Latest ads
-
Video Content Creator
- pramukag
- Updated:
-
QA Engineer Intern
- pramukag
- Updated:
-
Sell your Land, House on idamata.lk for FREE
- sajith.xp.pk
- Updated:
-
Handmade Character Soft Toys- anil1961
- Updated:
-
Bodim.lk out now !- Manoj Suranga Bandara
- Updated:
..::Football III::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
- Start date
- Status
Sampdoria 0-0 Roma: Romero the hero as Giallorossi title charge falters
A brilliant piece of goalkeeping from Sergio Romero ensured Sampdoria picked up a deserved point against Roma on Saturday as they held the title-chasers to a 0-0 draw.
The Argentine denied Alessandro Florenzi from close range in stunning style in the final 10 minutes after Gervinho and Stefano Okaka had earlier spurned glorious chances as Rudi Garcia's men failed to bounce back from their humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich with a win.
The result means Roma remain second in Serie A, now level on points with leaders Juventus having played a game more. Third-place Sampdoria remain undefeated after eight league matches.
Morgan De Sanctis was called into action in the first few minutes as he saved Roberto Soriano's close-range effort at the near post.
Opportunities to score were few and far between in the early stages, with Francesco Totti firing over from inside the area and Florenzi hitting a tame effort towards goal from 20 yards as Roma carved out half-chances.
Gervinho spurned the first clear-cut chance, racing clear from Totti's through ball before fortuitously rounding the keeper, but he could only play the ball against the post from a tight angle.
Gervinho fired just wide a matter of moments later and came closest at the start of the second half, too, as he forced Romero into an excellent stop at full stretch after another bold run forward.
Sampdoria then had a penalty appeal turned down as Eder was blocked by Astori, before Roma became incensed that the Brazilian was not punished for handball inside his own area at the other end.
The home side then spurned a glorious opening. Jose Holebas scythed down Soriano to earn a booking and concede a free kick far on the right and Okaka met the ensuing cross at the far post but somehow contrived to put the ball over the crossbar with the goal gaping.
Garcia then threw on Miralem Pjanic to attempt to force a breakthrough and the midfielder promptly earned a free kick in a dangerous area, but Roma failed to take advantage.
Roma, who had struggled for 80 minutes to find a rhythm in their passing game, finally strung together an impressive move involving Pjanic, Radja Nainggolan and Vasilis Torosidis, and his cross was met with a powerful header by Florenzi, but Romero was on hand to produce a sensational stop to deny the Giallorossi a victory.
A brilliant piece of goalkeeping from Sergio Romero ensured Sampdoria picked up a deserved point against Roma on Saturday as they held the title-chasers to a 0-0 draw.
The Argentine denied Alessandro Florenzi from close range in stunning style in the final 10 minutes after Gervinho and Stefano Okaka had earlier spurned glorious chances as Rudi Garcia's men failed to bounce back from their humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich with a win.
The result means Roma remain second in Serie A, now level on points with leaders Juventus having played a game more. Third-place Sampdoria remain undefeated after eight league matches.
Morgan De Sanctis was called into action in the first few minutes as he saved Roberto Soriano's close-range effort at the near post.
Opportunities to score were few and far between in the early stages, with Francesco Totti firing over from inside the area and Florenzi hitting a tame effort towards goal from 20 yards as Roma carved out half-chances.
Gervinho spurned the first clear-cut chance, racing clear from Totti's through ball before fortuitously rounding the keeper, but he could only play the ball against the post from a tight angle.
Gervinho fired just wide a matter of moments later and came closest at the start of the second half, too, as he forced Romero into an excellent stop at full stretch after another bold run forward.
Sampdoria then had a penalty appeal turned down as Eder was blocked by Astori, before Roma became incensed that the Brazilian was not punished for handball inside his own area at the other end.
The home side then spurned a glorious opening. Jose Holebas scythed down Soriano to earn a booking and concede a free kick far on the right and Okaka met the ensuing cross at the far post but somehow contrived to put the ball over the crossbar with the goal gaping.
Garcia then threw on Miralem Pjanic to attempt to force a breakthrough and the midfielder promptly earned a free kick in a dangerous area, but Roma failed to take advantage.
Roma, who had struggled for 80 minutes to find a rhythm in their passing game, finally strung together an impressive move involving Pjanic, Radja Nainggolan and Vasilis Torosidis, and his cross was met with a powerful header by Florenzi, but Romero was on hand to produce a sensational stop to deny the Giallorossi a victory.
Swansea City 2-0 Leicester City: Bony shines as hosts move above Liverpool
Wilfried Bony netted a brace as Swansea City returned to winning ways with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Leicester City on Saturday.
The Welsh club had failed to register a victory in the league since winning their first three games of the season - a run that stretched to five matches.
However, Bony found the net on two occasions at the Liberty Stadium to give Swansea an important three points ahead of a tricky run of fixtures that includes games against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Ivorian's first capped a superb passing move after 34 minutes and was just reward for a first half in which Swansea totally dominated possession.
Bony doubled the lead in the 57th minute for his fourth goal in his last three top-flight matches, in a result which sees Swansea climb to sixth, level on points with Arsenal and Liverpool, while Leicester now sit 16th.
Jefferson Montero was selected to make his first Premier League start as Garry Monk made two alterations to the Swansea side that lost 2-1 at Stoke City last weekend.
Nigel Pearson, on the other hand - who bizarrely asked for the Liberty Stadium goals to be measured before kick-off - made four changes after a 1-0 loss at Newcastle United.
The hosts enjoyed the vast majority of the ball throughout the first half, with Bony getting the better of the early chances as he glanced a header wide of the left post before firing straight at goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel from outside the penalty area after being teed up by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Icelander should have done better when Schmeichel fluffed a clearance in the 22nd minute, but Wes Morgan did just enough to get back and deny Sigurdsson the chance to shoot from close range.
Despite enjoying the lion's share of the ball, Swansea were struggling to create clear-cut chances, but a neat passing move unlocked the Leicester defence in the 34th minute.
After sending the ball to Sigurdsson with a delightful flick, Bony ran on to the return pass to put a clinical right-footed finish beyond the reach of Schmeichel.
Leicester failed to register a single shot - on target or otherwise - during the first half, but almost claimed a huge slice of luck when a long throw found its way onto the Swansea crossbar via a touch from Jonjo Shelvey three minutes into the second period.
Swansea have been guilty of not putting games to bed in recent weeks, and they will have been wary of letting another game slip as a brighter Leicester emerged after the break, with Danny Drinkwater stinging the palms of Lukasz Fabianski.
However, Monk's men made it 2-0 shortly before the hour mark when Montero evaded his marker down the left wing, subsequently squaring to Bony for a simple finish from a central position.
Shelvey rattled the crossbar with a sensational effort from 30 yards in the 63rd minute, but Riyad Mahrez gave home goalkeeper Fabianski plenty to think about with two decent efforts at the other end.
Leicester substitute Esteban Cambiasso should have reduced the deficit in the closing stages, but his effort hit the left-hand post after Fabianski had brilliantly parried Leonardo Ulloa's header, before the Polish stopper somehow scooped the ball to safety.
Full-back Angel Rangel, who reportedly cost just £10,000 when he arrived in south Wales from Terrassa in 2007, marked his 300th appearance for Swansea on Saturday, but it was £12million man Bony who stole the show as the hosts held on to end their winless run.
Wilfried Bony netted a brace as Swansea City returned to winning ways with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Leicester City on Saturday.
The Welsh club had failed to register a victory in the league since winning their first three games of the season - a run that stretched to five matches.
However, Bony found the net on two occasions at the Liberty Stadium to give Swansea an important three points ahead of a tricky run of fixtures that includes games against Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Ivorian's first capped a superb passing move after 34 minutes and was just reward for a first half in which Swansea totally dominated possession.
Bony doubled the lead in the 57th minute for his fourth goal in his last three top-flight matches, in a result which sees Swansea climb to sixth, level on points with Arsenal and Liverpool, while Leicester now sit 16th.
Jefferson Montero was selected to make his first Premier League start as Garry Monk made two alterations to the Swansea side that lost 2-1 at Stoke City last weekend.
Nigel Pearson, on the other hand - who bizarrely asked for the Liberty Stadium goals to be measured before kick-off - made four changes after a 1-0 loss at Newcastle United.
The hosts enjoyed the vast majority of the ball throughout the first half, with Bony getting the better of the early chances as he glanced a header wide of the left post before firing straight at goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel from outside the penalty area after being teed up by Gylfi Sigurdsson.
