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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
- Start date
Lack of creativity kiyala thamai kiyanna wenne
anith eka create karana chances walath final pass eka anthimai
Good luck for the 2nd half Manchester United
anith eka create karana chances walath final pass eka anthimaiGood luck for the 2nd half Manchester United
Full Time
Everton 0 Vs 2 Manchester United
Manchester United Goal(s)
A.Martial 57'
J.Lingard 81'
Manchester United Goal(s)
A.Martial 57'
J.Lingard 81'
Congratulations Manchester United!
2nd half play kale 1st half play karapu team ekada kiyala hithuna
Hoda attack ekka dunna.Playing style ekath fast
Digatama meh widiyatama play karanawanam
& Goals 2kama patta
Pogba,Martial,Lingard!
Next Derby County match eka
Good Luck Manchester United!
2nd half play kale 1st half play karapu team ekada kiyala hithuna
Hoda attack ekka dunna.Playing style ekath fastDigatama meh widiyatama play karanawanam& Goals 2kama patta
Next Derby County match eka
Good Luck Manchester United!
Everton 0 Manchester United 2: Martial and Lingard stunners decisive in Lukaku's absence
Anthony Martial helped make the difference in place of the injured Romelu Lukaku as Manchester United beat Everton 2-0 at Goodison Park to end their Premier League winless run at three games.
United went to Merseyside on the back of three successive draws and without top-scorer Lukaku due to a head injury, but fine second-half goals from Martial and the in-form Jesse Lingard brought their recent slide to a halt and moved them back above Chelsea into second and 12 points behind Manchester City, both of whom possess a game in hand.
Although Everton – captained by United's all-time leading goalscorer Wayne Rooney on his return from a virus – caused the Red Devils a few problems in what was a fairly turgid first half, the visitors generally controlled things and regularly tried their luck from distance.
But it was not until the second half that United started to find pockets of space in the Everton defence, with Jose Mourinho's attack looking rather more fluid without Lukaku.
And it was Martial – given a rare opportunity to lead the line – who broke the deadlock, producing a stunning finish just before the hour, with Rooney exiting against his former club shortly after.
The home side ramped the pressure up towards the end and really put United under the cosh, but Mourinho's men dug in and punished them on the break - Lingard sealing all three points in style with his sixth goal since the start of December.Everton were particularly passive early on and allowed United to dictate possession, but the visitors did little to worry their backline and Jordan Pickford in goal.
A chance presented itself to Everton out of nothing in the 24th minute when Oumar Niasse charged down Phil Jones' clearance and got into the penalty area, but Marcos Rojo made a vital last-ditch challenge to block his effort.
United eventually sliced through Everton for the first time just before the half-hour mark, as Luke Shaw released Martial into the left side of the box and the Frenchman's low pass across the face of goal forced Pickford into action.
The game began to open up as the break neared and both sides went close in quick succession – Tom Davies first seeing an effort deflected just off target after a poor David de Gea clearance, before Paul Pogba sent a powerful 25-yard effort agonisingly wide.
Lingard troubled Everton with a driving run and shot from just outside the box that just missed the right-hand post.United looked a bit sharper upon the restart and almost went ahead in spectacular fashion in the 51st minute, Juan Mata's 30-yard effort striking the left-hand post.
But Martial broke through in the 57th minute, caressing a delightful right-footed effort into the top-right corner from the edge of the box after fine play from the exceptional Pogba.
Sam Allardyce withdrew Yannick Bolasie and the ineffective Rooney soon after and Everton soon showed greater urgency.But with the Toffees looking more threatening than they had all game, United hit them with a sucker punch nine minutes from time.
Lingard drove at the defence and unleashed an unstoppable 25-yard drive that flew beyond Pickford and into the top-right corner, ending Everton's resistance and wrapping up a commendable win for United.
Burnley 1 Liverpool 2: Klavan the unlikely last-gasp hero without Coutinho or Salah
Ragnar Klavan proved Liverpool's saviour as his stoppage-time header capped a dramatic finale to secure a 2-1 win at Burnley on Monday.
The Reds were shorn of two members of their 'fab four' at a sodden Turf Moor, with Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah missing while Roberto Firmino started on the bench as Jurgen Klopp sought to manage his resources amid a hectic festive schedule.
Coutinho's absence sparked further speculation surrounding his potential move to Barcelona although Klopp insisted the Brazilian had been ruled out with a thigh injury.
