..::Football IV::..

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'Clattenburg apologised for Alexis handball goal' - Robertson

Andrew Robertson says referee Mark Clattenburg apologised to the Hull City players at half-time after he’d controversially allowed Alexis Sanchez’s opening goal to stand as Arsenal won 2-0 on Saturday.

The Tigers were holding their own at the Emirates Stadium until Alexis clearly bundled the ball over the line with his hand after 34 minutes to send the Gunners in at the break 1-0 up.“Yeah it was handball,” Robertson told Sky Sports after the game.“When we came out at half-time, the referee's apologised to us. He said it was a handball, so he's obviously looked at it at half-time and seen he was in the wrong.

“It happens so quick that it's a tough one for the ref, you've got to kind of feel sorry for him. At the end of the day, these decisions don't really go your way when you come to these big stadiums and that's killed us.

“If you go in 0-0 at half-time, you seen the way we played in the second-half, we could've came away with some points.”

Sanchez wrapped up the three points for the Gunners from the penalty spot late on after Hull’s Sam Clucas had been sent off for blocking a goal-bound Lucas Perez effort with his arm, and though Robertson says he admires Clattenburg’s honesty in admitting he made a mistake in the first half, it’s little consolation to him and his team-mates after they came away from a good performance with nothing to show for it.“He [Clattenburg] says he wasn't 100 per cent sure whether [if it was a handball],” he said.

“Obviously we can argue that he shouldn't have given the goal if he wasn't sure, but I think he argued it the other way, that if he wasn't sure he had to give the goal.


“That's the explanation he gave us. Obviously not many referees can admit they're wrong, so it's good, but it doesn't make it any better.”

 

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Darmstadt 2-1 Borussia Dortmund: Rock-bottom home side stun visitors

A woeful defensive display was the catalyst for Borussia Dortmund suffering an embarrassing 2-1 defeat to a Darmstadt side that had not won a Bundesliga match since October.

Thomas Tuchel was hampered by injuries and absences, but his side's unimpressive defensive performance provided real cause for concern, as lowly Darmstadt carved them open at will and deservedly claimed a potentially vital win in their bid to avoid the drop.

Proceedings were particularly entertaining in the first half, with the rock-bottom hosts fully deserving of their opening goal that Terrence Boyd scored, but against a side with Dortmund's quality they were going to need to take full advantage of any chances.

But they did not, and Dortmund capitalised on a few let-offs by drawing level just before the break – Raphael Guerreiro blasting a ferocious effort in from 16 yards.Dortmund failed to use that equaliser as a platform to build on, though, and they were just as bad after the break, Antonio Colak's controlled finish 23 minutes from the end a just punishment.

The away side poured men forward desperately towards the end, but they left it too late and Darmstadt held on for a huge win - the first under Torsten Frings - while Dortmund failed to capitalise on second-placed RB Leipzig dropping points.Darmstadt's excellent start showed few signs of the form that has left them adrift at the bottom of the table.

Roman Burki was crucial to preventing their first chance from finding the net, as Boyd forced him into a smart save from close range after collecting Jan Rosenthal's flick-on.Rosenthal then raced clear shortly after, latching on to Sidney Sam's throughball before smashing his effort on to the post with only Burki to beat.

And Dortmund failed to heed those warnings, with Darmstadt taking a deserved lead through Boyd after 21 minutes – the American collecting Marcel Heller's cut-back and finding the net despite Burki getting a hand to it.

Dortmund soon rallied and Marco Reus went close twice, first seeing Michael Esser's foot keep him at bay when played through by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, before then striking the crossbar with a 25-yard free-kick.

But the visitors eventually levelled just before the break – Guerreiro sending an emphatic half-volley past Esser after the ball broke kindly for him in the area.
Despite drawing level, Dortmund did not produce much of an improvement after the break and were lucky not to fall behind again in the 52nd minute – Rosenthal testing Burki from 18 yards after an accurate cut-back from Jerome Gondorf.

Rosenthal wasted another opportunity just after the hour mark, as he raced on to Heller's pass and drove wide from 20 yards.But eventually Darmstadt punished Dortmund properly.

Hamit Altintop stole possession back in midfield and found Sam, who cleverly fed substitute Colak into the right side of the box and he provided a composed finish under Burki.