The Icelander should have done better when Schmeichel fluffed a clearance in the 22nd minute, but Wes Morgan did just enough to get back and deny Sigurdsson the chance to shoot from close range.
Despite enjoying the lion's share of the ball, Swansea were struggling to create clear-cut chances, but a neat passing move unlocked the Leicester defence in the 34th minute.
After sending the ball to Sigurdsson with a delightful flick, Bony ran on to the return pass to put a clinical right-footed finish beyond the reach of Schmeichel.
Leicester failed to register a single shot - on target or otherwise - during the first half, but almost claimed a huge slice of luck when a long throw found its way onto the Swansea crossbar via a touch from Jonjo Shelvey three minutes into the second period.
Swansea have been guilty of not putting games to bed in recent weeks, and they will have been wary of letting another game slip as a brighter Leicester emerged after the break, with Danny Drinkwater stinging the palms of Lukasz Fabianski.
However, Monk's men made it 2-0 shortly before the hour mark when Montero evaded his marker down the left wing, subsequently squaring to Bony for a simple finish from a central position.
Shelvey rattled the crossbar with a sensational effort from 30 yards in the 63rd minute, but Riyad Mahrez gave home goalkeeper Fabianski plenty to think about with two decent efforts at the other end.
Leicester substitute Esteban Cambiasso should have reduced the deficit in the closing stages, but his effort hit the left-hand post after Fabianski had brilliantly parried Leonardo Ulloa's header, before the Polish stopper somehow scooped the ball to safety.
Full-back Angel Rangel, who reportedly cost just £10,000 when he arrived in south Wales from Terrassa in 2007, marked his 300th appearance for Swansea on Saturday, but it was £12million man Bony who stole the show as the hosts held on to end their winless run.
Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona: Ronaldo & Co bite back to ruin Suarez debut
Luis Suarez's Barcelona debut ended in defeat as Real Madrid came from behind to take all three points at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Uruguay star enjoyed a dream start to life in a Barca shirt as he laid on Neymar's fourth-minute opener, but Madrid looked to hit back immediately as Karim Benzema missed two good chances soon after.Lionel Messi's customary composure in front of goal then deserted him before his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot before half-time.
That was the first league goal conceded by Barcelona this season but Pepe headed Carlo Ancelotti's team ahead and there was a party atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu when Benzema converted a brilliant 61st-minute counter-attack.
Real close to within a point of their historic foes at La Liga's summit, while Sevilla can go level with Barca if they beat Villarreal on Sunday.
The pre-match announcement of Suarez's inclusion from the start - one of five Barcelona changes - set pulses racing and the Uruguayan did not disappoint in making an instant impact.His floated pass to the left flank picked out Neymar, who cut inside past Dani Carvajal and Pepe to find the bottom right corner.
Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique were caught napping as Real sought an immediate response - Benzema's resulting effort touched wide by Claudio Bravo before Marcelo misplaced a 10th-minute cross behind the France striker with the goal gaping.There was further frustration for Benzema when a header from Ronaldo's left-wing cross thudded against the crossbar and he lashed the rebound over.
Messi, who picked up a yellow card for an early foul on Toni Kroos, passed up a glorious opportunity to equal Telmo Zarra's all-time Liga scoring record when he inexplicably touched Suarez's teasing centre wide from close range in the 23rd minute.
Carvajal - brought back into Real's backline alongside the returning Sergio Ramos - then produced a vital challenge to deny Neymar and Real were level 10 minutes from half-time.
A prone Pique blocked Marcelo's low cross with his arm, leaving the referee with little option and Ronaldo sent Bravo the wrong way to maintain his record of netting in every league game this term.Barca almost suffered further damage as Clasico debutant James Rodriguez stole in to head wide from another Marcelo delivery.
Pique turned a Ronaldo effort behind in the 50th minute but returned to his poor form of the opening period, weakly allowing Pepe far too much room to bury a header from the resulting corner.
Jeremy Mathieu - a surprise selection at left-back ahead of Jordi Alba - forced a sprawling Iker Casillas to touch a long range effort behind as Barca looked to redress the balance but Benzema had the goal his endeavours deserved after the hour.Real streamed forward from a Barcelona corner, with Isco stealing between an unusually ponderous Andres Iniesta and Mathieu for Ronaldo and Rodriguez to work possession toward Benzema, who this time made no mistake.
Chasing the game, Barcelona found themselves at the mercy of Real's relentless brilliance on the break. They were fortunate to suffer no further damage to the scoreline and only severely dented pride at their hands of their bitterest rivals.
Luis Suarez's Barcelona debut ended in defeat as Real Madrid came from behind to take all three points at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Uruguay star enjoyed a dream start to life in a Barca shirt as he laid on Neymar's fourth-minute opener, but Madrid looked to hit back immediately as Karim Benzema missed two good chances soon after.Lionel Messi's customary composure in front of goal then deserted him before his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo levelled from the penalty spot before half-time.
That was the first league goal conceded by Barcelona this season but Pepe headed Carlo Ancelotti's team ahead and there was a party atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu when Benzema converted a brilliant 61st-minute counter-attack.
Real close to within a point of their historic foes at La Liga's summit, while Sevilla can go level with Barca if they beat Villarreal on Sunday.
The pre-match announcement of Suarez's inclusion from the start - one of five Barcelona changes - set pulses racing and the Uruguayan did not disappoint in making an instant impact.His floated pass to the left flank picked out Neymar, who cut inside past Dani Carvajal and Pepe to find the bottom right corner.
Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique were caught napping as Real sought an immediate response - Benzema's resulting effort touched wide by Claudio Bravo before Marcelo misplaced a 10th-minute cross behind the France striker with the goal gaping.There was further frustration for Benzema when a header from Ronaldo's left-wing cross thudded against the crossbar and he lashed the rebound over.
Messi, who picked up a yellow card for an early foul on Toni Kroos, passed up a glorious opportunity to equal Telmo Zarra's all-time Liga scoring record when he inexplicably touched Suarez's teasing centre wide from close range in the 23rd minute.
Carvajal - brought back into Real's backline alongside the returning Sergio Ramos - then produced a vital challenge to deny Neymar and Real were level 10 minutes from half-time.
A prone Pique blocked Marcelo's low cross with his arm, leaving the referee with little option and Ronaldo sent Bravo the wrong way to maintain his record of netting in every league game this term.Barca almost suffered further damage as Clasico debutant James Rodriguez stole in to head wide from another Marcelo delivery.
Pique turned a Ronaldo effort behind in the 50th minute but returned to his poor form of the opening period, weakly allowing Pepe far too much room to bury a header from the resulting corner.
Jeremy Mathieu - a surprise selection at left-back ahead of Jordi Alba - forced a sprawling Iker Casillas to touch a long range effort behind as Barca looked to redress the balance but Benzema had the goal his endeavours deserved after the hour.Real streamed forward from a Barcelona corner, with Isco stealing between an unusually ponderous Andres Iniesta and Mathieu for Ronaldo and Rodriguez to work possession toward Benzema, who this time made no mistake.
Chasing the game, Barcelona found themselves at the mercy of Real's relentless brilliance on the break. They were fortunate to suffer no further damage to the scoreline and only severely dented pride at their hands of their bitterest rivals.
Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 Bordeaux: Lucas scores two penalties to extend unbeaten streak
Lucas Moura was the hero as his two penalties helped fire Paris Saint-Germain to a much-needed 3-0 victory over Bordeaux in Ligue 1.
Third-placed Bordeaux produced a resolute display for much of the first half at Parc des Princes on Saturday, but PSG ultimately came out on top in a match which saw both sides reduced to 10 men.
The first to be dismissed was PSG defender Gregory van der Wiel in the 28th minute, with the Netherlands international earning his first red card for the club somewhat harshly for a late challenge on Wahbi Khazri.
Bordeaux were then reduced to 10 men nine minutes later, as Andre Biyogo Poko was sent off for a reckless tackle on Marco Verratti and that seemed to spark the hosts into life.
Lucas got the breakthrough with his first spot-kick just before the break after good work by Verratti and the Brazilian doubled his tally from 12 yards early in the second half.
Second-half substitute Ezequiel Lavezzi added a third late on, as PSG continued their unbeaten start to the season and moved four points behind pacesetters Marseille, who face the tough task of heading to Lyon on Sunday.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc entrusted 21-year-old Jean-Christophe Bahebeck with filling the void left by the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic and suspended Edinson Cavani in attack.And although the forward looked lively, PSG failed to penetrate the Bordeaux defence during the early exchanges, leaving Bahebeck to feed off scraps.