Salah, who scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 win over Leicester City to take his Premier League tally to 17, was missing with a groin problem although Liverpool described both his and Coutinho's ailments as "minor" with the Reds due to welcome fierce rivals Everton to Anfield in the FA Cup third round on Friday.
Sadio Mane's stunning finish just past the hour put Liverpool ahead but it looked as though Burnley had secured a share of the spoils when Johann Gudmundsson stooped to head in at the far post in the 87th minute.
But in the fourth minute of time added on, Dejan Lovren headed back across goal and Klavan raced in to nod home from practically on the goalline and ensure Liverpool were not left to rue their key absentees.
Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrated his first Premier League goal on Boxing Day but his mistake almost proved costly in the ninth minute here as Scott Arfield took up possession and slipped in Ashley Barnes, who blazed wide.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stung the palms of Nick Pope soon afterwards and only a superb last-ditch tackle from Adam Lallana - making his first start of the season - prevented Gudmundsson running clear on goal in an entertaining opening.
Simon Mignolet saved comfortably from Arfield's glancing header after Liverpool were again guilty of giving the ball away and the Canada international went agonisingly close in placing his effort narrowly wide of the left-hand post in the 38th minute.Liverpool improved markedly after the interval and forged ahead in the 61st minute as Alexander-Arnold's cross deflected into the path of Mane, who turned and rifled an unstoppable drive into the top-left corner from the edge of the box.
Pope was at full stretch to keep Alexander-Arnold's rasping 25-yard effort out of the top-right corner as Liverpool turned the screw and forced a succession of corners.Barnes volleyed narrowly wide as Burnley sought to turn the tide before Oxlade-Chamberlain almost wrapped it up for the visitors, superbly denied at his near post by Pope.
Sam Vokes' header was well kept out by Mignolet diving low to his right but the substitute had more joy three minutes from normal time, glancing towards the back post for Gudmundsson to convert.
But just when it appeared both sides would kick off 2018 with a battling point apiece, Lovren got his head to Oxlade-Chamberlain's free-kick and Klavan stole in ahead of Phil Bardsley to send the visiting fans behind the goal into raptures.
Ragnar Klavan proved Liverpool's saviour as his stoppage-time header capped a dramatic finale to secure a 2-1 win at Burnley on Monday.
The Reds were shorn of two members of their 'fab four' at a sodden Turf Moor, with Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah missing while Roberto Firmino started on the bench as Jurgen Klopp sought to manage his resources amid a hectic festive schedule.
Coutinho's absence sparked further speculation surrounding his potential move to Barcelona although Klopp insisted the Brazilian had been ruled out with a thigh injury.
Salah, who scored twice in Saturday's 2-1 win over Leicester City to take his Premier League tally to 17, was missing with a groin problem although Liverpool described both his and Coutinho's ailments as "minor" with the Reds due to welcome fierce rivals Everton to Anfield in the FA Cup third round on Friday.
Sadio Mane's stunning finish just past the hour put Liverpool ahead but it looked as though Burnley had secured a share of the spoils when Johann Gudmundsson stooped to head in at the far post in the 87th minute.
But in the fourth minute of time added on, Dejan Lovren headed back across goal and Klavan raced in to nod home from practically on the goalline and ensure Liverpool were not left to rue their key absentees.
Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrated his first Premier League goal on Boxing Day but his mistake almost proved costly in the ninth minute here as Scott Arfield took up possession and slipped in Ashley Barnes, who blazed wide.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stung the palms of Nick Pope soon afterwards and only a superb last-ditch tackle from Adam Lallana - making his first start of the season - prevented Gudmundsson running clear on goal in an entertaining opening.
Simon Mignolet saved comfortably from Arfield's glancing header after Liverpool were again guilty of giving the ball away and the Canada international went agonisingly close in placing his effort narrowly wide of the left-hand post in the 38th minute.Liverpool improved markedly after the interval and forged ahead in the 61st minute as Alexander-Arnold's cross deflected into the path of Mane, who turned and rifled an unstoppable drive into the top-left corner from the edge of the box.
Pope was at full stretch to keep Alexander-Arnold's rasping 25-yard effort out of the top-right corner as Liverpool turned the screw and forced a succession of corners.Barnes volleyed narrowly wide as Burnley sought to turn the tide before Oxlade-Chamberlain almost wrapped it up for the visitors, superbly denied at his near post by Pope.