The hosts should have scored again shortly after, though Dortmund escaped as Colak struck the crossbar on the break and then both Burki and Matthias Ginter were forced into desperate blocks to prevent Gondorf and Rosenthal.

Dortmund poured men forward with little defensive regard towards the end, but they failed to worry Esser and ultimately slumped to defeat ahead of Tuesday's Champions League trip to Benfica.

 

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Ingolstadt 0-2 Bayern Munich: Late Bayern brace breaks Ingolstadt

Bayern Munich left it very, very late to move seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga as Arturo Vidal and Arjen Robben scored after the 90th minute to seal a 2-0 win over Ingolstadt.

With both RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund losing, it looked as though Bayern would miss an opportunity take full advantage at Audi Sportpark, but Vidal's second of the season eventually set them on their way.

Substitute Arjen Robben added the gloss with a second in stoppage time to ensure Bayern stole a march on their faltering rivals.The opening hour of the encounter proved to be a drab affair, with Bayern's only real chances of note being denied by last-ditch clearances.

Bayern's pressure eventually told, though, as the resilient hosts were finally undone in the last minute of the match, Vidal guiding home Thomas Muller's cross.

Robben lashed home a second two minutes later to wrap up a win that gives Bayern a healthy cushion over Leipzig as they prepare for a return to European football against Arsenal in the Champions League.Bayern were far from their fluent best in the opening 20 minutes as Ingolstadt successfully stifled their illustrious opponents with a high-pressing game.

Mats Hummels and Robert Lewandowski wasted the two early half chances the visitors were able to create before the latter was denied by a stunning piece of defending from Marvin Matip.

With 20 minutes on the clock, Xabi Alonso picked out the run of Lewandowski behind the Ingolstadt defence. The Poland forward lifted the ball over the onrushing Martin Hansen but Matip got back superbly to stop the ball rolling into the unguarded goal.

It was the closest either side came to a goal before the break, though, with Ingolstadt only briefly worrying Manuel Neuer as Marcel Tisserand looped a header just over from Markus Suttner's late free-kick.

The visitors quickly looked to up the tempo at the start of the second half and Muller's goal drought almost came to an end two minutes after the restart.

Having controlled Lewandowski's pass, the Germany international shot under Hansen, but as the ball crept towards the goal it was cleared off the line by Florent Hadergjonaj.Against the run of play, Ingolstadt came agonisingly close to opening the scoring after 54 minutes, Mathew Leckie's attempt to turn Romain Bregerie's effort beyond Neuer seeing the ball just drop wide.

Carlo Ancelotti turned to his bench to freshen things up but it was Lewandowski who nearly provided the shot in the arm for the visitors in the closing minutes, his swerving shot thudding against the post.

However, the goal eventually did come as Muller's deep cross was steered past Hansen by Vidal, the Chile international ghosting into the six-yard box.They were not done there, either, as Robben produced the spark Ancelotti was hoping for with a low finish that evaded Hansen's reach.

 

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Manchester United 2-0 Watford: Mata and Martial seal win for hosts

Anthony Martial marked his first Premier League start in almost a month with a goal and an assist as Manchester United beat Watford 2-0 on Saturday.
The 21-year-old set up Juan Mata's opener in the first half before doubling the lead following a slick counter-attack to give the home side only a fourth win in 10 league games at Old Trafford.

Martial was forced to rubbish rumours this week that he would look to force a move away from United at the end of the season, with Jose Mourinho having restricted him to cup appearances only since he was replaced in the second half of the 1-1 draw with Liverpool on January 15.

Starting on the left of an attacking 4-2-3-1 system, he provided the low cross to allow Mata to open the scoring after 32 minutes, just as the home fans began to grow frustrated, with United dominating but failing to convert chances.

Martial then capped a clever move with a stylish finish to make the points safe with half an hour left, as Mourinho's side preserved a record of having never lost to Watford at home in a league match.

The win moves United to within a point of fourth-place Manchester City ahead of their trip to Bournemouth on Monday and means their unbeaten run now stands at 16 top-flight games.

United's attacking approach looked slick in the opening stages, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all failing to capitalise on half-chances before a deflected Martial shot looped narrowly wide.

Jose Holebas whipped a ferocious strike beyond the right-hand post from the left but Paul Pogba almost responded with the opening goal, with Heurelho Gomes leaping to parry away his dipping shot from 25 yards out.