After a low key opening, the match began to liven up and Bordeaux defender Nicolas Pallois headed a glorious chance well wide following a fine free-kick delivery from Jaroslav Plasil after 20 minutes.
PSG looked to be up against it eight minutes later, when Van der Wiel was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Khazri.The former Ajax man was baffled by the decision and Blanc responded by replacing Bahebeck with right-back Serge Aurier.
Bordeaux's numerical advantage lasted less than 10 minutes, though, as Biyogo Poko followed Van der Wiel down the tunnel for a wild challenge on Verratti and David Luiz's effort from the resulting free-kick crashed against the post.
Biyogo Poko's sending off clearly reinvigorated PSG and the champions took a lead into the break as Lucas coolly slotted in a stoppage-time penalty after Verratti was tripped by Cedric Yambere.
It took the home side just four minutes to double their lead in the second half, with Lucas once again holding his nerve from 12 yards to stroke home after being hauled down by Pallois.Bordeaux produced a response as they attempted an unlikely comeback, but PSG stood firm with Luiz making a vital block to deny Diego Rolan, before Salvatore Sirigu tipped an audacious Emiliano Sala effort just over.
Any hopes of a Bordeaux fight-back were firmly extinguished nine minutes from the end as Lavezzi, Lucas' replacement, flicked in Blaise Matuidi's left-wing cross, wrapping up a comfortable win and throwing down the gauntlet to Marseille.
Lucas Moura was the hero as his two penalties helped fire Paris Saint-Germain to a much-needed 3-0 victory over Bordeaux in Ligue 1.
Third-placed Bordeaux produced a resolute display for much of the first half at Parc des Princes on Saturday, but PSG ultimately came out on top in a match which saw both sides reduced to 10 men.
The first to be dismissed was PSG defender Gregory van der Wiel in the 28th minute, with the Netherlands international earning his first red card for the club somewhat harshly for a late challenge on Wahbi Khazri.
Bordeaux were then reduced to 10 men nine minutes later, as Andre Biyogo Poko was sent off for a reckless tackle on Marco Verratti and that seemed to spark the hosts into life.
Lucas got the breakthrough with his first spot-kick just before the break after good work by Verratti and the Brazilian doubled his tally from 12 yards early in the second half.
Second-half substitute Ezequiel Lavezzi added a third late on, as PSG continued their unbeaten start to the season and moved four points behind pacesetters Marseille, who face the tough task of heading to Lyon on Sunday.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc entrusted 21-year-old Jean-Christophe Bahebeck with filling the void left by the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic and suspended Edinson Cavani in attack.And although the forward looked lively, PSG failed to penetrate the Bordeaux defence during the early exchanges, leaving Bahebeck to feed off scraps.
After a low key opening, the match began to liven up and Bordeaux defender Nicolas Pallois headed a glorious chance well wide following a fine free-kick delivery from Jaroslav Plasil after 20 minutes.
PSG looked to be up against it eight minutes later, when Van der Wiel was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Khazri.The former Ajax man was baffled by the decision and Blanc responded by replacing Bahebeck with right-back Serge Aurier.
Bordeaux's numerical advantage lasted less than 10 minutes, though, as Biyogo Poko followed Van der Wiel down the tunnel for a wild challenge on Verratti and David Luiz's effort from the resulting free-kick crashed against the post.
Biyogo Poko's sending off clearly reinvigorated PSG and the champions took a lead into the break as Lucas coolly slotted in a stoppage-time penalty after Verratti was tripped by Cedric Yambere.
It took the home side just four minutes to double their lead in the second half, with Lucas once again holding his nerve from 12 yards to stroke home after being hauled down by Pallois.Bordeaux produced a response as they attempted an unlikely comeback, but PSG stood firm with Luiz making a vital block to deny Diego Rolan, before Salvatore Sirigu tipped an audacious Emiliano Sala effort just over.
Any hopes of a Bordeaux fight-back were firmly extinguished nine minutes from the end as Lavezzi, Lucas' replacement, flicked in Blaise Matuidi's left-wing cross, wrapping up a comfortable win and throwing down the gauntlet to Marseille.
Southampton 1-0 Stoke City: Mane strike moves Saints up to second
Sadio Mane's first Premier League goal sent Southampton up to second as Stoke City were beaten 1-0 at St Mary's on Saturday.
The Senegal international saw his effort in the 8-0 mauling of Sunderland last weekend taken off him and officially awarded as a Patrick van Aanholt own-goal, but there was no denying the winger seven days later as his strike sealed all three points for Ronald Koeman's side.
Mane, who replaced Shane Long in Southampton's only change following that stunning victory, tucked home the rebound in the first half after Graziano Pelle's shot had bounced back off the upright.
All four previous Premier League meetings between these two sides had ended level, but that trend was bucked as Southampton won for the sixth time in their last seven league games.
It could have been a more emphatic win for the home side, as Morgan Schneiderlin and Pelle struck the woodwork either side of Mane's winner, with Stoke never looking like denying the south-coast club a fourth successive home victory.
The visitors, who came from behind to defeat Swansea City last Sunday, were unable to carve out any clear goalscoring opportunities as Southampton climbed above Manchester City into second, three points behind Chelsea.
Mane went close with a curling effort which flew narrowly wide of the right-hand post in the fourth minute.
Former Southampton man Peter Crouch headed Steven N'Zonzi's cross off target 12 minutes in, before Victor Moses - accused of cheating to win a penalty by Swansea boss Garry Monk last Sunday - beat three men on a mazy run into the area which ended with a tame shot straight at Fraser Forster.
Dusan Tadic tested Asmir Begovic with a low drive in the 29th minute and from the resulting corner, Schneiderlin's strike came back off the crossbar after a well-worked routine involving Tadic and Mane.
Four minutes later, however, the home side took a lead which was no more than they deserved.
After Pelle's initial effort had struck the post, Mane reacted quickest to side-foot the rebound in off the underside of the bar.
Southampton made a strong start to the second period and almost doubled their lead within four minutes as Pelle's header from Tadic's cross bounced back off the bar.
As the game entered the final quarter of an hour, Pelle continued to go in search of his seventh league goal of the campaign, this time heading wide of goal from Tadic's corner.
Mame Biram Diouf, replaced by Jonathan Walters in one of two changes for Stoke, was introduced shortly after half-time by Mark Hughes and almost made a telling contribution 12 minutes from time, just failing to get a proper connection on Phil Bardsley's deep cross from the right.
Hughes threw on Marko Arnautovic and Oussama Assaidi in a bid to force an equaliser, but the visitors were unable to breach a defence which has conceded fewer goals than any other side in the top flight.
Sadio Mane's first Premier League goal sent Southampton up to second as Stoke City were beaten 1-0 at St Mary's on Saturday.
The Senegal international saw his effort in the 8-0 mauling of Sunderland last weekend taken off him and officially awarded as a Patrick van Aanholt own-goal, but there was no denying the winger seven days later as his strike sealed all three points for Ronald Koeman's side.
Mane, who replaced Shane Long in Southampton's only change following that stunning victory, tucked home the rebound in the first half after Graziano Pelle's shot had bounced back off the upright.
All four previous Premier League meetings between these two sides had ended level, but that trend was bucked as Southampton won for the sixth time in their last seven league games.
It could have been a more emphatic win for the home side, as Morgan Schneiderlin and Pelle struck the woodwork either side of Mane's winner, with Stoke never looking like denying the south-coast club a fourth successive home victory.
The visitors, who came from behind to defeat Swansea City last Sunday, were unable to carve out any clear goalscoring opportunities as Southampton climbed above Manchester City into second, three points behind Chelsea.
Mane went close with a curling effort which flew narrowly wide of the right-hand post in the fourth minute.
Former Southampton man Peter Crouch headed Steven N'Zonzi's cross off target 12 minutes in, before Victor Moses - accused of cheating to win a penalty by Swansea boss Garry Monk last Sunday - beat three men on a mazy run into the area which ended with a tame shot straight at Fraser Forster.
Dusan Tadic tested Asmir Begovic with a low drive in the 29th minute and from the resulting corner, Schneiderlin's strike came back off the crossbar after a well-worked routine involving Tadic and Mane.
Four minutes later, however, the home side took a lead which was no more than they deserved.
