreal's game against Espanyol in La Liga was also postponed because of a heavy rain alert in the region. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Watkins haunts Brentford to revive Aston Villa's top-four hopes

Nottingham Forest dealt a major blow to Manchester City's bid to qualify for the Champions League as Callum Hudson-Odoi's late winner sealed a 1-0 victory in the top four shoot-out on Saturday. City have been reduced to battling for a place in next season's Champions League after a dismal campaign.<o:p></o:p>
Even that usually routine target is far from assured for Guardiola's men following their ninth league defeat this term.<o:p></o:p>
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With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League's top four in the Pep Guardiola era.<o:p></o:p>
Yet they left the City Ground looking anxiously over their shoulders after a first league loss to Forest since 1997.<o:p></o:p>
Fifth-placed Chelsea, just one point adrift of City, will go above the champions if they beat lowly Leicester on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>
Finishing fifth could still be enough for City to reach Europe's elite club competition depend on the results of the English clubs who remain in continental competitions this term.<o:p></o:p>
For City to achieve that modest goal, they will have to significantly improve on the latest limp display in a turbulent season.<o:p></o:p>
Third-placed Forest are four points clear of City thanks to only their third win in their last eight league games.<o:p></o:p>
Enjoying a fairytale season just a year after battling relegation, the former European champions are closing on a berth in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81.<o:p></o:p>
After Forest's former defender Stuart Pearce was rushed to hospital having been taken ill on a flight this week, his old club displayed a big screen message reading 'Get Well Soon Stuart', after three minutes of the Premier League game, recognising Pearce's old shirt number three.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>City Ground erupts<o:p></o:p></h2>
Forest were able to draw on the ultra-aggressive Pearce's trademark fire and brimstone in a stirring finale that followed a tepid first half.<o:p></o:p>
Nico Gonzalez fired just wide from 25 yards as City tried in vain to seize the initiative in a nervous start from both teams.<o:p></o:p>
The unseasonably sunny weather by the banks of the River Trent gave a soporific feel to what should have been a high-tempo clash with so much at stake.<o:p></o:p>
City went close when Josko Gvardiol picked out Phil Foden, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Nicolas Dominguez, before Bernardo Silva wastefully fired over with Erling Haaland unmarked and waiting for a pass that never came.<o:p></o:p>
Jeremy Doku's strike forced Forest keeper Matz Sels into action for the first time.<o:p></o:p>
But a woeful effort from Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White finished closer to the corner flag than the goal, an ugly misfire in keeping with the scrappy fare.<o:p></o:p>
Anthony Elanga crossed to the far post, where Dominguez's volley finally forced Ederson to make a save soon after the interval.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola sent on Omar Marmoush, Kevin De Bruyne, Rico Lewis, and Mateo Kovacic in a bid to spark City into life.<o:p></o:p>
The changes didn't have the desired effect as Forest found late momentum.<o:p></o:p>
Ederson made a fine save, turning Hudson-Odoi's curler onto the post.<o:p></o:p>
De Bruyne's free-kick was saved by Sels, but Hudson-Odoi stole the points as City Ground erupted in the 83rd minute.<o:p></o:p>
Gibbs-White conjured an inch-perfect pass to Hudson-Odoi and the forward cut inside before drilling a superb strike past Ederson's weak attempted save at the near post.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League's top four in the Pep Guardiola era.

Nottingham Forest dealt a major blow to Manchester City's bid to qualify for the Champions League as Callum Hudson-Odoi's late winner sealed a 1-0 victory in the top four shoot-out on Saturday. City have been reduced to battling for a place in next season's Champions League after a dismal campaign. Even that usually routine target is far from assured for Guardiola's men following their ninth league defeat this term. Also read | Stuart Pearce, former England football star, hospitalised in Canada With six titles in the past seven seasons, City have rarely had to worry about their place in the Premier League's top four in the Pep Guardiola era. Yet they left the City Ground looking anxiously over their shoulders after a first league loss to Forest since 1997. Fifth-placed Chelsea, just one point adrift of City, will go above the champions if they beat lowly Leicester on Sunday. Finishing fifth could still be enough for City to reach Europe's elite club competition depend on the results of the English clubs who remain in continental competitions this term. For City to achieve that modest goal, they will have to significantly improve on the latest limp display in a turbulent season. Third-placed Forest are four points clear of City thanks to only their third win in their last eight league games. Enjoying a fairytale season just a year after battling relegation, the former European champions are closing on a berth in the Champions League for the first time since 1980-81. After Forest's former defender Stuart Pearce was rushed to hospital having been taken ill on a flight this week, his old club displayed a big screen message reading 'Get Well Soon Stuart', after three minutes of the Premier League game, recognising Pearce's old shirt number three. City Ground erupts Forest were able to draw on the ultra-aggressive Pearce's trademark fire and brimstone in a stirring finale that followed a tepid first half. Nico Gonzalez fired just wide from 25 yards as City tried in vain to seize the initiative in a nervous start from both teams. The unseasonably sunny weather by the banks of the River Trent gave a soporific feel to what should have been a high-tempo clash with so much at stake. City went close when Josko Gvardiol picked out Phil Foden, whose goal-bound shot was blocked by Nicolas Dominguez, before Bernardo Silva wastefully fired over with Erling Haaland unmarked and waiting for a pass that never came. Jeremy Doku's strike forced Forest keeper Matz Sels into action for the first time. But a woeful effort from Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White finished closer to the corner flag than the goal, an ugly misfire in keeping with the scrappy fare. Anthony Elanga crossed to the far post, where Dominguez's volley finally forced Ederson to make a save soon after the interval. Guardiola sent on Omar Marmoush, Kevin De Bruyne, Rico Lewis, and Mateo Kovacic in a bid to spark City into life. The changes didn't have the desired effect as Forest found late momentum. Ederson made a fine save, turning Hudson-Odoi's curler onto the post. De Bruyne's free-kick was saved by Sels, but Hudson-Odoi stole the points as City Ground erupted in the 83rd minute. Gibbs-White conjured an inch-perfect pass to Hudson-Odoi and the forward cut inside before drilling a superb strike past Ederson's weak attempted save at the near post. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Forest hurt Manchester City’s bid for top-four finish with home win

Ruben Amorim does not believe he will get as much time at Manchester United to turn things around as Mikel Arteta was given to revive Arsenal's fortunes.
<h2>Amorim opens up ahead of key clash</h2>
The 40-year-old Amorim has struggled since succeeding Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in November. The Red Devils languish 14th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions.
The Europa League is the only remaining route to silverware and, realistically, continental qualification for a threadbare side preparing to take on an Arsenal team second in the Premier League and buoyed by a 7-1 Champions League last-16 win at PSV Eindhoven.
Arteta has made the Gunners a force again, with some eye-catching decisions as he reshaped the squad after being appointed in late 2019, including getting rid of senior players.
Arsenal, on course for a third straight second-place finish in the Premier League, are away to United on Sunday.
Asked if he saw similarities between Arteta's position and his job at United, Amorim said: "I don't feel that. I will not have the time that Arteta had. I feel that. It's a different club.
"So, we just need to survive with the players on Sunday and during these games.
"I think it's a different club. I think in that aspect, the way Arteta dealt with that is an inspiration for everybody. I will not have the time like Arteta had."
United secured a 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie.
They were without 11 first-team players in Spain, where the lack of options in their 18-man travelling squad and recent exertions took their toll.
"We need to survive Sunday," Amorim said. "The team was so tired in the last 20 minutes. We have to prepare Sunday and then think about this important game for our season on Thursday (the return leg against Real Sociedad)."
Amorim does not expect any of his injured players to be fit in time to face Arsenal, with Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte this week joining the lengthy casualty list at Old Trafford.
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Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw remain out, as do Jonny Evans, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton, while Patrick Dorgu is suspended.
A protest against United's US owners the Glazers is planned around the game by the 1958 fan group.
"I think for everybody in our club it's a really tough moment," Amorim said. "It's everything at the same time. The only thing I can do, and our players can do, is perform well and win.
"People have the right to protest. I think it's a good thing to do that. It's part of our club. Everybody has a voice.
"But our job and my job is just to improve the team and give them something in this moment because they deserve it and they are amazing."
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Sports, Football: Ruben Amorim does not believe he will get as much time at Manchester United to turn things around as Mikel Arteta was given to revive Arsenal's fortunes.

Ruben Amorim does not believe he will get as much time at Manchester United to turn things around as Mikel Arteta was given to revive Arsenal's fortunes. Amorim opens up ahead of key clash The 40-year-old Amorim has struggled since succeeding Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in November. The Red Devils languish 14th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions. The Europa League is the only remaining route to silverware and, realistically, continental qualification for a threadbare side preparing to take on an Arsenal team second in the Premier League and buoyed by a 7-1 Champions League last-16 win at PSV Eindhoven. Arteta has made the Gunners a force again, with some eye-catching decisions as he reshaped the squad after being appointed in late 2019, including getting rid of senior players. Arsenal, on course for a third straight second-place finish in the Premier League, are away to United on Sunday. Asked if he saw similarities between Arteta's position and his job at United, Amorim said: "I don't feel that. I will not have the time that Arteta had. I feel that. It's a different club. "So, we just need to survive with the players on Sunday and during these games. "I think it's a different club. I think in that aspect, the way Arteta dealt with that is an inspiration for everybody. I will not have the time like Arteta had." United secured a 1-1 draw away to Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie. They were without 11 first-team players in Spain, where the lack of options in their 18-man travelling squad and recent exertions took their toll. "We need to survive Sunday," Amorim said. "The team was so tired in the last 20 minutes. We have to prepare Sunday and then think about this important game for our season on Thursday (the return leg against Real Sociedad)." Amorim does not expect any of his injured players to be fit in time to face Arsenal, with Harry Maguire and Manuel Ugarte this week joining the lengthy casualty list at Old Trafford. ALSO READ | India’s best batter Virat Kohli is third-highest ODI run scorer for 'England'. Know how Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw remain out, as do Jonny Evans, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton, while Patrick Dorgu is suspended. A protest against United's US owners the Glazers is planned around the game by the 1958 fan group. "I think for everybody in our club it's a really tough moment," Amorim said. "It's everything at the same time. The only thing I can do, and our players can do, is perform well and win. "People have the right to protest. I think it's a good thing to do that. It's part of our club. Everybody has a voice. "But our job and my job is just to improve the team and give them something in this moment because they deserve it and they are amazing." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Ruben Amorim says Man Utd will not give him time like Mikel Arteta had at Arsenal

Arne Slot says he has to convince his Liverpool players they are playing three finals over the coming week, urging fans to raise the roof against Premier League basement club Southampton on Saturday.
Liverpool are closing in on the Premier League title, have a 1-0 lead against Paris Saint-Germain after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and face Newcastle in next weekend's League Cup final.
But Slot is anxious to focus on the visit of Southampton, even though his men are heavy favourites to extend their 13-point lead at the top of the table, at least for 24 hours.
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"Our full focus, my full focus, is now on Southampton, which is the first of three finals to be played in the upcoming week," Slot said on Friday.
The Dutchman was anxious to guard against complacency with the second leg against PSG and the League Cup final at Wembley to come.
"I hope, I truly hope, that our fans will be as loud as possible, at the loudest tomorrow," he said. "And not in the final and not against PSG, but tomorrow.
"I have to convince my players that we play three finals," he added. "And I'm hoping, and that's why I every time I come up with the word final, that I influence our fans a bit as well, that they understand how important they're going to be tomorrow.&nbsp;
"So I'm hoping they will not come into the stadium five minutes before the kick-off. I'm hoping the whole stadium is already completely filled half an hour before kick-off, and that these players get the reward for what they did in Paris, for working so hard."
The Dutchman admitted his players had been "really, really, really lucky" to come away from their midweek trip to Paris with a win after the French side had dominated the game, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker playing a starring role.
"But, as Michael Jordan said once, the harder you work, the more luck you have. And this is the biggest compliment you have to give the players," he said.
"They've worked incredibly hard, and I think even the second half we didn't control possession, we were not the dominant team at all, but we controlled them better than in the first half."
Slot, in his first season at Anfield, said it was sometimes important to tough matches out when not playing well.
"If you want to win something, if it's the Premier League or the League Cup or the Champions League or the FA Cup, you need to have once in a while a game where you don't play your best football and you are lucky, which is maybe not lucky if you work as hard as we do, to come and get away with a result," he said.
"There are almost no teams that play 38 (league) games or in the Champions League as much, only good football, I think Real Madrid is one of the best examples of that."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Slot is anxious to focus on the visit of Southampton, even though his men are heavy favourites to extend their 13-point lead at the top of the table, at least for 24 hours. Football Sports

Arne Slot says he has to convince his Liverpool players they are playing three finals over the coming week, urging fans to raise the roof against Premier League basement club Southampton on Saturday. Liverpool are closing in on the Premier League title, have a 1-0 lead against Paris Saint-Germain after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie and face Newcastle in next weekend's League Cup final. But Slot is anxious to focus on the visit of Southampton, even though his men are heavy favourites to extend their 13-point lead at the top of the table, at least for 24 hours. Also Read: Neymar back for Brazil after 16-month absence for World Cup qualifiers "Our full focus, my full focus, is now on Southampton, which is the first of three finals to be played in the upcoming week," Slot said on Friday. The Dutchman was anxious to guard against complacency with the second leg against PSG and the League Cup final at Wembley to come. "I hope, I truly hope, that our fans will be as loud as possible, at the loudest tomorrow," he said. "And not in the final and not against PSG, but tomorrow. "I have to convince my players that we play three finals," he added. "And I'm hoping, and that's why I every time I come up with the word final, that I influence our fans a bit as well, that they understand how important they're going to be tomorrow. "So I'm hoping they will not come into the stadium five minutes before the kick-off. I'm hoping the whole stadium is already completely filled half an hour before kick-off, and that these players get the reward for what they did in Paris, for working so hard." The Dutchman admitted his players had been "really, really, really lucky" to come away from their midweek trip to Paris with a win after the French side had dominated the game, with goalkeeper Alisson Becker playing a starring role. "But, as Michael Jordan said once, the harder you work, the more luck you have. And this is the biggest compliment you have to give the players," he said. "They've worked incredibly hard, and I think even the second half we didn't control possession, we were not the dominant team at all, but we controlled them better than in the first half." Slot, in his first season at Anfield, said it was sometimes important to tough matches out when not playing well. "If you want to win something, if it's the Premier League or the League Cup or the Champions League or the FA Cup, you need to have once in a while a game where you don't play your best football and you are lucky, which is maybe not lucky if you work as hard as we do, to come and get away with a result," he said. "There are almost no teams that play 38 (league) games or in the Champions League as much, only good football, I think Real Madrid is one of the best examples of that." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot urges fans to raise the roof ahead of 'three finals'

Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City will be a Premier League force again in the future after Erling Haaland sealed a 1-0 win at Tottenham on Wednesday. Haaland's clinical finish in the 12th minute bolstered City's bid to qualify for next season's Champions League as they moved into fourth place.<o:p></o:p>
Battling to finish in the top four is a significant letdown for City after they won the last four Premier League titles to make it six in seven seasons for Guardiola.<o:p></o:p>
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Liverpool look almost certain to take the title this season, but City -- beaten 2-0 by the Reds on Sunday -- have been out of the race for months after a dismal period which has left them 20 points adrift of the leaders.<o:p></o:p>
With City also out of the Champions League following their play-off loss to Real Madrid, Guardiola has only the FA Cup left as a path to silverware this season.<o:p></o:p>
But in the longer-term, the Spaniard remains convinced City can be restored to their former glory despite a team ageing in some positions and lacking Premier League experience in others.<o:p></o:p>
The good and bad sides to City's spluttering team were on full display in north London as they started brightly but wasted a series of chances to increase their lead before clinging on under heavy pressure after the interval.<o:p></o:p>
"Never will be this season the old City," Guardiola said. "Old City were too good, but we will be back. <o:p></o:p>
"The game, it was open second half because we didn't close the first. In this stadium always they have 20 to 25 minutes and second half we suffered.<o:p></o:p>
"It's happened many times this season that we give away an unbelievable amount of goals and up front there are many games, like Champions League at Sporting we should be 1-3 or 1-4 in the first half and we lost 4-1. Many times it happens and today fortunately it finished good."<o:p></o:p>
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou claimed overeagerness hurt his injury-hit team during a one-sided first half.<o:p></o:p>
Postecoglou's men have endured a season almost as troubled as City's, leaving them in 13th place and chasing Europa League glory to end a 17-year trophy drought.<o:p></o:p>
"First half we were just a little bit too eager to get forward with the ball. I thought we were really wasteful and when you are against City, it allows them to get into a rhythm," Postecoglou said. "They can pick you off at different times and we just didn't handle that part of the game well. They scored and had a couple of good chances to get further ahead.<o:p></o:p>
"I certainly felt second half we dominated the game and territory. We were pretty relentless. Much better with the ball and a lot calmer but just missing a goal and ultimately fell short.<o:p></o:p>
"It's disappointing to lose again and that's the main feeling, but it did look more like us today."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.
&nbsp;

Sports, Football: Battling to finish in the top four is a significant letdown for City after they won the last four Premier League titles to make it six in seven seasons for Pep.

Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City will be a Premier League force again in the future after Erling Haaland sealed a 1-0 win at Tottenham on Wednesday. Haaland's clinical finish in the 12th minute bolstered City's bid to qualify for next season's Champions League as they moved into fourth place. Battling to finish in the top four is a significant letdown for City after they won the last four Premier League titles to make it six in seven seasons for Guardiola. Also read | ‘Death threat’ chants affected defender Asencio, admits Madrid’s Ancelotti Liverpool look almost certain to take the title this season, but City -- beaten 2-0 by the Reds on Sunday -- have been out of the race for months after a dismal period which has left them 20 points adrift of the leaders. With City also out of the Champions League following their play-off loss to Real Madrid, Guardiola has only the FA Cup left as a path to silverware this season. But in the longer-term, the Spaniard remains convinced City can be restored to their former glory despite a team ageing in some positions and lacking Premier League experience in others. The good and bad sides to City's spluttering team were on full display in north London as they started brightly but wasted a series of chances to increase their lead before clinging on under heavy pressure after the interval. "Never will be this season the old City," Guardiola said. "Old City were too good, but we will be back. "The game, it was open second half because we didn't close the first. In this stadium always they have 20 to 25 minutes and second half we suffered. "It's happened many times this season that we give away an unbelievable amount of goals and up front there are many games, like Champions League at Sporting we should be 1-3 or 1-4 in the first half and we lost 4-1. Many times it happens and today fortunately it finished good." Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou claimed overeagerness hurt his injury-hit team during a one-sided first half. Postecoglou's men have endured a season almost as troubled as City's, leaving them in 13th place and chasing Europa League glory to end a 17-year trophy drought. "First half we were just a little bit too eager to get forward with the ball. I thought we were really wasteful and when you are against City, it allows them to get into a rhythm," Postecoglou said. "They can pick you off at different times and we just didn't handle that part of the game well. They scored and had a couple of good chances to get further ahead. "I certainly felt second half we dominated the game and territory. We were pretty relentless. Much better with the ball and a lot calmer but just missing a goal and ultimately fell short. "It's disappointing to lose again and that's the main feeling, but it did look more like us today." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: ‘Old City were too good, but we will be back,’ Guardiola vows to paint Manchester blue again

Liverpool boss Arne Slot hailed his side's winning mentality after surging 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Newcastle on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister were on target either side of half-time as the Reds further stretched their advantage over Arsenal who were earlier held 0-0 at Nottingham Forest.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/former-united-boss-erik-ten-hag-says-current-players-find-it-tough-to-deal-with-criticism-8759621" rel="dofollow">Former United boss Erik ten Hag says current players find it tough to deal with criticism</a>
Unbeaten in 24 league games, Liverpool are cruising towards a record-equalling 20th English top flight title but just their second in 35 years.<o:p></o:p>
Slot had to make do with a seat in the stands after being handed a two-match touchline ban for his red card in a fiery Merseyside derby at Everton earlier this month.<o:p></o:p>
That was the start of a demanding run of five Premier League games in 15 days.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool have emerged with 11 points from those games to more than double their six-point lead two weeks ago.<o:p></o:p>
"All the mental challenges we had the players kept calm and did the things they had to do," said Slot. "Making it hard as possible for the opponents to play against us and normally then our quality makes the difference."<o:p></o:p>
Defeat leaves Newcastle down in sixth, three points adrift of the top four.<o:p></o:p>
The sides will meet again in the League Cup final on March 16 and Eddie Howe believes the Magpies showed they can at least compete with Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
"I don't think it was a bad performance in any way but with the two goals we could have done much better," said Howe. "Both were passes into our box that we did not get tight enough to their midfielders which is frustrating really.<o:p></o:p>
"Going the other way we had opportunities and moments but we were not clinical enough when those few chances did come our way."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Isak missed</h2>
Newcastle were dealt a huge blow before a ball was kicked as 21-goal top scorer Alexander Isak was ruled out due to a groin injury.<o:p></o:p>
The Anfield crowd were in a mood to party after their side secured a statement 2-0 win at Manchester City on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>
And they were given plenty of reason to remain in good voice.<o:p></o:p>
It took the home side just 11 minutes to go in front when the lively Luis Diaz cut the ball back for Szoboszlai to roll in, although questions will be asked over Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope's poor attempt to keep it out.<o:p></o:p>
Isak's stand-in Callum Wilson had a huge chance to equalise when he timed his run in behind Ibrahima Konate, only to slice his finish well wide.<o:p></o:p>
Once Liverpool did get the second just after the hour mark, there was never any doubt over the outcome.<o:p></o:p>
Mohamed Salah's eight-game scoring streak finally came to an end, but he did still have a telling contribution with his 22nd assist of the season.<o:p></o:p>
The Egyptian sucked in three Newcastle defenders before dishing the ball out to Mac Allister who fired high into Pope's top right-hand corner.<o:p></o:p>
At the end of a draining run of games, Slot's men were able to ease to another vital three points in the final 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
The Liverpool fans struck up multiple choruses of "we're going to win the league" in the closing stages.<o:p></o:p>
Even in the closing days of February, little doubt remains as who will be crowned champions in May, if not before then.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.
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Sports, Football: Szoboszlai, Mac Allister were on target either side of half-time as the Reds further stretched their advantage over Arsenal who were earlier held 0-0 at Forest.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot hailed his side's winning mentality after surging 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Newcastle on Wednesday. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister were on target either side of half-time as the Reds further stretched their advantage over Arsenal who were earlier held 0-0 at Nottingham Forest. Also read | Former United boss Erik ten Hag says current players find it tough to deal with criticism Unbeaten in 24 league games, Liverpool are cruising towards a record-equalling 20th English top flight title but just their second in 35 years. Slot had to make do with a seat in the stands after being handed a two-match touchline ban for his red card in a fiery Merseyside derby at Everton earlier this month. That was the start of a demanding run of five Premier League games in 15 days. Liverpool have emerged with 11 points from those games to more than double their six-point lead two weeks ago. "All the mental challenges we had the players kept calm and did the things they had to do," said Slot. "Making it hard as possible for the opponents to play against us and normally then our quality makes the difference." Defeat leaves Newcastle down in sixth, three points adrift of the top four. The sides will meet again in the League Cup final on March 16 and Eddie Howe believes the Magpies showed they can at least compete with Liverpool. "I don't think it was a bad performance in any way but with the two goals we could have done much better," said Howe. "Both were passes into our box that we did not get tight enough to their midfielders which is frustrating really. "Going the other way we had opportunities and moments but we were not clinical enough when those few chances did come our way." Isak missed Newcastle were dealt a huge blow before a ball was kicked as 21-goal top scorer Alexander Isak was ruled out due to a groin injury. The Anfield crowd were in a mood to party after their side secured a statement 2-0 win at Manchester City on Sunday. And they were given plenty of reason to remain in good voice. It took the home side just 11 minutes to go in front when the lively Luis Diaz cut the ball back for Szoboszlai to roll in, although questions will be asked over Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope's poor attempt to keep it out. Isak's stand-in Callum Wilson had a huge chance to equalise when he timed his run in behind Ibrahima Konate, only to slice his finish well wide. Once Liverpool did get the second just after the hour mark, there was never any doubt over the outcome. Mohamed Salah's eight-game scoring streak finally came to an end, but he did still have a telling contribution with his 22nd assist of the season. The Egyptian sucked in three Newcastle defenders before dishing the ball out to Mac Allister who fired high into Pope's top right-hand corner. At the end of a draining run of games, Slot's men were able to ease to another vital three points in the final 30 minutes. The Liverpool fans struck up multiple choruses of "we're going to win the league" in the closing stages. Even in the closing days of February, little doubt remains as who will be crowned champions in May, if not before then. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Liverpool surge to 13 points clear at the top after win over Newcastle

Chelsea moved into the Premier League's top four with a 4-0 demolition of hapless Southampton, but Aston Villa's hopes of Champions League football next season diminished after a 4-1 defeat at Crystal Palace.
After a run of three consecutive defeats, Chelsea badly needed a response against bottom-of-the-table Saints, who are set for an immediate return to the Championship.
The Blues duly delivered with three first-half goals through Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill for just a third league win 11 games.
Before kick-off at Stamford Bridge, a small band of Chelsea fans gathered to protest against the club's owners over the club's form and discontent over ticket prices.
Once the action got underway, it was a much-needed comfortable evening for Enzo Maresca's men which the Italian will hope can restore confidence among his squad.
Nkunku took his tally for the season to 14 but only three of those have come in the Premier League as he has often had to play reserve to the injured Nicolas Jackson.
The Frenchman stooped to head in a corner at the back post before teeing up Neto to blast home a second.
Colwill headed in Neto's free-kick to make the points safe before the break.
Marc Cucurella rounded off the scoring with a calm finish from teenager Tyrique George's cross.
"We needed that, the fans needed that and the club needed that so we are happy," said Maresca.
&ldquo;The priority is to bring this club to where this club should be - the Champions League. It will be like this until the end of the season - we will be up and down and we need to be ready.&rdquo;
Victory takes Chelsea two points above Manchester City into fourth.
Thanks to English clubs' strong performance in European competition this season, a top-five finish is likely to be enough for a place in next season's Champions League.
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<h2>Eagles soaring</h2>
Villa had rejuvenated their hopes of a second consecutive season in Europe's elite competition after beating Chelsea on Saturday.
But Unai Emery's men have won just one of their last seven league games after a capitulation at Selhurst Park.
"After today, with a loss, it is difficult to try to explain everything," said Emery.
"We have to move on and be motivated in the competitions - FA Cup and Champions League and get the balance in the Premier League."
Ismaila Sarr's first-half opener was cancelled out early in the second period by Morgan Rogers.
Jean-Philippe Mateta quickly restored Palace's advantage before Sarr and Eddie Nketiah maintained the Eagles fine form.
Oliver Glasner's side have won seven of their last nine games to rise to 12th, just six points behind Villa in 10th.
Brighton won the battle of the south coast clubs with ambitions of European football next season, over Bournemouth 2-1.
Joao Pedro won and converted a penalty on 12 minutes to give the Seagulls the lead.
A wonder strike from Justin Kluivert levelled for the Cherries, but Danny Welbeck's winner moved the sides level on points.
Bournemouth sit seventh on goal difference with Brighton in eighth, but now just one point behind fifth-placed City.
Wolves missed the chance to pull further clear of the relegation zone after a 2-1 home defeat to Fulham.
A fast start to both halves saw the visitors take the points as Ryan Sessegnon struck inside the first minute and Rodrigo Muniz got the winner two minutes into the second period.
Wolves remain five points above the bottom three.
League leaders Liverpool can take another step towards just their second title in 35 years when they host Newcastle on Wednesday.
Second faces third as Arsenal visit Nottingham Forest, while Tottenham host City.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: After a run of three consecutive defeats, Chelsea badly needed a response against the Saints, who are set for an immediate return to the Championship.