Ibrahimovic volleyed over from inside the box after being picked out by Pogba's clever pass, and Gomes saved well low to his right from the France midfielder's first-time hit as United's pressure began to grow.

Mkhitaryan blazed over and Ibrahimovic headed straight at Gomes from point-blank range, but United finally made their dominance tell with 32 minutes played.

Mkhitaryan combined well with Mata before releasing Martial down the left, and after Ibrahimovic left his low cross, Mata was on hand to steer the ball into the net from six yards out.

De Gea made a fine save to tip away Mauro Zarate's dipping free-kick as Watford started the second half more encouragingly, but a devastating break from United saw Martial double the lead on the hour mark.

Ibrahimovic played a fine first-time pass into Martial's path after good work from Mkhitaryan, and the France international cut back onto his right foot inside the area before slotting a clever finish beneath Gomes' right hand after fooling the goalkeeper into expecting a shot towards the far post.

Watford responded well, M'Baye Niang at last getting the better of Daley Blind only to see his teasing low ball across the six-yard box fail to find a white shirt, before another low cross from the AC Milan loanee was ballooned over the bar by Daryl Janmaat.

De Gea beat away a powerful strike from Troy Deeney and Gomes denied Mkhitaryan from close range, before Martial was withdrawn in the closing stages to a standing ovation from the home fans - and a hug from his manager.

 

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Sunderland 0-4 Southampton: Gabbiadini sends Saints soaring

Manolo Gabbiadini continued a personal hot streak in front of goal as he scored a double in Southampton's 4-0 rout of sorry Sunderland.

Italy forward Gabbiadini marked his Saints debut with a goal in a 3-1 defeat against West Ham last weekend and, after the visitors had weathered an early storm at the Stadium of Light, he became just the second Saints player to score in his first two Premier League matches.

Gabbiadini perhaps used his arm to open the scoring on the half-hour, although in real time it would have been difficult for referee Paul Tierney to spot an offence, but there was nothing contentious about his second.

The 25-year-old showed quick feet to bamboozle Lamine Kone and kept his cool to beat Vito Mannone to make it six goals in his last five outings for Napoli and Saints.

That double took the wind out of Sunderland's sails and it got worse right at the end as an own goal from Jason Denayer coupled with a strike from substitute Shane Long compounded their misery.

David Moyes' men - who are now heading for a mid-season break in New York - were brought back down to earth after last week's 4-0 win over Crystal Palace and remain bottom of the league.

Sunderland were on the front foot from the off and Adnan Januzaj saw a shot deflected wide before producing a mazy run and cross that caught Jermain Defoe unaware as the ball bobbled wide of the left-hand post.The Black Cats almost shot themselves in the foot when Billy Jones' poor backpass fell to Gabbiadini, who snatched at the ball and shot wide.

Sunderland's possession yielded little in terms of chances allowing Saints to grow into the game and Cedric Soares had wastefully drilled wide by the time the deadlock was broken.

The ball was worked left to Ryan Bertrand and his first-time cross was diverted home at the near post by Gabbiadini, with the striker possibly using his upper arm.

And Sunderland's mood worsened on the stroke of half-time as Gabbiadini collected Dusan Tadic's pass in the area and sharply turned Kone, who was beaten too easily, before side-footing past Mannone.Early in the second half, Gabbiadini hooked an effort from James Ward-Prowse's corner at Mannone.

Sunderland offered little in reply and Mannone had to be alert when Tadic cut in from the right and stung the goalkeeper's palms.

Ward-Prowse wastefully headed wide from Nathan Redmond's clipped cross as Saints sought a third, before Gabbiadini was replaced by Long.

And Long brought the best out of Mannone with a powerful header that was tipped over the top, while at the other end Didier Ndong had tentative claims for a penalty for a trip from Oriol Romeu waved away.

However, Denayer turned in Bertrand's low cross to make it 3-0 in the 89th minute and Sunderland's defence was carved open again as Long played a neat one-two with Ward-Prowse before calmly placing his shot past Mannone to complete a dominant win in stoppage time.

 

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West Ham 2-2 West Brom: Evans denies Hammers at the last

An injury-time header from substitute Jonny Evans saw West Brom deny West Ham in the trademark style of manager Tony Pulis, as the Baggies pounced to snatch a dramatic 2-2 draw at London Stadium on Saturday.