After Pelle's initial effort had struck the post, Mane reacted quickest to side-foot the rebound in off the underside of the bar.
Southampton made a strong start to the second period and almost doubled their lead within four minutes as Pelle's header from Tadic's cross bounced back off the bar.
As the game entered the final quarter of an hour, Pelle continued to go in search of his seventh league goal of the campaign, this time heading wide of goal from Tadic's corner.
Mame Biram Diouf, replaced by Jonathan Walters in one of two changes for Stoke, was introduced shortly after half-time by Mark Hughes and almost made a telling contribution 12 minutes from time, just failing to get a proper connection on Phil Bardsley's deep cross from the right.
Hughes threw on Marko Arnautovic and Oussama Assaidi in a bid to force an equaliser, but the visitors were unable to breach a defence which has conceded fewer goals than any other side in the top flight.
dan 2nd place
West Brom 2-2 Crystal Palace: Late Berahino penalty rescues point
An injury-time penalty from Saido Berahino rescued a draw for West Brom against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
It appeared as though the visitors would be rewarded for an excellent first half as a goal from Brede Hangeland and Mile Jedinak's spot-kick put Palace into a two-goal lead at The Hawthorns at the interval.
West Brom claimed a share of the spoils, though, as substitute Victor Anichebe halved the deficit shortly after the break before Berahino's seventh Premier League goal of the season ensured a 2-2 draw at the death.
Hangeland, who continued to deputise for the injured Scott Dann, opened the scoring with a close-range effort from a Palace set-piece, before captain Jedinak added a second from 12 yards in first-half injury time.
Anichebe's six-yard header brought West Brom back into the game, although Palace felt hard done by after goalkeeper Julian Speroni was caught by the elbow of the Craig Dawson.
And West Brom's concerted second-half pressure finally bore fruit as Jedinak was punished for a clumsy foul on Anichebe and Berahino - who also scored in West Brom's 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Monday - stayed cool to level the match.
West Brom looked lively in the opening stages but Palace wingers Wilfried Zaha, one of three men to come in from the Chelsea defeat, and Yannick Bolasie soon started causing problems.One particularly mazy run from Zaha led to a free-kick in a dangerous area on the right, and from Joe Ledley's cross Fraizer Campbell's looping header forced Ben Foster - restored to West Brom's line-up after a calf injury - to tip over the crossbar.
The resulting corner saw Palace move ahead in the 16th minute. Hangeland met Bolasie's delivery in a packed six-yard box and, though Foster saved his first effort, the centre-back poked home the rebound.West Brom responded well and Speroni made a smart stop from Gardner's stinging 25-yard drive.
Palace weathered the storm and Zaha had claims for a penalty seven minutes before the break when he was felled by Dawson on the left of the area.The visitors were awarded a spot-kick on the stroke of half-time, though.Sebastien Pocognoli slid through Bolasie prompting referee Mark Clattenburg to point to the spot.
And Jedinak kept his cool and sent Foster the wrong way with a penalty to the bottom left-hand corner.Anichebe was introduced at half-time and made an almost-immediate impact.Speroni pulled off a fine save to keep out Berahino's curling effort, but from Chris Brunt's resulting corner, Anichebe nodded home.
Palace were left fuming with the decision, though, as Speroni appeared to take an elbow to the head from Dawson and he was replaced between the posts by Wayne Hennessey.Anichebe's strength was causing the Palace defence problems and he saw another shot blocked in the penalty area, before Gardner's looping long range effort beat Hennessey but not the crossbar.
But the pressure finally told in stoppage time, as Jedinak needlessly chopped down Anichebe and Berahino placed his penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.
An injury-time penalty from Saido Berahino rescued a draw for West Brom against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
It appeared as though the visitors would be rewarded for an excellent first half as a goal from Brede Hangeland and Mile Jedinak's spot-kick put Palace into a two-goal lead at The Hawthorns at the interval.
West Brom claimed a share of the spoils, though, as substitute Victor Anichebe halved the deficit shortly after the break before Berahino's seventh Premier League goal of the season ensured a 2-2 draw at the death.
Hangeland, who continued to deputise for the injured Scott Dann, opened the scoring with a close-range effort from a Palace set-piece, before captain Jedinak added a second from 12 yards in first-half injury time.
Anichebe's six-yard header brought West Brom back into the game, although Palace felt hard done by after goalkeeper Julian Speroni was caught by the elbow of the Craig Dawson.
And West Brom's concerted second-half pressure finally bore fruit as Jedinak was punished for a clumsy foul on Anichebe and Berahino - who also scored in West Brom's 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Monday - stayed cool to level the match.
West Brom looked lively in the opening stages but Palace wingers Wilfried Zaha, one of three men to come in from the Chelsea defeat, and Yannick Bolasie soon started causing problems.One particularly mazy run from Zaha led to a free-kick in a dangerous area on the right, and from Joe Ledley's cross Fraizer Campbell's looping header forced Ben Foster - restored to West Brom's line-up after a calf injury - to tip over the crossbar.
The resulting corner saw Palace move ahead in the 16th minute. Hangeland met Bolasie's delivery in a packed six-yard box and, though Foster saved his first effort, the centre-back poked home the rebound.West Brom responded well and Speroni made a smart stop from Gardner's stinging 25-yard drive.
Palace weathered the storm and Zaha had claims for a penalty seven minutes before the break when he was felled by Dawson on the left of the area.The visitors were awarded a spot-kick on the stroke of half-time, though.Sebastien Pocognoli slid through Bolasie prompting referee Mark Clattenburg to point to the spot.
And Jedinak kept his cool and sent Foster the wrong way with a penalty to the bottom left-hand corner.Anichebe was introduced at half-time and made an almost-immediate impact.Speroni pulled off a fine save to keep out Berahino's curling effort, but from Chris Brunt's resulting corner, Anichebe nodded home.
Palace were left fuming with the decision, though, as Speroni appeared to take an elbow to the head from Dawson and he was replaced between the posts by Wayne Hennessey.Anichebe's strength was causing the Palace defence problems and he saw another shot blocked in the penalty area, before Gardner's looping long range effort beat Hennessey but not the crossbar.
But the pressure finally told in stoppage time, as Jedinak needlessly chopped down Anichebe and Berahino placed his penalty into the bottom left-hand corner.
Liverpool 0-0 Hull City: Balotelli & Reds misfire again in Anfield bore draw
Liverpool spurned the chance to end a difficult few days with a win as they were held to a 0-0 Premier League draw by Hull City on Saturday.
Brendan Rodgers's side were convincingly beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Mario Balotelli's performance and half-time shirt swap causing controversy.
However, Rodgers kept faith with the Italian for Saturday's Premier League clash at Anfield and the former Milan striker went close twice in the second half - incredibly hitting an effort straight at Eldin Jaukopovic from five yards with the last kick of the game.
Liverpool's attacking ranks looked disjointed at times as they missed out on the chance to record a third consecutive top-flight victory, although their first clean sheet at Anfield since March will serve as a small positive.
Steve Bruce's side are now three unbeaten on the road after a solid defensive showing stifled the hosts, adding to last weekend's point picked up at Arsenal.
Hull rarely looked like grabbing a first win at Anfield, but they did display the defensive tenacity that kept them afloat in the top flight last term.
Robbie Brady - replacing the injured Andrew Robertson at left wing-back - struggled to get to grips with Raheem Sterling early on and the former Manchester United trainee was perhaps fortunate to see the England man pulled up for handball after bundling him over in the penalty area.
Dejan Lovren's header was then kept out by Ahmed Elmohamady on the line after nine minutes before Balotelli was denied by Jakupovic from a narrow angle, though Hull's third-choice goalkeeper, making a rare outing due to injuries to Allan McGregor and Steve Harper, was rarely tested.
The one-time Switzerland international was made to work by team-mate Alex Bruce however, when his sloppy backpass almost allowed Balotelli in on goal, while the centre-back was perhaps fortunate to see a heavy tackle on Adam Lallana in the box go unpunished, though home appeals were muted.
Having sat deep for much of the half, Hull found their feet just before the interval with Jake Livermore bringing a save out of Simon Mignolet after good work from Hatem Ben Arfa on the right before a fierce Tom Huddlestone volley deflected just wide off Martin Skrtel.
Liverpool dominated after the break and Balotelli looked set to register his first league goal for the club just after the hour but an acrobatic clearance from Brady kept the scores level and Sterling's firm effort on the rebound was gathered comfortably by Jakupovic.