Chelsea moved into the Premier League's top four with a 4-0 demolition of hapless Southampton, but Aston Villa's hopes of Champions League football next season diminished after a 4-1 defeat at Crystal Palace. After a run of three consecutive defeats, Chelsea badly needed a response against bottom-of-the-table Saints, who are set for an immediate return to the Championship. The Blues duly delivered with three first-half goals through Christopher Nkunku, Pedro Neto and Levi Colwill for just a third league win 11 games. Before kick-off at Stamford Bridge, a small band of Chelsea fans gathered to protest against the club's owners over the club's form and discontent over ticket prices. Once the action got underway, it was a much-needed comfortable evening for Enzo Maresca's men which the Italian will hope can restore confidence among his squad. Nkunku took his tally for the season to 14 but only three of those have come in the Premier League as he has often had to play reserve to the injured Nicolas Jackson. The Frenchman stooped to head in a corner at the back post before teeing up Neto to blast home a second. Colwill headed in Neto's free-kick to make the points safe before the break. Marc Cucurella rounded off the scoring with a calm finish from teenager Tyrique George's cross. "We needed that, the fans needed that and the club needed that so we are happy," said Maresca. “The priority is to bring this club to where this club should be - the Champions League. It will be like this until the end of the season - we will be up and down and we need to be ready.” Victory takes Chelsea two points above Manchester City into fourth. Thanks to English clubs' strong performance in European competition this season, a top-five finish is likely to be enough for a place in next season's Champions League. ALSO READ | Champions Trophy 2025: Over 100 Pakistani policemen dismissed for refusing duty Eagles soaring Villa had rejuvenated their hopes of a second consecutive season in Europe's elite competition after beating Chelsea on Saturday. But Unai Emery's men have won just one of their last seven league games after a capitulation at Selhurst Park. "After today, with a loss, it is difficult to try to explain everything," said Emery. "We have to move on and be motivated in the competitions - FA Cup and Champions League and get the balance in the Premier League." Ismaila Sarr's first-half opener was cancelled out early in the second period by Morgan Rogers. Jean-Philippe Mateta quickly restored Palace's advantage before Sarr and Eddie Nketiah maintained the Eagles fine form. Oliver Glasner's side have won seven of their last nine games to rise to 12th, just six points behind Villa in 10th. Brighton won the battle of the south coast clubs with ambitions of European football next season, over Bournemouth 2-1. Joao Pedro won and converted a penalty on 12 minutes to give the Seagulls the lead. A wonder strike from Justin Kluivert levelled for the Cherries, but Danny Welbeck's winner moved the sides level on points. Bournemouth sit seventh on goal difference with Brighton in eighth, but now just one point behind fifth-placed City. Wolves missed the chance to pull further clear of the relegation zone after a 2-1 home defeat to Fulham. A fast start to both halves saw the visitors take the points as Ryan Sessegnon struck inside the first minute and Rodrigo Muniz got the winner two minutes into the second period. Wolves remain five points above the bottom three. League leaders Liverpool can take another step towards just their second title in 35 years when they host Newcastle on Wednesday. Second faces third as Arsenal visit Nottingham Forest, while Tottenham host City. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Enzo Maresca's Chelsea thrash Southampton, Aston Villa beaten by Palace

Arne Slot&rsquo;s Liverpool had a decisive weekend in the Premier League title challenge after they beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday (Feb 23). On a weekend, where the gap between Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal could have been five points with a game in hand for the Gunners, it was not the case as the Reds extended their lead at the top with an 11-point advantage. Arsenal&rsquo;s defeat at home to West Ham coupled with Liverpool&rsquo;s win sees Slot and Co in the driving seat for the Premier League title.
<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">What are the current standings?</h2>
As things stand, Liverpool have 64 points from 27 matches while second-placed Arsenal have 53 points from 26 matches at the time of writing on Feb 25. This means second-placed Arsenal can reach a maximum of 89 points in case they win all their remaining 12 matches in the rest of the season (three points for a win), meaning Liverpool need 90 points maximum to win the Premier League title.
If this is the case, the Reds need a maximum of 26 points from the 11 remaining matches. Therefore, Slot and Co need eight wins and two draws or nine wins in maximum, provided Arsenal are winning all their matches. Interestingly, both Arsenal and Liverpool go head-to-head on May 10 at Anfield, which could all but seal the title of Mohamed Salah and Co.
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<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">When could Liverpool seal the Premier League title?</h2>
If both Arsenal and Liverpool go on a winning spree from the time of writing, the latter will seal the title in the 36th game of the season, which will be against Arsenal on May 10. However, considering the Gunners are short on hands in the centre-forward position and still going well in the Champions League, they could prioritise the European adventure.
Again if this is the case and assuming Arsenal lose at least two matches, Liverpool will need 20 points from 11 matches and could seal the title on match week 34 against Tottenham at Anfield.

Sports, Football: Arne Slot’s Liverpool had a decisive weekend in the Premier League title challenge after they beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday (Feb 23).

Arne Slot’s Liverpool had a decisive weekend in the Premier League title challenge after they beat Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday (Feb 23). On a weekend, where the gap between Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal could have been five points with a game in hand for the Gunners, it was not the case as the Reds extended their lead at the top with an 11-point advantage. Arsenal’s defeat at home to West Ham coupled with Liverpool’s win sees Slot and Co in the driving seat for the Premier League title. What are the current standings? As things stand, Liverpool have 64 points from 27 matches while second-placed Arsenal have 53 points from 26 matches at the time of writing on Feb 25. This means second-placed Arsenal can reach a maximum of 89 points in case they win all their remaining 12 matches in the rest of the season (three points for a win), meaning Liverpool need 90 points maximum to win the Premier League title. If this is the case, the Reds need a maximum of 26 points from the 11 remaining matches. Therefore, Slot and Co need eight wins and two draws or nine wins in maximum, provided Arsenal are winning all their matches. Interestingly, both Arsenal and Liverpool go head-to-head on May 10 at Anfield, which could all but seal the title of Mohamed Salah and Co. ALSO READ | India, New Zealand qualify for Champions Trophy semis; Pakistan eliminated When could Liverpool seal the Premier League title? If both Arsenal and Liverpool go on a winning spree from the time of writing, the latter will seal the title in the 36th game of the season, which will be against Arsenal on May 10. However, considering the Gunners are short on hands in the centre-forward position and still going well in the Champions League, they could prioritise the European adventure. Again if this is the case and assuming Arsenal lose at least two matches, Liverpool will need 20 points from 11 matches and could seal the title on match week 34 against Tottenham at Anfield.

Premier League: Here's how early Liverpool can win record-equalling 20th title

Virgil van Dijk has urged Liverpool's players and fans to make Anfield a "horrible" place for opponents during the Premier League title run-in.
Liverpool are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the table, with 11 games remaining after Sunday's 2-0 win at the home of champions Manchester City.
Arsenal have a game in hand, but Arne Slot's men are galloping towards a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title and have seven of their remaining league matches at Anfield.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/we-rely-on-cole-for-everything-chelsea-coach-enzo-maresca-urges-misfiring-midfield-to-step-up-in-palmers-lean-patch-8752655">&lsquo;We rely on Cole for everything,&rsquo; Maresca urges misfiring midfield to step up during Palmer's lean patch</a>
Liverpool looked nervous during last week's 2-1 home win against Wolves and have also dropped points recently against Everton and Aston Villa.
"I mentioned it after that (Wolves) game, that obviously it's pretty normal, humans, there could be some anxious feelings kicking in," said Liverpool captain Van Dijk.
"And that could still be the case, but I think it only helps us and them as well to make Anfield horrible for the opponent, like most of the time we have been doing that, and obviously the way we play obviously helps with that as well."
He added, "So let's make sure those seven (home games) are going to be amazing, as loud as possible, and I don't think we have to speak about it, because normally that is the case."
Goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool their first top-flight victory at the Etihad for nearly 10 years as they capitalised on Arsenal's defeat by West Ham the previous day.
Liverpool fans chanted "We're going to win the league" in the closing stages of the match, looking forward to celebrating just their second English league title since 1990.
"A couple of days ago there was noise also about other things and it could go the other way," said Van Dijk, who is now preparing for Wednesday's home match against Newcastle.
"Obviously, the result on Saturday and the result (at the Etihad) gives them (the fans) the belief.
"It's down to us to just keep focusing on the game ahead of us. That's what we do and that's what I told the boys as well.&nbsp;
"It's all about recovery now and being ready for Newcastle. It will be a big test again and we need our fans to be in great shape."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Liverpool are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the table with 11 games remaining after Sunday's 2-0 win at the home of champions Manchester City. Football SPorts

Virgil van Dijk has urged Liverpool's players and fans to make Anfield a "horrible" place for opponents during the Premier League title run-in. Liverpool are 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the table, with 11 games remaining after Sunday's 2-0 win at the home of champions Manchester City. Arsenal have a game in hand, but Arne Slot's men are galloping towards a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title and have seven of their remaining league matches at Anfield. Also Read: ‘We rely on Cole for everything,’ Maresca urges misfiring midfield to step up during Palmer's lean patch Liverpool looked nervous during last week's 2-1 home win against Wolves and have also dropped points recently against Everton and Aston Villa. "I mentioned it after that (Wolves) game, that obviously it's pretty normal, humans, there could be some anxious feelings kicking in," said Liverpool captain Van Dijk. "And that could still be the case, but I think it only helps us and them as well to make Anfield horrible for the opponent, like most of the time we have been doing that, and obviously the way we play obviously helps with that as well." He added, "So let's make sure those seven (home games) are going to be amazing, as loud as possible, and I don't think we have to speak about it, because normally that is the case." Goals from Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai gave Liverpool their first top-flight victory at the Etihad for nearly 10 years as they capitalised on Arsenal's defeat by West Ham the previous day. Liverpool fans chanted "We're going to win the league" in the closing stages of the match, looking forward to celebrating just their second English league title since 1990. "A couple of days ago there was noise also about other things and it could go the other way," said Van Dijk, who is now preparing for Wednesday's home match against Newcastle. "Obviously, the result on Saturday and the result (at the Etihad) gives them (the fans) the belief. "It's down to us to just keep focusing on the game ahead of us. That's what we do and that's what I told the boys as well. "It's all about recovery now and being ready for Newcastle. It will be a big test again and we need our fans to be in great shape." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: 'Make Anfield horrible for the opponent,' says Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk to fans

Enzo Maresca has challenged his misfiring Chelsea squad to step up during a lean spell for Cole Palmer, admitting "we rely on Cole for everything".<o:p></o:p>
The England attacking midfielder has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in the Premier League this season, but his last goal was in mid-January and he last set up a goal on December 1.<o:p></o:p>
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Chelsea, just two points behind runaway leaders Liverpool in mid-December, have slipped to seventh in the table after three defeats in their past four games, though they are just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City.<o:p></o:p>
Maresca, preparing his team to host rock-bottom Southampton on Tuesday, said he was not worried about Palmer's dip in form.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm not concerned about Cole because Cole is a human being, and during the season he can have some moments where he struggles a little bit more," he told reporters on Monday. "The problem with Cole is probably that we rely on Cole for everything, and I said since we started that we need to rely on the team. For sure we need big players, top players like Cole, but we are not worried about Cole at all." <o:p></o:p>
He added, "Every game we expect from him a goal or assist. It's difficult, he's a human being, he's a player. At this moment, probably his performance also reflects a little bit the team performance."<o:p></o:p>
"We struggle to score goals and we need to be a little bit more clinical when we get the chances."<o:p></o:p>
The Italian, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, remains upbeat over Chelsea's form as they chase a Champions League place.<o:p></o:p>
"Even against Villa (a 2-1 defeat on Saturday), I think the identity was there," he said. "The way we play on the ball and off the ball was there, very similar to what we are doing during the season."<o:p></o:p>
"So, the identity is there. I said after Aston Villa game, in this moment I have the feeling that winning one, we can have a good run again and we can build a good momentum again. That is what I think in this moment the players need."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Palmer has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in the PL this season but his last goal was in mid-January and he last set up a goal on December 1.