The Hammers, missing injured striker Andy Carroll, may consider themselves hard done by not to take all three points in front of their fans, having had one goal disallowed and a penalty claim dismissed, while there was also a contentious element to Nacer Chadli's early opener for the Baggies.

West Ham overcame the disappointment of what must have appeared to be repeated misfortune to equalise soon after the hour-mark through Sofiane Feghouli.

After a sustained period of pressure, Manuel Lanzini struck to make it 2-1 in fine style with four minutes of regulation time to go, running at the West Brom defence before unleashing a long-range strike that Ben Foster was powerless to keep out.

But West Brom were not to be denied, Evans climbing highest at the back post to head a corner beyond Darren Randolph and snatch a point, prompting a furious reaction from Slaven Bilic that saw the West Ham manager follow his assistant in being sent off by referee Michael Oliver.

The result means West Brom remain eighth in the table, five points ahead of West Ham, who drop to 10th spot.

In a sign of things to come, there was controversy in the air as early as the sixth minute in east London, when West Brom took the lead. Feghouli expected to be awarded a foul as he was bundled over by Chris Brunt, but Oliver ignored those appeals.

James Morrison seized on a subsequent moment of hesitation from the Hammers backline to slip in Chadli, who beat Cheikhou Kouyate with a nutmeg before also stroking the ball between the legs of goalkeeper Randolph.

West Ham thought they had equalised in the 16th minute, Feghouli steering home Lanzini's shot after Foster had felled his own defender Craig Dawson in the process of spilling a Robert Snodgrass free-kick.

It was unclear if Oliver disallowed the goal for offside or a foul, Michail Antonio clattering the keeper from behind, but regardless of the reasons for the decision, incensed Hammers assistant coach Nikola Jurcevic was sent to the stands after venturing the length of the touchline to remonstrate with the linesman.

Perhaps seeking to vent their frustration, West Ham created good chances for Feghouli and Antonio, although the visitors had earlier hit the bar through Salomon Rondon and continued to carry plenty of threat.

Snodgrass went down looking for a penalty under pressure from Jake Livermore in first-half injury time but yet again Oliver ignored his protests, an enraged Bilic waiting in the mouth of the tunnel to confront the referee after experiencing 45 minutes of intense frustration, much to the delight of his opposite number Pulis.

After replacing Aaron Cresswell with Jonathan Calleri at half-time and switching to three at the back, Bilic saw his players continue to dominate early in the second half and they were rewarded in the 63rd minute.

Lanzini's fierce strike was tipped onto the bar by Foster, but Feghouli got to the rebound first to guide home the equaliser.

West Ham pushed hard in search of a winner, Dawson called on to deny Lanzini and McAuley blocking a Calleri attempt.

They celebrated Lanzini's spectacular strike as if it would prove decisive, but Evans and Pulis had other ideas, the former Manchester United defender crashing home an uncompromising leveller in the 94th minute.

 

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Alaves 0-6 Barcelona: Blaugrana run riot in Vitoria

Aleix Vidal's horror injury cast a shadow as Barcelona ran riot in the rehearsal for the Copa del Rey final and gained revenge over Alaves with a 6-0 La Liga victory at Estadio Mendizorrotza.

Luis Enrique's side were beaten on home soil by Alaves in September, but Barca's famed MSN trio helped set the record straight, with Neymar's goal taking him above club legend Ronaldinho in the scoring charts.

All the goals came in two clusters, with Luis Suarez and Neymar striking within three minutes of each other on the stroke of half-time to ruin what had been to that point a resilient display from Mauricio Pellegrino's side, who ended the club's wait for a first Copa final with Wednesday's 1-0 win over Celta Vigo.

Barca's own route to the final proved more problematic, as a heated 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou – which sealed a 3-2 aggregate success – came at the cost of red cards for Sergi Roberto and Suarez, though the latter is subject to appeal.

The Uruguayan scored in that match before being given his marching orders and netted twice on Saturday, the first from Vidal's low cross.

Alaves – who had denied Barca a goal on the Catalan giants' last three La Liga trips – had barely recovered from that blow when they conceded a poor second, goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco punching an attempted clearance into Suarez and the loose ball falling for Neymar to tap in.

Christian Santos missed a sitter early in the second half before Barca clicked up a gear with four goals in eight minutes, Messi slotting through Pacheco's legs, Alexis scoring an own goal, Ivan Rakitic spectacularly getting in on the act and Suarez adding his second.