Sam Vokes' header was well kept out by Mignolet diving low to his right but the substitute had more joy three minutes from normal time, glancing towards the back post for Gudmundsson to convert.
But just when it appeared both sides would kick off 2018 with a battling point apiece, Lovren got his head to Oxlade-Chamberlain's free-kick and Klavan stole in ahead of Phil Bardsley to send the visiting fans behind the goal into raptures.
Leicester City 3 Huddersfield Town 0: Mahrez and Slimani help stop the rot for Puel
Two instances of individual brilliance from Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani helped Leicester City to a 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town at the King Power Stadium on Monday, ending the hosts' four-match winless run.
Leicester struggled over the festive period and went into 2018 on the back of successive league defeats, but Mahrez and Slimani scored excellent goals early in the second half to stop the rot in their first New Year's Day home game since 2013, when they beat Huddersfield 6-1 in the Championship.Marc Albrighton, who provided the assist for Mahrez's opener, added a third late on, after Adrien Silva had been introduced for his belated Leicester debut.
A scrappy first half provided little entertainment for either set of supporters, but it was a completely different story after the break as two moments of high class sent Leicester on their way to what ultimately proved a straightforward win.
Mahrez got the first with a sublime volley, before then setting up Slimani – making his first Premier League start since September due to Jamie Vardy's groin injury – for a fine goal of his own.
Leicester appeared understandably reluctant to push men forward towards the end, but David Wagner's men simply failed to break them down and conceded a third in injury-time.There was a lack of quality on display in the early stages, with Huddersfield happy to sit back and Leicester failing to apply pressure.
Huddersfield did threaten in the 20th minute thanks to a simple long ball down the middle of the pitch, but Danny Williams was barged over by Harry Maguire just outside the box when he looked to be in on goal, and no free-kick was awarded.
That perceived injustice seemed to fire Huddersfield up and they went close to the opener shortly after – Williams racing on to Steve Mounie's cut-back on the edge of the area and sending a first-time effort wide of the bottom-left corner.Leicester suffered a blow just before the half-hour mark as captain Wes Morgan was forced off through injury, though they nearly broke the deadlock a few moments later, Slimani putting an effort wide from 12 yards after a scramble in the area.
Puel's men began the second half with renewed focus and went close soon after the restart, with Slimani sending a header from Daniel Amartey's cross into the hands of Jonas Lossl.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper was helpless in the 53rd minute, though, as Albrighton picked out Mahrez on the right side of the area and he opened his body up before producing a cushioned volley into the bottom-left corner. Mahrez then turned provider after an hour, slipping a pass into the Huddersfield half on the counter-attack for Slimani to run on to. The striker charged clear before chipping Lossl with an exquisite finish.
Wilfred Ndidi almost added a third seven minutes from time when he headed against the crossbar, but Huddersfield were not so lucky at the death when Albrighton smashed in from close range to round off an easy win for Leicester, who also gave Silva his belated debut as a substitute late on.
Two instances of individual brilliance from Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani helped Leicester City to a 3-0 win over Huddersfield Town at the King Power Stadium on Monday, ending the hosts' four-match winless run.
Leicester struggled over the festive period and went into 2018 on the back of successive league defeats, but Mahrez and Slimani scored excellent goals early in the second half to stop the rot in their first New Year's Day home game since 2013, when they beat Huddersfield 6-1 in the Championship.Marc Albrighton, who provided the assist for Mahrez's opener, added a third late on, after Adrien Silva had been introduced for his belated Leicester debut.
A scrappy first half provided little entertainment for either set of supporters, but it was a completely different story after the break as two moments of high class sent Leicester on their way to what ultimately proved a straightforward win.
Mahrez got the first with a sublime volley, before then setting up Slimani – making his first Premier League start since September due to Jamie Vardy's groin injury – for a fine goal of his own.
Leicester appeared understandably reluctant to push men forward towards the end, but David Wagner's men simply failed to break them down and conceded a third in injury-time.There was a lack of quality on display in the early stages, with Huddersfield happy to sit back and Leicester failing to apply pressure.
Huddersfield did threaten in the 20th minute thanks to a simple long ball down the middle of the pitch, but Danny Williams was barged over by Harry Maguire just outside the box when he looked to be in on goal, and no free-kick was awarded.