Enzo Maresca has challenged his misfiring Chelsea squad to step up during a lean spell for Cole Palmer, admitting "we rely on Cole for everything". The England attacking midfielder has scored 14 goals and provided six assists in the Premier League this season, but his last goal was in mid-January and he last set up a goal on December 1. Also read | Moise Kean released from hospital and ‘out of danger’ after collapsing on pitch: Club Chelsea, just two points behind runaway leaders Liverpool in mid-December, have slipped to seventh in the table after three defeats in their past four games, though they are just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City. Maresca, preparing his team to host rock-bottom Southampton on Tuesday, said he was not worried about Palmer's dip in form. "I'm not concerned about Cole because Cole is a human being, and during the season he can have some moments where he struggles a little bit more," he told reporters on Monday. "The problem with Cole is probably that we rely on Cole for everything, and I said since we started that we need to rely on the team. For sure we need big players, top players like Cole, but we are not worried about Cole at all." He added, "Every game we expect from him a goal or assist. It's difficult, he's a human being, he's a player. At this moment, probably his performance also reflects a little bit the team performance." "We struggle to score goals and we need to be a little bit more clinical when we get the chances." The Italian, in his first season at Stamford Bridge, remains upbeat over Chelsea's form as they chase a Champions League place. "Even against Villa (a 2-1 defeat on Saturday), I think the identity was there," he said. "The way we play on the ball and off the ball was there, very similar to what we are doing during the season." "So, the identity is there. I said after Aston Villa game, in this moment I have the feeling that winning one, we can have a good run again and we can build a good momentum again. That is what I think in this moment the players need." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

‘We rely on Cole for everything,’ Maresca urges misfiring midfield to step up during Palmer's lean patch

Tired of finishing second best to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manchester-city">Manchester City</a>, Liverpool took revenge on the English champions with a 2-0 victory at the Etihad on Sunday to strike a potentially decisive blow in the Premier League title race.
Arne Slot's men enjoy a commanding 11-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, whose 1-0 home defeat to West Ham on Saturday realistically ended their challenge to win the league for the first time in 21 years.
Liverpool know themselves the pain of such a drought despite being one of the giants of the English game.&nbsp;Thirty years passed between their 18th top-flight title in 1990 and 19th in the coronavirus-impacted 2019/20 season.
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Now they are on course to match <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manchester-united">Manchester United</a>'s record of 20 thanks to a Slot's smooth transition as the successor to Jurgen Klopp.
The German seemed an impossible act to follow after his emotional Anfield goodbye at the end of last season.&nbsp;Klopp led Liverpool out of the wilderness back to the top of the English and European game during a nine-year spell in charge.
"No-one saw us as a title contender when we started in the beginning of the season," said Slot on the common perception of the impact Klopp's departure would have.
However, Klopp left behind a core of Premier League winners in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/mohammed-salah">Mohamed Salah</a>, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
"Me and the big guys in the team, we need another title," said Salah.&nbsp;Klopp crucially also oversaw a rejuvenation of the Liverpool squad in his final 18 months with the signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo to allow Slot to hit the ground running.
<h2>City's rebuild</h2>
That rebuilding process is what now lies ahead for City.&nbsp;Pep Guardiola has dominated English football since he arrived as City boss in 2016, winning six of the last seven Premier League titles.
This season they have been a pale shadow of their former selves to fall 20 points behind Liverpool down in fourth.&nbsp;City splashed out &pound;170 million in the January window on four new signings, three of which, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, started on Sunday.
Guardiola has hinted at more big money arrivals in the summer as he looks to get back on top but was at least heartened by his side's performance.
In stark contrast to recent thrashings by Arsenal and Real Madrid to exit the Champions League in midweek, City forced Liverpool to defend for large spells.
"If you lose, you have to lose the way we lost today," said Guardiola.&nbsp;"I saw many things that this club has a bright future with the players that we have."
<h2>'Not difficult for Mo'</h2>
City badly missed the presence of Erling Haaland up front to make their dominance of possession show on the scoreboard.
By contrast, Liverpool have Salah in the form of his life despite the ongoing speculation over his future.&nbsp;The 32-year-old could be nearing the end of his career on Merseyside with his contract expiring at the end of the season, but is determined to go out with a bang.
Salah has scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 38 appearances this season.&nbsp;"I think the numbers speak for itself," added Slot.
"Today, there weren't that many moments we could bring him in promising positions, but moments that we gave him the ball in those positions, he was every time a threat.
"That probably tells you even more the quality player he is, because it's not so easy for an attacker if he has to defend and then he gets the ball and does something special.
"That's sometimes difficult, but at the moment, not many things seem difficult for Mo."&nbsp;Slot has also made the Premier League look easy to make himself an instant hero of the Anfield faithful.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Liverpool are on course to match Manchester United's record of 20 thanks to a Slot's smooth transition as the successor to Jurgen Klopp

Tired of finishing second best to Manchester City, Liverpool took revenge on the English champions with a 2-0 victory at the Etihad on Sunday to strike a potentially decisive blow in the Premier League title race. Arne Slot's men enjoy a commanding 11-point lead over second-placed Arsenal, whose 1-0 home defeat to West Ham on Saturday realistically ended their challenge to win the league for the first time in 21 years. Liverpool know themselves the pain of such a drought despite being one of the giants of the English game. Thirty years passed between their 18th top-flight title in 1990 and 19th in the coronavirus-impacted 2019/20 season. Also Read: La Liga: Modric seals Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Girona with a screamer! Now they are on course to match Manchester United's record of 20 thanks to a Slot's smooth transition as the successor to Jurgen Klopp. The German seemed an impossible act to follow after his emotional Anfield goodbye at the end of last season. Klopp led Liverpool out of the wilderness back to the top of the English and European game during a nine-year spell in charge. "No-one saw us as a title contender when we started in the beginning of the season," said Slot on the common perception of the impact Klopp's departure would have. However, Klopp left behind a core of Premier League winners in Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. "Me and the big guys in the team, we need another title," said Salah. Klopp crucially also oversaw a rejuvenation of the Liverpool squad in his final 18 months with the signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo to allow Slot to hit the ground running. City's rebuild That rebuilding process is what now lies ahead for City. Pep Guardiola has dominated English football since he arrived as City boss in 2016, winning six of the last seven Premier League titles. This season they have been a pale shadow of their former selves to fall 20 points behind Liverpool down in fourth. City splashed out £170 million in the January window on four new signings, three of which, Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, started on Sunday. Guardiola has hinted at more big money arrivals in the summer as he looks to get back on top but was at least heartened by his side's performance. In stark contrast to recent thrashings by Arsenal and Real Madrid to exit the Champions League in midweek, City forced Liverpool to defend for large spells. "If you lose, you have to lose the way we lost today," said Guardiola. "I saw many things that this club has a bright future with the players that we have." 'Not difficult for Mo' City badly missed the presence of Erling Haaland up front to make their dominance of possession show on the scoreboard. By contrast, Liverpool have Salah in the form of his life despite the ongoing speculation over his future. The 32-year-old could be nearing the end of his career on Merseyside with his contract expiring at the end of the season, but is determined to go out with a bang. Salah has scored 30 goals and provided 21 assists in 38 appearances this season. "I think the numbers speak for itself," added Slot. "Today, there weren't that many moments we could bring him in promising positions, but moments that we gave him the ball in those positions, he was every time a threat. "That probably tells you even more the quality player he is, because it's not so easy for an attacker if he has to defend and then he gets the ball and does something special. "That's sometimes difficult, but at the moment, not many things seem difficult for Mo." Slot has also made the Premier League look easy to make himself an instant hero of the Anfield faithful. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League champions-elect Liverpool leave mark on Manchester City

Arsenal's Premier League title challenge suffered a massive blow as the 10-man Gunners were beaten 1-0 at home by lowly West Ham on Saturday.
Jarrod Bowen headed in the only goal just before half-time and an injury-hit Arsenal had no reply after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent-off on 73 minutes.
Defeat leaves second-placed Arsenal still eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool.
The Reds can extend that advantage to 11 when they visit a diminished Manchester City on Sunday.
Any pressure that had built up on Liverpool after drawing two of their last three Premier League games was eased as Arsenal failed to cope with an injury crisis that has depleted Mikel Arteta's attacking options.
Midfielder Mikel Merino stepped up in the absence of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka with a late double to beat Leicester 2-0 last weekend.
However, the Hammers easily snuffed out the Spaniard and secured just a second win since Graham Potter took charge seven games ago.
Bowen applied the finishing touch for the winner, but the goal owed more to a driving run and pinpoint cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka which caught the Arsenal defence off guard on 44 minutes.
The home side then left themselves a mountain to climb with a fifth Premier League red card of the season.
Lewis-Skelly has received two of them. The teenager was also sent-off in last month's 1-0 win at Wolves.
That decision was overturned on appeal, but the left-back could have few complaints this time despite referee Craig Pawson initially only brandishing a yellow card after Lewis-Skelly hauled down Mohammed Kudus.
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After a VAR review, Pawson upgraded the yellow to a red for denying of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
West Ham should have added to their lead late on when Kudus and Evan Ferguson failed to beat David Raya.
It did not matter as Arsenal's toothless attack could not break the visitors down in what may prove the death knell for their chances of a first league title since 2004.
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Jarrod Bowen headed in the only goal just before half-time and an injury-hit Arsenal had no reply after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent-off on 73 minutes.

Arsenal's Premier League title challenge suffered a massive blow as the 10-man Gunners were beaten 1-0 at home by lowly West Ham on Saturday. Jarrod Bowen headed in the only goal just before half-time and an injury-hit Arsenal had no reply after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent-off on 73 minutes. Defeat leaves second-placed Arsenal still eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool. The Reds can extend that advantage to 11 when they visit a diminished Manchester City on Sunday. Any pressure that had built up on Liverpool after drawing two of their last three Premier League games was eased as Arsenal failed to cope with an injury crisis that has depleted Mikel Arteta's attacking options. Midfielder Mikel Merino stepped up in the absence of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka with a late double to beat Leicester 2-0 last weekend. However, the Hammers easily snuffed out the Spaniard and secured just a second win since Graham Potter took charge seven games ago. Bowen applied the finishing touch for the winner, but the goal owed more to a driving run and pinpoint cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka which caught the Arsenal defence off guard on 44 minutes. The home side then left themselves a mountain to climb with a fifth Premier League red card of the season. Lewis-Skelly has received two of them. The teenager was also sent-off in last month's 1-0 win at Wolves. That decision was overturned on appeal, but the left-back could have few complaints this time despite referee Craig Pawson initially only brandishing a yellow card after Lewis-Skelly hauled down Mohammed Kudus. ALSO READ | Ind vs Pak Champions Trophy 2025: All you need to know, check Live streaming, Head to head, stats, pitch report, squad After a VAR review, Pawson upgraded the yellow to a red for denying of a clear goalscoring opportunity. West Ham should have added to their lead late on when Kudus and Evan Ferguson failed to beat David Raya. It did not matter as Arsenal's toothless attack could not break the visitors down in what may prove the death knell for their chances of a first league title since 2004. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Arsenal's title hopes suffer blow after West Ham defeat

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said his side have to make extra time on the training ground count after a dreadful run of Premier League results.
The Red Devils sit 15th in the table ahead of Saturday's visit to Everton.
Amorim has won just four of his 14 league games since taking charge, while United have lost eight of the last 12.
<h2>Ruben Amorim on Man Utd crisis</h2>
The Portuguese believes he is seeing improvement in training, thanks in part to two free midweeks in the past fortnight, and urged his players to build on that in matches.
"What I see in training is they are improving and creating relationships," he said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
"Even the sounds of the training is different. We have to use that in the game and see it in the game and take that step.
"We are bonding and we understand the way we want to play, but in the game we struggle a lot."
Amorim's hopes of a return to winning ways have been boosted by the return of Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro for United's final trip to Goodison Park.
However, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw are among those who remain on a lengthy injury list.
United's only realistic chance of a return to the Champions League next season is by winning the Europa League.
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Amorim's men were handed a tough last 16 draw on Friday against Spanish side Real Sociedad.
The first leg is less than two weeks away, but the former Sporting Lisbon boss said his focus had to be on righting the ship in the Premier League.
"If I see our performances, and focus on Real Sociedad or think about trophies in the moment, it is not the right way to do my job," added Amorim. "I just want to win against Everton."
Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said his side have to make extra time on the training ground count after a dreadful run of Premier League results.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said his side have to make extra time on the training ground count after a dreadful run of Premier League results. The Red Devils sit 15th in the table ahead of Saturday's visit to Everton. Amorim has won just four of his 14 league games since taking charge, while United have lost eight of the last 12. Ruben Amorim on Man Utd crisis The Portuguese believes he is seeing improvement in training, thanks in part to two free midweeks in the past fortnight, and urged his players to build on that in matches. "What I see in training is they are improving and creating relationships," he said at his pre-match press conference on Friday. "Even the sounds of the training is different. We have to use that in the game and see it in the game and take that step. "We are bonding and we understand the way we want to play, but in the game we struggle a lot." Amorim's hopes of a return to winning ways have been boosted by the return of Christian Eriksen, Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro for United's final trip to Goodison Park. However, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Luke Shaw are among those who remain on a lengthy injury list. United's only realistic chance of a return to the Champions League next season is by winning the Europa League. ALSO READ | Yuzvendra Chahal and Dhanashree Verma reportedly finalise divorce, share cryptic posts Amorim's men were handed a tough last 16 draw on Friday against Spanish side Real Sociedad. The first leg is less than two weeks away, but the former Sporting Lisbon boss said his focus had to be on righting the ship in the Premier League. "If I see our performances, and focus on Real Sociedad or think about trophies in the moment, it is not the right way to do my job," added Amorim. "I just want to win against Everton." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Ruben Amorim insists Man Utd 'improving' despite slump

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland remains a doubt for Sunday's Premier League clash against Liverpool after sitting out his side's Champions League exit to Real Madrid. The Norwegian was named on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu but did not make an appearance as City were outclassed in a 3-1 defeat on Wednesday to crash out 6-3 on aggregate.<o:p></o:p>
"Tomorrow we will know," said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Friday.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/la-liga-barcelona-coach-hansi-flick-upset-over-referee-harassment-by-real-madrid-8744587" rel="dofollow">La Liga: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick upset over referee harassment by Real Madrid</a>
The January signing of Omar Marmoush at least means Guardiola does have a back-up option should Haaland fail to recover in time to face the league leaders, but Guardiola could not hide the importance of his 27-goal star striker.<o:p></o:p>
"It's better to have Erling on the pitch than not," he added. "Of course with Erling we are stronger."<o:p></o:p>
The battle for supremacy between Guardiola's City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool marked an era in the Premier League.<o:p></o:p>
But Arne Slot has seamlessly succeeded Klopp to have the Reds on course for the title in his first season in charge.<o:p></o:p>
"For me it's an exceptional team. I have said many times, they have been the biggest rival in my tenure here," said Guardiola. "Arsenal right now in the last years have been involved as well, but I could not expect differently that Liverpool (would) be in the position that they are."<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool hold an eight-point lead over Arsenal, who have a game in hand and are favourites to cut the gap to five when they host West Ham on Saturday.<o:p></o:p>
After four consecutive title triumphs, City's defence of their crown is realistically over as they are 17 points adrift of Liverpool in fourth.<o:p></o:p>
Injuries have played a major role in City's decline.<o:p></o:p>
John Stones is set for another couple of months on the sidelines after limping off with a thigh tear early on against Madrid, while Rodri and Manuel Akanji may also not play again this season.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola pointed to a brutal schedule as the cause and pointed out that Arsenal, Real Madrid and Tottenham are among other clubs battling a number of serious muscle injuries this season.<o:p></o:p>
City's season could stretch into mid-July due to their participation in the Club World Cup, with the next Premier League season starting barely a month later.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola said he is already fearing a repeat situation next season that could hinder City's hopes of bouncing back and competing for major honours.<o:p></o:p>
"Of course, I'm concerned. So, next season, everybody will be fit? I don't know what's going to happen," he added. "We have already a lot of players that cannot sustain what we have in the past. Week in, week out, playing a dozen different competitions, travels. Without the problems.<o:p></o:p>
"More than 50 games, it's too much for the players. It's too much for the human being, the body cannot sustain without a medical issue.<o:p></o:p>
"And we arrived at 65, 70 games and, at the end, look what happened. It's not just Man City. It's all the clubs."