Vidal suffered a nasty looking injury to his right ankle in the closing stages to take the shine off a 15th LaLiga match unbeaten for Barca, who will now turn their attention to Tuesday's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

It was Messi who got the first shot away, forcing a smart near-post save from Pacheco inside the opening five minutes.

Samuel Umtiti picked up an early yellow card as he cynically halted a threatening counter-attack from Ruben Sobrino, while a good chance went begging for Vidal – who has recently won a spot in the starting XI – when he blasted over the crossbar on the half-volley.

But it was the hosts who should have taken the lead midway through the half, Atletico loanee Theo Hernandez showing a blistering turn of pace to burst clear on the break, only for Marc-Andre ter Stegen to spread himself and block the full-back's shot.

That missed proved costly as Barca delivered a quick-fire double just before the break, Suarez converting from close range after Vidal supplied the ammunition, with Neymar's 95th goal for the club coming soon after to put the visitors firmly in control.Santos was left kicking himself after somehow lifting a shot over the bar from just six yards out after Hernandez had sent in a teasing cross from the left.

When Messi pounced on Carlos Vigaray's error and calmly converted, the points were Barca's, but they bolstered their goal difference too with a rampant spell of complete dominance.

Alexis put through his own net under pressure from Messi, while Rakitic's effort was arguably the pick of the bunch as he expertly found the top corner, before Suarez powerfully drove home after Neymar's shot had been saved.

Vidal's graphic injury well and truly took the sting out of proceedings, his ankle turned to an unnatural angle amid widespread concern among his team-mates.

And Alaves, given a clear indication of the size of the task they face in May's Copa final, were left stunned by the rout as Luis Enrique's side moved top ahead of Real Madrid's trip to Osasuna.

 

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Martial takes his chance as marvellous Man Utd make a top-four claim

Manchester United probably needed the three points more than the blistering performance against Watford on Saturday but Anthony Martial helped them to deliver both as they turned in their best display under Jose Mourinho to win 2-0 and climb to fifth in the Premier League, keeping the hopes of a Champions League spot alive in the process.

Martial had missed four of the last five games amid claims from his manager that he hadn’t done enough to earn a regular starting spot, but his response was to score one and assist another in United’s most convincing performance in quite some time.

His last start against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup saw him set up two goals, but Mourinho insisted that it had only been enough to earn him a spot as a substitute in the subsequent fixture against Hull City. But this time around there can be no doubting that Martial did enough to be considered a sure-fire starter when the Portuguese next draws up his starting XI.

The only regret about the afternoon has to be the fact that United didn’t score more goals, with their phenomenal forward play worthy of far more. Their front four interchanged superbly on numerous occasions, creating a multitude of chances which would have produced more goals were it not for a mixture of great goalkeeping, wonderful defending and erratic finishing.

This was United at their best. Martial was a constant threat on the left after his recall in place of Marcus Rashford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s runs caused all sorts of problems, while Juan Mata turned in his best showing for some time as he drifted into positions the Watford defence simply couldn’t handle and Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s movement ensured the Hornets were always playing catch-up.

Mata got the goal he deserved after a Martial raid down the left, and the Frenchman later added a second after leaving the Watford defence flat-footed following an Ibrahimovic pass. It looked at one point as though United could score goals from every possible combination as they made opportunities from all angles and through just about every pair of feet.

There were other opportunities for Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera as United’s fluid movement opened the kind of space that United have rarely been afforded at Old Trafford this term. As much as Walter Mazzarri’s side attempted to remain compact, they couldn’t help but be bent out of shape by United’s attacking intelligence.

It is only five days before United host Saint-Etienne in the first of four cup games in a 10-day period which will no doubt test the depths of Mourinho’s squad, but if the manager decides that the Europa League task requires his strongest starting line-up then it will be very hard for him to leave anyone out of the XI from those who saw off Watford with a bit to spare.

Chief among them is Martial. While the idea of having a fixed starting line-up is an archaic one in these times of constant squad rotation, the 21-year-old has to be considered as the current choice pick among left-sided options. With Rashford naturally showing some inconsistency at the age of 19, Martial needs to make the spot his own.

Today was definitely step one on the road to proving he’s got the character and the drive to make the position his own. When he was substituted late on, he was greeted with a high-five and a hug from his manager. It was all the evidence he needed that he was back in Mourinho's good books.