That perceived injustice seemed to fire Huddersfield up and they went close to the opener shortly after – Williams racing on to Steve Mounie's cut-back on the edge of the area and sending a first-time effort wide of the bottom-left corner.Leicester suffered a blow just before the half-hour mark as captain Wes Morgan was forced off through injury, though they nearly broke the deadlock a few moments later, Slimani putting an effort wide from 12 yards after a scramble in the area.
Puel's men began the second half with renewed focus and went close soon after the restart, with Slimani sending a header from Daniel Amartey's cross into the hands of Jonas Lossl.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper was helpless in the 53rd minute, though, as Albrighton picked out Mahrez on the right side of the area and he opened his body up before producing a cushioned volley into the bottom-left corner. Mahrez then turned provider after an hour, slipping a pass into the Huddersfield half on the counter-attack for Slimani to run on to. The striker charged clear before chipping Lossl with an exquisite finish.
Wilfred Ndidi almost added a third seven minutes from time when he headed against the crossbar, but Huddersfield were not so lucky at the death when Albrighton smashed in from close range to round off an easy win for Leicester, who also gave Silva his belated debut as a substitute late on.
Stoke City 0 Newcastle United 1: Hughes gamble backfires as Perez strikes
Mark Hughes' selection gamble backfired as Ayoze Perez secured a 1-0 victory for Newcastle United at Stoke City on Monday.
The Potters boss played a weakened XI at Chelsea, where his side were thrashed 5-0, in an attempt to keep key players fit for this crunch clash.However, Xherdan Shaqiri was ineffective during his 57 minutes on the pitch, Peter Crouch was isolated in attack and Kurt Zouma lost Perez for Newcastle's winning goal.
A limp performance will do the under-pressure Hughes no favours as he tries to cling onto his job, with Stoke conceding for the 47th time this season - the Premier League's worst defensive record.
It was a huge victory for Newcastle, preserved by a pair of stunning late Karl Darlow saves, and Ciaran Clark will have been relieved to see Perez convert in the 73rd minute, having blazed over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box in the first half.
Three points lift the Magpies to 13th, four points above the drop zone, and will boost confidence ahead of a January that could be tumultuous at St James' Park amid reports of a takeover.
Hughes appears to be in most need of January recruits, though, and his team selection at Stamford Bridge had laid bare the importance of this contest, but his side failed to grasp the nettle and Newcastle dominated the first half. Christian Atsu was off-target with two early half-chances before firing straight at Jack Butland from DeAndre Yedlin's cutback.
Darlow made a meal of Charlie Adam's 35-yard free-kick, but Newcastle should have gone ahead on the half-hour through Clark.Perez flicked Matt Ritchie's fierce corner into the path of Clark, no more than three yards out, but the Republic of Ireland defender shanked well clear of the crossbar.
Clark soon redeemed himself with an excellent defensive header to deny Crouch a tap-in, but Newcastle remained on top, making regular in-roads down the Stoke left, where Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting offered Erik Pieters little support against Yedlin and Jacob Murphy.
Choupo-Moting provided a reminder of his primary function early in the second half, darting infield and bringing a fine stop out of Darlow from 20 yards.Hughes was quick to hook Shaqiri and introduce Mame Biram Diouf barely two minutes after the Swiss had refused to chase a long ball, much to the home fans' ire.
Newcastle pressed on and Jonjo Shelvey fizzed a free-kick just wide, before substitute Dwight Gayle went to ground under a clumsy Zouma challenge, but referee Chris Kavanagh was unmoved.
The visitors' pressure finally told, however, with Stoke's defence perhaps still ragged after Pieters' injury-enforced withdrawal.
Yet more space down the Stoke left was exploited by Murphy, who had time to run and pick out a fine cross that left the unmarked Perez with the simple task of prodding past Butland from 10 yards.
The desperate state of affairs for Stoke finally brought them to life, but Darlow denied Diouf in spectacular fashion twice inside seven minutes, first throwing out a left hand to block the Senegal international's hooked effort and then denying the same player's six-yard header to make sure of a precious win.
Mark Hughes' selection gamble backfired as Ayoze Perez secured a 1-0 victory for Newcastle United at Stoke City on Monday.
The Potters boss played a weakened XI at Chelsea, where his side were thrashed 5-0, in an attempt to keep key players fit for this crunch clash.However, Xherdan Shaqiri was ineffective during his 57 minutes on the pitch, Peter Crouch was isolated in attack and Kurt Zouma lost Perez for Newcastle's winning goal.