Sports, Football: After four consecutive title triumphs, City's defence of their crown is realistically over as they are 17 points adrift of Liverpool in fourth.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said Erling Haaland remains a doubt for Sunday's Premier League clash against Liverpool after sitting out his side's Champions League exit to Real Madrid. The Norwegian was named on the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu but did not make an appearance as City were outclassed in a 3-1 defeat on Wednesday to crash out 6-3 on aggregate. "Tomorrow we will know," said Guardiola at his pre-match press conference on Friday. Also read | La Liga: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick upset over referee harassment by Real Madrid The January signing of Omar Marmoush at least means Guardiola does have a back-up option should Haaland fail to recover in time to face the league leaders, but Guardiola could not hide the importance of his 27-goal star striker. "It's better to have Erling on the pitch than not," he added. "Of course with Erling we are stronger." The battle for supremacy between Guardiola's City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool marked an era in the Premier League. But Arne Slot has seamlessly succeeded Klopp to have the Reds on course for the title in his first season in charge. "For me it's an exceptional team. I have said many times, they have been the biggest rival in my tenure here," said Guardiola. "Arsenal right now in the last years have been involved as well, but I could not expect differently that Liverpool (would) be in the position that they are." Liverpool hold an eight-point lead over Arsenal, who have a game in hand and are favourites to cut the gap to five when they host West Ham on Saturday. After four consecutive title triumphs, City's defence of their crown is realistically over as they are 17 points adrift of Liverpool in fourth. Injuries have played a major role in City's decline. John Stones is set for another couple of months on the sidelines after limping off with a thigh tear early on against Madrid, while Rodri and Manuel Akanji may also not play again this season. Guardiola pointed to a brutal schedule as the cause and pointed out that Arsenal, Real Madrid and Tottenham are among other clubs battling a number of serious muscle injuries this season. City's season could stretch into mid-July due to their participation in the Club World Cup, with the next Premier League season starting barely a month later. Guardiola said he is already fearing a repeat situation next season that could hinder City's hopes of bouncing back and competing for major honours. "Of course, I'm concerned. So, next season, everybody will be fit? I don't know what's going to happen," he added. "We have already a lot of players that cannot sustain what we have in the past. Week in, week out, playing a dozen different competitions, travels. Without the problems. "More than 50 games, it's too much for the players. It's too much for the human being, the body cannot sustain without a medical issue. "And we arrived at 65, 70 games and, at the end, look what happened. It's not just Man City. It's all the clubs."

Premier League: City’s Haaland doubtful for showdown clash with leaders Liverpool

Liverpool's charge towards the Premier League title has slowed ahead of a trip to Manchester City on Sunday, giving Arsenal hope of closing in on the leaders.
The Gunners can move to within five points of the Reds should they see off lowly West Ham at the Emirates.
Behind the top two, the race is on for a place in next season's Champions League.
Premier League: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/football/premier-league-liverpool-boss-arne-slot-to-talk-to-darwin-nunez-after-missed-opportunity-vs-aston-villa-8741090">Liverpool boss Arne Slot to talk to Darwin Nunez after missed opportunity vs Aston Villa</a>
Only six points separate third-placed Nottingham Forest from Newcastle in seventh before they face off at St James' Park.
AFP Sports looks ahead to the pick of Premier League action this weekend:
<h2>Liverpool's title test</h2>
Arne Slot's men appeared to be cruising towards a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.
However, two 2-2 draws at Everton and Aston Villa in the past 10 days have brought the title race alive again.
But Manchester City, the dominant force in English football during the last decade, were outclassed by Real Madrid in midweek as they crashed out of the Champions League before the last 16 stage for the first time since the 2012/13 season.
The English champions may also be without Erling Haaland, who did not get off the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu due to injury.
But Pep Guardiola's men showed what they are still capable of in a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle last week and are in need of points themselves in the top-four race.
"They've had maybe one or two months in the seven or eight years he's (Guardiola) there now that weren't the best, maybe partly because of injuries as well," said Slot.&nbsp;
"Injuries come back, they've signed three or four players, I can see them coming back already if you look at the result against Newcastle."
Arsenal have the chance to up the pressure when they face West Ham 24 hours earlier.
Mikel Arteta's side will be without a recognised striker for the rest of the season but have won 23 points from a possible 27 to remain in the race.
"If we constantly look at Arsenal or what other teams are doing, that would not help us," added Slot.
"We already know how difficult it is to go to the Etihad, so we don't need Arsenal to get involved in that even more."
Chelsea crisis Chelsea need to bounce back quickly if they are to retain hope of Champions League football next season.
The Blues flirted with a title challenge towards the end of 2024 but have won just twice in their last nine league games and crashed out of the FA Cup.
Manager Enzo Maresca said his side's meek 3-0 defeat by Brighton last weekend was the worst performance of his tenure to date, amid concerns star man Cole Palmer could leave without the lure of the Champions League.&nbsp;
Chelsea travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, whose own hopes of a top-four finish are starting to fade.
Unai Emery's men pushed Liverpool all the way in a four-goal thriller on Wednesday but find themselves down in ninth, five points off the top four, due to an inconsistent season.
Nottingham Forest's acid test
Not in their wildest dreams could Nottingham Forest fans have imagined sitting third in the table with just 13 games to go.
However, they face a stern test of their credentials to make it back to European football's elite competition for the first time in 45 years.
Forest visit Newcastle on Sunday before hosting Arsenal and Manchester City in their next two home league games.
Newcastle have suffered back-to-back league defeats either side of their League Cup semi-final heroics against Arsenal, with Magpies manager Eddie Howe annoyed by his side's see-saw form.
"I think we have days where we can look far from the team that we are when we're on it," said Howe. "It's a real frustration for us because to be an elite team, you've got to be consistent."
Fixtures (all times 1500 GMT unless stated)&nbsp;
Friday
Leicester v Brentford (2000)
Saturday
Everton v Manchester United (1230), Fulham v Crystal Palace, Ipswich v Tottenham, Southampton v Brighton, Bournemouth v Wolves, Arsenal v West Ham, Aston Villa v Chelsea (1730)
Sunday
Newcastle v Nottingham Forest (1400), Man City v Liverpool (1630)
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Arne Slot's men appeared to be cruising towards a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. However, two 2-2 draws at Everton and Aston Villa in the past 10 days have brought the title race alive again. Football Sports

Liverpool's charge towards the Premier League title has slowed ahead of a trip to Manchester City on Sunday, giving Arsenal hope of closing in on the leaders. The Gunners can move to within five points of the Reds should they see off lowly West Ham at the Emirates. Behind the top two, the race is on for a place in next season's Champions League. Premier League: Liverpool boss Arne Slot to talk to Darwin Nunez after missed opportunity vs Aston Villa Only six points separate third-placed Nottingham Forest from Newcastle in seventh before they face off at St James' Park. AFP Sports looks ahead to the pick of Premier League action this weekend: Liverpool's title test Arne Slot's men appeared to be cruising towards a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title. However, two 2-2 draws at Everton and Aston Villa in the past 10 days have brought the title race alive again. But Manchester City, the dominant force in English football during the last decade, were outclassed by Real Madrid in midweek as they crashed out of the Champions League before the last 16 stage for the first time since the 2012/13 season. The English champions may also be without Erling Haaland, who did not get off the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu due to injury. But Pep Guardiola's men showed what they are still capable of in a 4-0 thrashing of Newcastle last week and are in need of points themselves in the top-four race. "They've had maybe one or two months in the seven or eight years he's (Guardiola) there now that weren't the best, maybe partly because of injuries as well," said Slot. "Injuries come back, they've signed three or four players, I can see them coming back already if you look at the result against Newcastle." Arsenal have the chance to up the pressure when they face West Ham 24 hours earlier. Mikel Arteta's side will be without a recognised striker for the rest of the season but have won 23 points from a possible 27 to remain in the race. "If we constantly look at Arsenal or what other teams are doing, that would not help us," added Slot. "We already know how difficult it is to go to the Etihad, so we don't need Arsenal to get involved in that even more." Chelsea crisis Chelsea need to bounce back quickly if they are to retain hope of Champions League football next season. The Blues flirted with a title challenge towards the end of 2024 but have won just twice in their last nine league games and crashed out of the FA Cup. Manager Enzo Maresca said his side's meek 3-0 defeat by Brighton last weekend was the worst performance of his tenure to date, amid concerns star man Cole Palmer could leave without the lure of the Champions League. Chelsea travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, whose own hopes of a top-four finish are starting to fade. Unai Emery's men pushed Liverpool all the way in a four-goal thriller on Wednesday but find themselves down in ninth, five points off the top four, due to an inconsistent season. Nottingham Forest's acid test Not in their wildest dreams could Nottingham Forest fans have imagined sitting third in the table with just 13 games to go. However, they face a stern test of their credentials to make it back to European football's elite competition for the first time in 45 years. Forest visit Newcastle on Sunday before hosting Arsenal and Manchester City in their next two home league games. Newcastle have suffered back-to-back league defeats either side of their League Cup semi-final heroics against Arsenal, with Magpies manager Eddie Howe annoyed by his side's see-saw form. "I think we have days where we can look far from the team that we are when we're on it," said Howe. "It's a real frustration for us because to be an elite team, you've got to be consistent." Fixtures (all times 1500 GMT unless stated) Friday Leicester v Brentford (2000) Saturday Everton v Manchester United (1230), Fulham v Crystal Palace, Ipswich v Tottenham, Southampton v Brighton, Bournemouth v Wolves, Arsenal v West Ham, Aston Villa v Chelsea (1730) Sunday Newcastle v Nottingham Forest (1400), Man City v Liverpool (1630) Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Liverpool face Manchester City as race for top heats up

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will talk to Darwin Nunez about his attitude after accusing the striker of letting a costly miss at Aston Villa affect his effort levels for the rest of the game.
The Reds failed to go 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table as Wednesday's trip to Villa Park ended in a frantic 2-2 draw.
Villa also had chances to win, but Nunez's failure to seal the victory for league leaders Liverpool was especially glaring.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-aston-villa-dent-liverpools-title-charge-with-hard-earn-draw-8738220">Premier League: Aston Villa dent Liverpool's title charge with hard-earn draw</a>
Slot's frustration was still evident Thursday at his pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend's clash with Manchester City.&nbsp;
"I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that scores for us in the home game against Villa," said Slot.
"I would prefer him to score, but the word 'chance' says it all. It's a chance, so it's not 100 percent sure that the ball goes in and players miss chances."
But the Dutch boss, in his first season as Liverpool manager, was concerned by Nunez's reaction.
"What was a bit harder for me to accept was his behaviour after that chance," said Slot.
"With behaviour, I mean, I think it got too much in his head, where he wasn't the usual Darwin that works his ass off and makes sure he helps the team.
"I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and maybe &ndash;- we will never know, we will never find out &ndash; that's why (his attitude) was just a fraction short the moment afterwards."
Slot added: "I always truly believe that it's always the best to have Wata's (Wataru Endo) mindset. What I mean with that is that for the whole season he doesn't stop playing, keeps on going, keeps on going, keeps on going and whenever we need him he's ready."
The Liverpool manager contrasted that approach with Nunez's reaction at Villa Park, saying: "It's not about (missing) the chance. But it's not part of the job of a number nine then to slow down in work rate and that is something we will talk about."
Following the match, Nunez posted on X: "I wasn't the best three weeks ago, and I'm not the worst now. If I fall, I get up. You'll never see me give up. I'm going to give it my all until the last day I'm here in Liverpool. Resilience!"
Liverpool substitute Conor Bradley limped off against Villa.
The right-back is set to miss the trip to City.
"We don't know yet, but I would be completely surprised if he's involved in the Sunday game or the Wednesday game against Newcastle, so, you can assume that that's not going to happen," said Slot
Forward Cody Gakpo could return after missing two matches through injury.
"Let's see," Slot said. "I'm not 100 percent sure. He hasn't trained with the team yet...It will be a close call."
He also confirmed that centreback Joe Gomez would be a long-term absentee.
"Joe Gomez had a surgery for his hamstring injury, so he's out for a long time," Slot said. "He will be back, maybe, just before the end of the season."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The Reds failed to go 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table as Wednesday's trip to Villa Park ended in a frantic 2-2 draw. Football Sports