 

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Manchester United reach Premier League 2000 points milestone

Manchester United's 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday saw them become the first Premier League team to amass a total of 2000 Premier League points.

The Old Trafford outfit have regularly set new benchmarks since the Premier League's inception in 1992 and have now added another to the list.

Goals in either half from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial secured the points for United, with the win taking the club a single point behind local rivals Manchester City in fifth and extending their unbeaten league run to 16 matches.The Red Devils are now 203 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal and 353 over fierce rivals Liverpool, with Tottenham and Everton pulling up the rear.

It was also United's 599th win in the Premier League era, meaning they will become the first team to reach the 600 mark if they beat Bournemouth at home on March 4.

Mata has now scored in successive Premier League games for Man Utd for the first time since September 2015, while Martial has been involved in more league goals for his side than any other player since his debut.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!

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[sri D]

 

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'Very defensive' Chelsea will win Premier League, says Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has praised Manchester United for extending their unbeaten Premier League run but admits that a "very defensive" Chelsea are unlikely to surrender their grip on the title.

United moved to within a point of fourth-place Manchester City - having played a game more - thanks to a 2-0 win over Watford at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Goals from Juan Mata and Anthony Martial secured the victory that also stretched United's unbeaten league run to 16 matches, with their last defeat coming in the 4-0 thrashing by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho has been quick to highlight what he considers to be a much more defensive, counter-attacking approach from his old club this season and he believes that their style of play makes it unlikely that they will be caught at the top of the table.

"We needed to win," he said, as quoted by BBC Sport. "Sixteen games unbeaten is an amazing record but it would be the perfect record with two or three fewer draws at home.

"It was a difficult match and a very important win for us. We are not a team scoring lots of goals so it is important to keep the clean sheets. I am really happy with the performance.

"In the 10-15 minutes before the goal we were playing in a brilliant way. The goal had to come."I am so happy with the game between Liverpool and Tottenham later because I know someone will lose points.

"Chelsea are very good defensive team. They defend very well and with lots of players and I think in this situation a very defensive team wins the title with counter-attack goals and set-pieces goals, so I don't think they will let it slip but football is football."

Mata admits that United feared they could be held to what would have been a seventh draw in 10 home games as they contrived to miss a number of chances before finally taking the lead on 32 minutes.

The Spain international felt their display was otherwise strong and would not rule out the prospect of chasing down Chelsea.

"When you play good football and get the three points it is a step forward but we need to keep going," he said. "It was a convincing performance and we are very happy today.

"It started to feel like it was one of those games again. Their keeper saved every chance but then the goal came and after that it was more comfortable for us. We are going in the right direction.

"It is very, very difficult. First of all is to get into the top four. We have been winning games but not going higher in the table. We want to go higher and higher. We never know where we will finish."

 

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Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham: Mane's quickfire double downs Spurs

Sadio Mane was the hero as Liverpool recorded their first Premier League win of 2017 with a 2-0 victory over a Tottenham side whose title ambitions were left floundering.

Jurgen Klopp's side badly missed Mane when he left for Africa Cup of Nations duty and the Senegal international struck twice in three first-half minutes to stir the Reds from their torpor at Anfield.

Until Saturday, the only win Liverpool – now nine unbeaten against Spurs in the top flight – had managed this year was in an FA Cup replay against fourth-tier Plymouth Argyle, with defeats to strugglers Swansea City and Hull City along the way.

It is a run that has almost certainly scuppered their dreams of competing with Chelsea for top spot, but they brought Spurs' own bid down in flames with a stunning display.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were not at the races for the opening 30 minutes particularly and had survived a couple of nervy moments even before Mane broke the deadlock in the 16th minute.

He quickly added a second as Ben Davies was caught napping and the game could have been put out of sight before the break, but Hugo Lloris denied Mane a third with a fine save.

The visitors regrouped for the second half, but could do little to truly trouble a Liverpool side determined to keep a grip on three precious points – their first since defeating Manchester City on the final day of 2016.

The result means Liverpool have taken 16 points from a possible 24 against fellow top-six sides and they climb to fourth, back above Manchester United and one point behind second-placed Spurs.

Klopp's side were positive from the outset and it took some desperate defending from Tottenham to thwart the hosts when Philippe Coutinho looked for the bottom-right corner deep inside the box.