A limp performance will do the under-pressure Hughes no favours as he tries to cling onto his job, with Stoke conceding for the 47th time this season - the Premier League's worst defensive record.
It was a huge victory for Newcastle, preserved by a pair of stunning late Karl Darlow saves, and Ciaran Clark will have been relieved to see Perez convert in the 73rd minute, having blazed over the crossbar from inside the six-yard box in the first half.
Three points lift the Magpies to 13th, four points above the drop zone, and will boost confidence ahead of a January that could be tumultuous at St James' Park amid reports of a takeover.
Hughes appears to be in most need of January recruits, though, and his team selection at Stamford Bridge had laid bare the importance of this contest, but his side failed to grasp the nettle and Newcastle dominated the first half. Christian Atsu was off-target with two early half-chances before firing straight at Jack Butland from DeAndre Yedlin's cutback.
Darlow made a meal of Charlie Adam's 35-yard free-kick, but Newcastle should have gone ahead on the half-hour through Clark.Perez flicked Matt Ritchie's fierce corner into the path of Clark, no more than three yards out, but the Republic of Ireland defender shanked well clear of the crossbar.
Clark soon redeemed himself with an excellent defensive header to deny Crouch a tap-in, but Newcastle remained on top, making regular in-roads down the Stoke left, where Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting offered Erik Pieters little support against Yedlin and Jacob Murphy.
Choupo-Moting provided a reminder of his primary function early in the second half, darting infield and bringing a fine stop out of Darlow from 20 yards.Hughes was quick to hook Shaqiri and introduce Mame Biram Diouf barely two minutes after the Swiss had refused to chase a long ball, much to the home fans' ire.
Newcastle pressed on and Jonjo Shelvey fizzed a free-kick just wide, before substitute Dwight Gayle went to ground under a clumsy Zouma challenge, but referee Chris Kavanagh was unmoved.
The visitors' pressure finally told, however, with Stoke's defence perhaps still ragged after Pieters' injury-enforced withdrawal.
Yet more space down the Stoke left was exploited by Murphy, who had time to run and pick out a fine cross that left the unmarked Perez with the simple task of prodding past Butland from 10 yards.
The desperate state of affairs for Stoke finally brought them to life, but Darlow denied Diouf in spectacular fashion twice inside seven minutes, first throwing out a left hand to block the Senegal international's hooked effort and then denying the same player's six-yard header to make sure of a precious win.
Liverpool record best run under Klopp as Klavan snatches dramatic win at Burnley
Liverpool’s dramatic victory at Burnley has seen them post the best unbeaten run of Jurgen Klopp’s time at the club.
The Reds left it late to collect three points at Turf Moor, with Ragnar Klavan helping to lift the New Year’s Day mood with an historic stoppage-time header.Even without that intervention, Klopp was on course to hit a new high with the Reds.
Avoiding defeat at the Premier League’s surprise package means that Liverpool have now gone 16 games in all competitions without coming unstuck.
Liverpool’s last defeat came way back on October 22.
A 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham saw uncomfortable questions asked of Klopp and his side, and the perfect response has been offered.Their 16-game unbeaten run has included 11 wins and five draws.On the back of those efforts, the Reds have cemented a standing inside the Premier League’s top four while also booking a date with Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Liverpool’s dramatic victory at Burnley has seen them post the best unbeaten run of Jurgen Klopp’s time at the club.
The Reds left it late to collect three points at Turf Moor, with Ragnar Klavan helping to lift the New Year’s Day mood with an historic stoppage-time header.Even without that intervention, Klopp was on course to hit a new high with the Reds.
Avoiding defeat at the Premier League’s surprise package means that Liverpool have now gone 16 games in all competitions without coming unstuck.
Liverpool’s last defeat came way back on October 22.
A 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Tottenham saw uncomfortable questions asked of Klopp and his side, and the perfect response has been offered.Their 16-game unbeaten run has included 11 wins and five draws.On the back of those efforts, the Reds have cemented a standing inside the Premier League’s top four while also booking a date with Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Romelu Lukaku is only expected to be out of action for a week after picking up a head injury against Southampton on Saturday, according to Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.
The Belgian striker, who is United's top scorer with 10 Premier League goals, suffered a head injury in the draw with Southampton as a result of a collision with Wesley Hoedt.Lukaku was taken off on a stretcher and given oxygen. However, he did not need to go to hospital and was instead examined by United's medical staff.