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will talk to Darwin Nunez about his attitude after accusing the striker of letting a costly miss at Aston Villa affect his effort levels for the rest of the game. The Reds failed to go 10 points clear of second-placed Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table as Wednesday's trip to Villa Park ended in a frantic 2-2 draw. Villa also had chances to win, but Nunez's failure to seal the victory for league leaders Liverpool was especially glaring. Also Read: Premier League: Aston Villa dent Liverpool's title charge with hard-earn draw Slot's frustration was still evident Thursday at his pre-match press conference ahead of this weekend's clash with Manchester City. "I can accept every miss, especially from a player that has scored two very important goals against Brentford, that scores for us in the home game against Villa," said Slot. "I would prefer him to score, but the word 'chance' says it all. It's a chance, so it's not 100 percent sure that the ball goes in and players miss chances." But the Dutch boss, in his first season as Liverpool manager, was concerned by Nunez's reaction. "What was a bit harder for me to accept was his behaviour after that chance," said Slot. "With behaviour, I mean, I think it got too much in his head, where he wasn't the usual Darwin that works his ass off and makes sure he helps the team. "I think he was too disappointed after missing that chance and maybe –- we will never know, we will never find out – that's why (his attitude) was just a fraction short the moment afterwards." Slot added: "I always truly believe that it's always the best to have Wata's (Wataru Endo) mindset. What I mean with that is that for the whole season he doesn't stop playing, keeps on going, keeps on going, keeps on going and whenever we need him he's ready." The Liverpool manager contrasted that approach with Nunez's reaction at Villa Park, saying: "It's not about (missing) the chance. But it's not part of the job of a number nine then to slow down in work rate and that is something we will talk about." Following the match, Nunez posted on X: "I wasn't the best three weeks ago, and I'm not the worst now. If I fall, I get up. You'll never see me give up. I'm going to give it my all until the last day I'm here in Liverpool. Resilience!" Liverpool substitute Conor Bradley limped off against Villa. The right-back is set to miss the trip to City. "We don't know yet, but I would be completely surprised if he's involved in the Sunday game or the Wednesday game against Newcastle, so, you can assume that that's not going to happen," said Slot Forward Cody Gakpo could return after missing two matches through injury. "Let's see," Slot said. "I'm not 100 percent sure. He hasn't trained with the team yet...It will be a close call." He also confirmed that centreback Joe Gomez would be a long-term absentee. "Joe Gomez had a surgery for his hamstring injury, so he's out for a long time," Slot said. "He will be back, maybe, just before the end of the season." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Liverpool boss Arne Slot to talk to Darwin Nunez after missed opportunity vs Aston Villa

Liverpool's Premier League title charge was slowed by Aston Villa after a pulsating 2-2 draw on Wednesday left neither side satisfied.
Arne Slot's men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds.
Liverpool led through Mohamed Salah but were also forced to come from behind after Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins swung momentum in Villa's favour.
Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected shot secured a point for the visitors, but it should have been more as substitute Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch victory.
"You can understand there is one person in the dressing room who feels quite down," said Slot on Nunez's late miss.
"If you watch the game back we created far more chances than them, we did everything we needed to do. The only thing that wasn't perfect was conceding from a set-piece."
Villa, though, could also have won it in stoppage time as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen went close.
A point does little for Villa's hope of returning to the Champions League next season as they remain in ninth.
"A draw I think is fair for both teams because they had also chances to score," said Villa boss Unai Emery.
Liverpool are now 22 Premier League games unbeaten, but after conceding at the death against local rivals Everton, a second 2-2 draw in eight days offers Arsenal hope in the title race.
Slot's men also face a tough trip to Manchester City on Sunday.
"We're happy where we are," added Slot. "A bit too much now we played games where we deserve more than we got.
"We want to achieve something together this season and we have all the ingredients for it but still 12 games to go."
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<h2>Liverpool onslaught</h2>
Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were handed their first Villa starts by Emery as he reacted to a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Ipswich on Saturday.
Rashford nearly had a hand in the opening goal but had strayed offside before his cross was turned into his own net by Virgil van Dijk.
Villa were masters of their own downfall when the opener did arrive on 29 minutes.
Andres Garcia's backpass went straight to Diogo Jota, who unselfishly squared for Salah to fire in his 29th goal of the season.
Villa were level within nine minutes as Liverpool failed to properly clear a free-kick into the box and the ball fell kindly to Tielemans, who produced a classy finish on the volley.
Jota should have restored the visitors' advantage immediately when be blazed high and wide with just Emi Martinez to beat.
Instead it was Villa who led at half-time as poor Liverpool defending allowed Watkins a free run to meet Lucas Digne's cross with a header into the far corner.
The Liverpool onslaught followed in the second half to extend Slot's run of never having lost an away Premier League game.
Jota curled a fine effort from the edge of the box off the bar.
Alexander-Arnold was a growing influence on the game when he levelled on the hour mark with the aid of a deflection off Tyrone Mings.
Slot threw on Luis Diaz and Nunez off the bench in search of a winner and one of his substitutes should have delivered a vital three points.
Nunez had an open goal to aim at after being picked out by Dominik Szoboszlai but fired over to the disbelief of his manager.
Martinez then had to rush off his line to deny Nunez another clear run on goal.
Villa, though, had the majority of the chances in a frantic finale.
Jacob Ramsey's strike was ruled out for offside before Rogers and Malen's powerful drives flew just off target.
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Sports, Football: Arne Slot's men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds.

Liverpool's Premier League title charge was slowed by Aston Villa after a pulsating 2-2 draw on Wednesday left neither side satisfied. Arne Slot's men open up an eight-point lead at the top of the table over second-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners now have a game in hand over the Reds. Liverpool led through Mohamed Salah but were also forced to come from behind after Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins swung momentum in Villa's favour. Trent Alexander-Arnold's deflected shot secured a point for the visitors, but it should have been more as substitute Darwin Nunez missed a glorious chance to snatch victory. "You can understand there is one person in the dressing room who feels quite down," said Slot on Nunez's late miss. "If you watch the game back we created far more chances than them, we did everything we needed to do. The only thing that wasn't perfect was conceding from a set-piece." Villa, though, could also have won it in stoppage time as Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen went close. A point does little for Villa's hope of returning to the Champions League next season as they remain in ninth. "A draw I think is fair for both teams because they had also chances to score," said Villa boss Unai Emery. Liverpool are now 22 Premier League games unbeaten, but after conceding at the death against local rivals Everton, a second 2-2 draw in eight days offers Arsenal hope in the title race. Slot's men also face a tough trip to Manchester City on Sunday. "We're happy where we are," added Slot. "A bit too much now we played games where we deserve more than we got. "We want to achieve something together this season and we have all the ingredients for it but still 12 games to go." ALSO READ | Champions Trophy 2025: Kane Williamson breaks 6-year streak during opener against Pakistan Liverpool onslaught Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio were handed their first Villa starts by Emery as he reacted to a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Ipswich on Saturday. Rashford nearly had a hand in the opening goal but had strayed offside before his cross was turned into his own net by Virgil van Dijk. Villa were masters of their own downfall when the opener did arrive on 29 minutes. Andres Garcia's backpass went straight to Diogo Jota, who unselfishly squared for Salah to fire in his 29th goal of the season. Villa were level within nine minutes as Liverpool failed to properly clear a free-kick into the box and the ball fell kindly to Tielemans, who produced a classy finish on the volley. Jota should have restored the visitors' advantage immediately when be blazed high and wide with just Emi Martinez to beat. Instead it was Villa who led at half-time as poor Liverpool defending allowed Watkins a free run to meet Lucas Digne's cross with a header into the far corner. The Liverpool onslaught followed in the second half to extend Slot's run of never having lost an away Premier League game. Jota curled a fine effort from the edge of the box off the bar. Alexander-Arnold was a growing influence on the game when he levelled on the hour mark with the aid of a deflection off Tyrone Mings. Slot threw on Luis Diaz and Nunez off the bench in search of a winner and one of his substitutes should have delivered a vital three points. Nunez had an open goal to aim at after being picked out by Dominik Szoboszlai but fired over to the disbelief of his manager. Martinez then had to rush off his line to deny Nunez another clear run on goal. Villa, though, had the majority of the chances in a frantic finale. Jacob Ramsey's strike was ruled out for offside before Rogers and Malen's powerful drives flew just off target. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Aston Villa dent Liverpool's title charge with hard-earn draw

Tottenham won the battle of the&nbsp;Premier&nbsp;League's underachievers 1-0 on Sunday to inflict another dismal result on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/manchester-united">Manchester United</a> boss Ruben Amorim.
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/james-maddison">James Maddison</a> scored the only goal on 13 minutes as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/tottenham">Spurs</a> moved above United in the table into 12th thanks to a third win over the Red Devils this season.&nbsp;Victory eased the pressure on under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after exiting both domestic cup competitions this month to go with their lowly&nbsp;league&nbsp;position.
United now find themselves down in 15th, but do enjoy a 12-point cushion over the bottom three.
"The place in the table is my worry, I am not worried about me," said Amorim, who has won just four of 14&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/premier-league">Premier&nbsp;League</a>&nbsp;games since taking charge in November.
"I hate to lose. That feeling is the worst. The rest I am not thinking about.&nbsp;"I understand my situation, my job, I am confident in my work and I just want to win games."
Also Read: PL: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/premier-league-luis-diaz-ends-goal-drought-to-power-liverpool-seven-points-clear-at-the-top-of-points-table-wolves-8727114" rel="dofollow">Luis Diaz ends goal drought to power Liverpool seven points clear at top</a>
Tottenham's first home&nbsp;league&nbsp;win since November came amid a spirit of revolt among their support.&nbsp;Before kick-off and after the match Spurs fans again vented their frustration towards owners ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy.
A huge banner read "24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy - Time for change" as a sizeable contingent of the home crowd joined a protest calling for Levy to go.
However, the mood for Postecoglou was lifted even before kick-off as he was able to welcome back a host of first-team regulars who have been sidelined by injury.
<h2>'Quality players' return'</h2>
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made his first appearance since November. Maddison returned to &nbsp;the starting line-up, while Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert were on the bench.
"They are quality players. We've had it pretty tough the last two-and-a-half months," said Postecoglou. "It was important for us to win and gain some traction.
"I certainly feel there is still a massive opportunity for us in this back half of the season and hopefully today is the start of that."
United have their own injury troubles with Amad Diallo joining Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines for the rest of the season and Kobbie Mainoo ruled out for a month.&nbsp;Amorim had to name eight teenagers among his nine substitutes, forcing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to start together up front after both were overlooked for United's last&nbsp;league&nbsp;game - a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Hojlund had the first chance when he fired too close to Vicario before the Italian flew to his left to deny Alejandro Garnacho.
Instead, Spurs got the opener when Andre Onana could only parry Lucas Bergvall's shot into the path of Maddison, who tapped into an empty net for his 10th goal of the season.
United should have been at least level by half-time as Garnacho blazed over a glorious opportunity with just Vicario to beat after being picked out by Bruno Fernandes.
Vicario continued to frustrate Garnacho with another fine save after the break.&nbsp;Zirkzee wasted a huge chance to equalise 20 minutes from time when the Dutch international headed Noussair Mazraoui's cross wide with the goal gaping.
But United's inability to put the ball in the net comes as little surprise.&nbsp;Only the bottom three plus Everton have scored fewer than United's 28 goals in 25&nbsp;league&nbsp;games this season.
At the other end, Onana kept the visitors in the game by parrying Dejan Kulusevski's powerful effort.&nbsp;But even Spurs' makeshift backline could not be breached by Amorim's men to allow Postecoglou to see some light at the end of the tunnel.
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Sports, Football: James Maddison scored the only goal on 13 minutes as Spurs moved above United in the table into 12th thanks to a third win over the Red Devils this season

Tottenham won the battle of the Premier League's underachievers 1-0 on Sunday to inflict another dismal result on Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim. James Maddison scored the only goal on 13 minutes as Spurs moved above United in the table into 12th thanks to a third win over the Red Devils this season. Victory eased the pressure on under-fire Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou after exiting both domestic cup competitions this month to go with their lowly league position. United now find themselves down in 15th, but do enjoy a 12-point cushion over the bottom three. "The place in the table is my worry, I am not worried about me," said Amorim, who has won just four of 14 Premier League games since taking charge in November. "I hate to lose. That feeling is the worst. The rest I am not thinking about. "I understand my situation, my job, I am confident in my work and I just want to win games." Also Read: PL: Luis Diaz ends goal drought to power Liverpool seven points clear at top Tottenham's first home league win since November came amid a spirit of revolt among their support. Before kick-off and after the match Spurs fans again vented their frustration towards owners ENIC and chairman Daniel Levy. A huge banner read "24 years, 16 managers, 1 trophy - Time for change" as a sizeable contingent of the home crowd joined a protest calling for Levy to go. However, the mood for Postecoglou was lifted even before kick-off as he was able to welcome back a host of first-team regulars who have been sidelined by injury. 'Quality players' return' Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made his first appearance since November. Maddison returned to the starting line-up, while Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Wilson Odobert were on the bench. "They are quality players. We've had it pretty tough the last two-and-a-half months," said Postecoglou. "It was important for us to win and gain some traction. "I certainly feel there is still a massive opportunity for us in this back half of the season and hopefully today is the start of that." United have their own injury troubles with Amad Diallo joining Lisandro Martinez on the sidelines for the rest of the season and Kobbie Mainoo ruled out for a month. Amorim had to name eight teenagers among his nine substitutes, forcing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee to start together up front after both were overlooked for United's last league game - a 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. Hojlund had the first chance when he fired too close to Vicario before the Italian flew to his left to deny Alejandro Garnacho. Instead, Spurs got the opener when Andre Onana could only parry Lucas Bergvall's shot into the path of Maddison, who tapped into an empty net for his 10th goal of the season. United should have been at least level by half-time as Garnacho blazed over a glorious opportunity with just Vicario to beat after being picked out by Bruno Fernandes. Vicario continued to frustrate Garnacho with another fine save after the break. Zirkzee wasted a huge chance to equalise 20 minutes from time when the Dutch international headed Noussair Mazraoui's cross wide with the goal gaping. But United's inability to put the ball in the net comes as little surprise. Only the bottom three plus Everton have scored fewer than United's 28 goals in 25 league games this season. At the other end, Onana kept the visitors in the game by parrying Dejan Kulusevski's powerful effort. But even Spurs' makeshift backline could not be breached by Amorim's men to allow Postecoglou to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Premier League: Tottenham beat Manchester United in battle of strugglers