But the Reds made their dominance count when Mane grabbed a quickfire double, showing a cool head to lift the opener over Lloris despite being off balance having eluded Davies.Just 138 seconds later, Mane finished off a goalmouth scramble after Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino had been denied.

The former Southampton forward should have had a hat-trick by the 22nd minute, but he failed to beat Lloris after capitalising on a defensive error from Davies, who tried to make amends by teeing up Son Heung-min, though his shot was tame and easily saved.

Dele Alli then saw a goalbound effort diverted over the crossbar by stand-in defender Lucas Leiva, with Spurs beginning to show the kind of spark that had led them on a nine-match unbeaten run in the league.

Spurs were much better organised after the interval and Harry Kane hit the post, though the flag had been raised for offside against the England striker.Joel Matip's header, which proved straightforward for Lloris, served as a reminder of Liverpool's threat, but the home side were mostly content to slow things down.

Tottenham had very little answer to that approach and, indeed, they still had to soak up some pressure, with Coutinho drilling wide from the edge of the box in one of the few chances of a second half that saw seven yellow cards.Liverpool do not return to action until February 27, while Tottenham face Europa League and FA Cup matches in a bid to keep their hopes of silverware alive.

Meanwhile, Chelsea head to Burnley on Sunday knowing a win will move them 12 points clear, with Antonio Conte's side having dropped only 13 points all season.

 

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Osasuna 1-3 Real Madrid: Ronaldo and Isco put Zidane's men top

Second-half goals from Isco and Lucas Vazquez spared Real Madrid's blushes as they were pushed all the way by a spirited Osasuna side before securing a 3-1 La Liga win on Saturday.

Zinedine Zidane's men found themselves under a little pressure after Barcelona's 6-0 obliteration of Alaves put the Catalans temporarily top, but Madrid - who still have two games in hand - did just about enough at El Sadar despite at times looking less sharp in attack than their rock-bottom hosts.

The first half was overshadowed by Osasuna right-back Tano fracturing the tibia and fibula of his right leg in a collision with Isco, and Madrid capitalised on the hosts' subsequent shock by taking the lead through Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Osasuna's response was magnificent, as they became a threat with their pace in attack and showed no evidence of being bottom of the table, deservedly levelling through a lovely Sergio Leon effort.

Osasuna continued to look dangerous going forward and they caused Madrid problems early in the second half, but their inability to regularly test Keylor Navas after the break was exploited by Madrid - Isco finding the net with a clinical finish in the 62nd minute.

A cool finish from substitute Vazquez deep into stoppage time added perhaps undeserved gloss to the scoreline but Madrid will care little as they restored their one-point lead over Barca to take them into Wednesday's home Champions League clash with Napoli in winning form.
Osasuna began in positive fashion, seeing plenty of the ball and looking a threat out wide with Jaime Romero and Alex Berenguer during the early exchanges.But in the 15th minute, right-back Tano was taken off on a stretcher after suffering a horror injury in a collision with Isco.

Players on both sides looked visibly shaken by the Dominican's situation and the tempo of proceedings was certainly impacted.

But Madrid adjusted better and took the lead 24 minutes in – Ronaldo racing on to Karim Benzema's throughball and rifling past the hapless Salvatore Sirigu.Osasuna rallied, though, and hauled themselves level in rather simple fashion, as Leon raced on to a hopeful lofted pass over the Madrid defence and lifted a delicate finish over Navas.

Benzema should have restored Madrid's lead shortly afterwards, meeting Ronaldo's low ball from the right only for Sirigu to launch himself in front of his shot to make amends for conceding the opener.

Osasuna looked similarly positive going forward at the start of the second half and almost went ahead just after the break – Leon cutting inside from the right and forcing Navas into a smart save at full stretch to tip the curling effort around the post.Madrid were then forced into a change when David Garcia caught Danilo's ankle with a nasty lunge just before the hour mark.

Though it did not appear to hinder the visitors, as they went ahead again a few moments later – Isco pouncing on a loose ball in the area before applying a composed finish into the bottom-left corner.

Madrid should have been given the chance to finish Osasuna off 12 minutes from the end when Garcia appeared to impede Ronaldo, but referee Ignacio Villanueva dismissed his protestations.

The away side were not made to rue that decision, though, as Vazquez wrapped things up right at the end, latching on to a pass into the right side of the area before clipping a fine finish over the advancing Sirigu.