The frustration continued for Liverpool and Balotelli as a third penalty shout was waved away after a clumsy challenge from Alex Bruce before the Italian spurned the final chance of the game.
Substitute Coutinho crossed after good work down the left and Balotelli could only hit his effort at the goalkeeper as Hull clung on for a point.
Liverpool spurned the chance to end a difficult few days with a win as they were held to a 0-0 Premier League draw by Hull City on Saturday.
Brendan Rodgers's side were convincingly beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Mario Balotelli's performance and half-time shirt swap causing controversy.
However, Rodgers kept faith with the Italian for Saturday's Premier League clash at Anfield and the former Milan striker went close twice in the second half - incredibly hitting an effort straight at Eldin Jaukopovic from five yards with the last kick of the game.
Liverpool's attacking ranks looked disjointed at times as they missed out on the chance to record a third consecutive top-flight victory, although their first clean sheet at Anfield since March will serve as a small positive.
Steve Bruce's side are now three unbeaten on the road after a solid defensive showing stifled the hosts, adding to last weekend's point picked up at Arsenal.
Hull rarely looked like grabbing a first win at Anfield, but they did display the defensive tenacity that kept them afloat in the top flight last term.
Robbie Brady - replacing the injured Andrew Robertson at left wing-back - struggled to get to grips with Raheem Sterling early on and the former Manchester United trainee was perhaps fortunate to see the England man pulled up for handball after bundling him over in the penalty area.
Dejan Lovren's header was then kept out by Ahmed Elmohamady on the line after nine minutes before Balotelli was denied by Jakupovic from a narrow angle, though Hull's third-choice goalkeeper, making a rare outing due to injuries to Allan McGregor and Steve Harper, was rarely tested.
The one-time Switzerland international was made to work by team-mate Alex Bruce however, when his sloppy backpass almost allowed Balotelli in on goal, while the centre-back was perhaps fortunate to see a heavy tackle on Adam Lallana in the box go unpunished, though home appeals were muted.
Having sat deep for much of the half, Hull found their feet just before the interval with Jake Livermore bringing a save out of Simon Mignolet after good work from Hatem Ben Arfa on the right before a fierce Tom Huddlestone volley deflected just wide off Martin Skrtel.
Liverpool dominated after the break and Balotelli looked set to register his first league goal for the club just after the hour but an acrobatic clearance from Brady kept the scores level and Sterling's firm effort on the rebound was gathered comfortably by Jakupovic.
The frustration continued for Liverpool and Balotelli as a third penalty shout was waved away after a clumsy challenge from Alex Bruce before the Italian spurned the final chance of the game.
Substitute Coutinho crossed after good work down the left and Balotelli could only hit his effort at the goalkeeper as Hull clung on for a point.
Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal: Sanchez stars as Gunners triumph
Alexis Sanchez’s double handed Arsenal a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Arsene Wenger’s men have now recorded three wins in the Premier League this season and move into fifth place, eight points behind leaders Chelsea who travel to Manchester United on Sunday.
Sunderland headed into the fixture off the back of an 8-0 hammering at the hands of Southampton last Saturday and another two lapses in defence were responsible for their third league defeat of the campaign.
In the 30th minute, Wes Brown attempted to control a lofted ball forward from Per Mertesacker but his back-pass to Vito Mannone was under-hit and it allowed Alexis to steal in and easily finish.
The Chile international netted his second in injury time after Mannone failed to control Patrick van Aanholt's back-pass, which presented the Arsenal winger with an empty goal.
Arsene Wenger, without the suspended Jack Wilshere, made three changes, with Wojciech Szczesny returning in goal having been suspended in midweek and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta given starts.
That meant Emiliano Martinez and Aaron Ramsey had to settle for places on the bench, where they were joined by Theo Walcott - who was appearing for the first time having spent nine months on the sidelines with a cruciate injury.
Sunderland were clearly determined to impose themselves early, although it did not take long for Arsenal to settle into a typically comfortable passing rhythm.
Arsenal's crisp play led to a first opening after 15 minutes, Danny Welbeck cutting in from the left and sending a powerful curler just over.
The home side enjoyed a good spell afterwards, only to go behind due to an individual error after 30 minutes.
Brown was the culprit, mis-hitting an attempted back-pass to allow Sanchez to race through and delicately chip Mannone for his fourth league goal since joining from Barcelona.
Not content with one, Arsenal continued to press forward with Santi Cazorla shooting just wide before Calum Chambers forced Mannone into a save.
Sunderland were dealt a blow early in the second period as injury forced off Steven Fletcher, Wickham deputising.
Wickham's introduction did not have much impact initially as Arsenal picked up where they left off, epitomised by Sanchez drawing a save from Mannone with a strike from distance.
A feistier spell ensued after that effort as Sunderland attempted to rally, Sebastian Larsson stinging the hands of Szczesny with a powerful 20-yard attempt.
That proved just a brief flurry, however, as Arsenal quickly reassumed control - albeit without really threatening a second goal.
Arsenal almost added another with 12 minutes to go, only for Welbeck to head tamely over after being picked out by the marauding Nacho Monreal.
Welbeck's miss set up a nervy ending to the game, with Van Aanholt volleying wide from distance after Szczesny had left his line.
Cazorla missed a great chance to add a second when firing just over, but it mattered little as Sunderland's vulnerability reared its head again in the 92nd minute following Mannone's blunder which allowed Sanchez to seal the three points for Arsenal.
Alexis Sanchez’s double handed Arsenal a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Arsene Wenger’s men have now recorded three wins in the Premier League this season and move into fifth place, eight points behind leaders Chelsea who travel to Manchester United on Sunday.
Sunderland headed into the fixture off the back of an 8-0 hammering at the hands of Southampton last Saturday and another two lapses in defence were responsible for their third league defeat of the campaign.
In the 30th minute, Wes Brown attempted to control a lofted ball forward from Per Mertesacker but his back-pass to Vito Mannone was under-hit and it allowed Alexis to steal in and easily finish.
The Chile international netted his second in injury time after Mannone failed to control Patrick van Aanholt's back-pass, which presented the Arsenal winger with an empty goal.
Arsene Wenger, without the suspended Jack Wilshere, made three changes, with Wojciech Szczesny returning in goal having been suspended in midweek and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mikel Arteta given starts.
That meant Emiliano Martinez and Aaron Ramsey had to settle for places on the bench, where they were joined by Theo Walcott - who was appearing for the first time having spent nine months on the sidelines with a cruciate injury.
Sunderland were clearly determined to impose themselves early, although it did not take long for Arsenal to settle into a typically comfortable passing rhythm.
Arsenal's crisp play led to a first opening after 15 minutes, Danny Welbeck cutting in from the left and sending a powerful curler just over.
The home side enjoyed a good spell afterwards, only to go behind due to an individual error after 30 minutes.
Brown was the culprit, mis-hitting an attempted back-pass to allow Sanchez to race through and delicately chip Mannone for his fourth league goal since joining from Barcelona.
Not content with one, Arsenal continued to press forward with Santi Cazorla shooting just wide before Calum Chambers forced Mannone into a save.
Sunderland were dealt a blow early in the second period as injury forced off Steven Fletcher, Wickham deputising.
Wickham's introduction did not have much impact initially as Arsenal picked up where they left off, epitomised by Sanchez drawing a save from Mannone with a strike from distance.
A feistier spell ensued after that effort as Sunderland attempted to rally, Sebastian Larsson stinging the hands of Szczesny with a powerful 20-yard attempt.
That proved just a brief flurry, however, as Arsenal quickly reassumed control - albeit without really threatening a second goal.
Arsenal almost added another with 12 minutes to go, only for Welbeck to head tamely over after being picked out by the marauding Nacho Monreal.
Welbeck's miss set up a nervy ending to the game, with Van Aanholt volleying wide from distance after Szczesny had left his line.
Cazorla missed a great chance to add a second when firing just over, but it mattered little as Sunderland's vulnerability reared its head again in the 92nd minute following Mannone's blunder which allowed Sanchez to seal the three points for Arsenal.
Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Hannover: Kiyotake stunner piles more pressure on Klopp
Hiroshi Kiyotake condemned Borussia Dortmund to their sixth Bundesliga defeat of the season and piled more pressure on Jurgen Klopp as they were beaten 1-0 by Hannover on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts created plenty of chances during a dominant first-half performance, with Mats Hummels seeing his towering header tipped onto the woodwork by Ron-Robert Zieler.