Liverpool moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as Luis Diaz ended his goal drought to spark a tense 2-1 win against struggling Wolves on Sunday. Arne Slot's side got back on track after an unexpectedly poor week thanks to Diaz's first goal in 2025 and yet another Mohamed Salah strike.<o:p></o:p>
Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal.<o:p></o:p>
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While Diaz has struggled to find the net, Salah is in red-hot form and his penalty before the interval took the Egypt star to 28 goals in all competitions this season.<o:p></o:p>
Matheus Cunha netted in the second half for fourth-bottom Wolves, but although Liverpool looked tired in a disjointed, nervous, climax, they held on for a valuable victory.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool had gone two games without a win: an embarrassing FA Cup fourth round loss at second tier Plymouth last weekend and the stormy 2-2 draw at Everton on Wednesday.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal's 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday had applied a little more pressure on Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
The Reds responded to Arsenal's challenge as they moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English title.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool, who last won the Premier League in 2020, will be within touching distance of the crown if they take maximum points from trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City before hosting Newcastle over the course of the next 10 days.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool boss Slot was in the dug-out despite being charged with abusive behaviour after angrily approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch following the Merseyside derby.<o:p></o:p>
Slot was furious that James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser was not disallowed because of a possible push by Toffees striker Beto on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate.<o:p></o:p>
Slot had urged Liverpool to use their "anger" from the painful end to the Everton game as fuel to get back on track against Wolves.<o:p></o:p>
They didn't have to wait long to light the fuse as Diaz bagged his first league goal at Anfield since September.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Liverpool dig deep<o:p></o:p></h2>
In the 15th minute, Diaz picked out Salah and his return pass took a wicked deflection off Toti Gomes.<o:p></o:p>
Diaz stumbled forward to chest the ball past Wolves keeper Jose Sa as it barely trickled over the line.<o:p></o:p>
It was hardly a work of art but Diaz wasn't complaining about the scruffy nature of the strike.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai nearly netted with a more eye-catching effort, striding forward with purpose before drilling a low shot just wide.<o:p></o:p>
The Reds were rampant and Sa repelled Jota's drive at the near post after Robertson's cross caused panic in the Wolves defence.<o:p></o:p>
Wolves couldn't stem the tide as Liverpool went further ahead in the 37th minute.<o:p></o:p>
Wolves claimed Emmanuel Agbadou was pushed by Diaz before he raced into the area and was tripped by Sa.<o:p></o:p>
But VAR ignored their protests and Salah flicked the penalty down the middle with a flamboyant flourish.<o:p></o:p>
Salah has seven goals in his last six games, underlining his immense value to Liverpool as his contract winds towards its conclusion at the end of the season.<o:p></o:p>
Wolves debutant Marshall Munetsi wasted a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit early in the second half.<o:p></o:p>
Munetsi was sent clean through by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but Alisson Becker raced off his line to make a fine save.<o:p></o:p>
Jota appeared to have won a penalty when Agbadou's challenge sent him sprawling, but VAR overturned the decision as replays showed he had dived.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool had lost their momentum and Cunha took advantage, evading Ryan Gravenberch and curling a superb finish into the far corner in the 67th minute.<o:p></o:p>
That set up a fraught finale for Liverpool, who had to dig deep to secure a fourth win in their last five league games.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal.

Liverpool moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League as Luis Diaz ended his goal drought to spark a tense 2-1 win against struggling Wolves on Sunday. Arne Slot's side got back on track after an unexpectedly poor week thanks to Diaz's first goal in 2025 and yet another Mohamed Salah strike. Diaz opened the scoring early in the first half at Anfield as the Colombian forward finally scored for the 13th time this term after 10 games without a goal. Also read | Kim Jong Un ‘red cards’ Spurs: North Korea drops Tottenham broadcasts in political power play While Diaz has struggled to find the net, Salah is in red-hot form and his penalty before the interval took the Egypt star to 28 goals in all competitions this season. Matheus Cunha netted in the second half for fourth-bottom Wolves, but although Liverpool looked tired in a disjointed, nervous, climax, they held on for a valuable victory. Liverpool had gone two games without a win: an embarrassing FA Cup fourth round loss at second tier Plymouth last weekend and the stormy 2-2 draw at Everton on Wednesday. Arsenal's 2-0 win at Leicester on Saturday had applied a little more pressure on Liverpool. The Reds responded to Arsenal's challenge as they moved a step closer to a record-equalling 20th English title. Liverpool, who last won the Premier League in 2020, will be within touching distance of the crown if they take maximum points from trips to Aston Villa and Manchester City before hosting Newcastle over the course of the next 10 days. Liverpool boss Slot was in the dug-out despite being charged with abusive behaviour after angrily approaching referee Michael Oliver on the pitch following the Merseyside derby. Slot was furious that James Tarkowski's stoppage-time equaliser was not disallowed because of a possible push by Toffees striker Beto on Reds defender Ibrahima Konate. Slot had urged Liverpool to use their "anger" from the painful end to the Everton game as fuel to get back on track against Wolves. They didn't have to wait long to light the fuse as Diaz bagged his first league goal at Anfield since September. Liverpool dig deep In the 15th minute, Diaz picked out Salah and his return pass took a wicked deflection off Toti Gomes. Diaz stumbled forward to chest the ball past Wolves keeper Jose Sa as it barely trickled over the line. It was hardly a work of art but Diaz wasn't complaining about the scruffy nature of the strike. Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai nearly netted with a more eye-catching effort, striding forward with purpose before drilling a low shot just wide. The Reds were rampant and Sa repelled Jota's drive at the near post after Robertson's cross caused panic in the Wolves defence. Wolves couldn't stem the tide as Liverpool went further ahead in the 37th minute. Wolves claimed Emmanuel Agbadou was pushed by Diaz before he raced into the area and was tripped by Sa. But VAR ignored their protests and Salah flicked the penalty down the middle with a flamboyant flourish. Salah has seven goals in his last six games, underlining his immense value to Liverpool as his contract winds towards its conclusion at the end of the season. Wolves debutant Marshall Munetsi wasted a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit early in the second half. Munetsi was sent clean through by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, but Alisson Becker raced off his line to make a fine save. Jota appeared to have won a penalty when Agbadou's challenge sent him sprawling, but VAR overturned the decision as replays showed he had dived. Liverpool had lost their momentum and Cunha took advantage, evading Ryan Gravenberch and curling a superb finish into the far corner in the 67th minute. That set up a fraught finale for Liverpool, who had to dig deep to secure a fourth win in their last five league games. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Luis Diaz ends goal drought to power Liverpool seven points clear at top

Omar Marmoush scored his first Manchester City goals with a first-half hat-trick to beat Newcastle 4-0 and fire Pep Guardiola's men back into the Premier League's top four on Saturday. The Egyptian was in scintillating form as City recovered from their late Champions League collapse to lose to Real Madrid 3-2 at home in midweek.<o:p></o:p>
The English champions have a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season.<o:p></o:p>
But Marmoush's explosion gives some cause for optimism as Newcastle were blown away inside the opening 33 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
The match had been billed as a clash between the Premier League's two top strikers as Golden Boot rivals Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak went head-to-head.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pl-merinos-brace-helps-arsenal-beat-leicester-as-gunners-close-gap-with-leaders-liverpool-8724615" rel="dofollow">PL: Merino&rsquo;s brace helps Arsenal beat Leicester as Gunners close gap with leaders Liverpool</a>
However, they were both overshadowed as Marmoush announced his arrival to the English game.<o:p></o:p>
The 26-year-old scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season before making a &pound;59 million ($72.6 million) move to Manchester in January.<o:p></o:p>
City were keen to add more goalscoring threats to support Haaland and the early signs are promising that the Norwegian and Marmoush can dovetail effectively.<o:p></o:p>
Guardiola made six changes to freshen up his side between the Madrid double header with Marmoush one of those to come into the side.<o:p></o:p>
Ederson was at fault for City's late collapse from 2-1 to 3-2 down against the European champions on Tuesday, but made amends with his third assist of the season.<o:p></o:p>
Kieran Trippier was caught underneath the Brazilian goalkeeper's booming kick upfield and Marmoush had the simple task to lob the stranded Martin Dubravka.<o:p></o:p>
That goal continued City's run of scoring in their last 33 Premier League games against the Magpies.<o:p></o:p>
Five minutes later, it was 2-0 when Ilkay Gundogan fed Marmoush inside the area, who cut inside before his deflected effort found the bottom corner.<o:p></o:p>
Savinho's pace and trickery down the right was another major positive for Guardiola and he created the third by skipping past Lewis Hall and squaring for Marmoush to fire home from close range.<o:p></o:p>
City's fragility at defending leads this season was never seriously tested as the visitors suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a return to the Champions League next season.<o:p></o:p>
Either side of reaching next month's League Cup final, Eddie Howe's men have lost three of their last four Premier League games to slip to seventh.<o:p></o:p>
City, on the other hand, climb back into pole position for Champions League qualification despite their drastic dip in standards this season that will see an unprecedented run of four consecutive league titles almost certainly come to an end.<o:p></o:p>
James McAtee came off the bench to add the fourth six minutes from time when the midfielder turned in Haaland's flick on from a Gundogan corner.<o:p></o:p>
But there was a worrying scene for City as Haaland had to be replaced in the closing stages after receiving treatment on a knee injury.
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Sports, Football: City has a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season.

Omar Marmoush scored his first Manchester City goals with a first-half hat-trick to beat Newcastle 4-0 and fire Pep Guardiola's men back into the Premier League's top four on Saturday. The Egyptian was in scintillating form as City recovered from their late Champions League collapse to lose to Real Madrid 3-2 at home in midweek. The English champions have a mountain to climb when they visit Madrid on Wednesday if they are to reach the last 16 of Europe's elite competition for the 12th consecutive season. But Marmoush's explosion gives some cause for optimism as Newcastle were blown away inside the opening 33 minutes. The match had been billed as a clash between the Premier League's two top strikers as Golden Boot rivals Erling Haaland and Alexander Isak went head-to-head. Also read | PL: Merino’s brace helps Arsenal beat Leicester as Gunners close gap with leaders Liverpool However, they were both overshadowed as Marmoush announced his arrival to the English game. The 26-year-old scored 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt this season before making a £59 million ($72.6 million) move to Manchester in January. City were keen to add more goalscoring threats to support Haaland and the early signs are promising that the Norwegian and Marmoush can dovetail effectively. Guardiola made six changes to freshen up his side between the Madrid double header with Marmoush one of those to come into the side. Ederson was at fault for City's late collapse from 2-1 to 3-2 down against the European champions on Tuesday, but made amends with his third assist of the season. Kieran Trippier was caught underneath the Brazilian goalkeeper's booming kick upfield and Marmoush had the simple task to lob the stranded Martin Dubravka. That goal continued City's run of scoring in their last 33 Premier League games against the Magpies. Five minutes later, it was 2-0 when Ilkay Gundogan fed Marmoush inside the area, who cut inside before his deflected effort found the bottom corner. Savinho's pace and trickery down the right was another major positive for Guardiola and he created the third by skipping past Lewis Hall and squaring for Marmoush to fire home from close range. City's fragility at defending leads this season was never seriously tested as the visitors suffered another damaging defeat to their chances of a return to the Champions League next season. Either side of reaching next month's League Cup final, Eddie Howe's men have lost three of their last four Premier League games to slip to seventh. City, on the other hand, climb back into pole position for Champions League qualification despite their drastic dip in standards this season that will see an unprecedented run of four consecutive league titles almost certainly come to an end. James McAtee came off the bench to add the fourth six minutes from time when the midfielder turned in Haaland's flick on from a Gundogan corner. But there was a worrying scene for City as Haaland had to be replaced in the closing stages after receiving treatment on a knee injury. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Omar Marmoush’s maiden hat-trick powers Manchester City back into top four

Arsenal ignored their injury woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as Mikel Merino came off the bench to clinch a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday. <o:p></o:p>
Mikel Arteta's side were in danger of wasting a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race as they laboured to make the breakthrough at the King Power Stadium. But, with his attacking options limited by a host of injuries, Arteta sent on Spain midfielder Merino to act as a makeshift striker in the closing stages.<o:p></o:p>
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It proved an inspired move as Merino netted twice in the last nine minutes to extend Arsenal's unbeaten run in the league to 15 games.<o:p></o:p>
Having lost 2-0 at Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final second leg before an extended break due to their early FA Cup exit, the Gunners returned to action with a vital victory that keeps them hot on the heels of Liverpool.<o:p></o:p>
Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand on Wednesday, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.<o:p></o:p>
With Kai Havertz ruled out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury while blocking a shot during Arsenal's recent training trip to Dubai, Arteta was left with a threadbare attack.<o:p></o:p>
Havertz's injury blow came just weeks after Arsenal failed to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window.<o:p></o:p>
Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already sidelined, so Arteta was forced to use Belgian winger Leandro Trossard as his central striker.<o:p></o:p>
Underling the paucity of Arteta's forward options, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and the out of form Raheem Sterling filled in on the flanks either side of Trossard.<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Protest songs<o:p></o:p></h2>
Fortunately for Arteta, third-bottom Leicester were ideal opponents for his weakened team.<o:p></o:p>
Underlying the gloom around Leicester's relegation battle, fans staging a vocal protest against the club's Thai owners and Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin after 14 minutes.<o:p></o:p>
With the protest songs still ringing around the King Power Stadium, Declan Rice headed wastefully wide when Nwaneri's cross teed up Arsenal's first sight of goal.<o:p></o:p>
Arteta tried to rouse Arsenal from their lethargic start with an animated team-talk during a break in play.<o:p></o:p>
Sterling's lack of confidence was clear to see in an ill-timed fall that allowed another chance to slip away.<o:p></o:p>
Ndidi was close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header skidded off the rain-soaked surface and flashed just wide of the far post.<o:p></o:p>
Nwaneri was one of Arsenal's few bright sparks on a murky day in the east midlands. The teenager surged onto Martin Odegaard's pass and curled just wide from 20 yards in a rare Arsenal threat.<o:p></o:p>
Nwaneri was a constant menace, unloading a stinging strike that Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen tipped onto the post.<o:p></o:p>
Leicester couldn't stem the tide as Arteta's gamble paid off in the 81st minute.<o:p></o:p>
Nwaneri swung a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Merino found space to thump his header past Hermansen from six yards.<o:p></o:p>
Merino celebrated by dancing a jig around the corner flag, but he wasn't finished yet.<o:p></o:p>
Seven minutes later, Trossard whipped a cross into the six-yard box and Merino's well-timed run eluded the Leicester defence as he slotted home to keep Arsenal firmly in the title chase.
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Sports, Football: Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday.