 

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Match-winner Martial deserved chance with hard work - Mourinho

Anthony Martial earned another chance to impress for Manchester United through hard work, manager Jose Mourinho claimed after the Frenchman starred in a 2-0 Premier League victory over Watford on Saturday.

Martial crossed for Juan Mata to open the scoring at Old Trafford and the forward then added the second goal for a dominant United himself with a sweetly taken finish to score his first Premier League goal of 2017.

Mourinho previously recalled Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Bastian Schweinsteiger after respective spells on the sidelines and the Portuguese said Martial deserved to start against Watford due to his performances in training.

"Martial deserves the chance," Mourinho told BBC Sport after United extended their unbeaten run to 16 league games."He has worked harder than ever in the last two weeks in the way I like - silence but hard.

"In the first half the football was fabulous. The fans got behind the team just before we scored the goal because we were phenomenal."When I got the job they were saying at Manchester United you need to play the football in a certain way and I agree. You cannot play a counter-attacking style, but then you have to analyse the situation.

"People sometimes forget that these teams like Watford and Stoke have very good players. I looked at this team and these players were in Italy when I was in Italy for Napoli, Inter, Lazio. These are top players."

Walter Mazzarri felt his side produced a good performance but were undone as a result of their inability to keep possession in midfield.

"Manchester United are very strong, in this moment they're in great form," Mazzarri said. "We've played well at the start, but we have to not lose too many balls in midfield and this is what lost us the game today."We played well, we played well on the ball. We had good possession, sometimes the last pass didn't go for us, there was a great chance for [Jose] Holebas.

"After they scored for five to 10 minutes we lost a bit of focus and especially defensively we committed some mistakes. Every game gives you an indication of what is positive and negative. There are not just negatives to come from today, also a lot of positive points."

 

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Ramos: 500 Real Madrid games a dream come true

Sergio Ramos has described reaching the milestone of 500 games for Real Madrid as “a dream come true”.

The Spain international centre-back, who turns 31 next month, reached the mark on Saturday when he led his side to a 3-1 La Liga success over Osasuna.After the match, he took to social media to express his gratitude at being able to attain such a figure.

“500 games with Real Madrid is more than a dream come true. Thank you, everyone! I'm planning something to celebrate. Stay tuned!” he said.

While we look forward to discovering what he has up his sleeve, we can reflect on a career with the Bernabeu side that has spanned 12 years since he arrived at the club from Sevilla in 2005.
In his 500 appearances, he has scored 66 times, including goals in the Champions League finals of 2014 and 2016, both of which resulted in victories.

These may be the most prestigious titles of his time with the Blancos, but he has also won three La Liga trophies, two Copa del Rey, two UEFA Super Cups and two Club World Cups.

 

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Congratzzzzzzz Ramos!​

 

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Mata lauds 'terrific' United goalscorer Martial

Juan Mata sung the praises of Manchester United team-mate Anthony Martial after the Frenchman scored one and set up the other in Saturday's 2-0 victory against Watford.

Martial was recalled to the starting line-up for the first time in almost a month and seized his chance, laying on the opener for Mata before doubling his side's lead with a sweetly struck effort.Manager Jose Mourinho revealed afterwards that the 21-year-old, who has come in for criticism amid some underwhelming displays, had been restored for his hard work in training and Mata was delighted for the 21-year-old.

"I was very happy for him," the Spain international told MUTV . "There were some difficult weeks for him, but he has been training good."He's a great friend, he's a great player and he can give us a lot of things and now he's with confidence, he's a terrific player."

The victory made it 16 top-flight games unbeaten for Mourinho's men and Mata felt the first-half display was up there with United's best of the campaign."I think we played good football," he said. "We played very offensive, trying to create chances, especially in the first half.

"I think we played really good, we could have scored more goals, but the most important thing was that we got the three points through good football and I think the fans will come back to their houses very happy."It was one of the best halves in the season because, from the first minute, we knew that we had to play with a high tempo.

"We need to play the ball quickly and run in behind sometimes. It was very enjoyable to watch and even better to play."

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.02.12

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.02.12

Burnley Vs Chelsea

Swansea Vs Leicester City

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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.02.12

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.02.12

Villareal Vs Malaga

Leganes Vs Sporting Gijon

Las Palmas Vs Sevilla

Atletico Madrid Vs Celta Vigo​