The pressure from Dortmund continued just after the break with Marco Reus wasting several good opportunities before Kiyotake curled home to claim all three points against the run of play. Ceyhun Gulselam was sent off late on for Hannover, but the visitors held on.
The result ends Hannover's run of three straight Bundesliga defeats and ensured Dortmund slumped to fifth defeat in their last six league games, with Klopp's men still unable to replicate their sparkling Champions League form domestically. Klopp slammed his team for being too naive during their defeat to Cologne last weekend and they looked slow off the mark again during a bright start from the visitors.
A long throw from Marius Stankevicius found Leonardo Bittencourt inside the area after just six minutes, only for the former Dortmund man to send a vicious volley whistling past the post.
Despite Hannover's lively opening, Dortmund soon began to find their feet and would have taken the lead were it not for Zieler's smart save, denying Henrikh Mkhitaryan after 12 minutes.
The hosts had not lost to Saturday's opponents in five previous league meetings and soon began to increase the pressure, with Zieler called upon again to tip Hummels' header onto the bar five minutes later, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang bent a free-kick just over. Reus could not keep his curled effort down following some good work from Aubameyang as Dortmund continued to press forward.
Only Hamburg had scored fewer Bundesliga goals than Hannover heading into this weekend and their impotence up front was evident once again during the opening 45 minutes, with Roman Weidenfeller left with little to do. The hosts continued their dominance just after half-time, with Reus racing down the left flank and firing just wide before forcing another save from Zieler after 55 minutes.
Dortmund's profligacy was punished just after the hour mark when Kiyotake stepped up to bend a superb 25-yard free-kick over the wall and into the top corner to give Hannover an unlikely lead. That goal gave the visitors more confidence and Kiyotake could have had a second five minutes later, beating the offside trap to force a great save from Weidenfeller, who also had to be alert to deny Joselu moments later.
Klopp threw on Shinji Kagawa as the game approached the final 20 minutes and Adrian Ramos headed wide five minutes later as the hosts continued to push, but an equaliser still eluded them on a disappointing afternoon. There was one sour note for the visitors when Gulselam was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence one minute from time.
Anemanda....BVB ayeth kala neh
Champions League elatama play karanawa but Bundesliga wala kanawa
meh 6th defeat 1ka Bundesliga wala meh season 1ke
Champions League elatama play karanawa but Bundesliga wala kanawameh 6th defeat 1ka Bundesliga wala meh season 1ke
West Ham 2-1 Manchester City: Nightmare week ends in shock defeat for Pellegrini
West Ham survived a late onslaught to claim a famous win over Manchester City at Upton Park on Saturday.
Goals in each half from Morgan Amalfitano and Diafra Sakho put Sam Allardyce's in-form side in control against an below-par City, only for a brilliant individual effort from David Silva on 77 minutes to set up a grandstand finish.
Manuel Pellegrini's men threw everything at West Ham in the closing stages, but a heroic rearguard action - marshalled superbly by James Collins - ensured West Ham ended a five-and-a-half-year wait for a victory over City.
The result means West Ham now sit just one point adrift of second-placed City, for whom the result represents a blow in their efforts to keep pace with table-topping Chelsea.
Allardyce claimed in the build-up that this game represented West Ham's best opportunity to end their winless run against City, due to the combination of his team's good form and the champions' midweek exertions in Europe, when Pellegrini's side drew 2-2 at CSKA Moscow.
And so it proved, as City struggled to cope with West Ham's energetic pressing game - exemplified by nobody better than on-loan Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, who was outstanding throughout.
It was no surprise when Allardyce named an unchanged XI from last week's 3-1 win at Burnley, and the hosts - who have now lost just one of their last six Premier League games - looked full of confidence from the off.
Unsurprisingly, it was Sergio Aguero who provided City's early attacking threat, with the elusive Argentinian dropping deep to run directly at the heart of West Ham's backline.
The likes of Silva and Yaya Toure were struggling to assert their usual influence for City, though, and West Ham were rewarded for their solid start when Amalfitano rounded off a superb team move after 21 minutes.
Much has been made of Allardyce's excellent business in the transfer window, and it was three of his new recruits who combined to break the deadlock after 21 minutes.The impressive Enner Valencia showed his searing pace in latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from Song down the right, before cutting back for Amalfitano to convert from no more than four yards.
Clearly buoyed by the opener, West Ham upped the tempo of their game and could have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time, only for Collins to narrowly fail to connect with Amalfitano's low cross after a brilliant set-piece routine.
West Ham picked up where they left off after the break, with Stewart Downing and Sakho threatening Joe Hart's goal.But, as the home side's intensity inevitably dropped, City - and Aguero and Toure in particular - sparked into life.
Aguero forced Adrian into a superb save on the hour, before inexplicably missing the visitors' best chance of the game, as he struck the bar from six yards after Toure's driving run through the middle ended with Jesus Navas cutting back to the striker.
Toure himself then rattled Adrian's bar, and that narrow miss proved costly as Sakho headed home his sixth Premier League goal of the season from Aaron Cresswell's deep cross to seemingly give West Ham an unassailable lead with 15 minutes to go.Silva had other ideas, though, as he jinked in from the right, beat four West Ham defenders before curling an unstoppable shot beyond Adrian from 18 yards.
City laid siege to Adrian's goal thereafter, with Toure firing into the side-netting in the 90th minute and Stevan Jovetic forcing the goalkeeper into another save, but West Ham held firm to secure a deserved three points.
West Ham survived a late onslaught to claim a famous win over Manchester City at Upton Park on Saturday.
Goals in each half from Morgan Amalfitano and Diafra Sakho put Sam Allardyce's in-form side in control against an below-par City, only for a brilliant individual effort from David Silva on 77 minutes to set up a grandstand finish.
Manuel Pellegrini's men threw everything at West Ham in the closing stages, but a heroic rearguard action - marshalled superbly by James Collins - ensured West Ham ended a five-and-a-half-year wait for a victory over City.
The result means West Ham now sit just one point adrift of second-placed City, for whom the result represents a blow in their efforts to keep pace with table-topping Chelsea.
Allardyce claimed in the build-up that this game represented West Ham's best opportunity to end their winless run against City, due to the combination of his team's good form and the champions' midweek exertions in Europe, when Pellegrini's side drew 2-2 at CSKA Moscow.
And so it proved, as City struggled to cope with West Ham's energetic pressing game - exemplified by nobody better than on-loan Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, who was outstanding throughout.
It was no surprise when Allardyce named an unchanged XI from last week's 3-1 win at Burnley, and the hosts - who have now lost just one of their last six Premier League games - looked full of confidence from the off.
Unsurprisingly, it was Sergio Aguero who provided City's early attacking threat, with the elusive Argentinian dropping deep to run directly at the heart of West Ham's backline.
The likes of Silva and Yaya Toure were struggling to assert their usual influence for City, though, and West Ham were rewarded for their solid start when Amalfitano rounded off a superb team move after 21 minutes.
Much has been made of Allardyce's excellent business in the transfer window, and it was three of his new recruits who combined to break the deadlock after 21 minutes.The impressive Enner Valencia showed his searing pace in latching onto a perfectly weighted pass from Song down the right, before cutting back for Amalfitano to convert from no more than four yards.
Clearly buoyed by the opener, West Ham upped the tempo of their game and could have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time, only for Collins to narrowly fail to connect with Amalfitano's low cross after a brilliant set-piece routine.
West Ham picked up where they left off after the break, with Stewart Downing and Sakho threatening Joe Hart's goal.But, as the home side's intensity inevitably dropped, City - and Aguero and Toure in particular - sparked into life.
Aguero forced Adrian into a superb save on the hour, before inexplicably missing the visitors' best chance of the game, as he struck the bar from six yards after Toure's driving run through the middle ended with Jesus Navas cutting back to the striker.
Toure himself then rattled Adrian's bar, and that narrow miss proved costly as Sakho headed home his sixth Premier League goal of the season from Aaron Cresswell's deep cross to seemingly give West Ham an unassailable lead with 15 minutes to go.Silva had other ideas, though, as he jinked in from the right, beat four West Ham defenders before curling an unstoppable shot beyond Adrian from 18 yards.
City laid siege to Adrian's goal thereafter, with Toure firing into the side-netting in the 90th minute and Stevan Jovetic forcing the goalkeeper into another save, but West Ham held firm to secure a deserved three points.
Falcao has improved since joining Manchester United - Filipe Luis
Filipe Luis believes his former team-mate, Radamel Falcao, is a better player at Manchester United than he was at Atletico Madrid.