Arsenal ignored their injury woes to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points as Mikel Merino came off the bench to clinch a 2-0 win against Leicester on Saturday. Mikel Arteta's side were in danger of wasting a chance to put pressure on Liverpool in the title race as they laboured to make the breakthrough at the King Power Stadium. But, with his attacking options limited by a host of injuries, Arteta sent on Spain midfielder Merino to act as a makeshift striker in the closing stages. Also read | Mitoma & Minteh’s magic inspires Brighton to dominating win over Chelsea It proved an inspired move as Merino netted twice in the last nine minutes to extend Arsenal's unbeaten run in the league to 15 games. Having lost 2-0 at Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final second leg before an extended break due to their early FA Cup exit, the Gunners returned to action with a vital victory that keeps them hot on the heels of Liverpool. Liverpool, who stumbled with a draw at Everton in their game in hand on Wednesday, can increase their lead back to seven points if they beat lowly Wolves at Anfield on Sunday. With Kai Havertz ruled out for the season after suffering a hamstring injury while blocking a shot during Arsenal's recent training trip to Dubai, Arteta was left with a threadbare attack. Havertz's injury blow came just weeks after Arsenal failed to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the January transfer window. Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli were already sidelined, so Arteta was forced to use Belgian winger Leandro Trossard as his central striker. Underling the paucity of Arteta's forward options, 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri and the out of form Raheem Sterling filled in on the flanks either side of Trossard. Protest songs Fortunately for Arteta, third-bottom Leicester were ideal opponents for his weakened team. Underlying the gloom around Leicester's relegation battle, fans staging a vocal protest against the club's Thai owners and Foxes director of football Jon Rudkin after 14 minutes. With the protest songs still ringing around the King Power Stadium, Declan Rice headed wastefully wide when Nwaneri's cross teed up Arsenal's first sight of goal. Arteta tried to rouse Arsenal from their lethargic start with an animated team-talk during a break in play. Sterling's lack of confidence was clear to see in an ill-timed fall that allowed another chance to slip away. Ndidi was close to breaking the deadlock on the stroke of half-time when his header skidded off the rain-soaked surface and flashed just wide of the far post. Nwaneri was one of Arsenal's few bright sparks on a murky day in the east midlands. The teenager surged onto Martin Odegaard's pass and curled just wide from 20 yards in a rare Arsenal threat. Nwaneri was a constant menace, unloading a stinging strike that Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen tipped onto the post. Leicester couldn't stem the tide as Arteta's gamble paid off in the 81st minute. Nwaneri swung a pin-point cross into the Leicester area and Merino found space to thump his header past Hermansen from six yards. Merino celebrated by dancing a jig around the corner flag, but he wasn't finished yet. Seven minutes later, Trossard whipped a cross into the six-yard box and Merino's well-timed run eluded the Leicester defence as he slotted home to keep Arsenal firmly in the title chase. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

PL: Merino’s brace helps Arsenal beat Leicester as Gunners close gap with leaders Liverpool

Enzo Maresca admitted&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/chelsea">Chelsea</a>'s dismal 3-0 defeat at <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/brighton-and-hove-albion">Brighton</a> was the "worst performance" of his reign as Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma produced a contender for Premier League goal of the season on Friday.
Maresca's hapless side failed to muster a shot on target in their second defeat in the space of seven days at the Amex Stadium.&nbsp;Mitoma scored the winner when Brighton knocked&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;out of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fa-cup">FA Cup</a> fourth round with a 2-1 victory last weekend.
He tormented the Blues again with a breathtaking piece of skill in the first half before Gambia winger Yankuba Minteh netted either side of the interval.
Maresca, in his first season in charge after arriving from Leicester, said this week that&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;"belong" in the Champions League, with the club setting him the target of qualifying within two years.
But&nbsp;Chelsea's third defeat in their last four games in all competitions was another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four.&nbsp;"I feel pressure always, not only now, but tonight the performance we can say was the worst performance since I arrived," Maresca said.
"With this result the frustration is with everything. We feel really sorry for the fans who came here."
Maresca will have to find a solution to&nbsp;Chelsea's chronically error-prone defence if the fourth-placed Blues, two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle, are to achieve their target this term.
"When you play this kind of game, the situation we are in, and you perform in the way we did tonight there are many things you can do better," Maresca said.
"It is not only mentally. When you play these games in the moment we are, where you can make the gap bigger to the ones behind us and you perform like we did tonight, there are many things that we need to do better.
"But we are still fourth and we are still in the race to finish well."&nbsp;Thrashed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest in their previous league game, Brighton had won only two of their previous 12 top-flight matches.
The Seagulls have got back on track at&nbsp;Chelsea's expense with a pair of impressive wins.
<h2>Palmer out of sorts</h2>
After beginning the season with six goals in his first seven league games, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/cole-palmer">Cole Palmer</a> had netted eight times, two from the penalty spot, in the following 17 matches in the competition.
Chelsea&nbsp;had slipped from early title contenders to top four hopefuls since Palmer's red-hot start turned colder.
Palmer again looked out of sorts on the south-coast as he blazed over from the edge of the area, then scuffed wide from Noni Madueke's cross.
Madueke limped off injured moments later to add to&nbsp;Chelsea's growing injury woes.&nbsp;There was worse to come for Maresca in the 27th minute as Brighton took the lead in eye-catching fashion.
Bart Verbruggen's long goal-kick was superbly controlled by Mitoma with a remarkably deft touch as it dropped over his shoulder.&nbsp;That was just the start of Mitoma's magical moment as he adroitly rolled the ball away from&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;defender Trevoh Chalobah and planted a fine low finish into the far corner from the edge of the area.
Chelsea&nbsp;threatened an immediate equaliser but Enzo Fernandez's header from Malo Gusto's cross was ruled out for the midfielder's blatant push.
Even that near miss was a false dawn for&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;as Brighton struck again in the 38th minute.&nbsp;Conceding possession deep into their own half, sloppy&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;were unable to recover as Danny Welbeck teed up Minteh, who evaded Marc Cucurella before drilling home from close-range.
Maresca's men were in disarray at the back and Brighton made it three in the 63rd minute.&nbsp;After&nbsp;Chelsea&nbsp;appealed in vain for a foul on Levi Colwill by Welbeck, the forward found Minteh and he danced past Cucurella to score with a fierce strike from eight yards.
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Sports, Football: Mitoma scored the winner when Brighton knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-1 victory last weekend. Chelsea failed to muster a shot on target

Enzo Maresca admitted Chelsea's dismal 3-0 defeat at Brighton was the "worst performance" of his reign as Japan forward Kaoru Mitoma produced a contender for Premier League goal of the season on Friday. Maresca's hapless side failed to muster a shot on target in their second defeat in the space of seven days at the Amex Stadium. Mitoma scored the winner when Brighton knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-1 victory last weekend. He tormented the Blues again with a breathtaking piece of skill in the first half before Gambia winger Yankuba Minteh netted either side of the interval. Maresca, in his first season in charge after arriving from Leicester, said this week that Chelsea "belong" in the Champions League, with the club setting him the target of qualifying within two years. But Chelsea's third defeat in their last four games in all competitions was another blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four. "I feel pressure always, not only now, but tonight the performance we can say was the worst performance since I arrived," Maresca said. "With this result the frustration is with everything. We feel really sorry for the fans who came here." Maresca will have to find a solution to Chelsea's chronically error-prone defence if the fourth-placed Blues, two points ahead of Manchester City and Newcastle, are to achieve their target this term. "When you play this kind of game, the situation we are in, and you perform in the way we did tonight there are many things you can do better," Maresca said. "It is not only mentally. When you play these games in the moment we are, where you can make the gap bigger to the ones behind us and you perform like we did tonight, there are many things that we need to do better. "But we are still fourth and we are still in the race to finish well." Thrashed 7-0 at Nottingham Forest in their previous league game, Brighton had won only two of their previous 12 top-flight matches. The Seagulls have got back on track at Chelsea's expense with a pair of impressive wins. Palmer out of sorts After beginning the season with six goals in his first seven league games, Cole Palmer had netted eight times, two from the penalty spot, in the following 17 matches in the competition. Chelsea had slipped from early title contenders to top four hopefuls since Palmer's red-hot start turned colder. Palmer again looked out of sorts on the south-coast as he blazed over from the edge of the area, then scuffed wide from Noni Madueke's cross. Madueke limped off injured moments later to add to Chelsea's growing injury woes. There was worse to come for Maresca in the 27th minute as Brighton took the lead in eye-catching fashion. Bart Verbruggen's long goal-kick was superbly controlled by Mitoma with a remarkably deft touch as it dropped over his shoulder. That was just the start of Mitoma's magical moment as he adroitly rolled the ball away from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and planted a fine low finish into the far corner from the edge of the area. Chelsea threatened an immediate equaliser but Enzo Fernandez's header from Malo Gusto's cross was ruled out for the midfielder's blatant push. Even that near miss was a false dawn for Chelsea as Brighton struck again in the 38th minute. Conceding possession deep into their own half, sloppy Chelsea were unable to recover as Danny Welbeck teed up Minteh, who evaded Marc Cucurella before drilling home from close-range. Maresca's men were in disarray at the back and Brighton made it three in the 63rd minute. After Chelsea appealed in vain for a foul on Levi Colwill by Welbeck, the forward found Minteh and he danced past Cucurella to score with a fierce strike from eight yards. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Mitoma & Minteh’s magic inspires Brighton to dominating win over Chelsea

Arsenal confirmed Thursday that forward Kai Havertz will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a hamstring injury -- dealing a seismic blow to their Premier League title challenge. <o:p></o:p>
The Germany forward, 25, was injured during the club's warm-weather training camp in Dubai.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal issued a statement confirming the extent of the injury.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/english-football-welcomes-semi-automated-offside-technology-premier-league-seek-to-introduce-it-later-in-season-8718664" rel="dofollow">English Football welcomes semi-automated offside technology</a>
"We can confirm that Kai Havertz has sustained a hamstring injury during a training session in Dubai last week," the club said. "Subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that the injury will require surgery, which will take place in the coming days. <o:p></o:p>
"Soon after surgery, Kai will begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, which is expected to extend into pre-season preparations for next season."<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal, Premier League runners-up over the past two seasons, are seven points behind leaders Liverpool with 14 games to go.<o:p></o:p>
Manager Mikel Arteta faces a huge headache after the Gunners did not bolster their attacking options during the recent transfer window.<o:p></o:p>
Arsenal failed in their bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa last month.<o:p></o:p>
Havertz had been due to lead Arsenal's line for the remainder of the campaign.<o:p></o:p>
Gabriel Jesus is out for the season after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury last month. <o:p></o:p>
Bukayo Saka has been absent since December but it is hoped the England international, who travelled with his team-mates to the Middle East, could return next month.<o:p></o:p>
Gabriel Martinelli also faces a spell on the sidelines after he was forced off in Arsenal's League Cup second-leg semi-final defeat at Newcastle last week.<o:p></o:p>
It leaves the Gunners with only Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri as recognised forward players.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Football: Kai Havertz joins a long list of Arsenal forwards, including striker Gabriel Jesus and star winger Bukayo Saka, who are currently out with respective injuries.

Arsenal confirmed Thursday that forward Kai Havertz will miss the rest of the season after sustaining a hamstring injury -- dealing a seismic blow to their Premier League title challenge. The Germany forward, 25, was injured during the club's warm-weather training camp in Dubai. Arsenal issued a statement confirming the extent of the injury. Also read | English Football welcomes semi-automated offside technology "We can confirm that Kai Havertz has sustained a hamstring injury during a training session in Dubai last week," the club said. "Subsequent assessments and specialist reviews have confirmed that the injury will require surgery, which will take place in the coming days. "Soon after surgery, Kai will begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, which is expected to extend into pre-season preparations for next season." Arsenal, Premier League runners-up over the past two seasons, are seven points behind leaders Liverpool with 14 games to go. Manager Mikel Arteta faces a huge headache after the Gunners did not bolster their attacking options during the recent transfer window. Arsenal failed in their bid to sign Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa last month. Havertz had been due to lead Arsenal's line for the remainder of the campaign. Gabriel Jesus is out for the season after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury last month. Bukayo Saka has been absent since December but it is hoped the England international, who travelled with his team-mates to the Middle East, could return next month. Gabriel Martinelli also faces a spell on the sidelines after he was forced off in Arsenal's League Cup second-leg semi-final defeat at Newcastle last week. It leaves the Gunners with only Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri as recognised forward players. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Blow to Arsenal as Kai Havertz ruled out for remainder of season, club confirms

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