Falcao has only scored one goal since joining United at the start of September but Filipe Luis says that the Colombian striker - who starred with him for Los Rojiblancos until summer 2013 - is stronger than when he scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in the 2012 Uefa Super Cup.
The Blues man considers Falcao to be "the best in the world with his head", while noting that the 28-year-old has an insatiable hunger for goals ahead of Sunday's clash between United and Chelsea at Old Trafford.
"Falcao is a better striker now than he was at Atletico for sure. He was injured and changed clubs so he wants more. He is not resting right now. He is a tiger and wants to score more," the Brazilian defender told the London Evening Standard.
"I enjoyed playing alongside him at Atletico for a lot of games. I remember him in the Super Cup, he scored a hat-trick in about 30 minutes [against Chelsea] but he did a lot of good performances in Atletico and had a lot of good seasons there.
"He is a brilliant striker. He fights for every ball and is probably the best in the world with his head. I know it's going to be difficult but not just against Falcao - United have a lot of good players.
"Will I give my team-mates any special advice on how to stop him? No. Our team is prepared for anything, not only Falcao. Manchester United have a lot of dangerous players. We have to be prepared.
"But Falcao is the kind of player that never wants to stop scoring, he has a lot of ambition to be the best striker. I think Manchester United have made a great acquisition and he is going to be an important player in England."
Filipe Luis believes his former team-mate, Radamel Falcao, is a better player at Manchester United than he was at Atletico Madrid.
Falcao has only scored one goal since joining United at the start of September but Filipe Luis says that the Colombian striker - who starred with him for Los Rojiblancos until summer 2013 - is stronger than when he scored a hat-trick against Chelsea in the 2012 Uefa Super Cup.
The Blues man considers Falcao to be "the best in the world with his head", while noting that the 28-year-old has an insatiable hunger for goals ahead of Sunday's clash between United and Chelsea at Old Trafford.
"Falcao is a better striker now than he was at Atletico for sure. He was injured and changed clubs so he wants more. He is not resting right now. He is a tiger and wants to score more," the Brazilian defender told the London Evening Standard.
"I enjoyed playing alongside him at Atletico for a lot of games. I remember him in the Super Cup, he scored a hat-trick in about 30 minutes [against Chelsea] but he did a lot of good performances in Atletico and had a lot of good seasons there.
"He is a brilliant striker. He fights for every ball and is probably the best in the world with his head. I know it's going to be difficult but not just against Falcao - United have a lot of good players.
"Will I give my team-mates any special advice on how to stop him? No. Our team is prepared for anything, not only Falcao. Manchester United have a lot of dangerous players. We have to be prepared.
"But Falcao is the kind of player that never wants to stop scoring, he has a lot of ambition to be the best striker. I think Manchester United have made a great acquisition and he is going to be an important player in England."
Van Persie just 'unlucky' not to score - Van Gaal
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels that bad luck has been behind Robin van Persie's slow start to the season.
The Netherlands international has scored just twice for United in 2014-15, putting him under pressure to retain his place in the team.
United captain Wayne Rooney returns from a three-game suspension for the Manchester derby, meaning that Sunday's clash against Chelsea could be Van Persie's last chance to keep hold of his starting spot, but Van Gaal expects the 31-year-old to get back to scoring ways.
He told the press of the forward: "He's a little bit unlucky, like against West Brom when he shot with his right foot - it was hard to believe that that shot stayed out of the goal.
"So a striker needs also a bit of luck and then the confidence is higher but he's self-confident so I expect he shall score and maybe against Chelsea."
Despite being under an injury cloud, Van Persie scored four goals at the World Cup this summer as the Dutch, coached by Van Gaal, finished third and his boss says that he is now in better shape than that.
"I think he is more fit than ever," Van Gaal continued. "He doesn't score so much. In the Dutch team he has scored more than now for Manchester United and then he was not so fit as now.
"That's remarkable but he scored in [almost] every game for me in the World Cup in spite of maybe his 80 per cent fitness. He scored four goals out of six games and then also a penalty so maybe now he is playing better but doesn't score as much.
"Every striker has to be at the attacking point. He has to play with the other 10 players. That is also important. That he is now doing better than in Dutch team."
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal feels that bad luck has been behind Robin van Persie's slow start to the season.
The Netherlands international has scored just twice for United in 2014-15, putting him under pressure to retain his place in the team.
United captain Wayne Rooney returns from a three-game suspension for the Manchester derby, meaning that Sunday's clash against Chelsea could be Van Persie's last chance to keep hold of his starting spot, but Van Gaal expects the 31-year-old to get back to scoring ways.
He told the press of the forward: "He's a little bit unlucky, like against West Brom when he shot with his right foot - it was hard to believe that that shot stayed out of the goal.
"So a striker needs also a bit of luck and then the confidence is higher but he's self-confident so I expect he shall score and maybe against Chelsea."
Despite being under an injury cloud, Van Persie scored four goals at the World Cup this summer as the Dutch, coached by Van Gaal, finished third and his boss says that he is now in better shape than that.
"I think he is more fit than ever," Van Gaal continued. "He doesn't score so much. In the Dutch team he has scored more than now for Manchester United and then he was not so fit as now.
"That's remarkable but he scored in [almost] every game for me in the World Cup in spite of maybe his 80 per cent fitness. He scored four goals out of six games and then also a penalty so maybe now he is playing better but doesn't score as much.
"Every striker has to be at the attacking point. He has to play with the other 10 players. That is also important. That he is now doing better than in Dutch team."
Monk relieved to end Swansea winless run
Swansea City manager Garry Monk has declared his delight at halting a five-match winless run with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City.
The club had not picked up maximum points since opening the Premier League season with three successive successes, but two goals from Wilfried Bony saw them return to winning ways on Saturday.
"I'm very pleased with the first half, we played very well and moved the ball very well," he told Sky Sports. "Some of the movements and patterns we've done in training came off.
"We defended well enough and earned the three points."
But Monk insists he never doubted the performance level of his players, claiming Swansea should have had a greater return from their last five fixtures.
"The five games which we haven't won, we played very well and deserved more than what we got," he added. "There was a little pressure on us and the players handled it very well."
Swansea now face a tricky run of fixtures, visiting Liverpool in the League Cup before facing Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City in the top flight.
Swansea City manager Garry Monk has declared his delight at halting a five-match winless run with a 2-0 victory over Leicester City.
The club had not picked up maximum points since opening the Premier League season with three successive successes, but two goals from Wilfried Bony saw them return to winning ways on Saturday.
"I'm very pleased with the first half, we played very well and moved the ball very well," he told Sky Sports. "Some of the movements and patterns we've done in training came off.
"We defended well enough and earned the three points."
But Monk insists he never doubted the performance level of his players, claiming Swansea should have had a greater return from their last five fixtures.
"The five games which we haven't won, we played very well and deserved more than what we got," he added. "There was a little pressure on us and the players handled it very well."
Swansea now face a tricky run of fixtures, visiting Liverpool in the League Cup before facing Everton, Arsenal and Manchester City in the top flight.
No shame in Sampdoria draw, insists Garcia
Roma head coach Rudi Garcia insists his side can be happy with a point after their 0-0 draw with Sampdoria on Saturday.
Fresh from their 7-1 demolition at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Roma were held to a tightly-contested stalemate by third-placed Sampdoria, with Gervinho hitting the post in the first half and Sergio Romero producing a spectacular save to deny Alessandro Florenzi late on.
Despite seeing his side fail to score for the first time this season, Garcia is adamant there is no shame in a draw against a side in such rich form and is confident the hangover of midweek has now passed.
"On a pitch like that it was difficult to get speed into dribbles, but we did have some good chances," he told Sky Sport."You need a little luck to win these games, too. Unfortunately, we were stopped by the post. In any case, a point away to the third-placed side playing at our standards is good. I liked the attitude of the team and I am satisfied.
"Are Bayern forgotten now? Of course. When you play against Sampdoria, who are third and haven't lost, it means a bitter defeat like the Bayern one has now passed."
Juventus have the chance to move three points clear of Roma at the top of Serie A should they beat Palermo on Sunday,
Roma head coach Rudi Garcia insists his side can be happy with a point after their 0-0 draw with Sampdoria on Saturday.
Fresh from their 7-1 demolition at the hands of Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Roma were held to a tightly-contested stalemate by third-placed Sampdoria, with Gervinho hitting the post in the first half and Sergio Romero producing a spectacular save to deny Alessandro Florenzi late on.
Despite seeing his side fail to score for the first time this season, Garcia is adamant there is no shame in a draw against a side in such rich form and is confident the hangover of midweek has now passed.
"On a pitch like that it was difficult to get speed into dribbles, but we did have some good chances," he told Sky Sport."You need a little luck to win these games, too. Unfortunately, we were stopped by the post. In any case, a point away to the third-placed side playing at our standards is good. I liked the attitude of the team and I am satisfied.
"Are Bayern forgotten now? Of course. When you play against Sampdoria, who are third and haven't lost, it means a bitter defeat like the Bayern one has now passed."
Juventus have the chance to move three points clear of Roma at the top of Serie A should they beat Palermo on Sunday,
Dortmund have no option but to fight - Klopp
Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has vowed to fight on despite Saturday's 1-0 loss to Hannover maintaining their woeful Bundesliga run.
Hiroshi Kiyotake's curled free kick just after the hour was enough the secure an unlikely win for the visitors, their first at Signal Iduna Park since 2008. Klopp's men have now lost five of their last six games in the Bundesliga, but the coach remains defiant.
Speaking after the game, Klopp said: "We will continue to fight. There is no alternative."We had four or five great chances, but nothing made of it. We need to reward ourselves [with goals], but we're not doing that."
Dortmund's profligacy in front of goal was summed up by attacker Marco Reus, who had seven shots on goal, but still could not find a way past Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.The Germany international keeper was also kept busy by Mats Hummels first-half header, but he scrambled it onto the crossbar.
Six Dortmund defeats represents the most losses from any side in the league, and is in stark contrast to their Champions League form which has seen the 2013 finalists win all three of their games - the most recent coming in the shape of a 4-0 thrashing of Galatasaray.
Klopp added: "We were in the decisive moments once again, but were not consistent enough. The popular explanations do not apply."
Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has vowed to fight on despite Saturday's 1-0 loss to Hannover maintaining their woeful Bundesliga run.
Hiroshi Kiyotake's curled free kick just after the hour was enough the secure an unlikely win for the visitors, their first at Signal Iduna Park since 2008. Klopp's men have now lost five of their last six games in the Bundesliga, but the coach remains defiant.
Speaking after the game, Klopp said: "We will continue to fight. There is no alternative."We had four or five great chances, but nothing made of it. We need to reward ourselves [with goals], but we're not doing that."
Dortmund's profligacy in front of goal was summed up by attacker Marco Reus, who had seven shots on goal, but still could not find a way past Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.The Germany international keeper was also kept busy by Mats Hummels first-half header, but he scrambled it onto the crossbar.
Six Dortmund defeats represents the most losses from any side in the league, and is in stark contrast to their Champions League form which has seen the 2013 finalists win all three of their games - the most recent coming in the shape of a 4-0 thrashing of Galatasaray.
Klopp added: "We were in the decisive moments once again, but were not consistent enough. The popular explanations do not apply."
Real Madrid don't live for counterattacks, insists Pepe
Pepe has hit back at the notion that Real Madrid only set out to hit teams on the counterattack after their 3-1 win over Barcelona on Saturday.
The defender powered home a header early in the second half after Cristiano Ronaldo had equalised following Neymar's early goal, before Karim Benzema sealed all three points.
Barca captain Xavi stated after the match that his side had failed to deal with Madrid's gameplan of hitting on the break, but Pepe is adamant the reaction from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd during Madrid spells of possession proves they are a multi-faceted team."I don't think that Real Madrid live for counterattacks," he told reporters. "Our supporters chanted 'ole, ole' and this is a demonstration of that.
"We could have started the second half ahead, but that was not possible. Despite this, we started the half with a victorious mentality and we won.
"We heard that the Liverpool match was easy, but in this match you can see that we worked a lot. Maybe we are stronger than last year, because we play automatically."
Pepe also admitted his goal was a moment to savour after the success Madrid have enjoyed during the past eight months."I wanted to remember with that celebration that we won La Decima and we fought a lot to earn it," added the Portugal international."There were many years of happiness for me and my family and this goal was an adrenaline explosion."
Ronaldo and Benzema continued their impressive form in front of goal on Saturday but defender Marcelo was just as eager to praise their efforts when Madrid were without the ball."Defensive work starts at the front with Cristiano, Benzema and Chicharito - they start our defensive strength," said the Brazilian.
"We needed sacrifice to get to our objective. We have to improve many things, but the work of the squad and our physical status is so good at the moment."
Pepe has hit back at the notion that Real Madrid only set out to hit teams on the counterattack after their 3-1 win over Barcelona on Saturday.
The defender powered home a header early in the second half after Cristiano Ronaldo had equalised following Neymar's early goal, before Karim Benzema sealed all three points.
Barca captain Xavi stated after the match that his side had failed to deal with Madrid's gameplan of hitting on the break, but Pepe is adamant the reaction from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd during Madrid spells of possession proves they are a multi-faceted team."I don't think that Real Madrid live for counterattacks," he told reporters. "Our supporters chanted 'ole, ole' and this is a demonstration of that.
"We could have started the second half ahead, but that was not possible. Despite this, we started the half with a victorious mentality and we won.
"We heard that the Liverpool match was easy, but in this match you can see that we worked a lot. Maybe we are stronger than last year, because we play automatically."
Pepe also admitted his goal was a moment to savour after the success Madrid have enjoyed during the past eight months."I wanted to remember with that celebration that we won La Decima and we fought a lot to earn it," added the Portugal international."There were many years of happiness for me and my family and this goal was an adrenaline explosion."
Ronaldo and Benzema continued their impressive form in front of goal on Saturday but defender Marcelo was just as eager to praise their efforts when Madrid were without the ball."Defensive work starts at the front with Cristiano, Benzema and Chicharito - they start our defensive strength," said the Brazilian.
"We needed sacrifice to get to our objective. We have to improve many things, but the work of the squad and our physical status is so good at the moment."
Manchester City step up pursuit of €50.75m Barkley
Manchester City are confident of beating Chelsea to the signing of Everton star Ross Barkley and believe that a bid of €50.75 million could seal the deal.
Jose Mourinho's side are ready to rival the Premier League champions for the England international and will go toe-to-toe with City in a bid to secure one of Europe's top emerging talents.
Manuel Pellegrini had Barkley scouted on his return to the Toffees' first team during the recent 3-0 win over Aston Villa, in which he received a standing ovation by the club's fans when he was eventually substituted.
Chelsea too have been keenly monitoring the 20-year-old's situation, with both clubs having previously been rebuffed after making summer enquiries over the midfielder's availability.
When asked whether the two Premier League title contenders had returned to the table with offers, Martinez said last month that there had been no bids for the player and that Everton would take the interest as "a compliment".
But that will not deter City or Chelsea, who, for their part, hope that senior international scout Mick Doherty, who spent seven years at Everton and grew a good relationship with the player, will recommend Barkley moves to Stamford Bridge.
Despite Everton's determination to keep their star man, City are growing confident that a bid of €50.75m will force the club into selling one of their assets, who only penned a new four-year contract in July.
The midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough season last term, earning England recognition, and his signing would see City boost their 'homegrown' quota after the likes of Joleon Lescott and Jack Rodwell left last summer.
Manchester City are confident of beating Chelsea to the signing of Everton star Ross Barkley and believe that a bid of €50.75 million could seal the deal.
Jose Mourinho's side are ready to rival the Premier League champions for the England international and will go toe-to-toe with City in a bid to secure one of Europe's top emerging talents.
Manuel Pellegrini had Barkley scouted on his return to the Toffees' first team during the recent 3-0 win over Aston Villa, in which he received a standing ovation by the club's fans when he was eventually substituted.
Chelsea too have been keenly monitoring the 20-year-old's situation, with both clubs having previously been rebuffed after making summer enquiries over the midfielder's availability.
When asked whether the two Premier League title contenders had returned to the table with offers, Martinez said last month that there had been no bids for the player and that Everton would take the interest as "a compliment".
But that will not deter City or Chelsea, who, for their part, hope that senior international scout Mick Doherty, who spent seven years at Everton and grew a good relationship with the player, will recommend Barkley moves to Stamford Bridge.
Despite Everton's determination to keep their star man, City are growing confident that a bid of €50.75m will force the club into selling one of their assets, who only penned a new four-year contract in July.
The midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough season last term, earning England recognition, and his signing would see City boost their 'homegrown' quota after the likes of Joleon Lescott and Jack Rodwell left last summer.
- Status