He was predictably left out for the visit to his former side Everton on Monday and will likely miss the FA Cup clash with Derby County on Friday.
However, Lukaku should be able to return for the visit of struggling Stoke City on January 15."I would say a week [out for Lukaku]," Mourinho told Sky Sports."It's nothing really important - just a little protection, but no problem."
Wilshere's New Year's resolution hints at new Arsenal contract
Jack Wilshere has hinted that he will commit to a new contract at Arsenal while airing his hopes for 2018.The England international midfielder is among those heading towards free agency at Emirates Stadium.But while Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have offered no indication that they wish to commit to fresh terms, Wilshere has publicly stated his desire to stay on.
He has also admitted that his situation will be assessed now that the January transfer window has been reached, but the 26-year-old is living the dream in north London and has no desire to leave.
In stating “long may it continue” in regards to his ongoing presence at Arsenal, Wilshere would appear to be hoping for an extension to his stay in north London.Talks are planned, with Arsene Wenger admitting that discussions are in the pipeline after seeing the all-action midfielder star in a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
He said: "We need to sit down with [Jack]. Beginning of January, it's planned. There is no delay.”The Gunners boss had previously stated that financial issues would need to be overcome in order to reach an agreement, with both sides looking for a compromise.
Wilshere, though, is clearly happy at the club and if he can steer clear of injury and nail down the regular role he has held of late, then fresh terms should be a formality.
Jack Wilshere has hinted that he will commit to a new contract at Arsenal while airing his hopes for 2018.The England international midfielder is among those heading towards free agency at Emirates Stadium.But while Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have offered no indication that they wish to commit to fresh terms, Wilshere has publicly stated his desire to stay on.
He has also admitted that his situation will be assessed now that the January transfer window has been reached, but the 26-year-old is living the dream in north London and has no desire to leave.
In stating “long may it continue” in regards to his ongoing presence at Arsenal, Wilshere would appear to be hoping for an extension to his stay in north London.Talks are planned, with Arsene Wenger admitting that discussions are in the pipeline after seeing the all-action midfielder star in a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
He said: "We need to sit down with [Jack]. Beginning of January, it's planned. There is no delay.”The Gunners boss had previously stated that financial issues would need to be overcome in order to reach an agreement, with both sides looking for a compromise.
Wilshere, though, is clearly happy at the club and if he can steer clear of injury and nail down the regular role he has held of late, then fresh terms should be a formality.
Pogba: Manchester United woke up at EvertonPaul Pogba hailed Manchester United's collective performance after they woke up from their recent blip to beat Everton 2-0 on Monday.
Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard scored sublime goals at Goodison Park as Jose Mourinho's men won for the first time in five games in all competitions.United had fallen 15 points off the pace of neighbours City in that timeframe, with their title hopes seemingly up in smoke.
Pogba, United's captain in the absence of Michael Carrick and Antonio Valencia, was suitably delighted with the side's approach after a frustrating festive programme.
"First game of the year, a good win, 2-0," he told Sky Sports. "We had chances today, we played aggressive but in a positive way, creating chances. Defensively we were very good, a very good team performance today.
"We were pushing. We were talking at half-time, we knew we could score and we did it. We believe in ourselves, we just had to wake up and today I think we did."I think we deserved to win against Leicester [City, a 2-2 draw] against Southampton [a 0-0 draw], but this is football and today I think we did what we had to do."
Lingard's goal capped the result, the England international drifting into shooting range and finding the top-right corner from 25 yards.With seven goals in his last nine league games, Lingard has become a key figure for Mourinho and he is keen to keep up his form."I think within myself I'm pushing myself and trying to get as many goals as I can this season and help the team win games," he said.
"I played on the left today and it kind of give me a licence to go inside and get on the ball and create."It's up there [one of his best goals]. It's always nice to score if it's a tap in or a great goal so I'll take any.
"We're only halfway through the season we've got to approach every game with the right mentality the winning mentality and hopefully we'll come out on top."
'That was vintage Juve Pogba' - Henry lauds Man Utd star's performance against EvertonThierry Henry was glowing in his praise for Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, who set up both goals in Monday's 2-0 win at Everton, also hailing the Frenchman's leadership.
Wearing the captain's armband in the absence of injured full-back Antonio Valencia, Pogba provided assists for Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard at Goodison Park as Jose Mourinho's side snapped a run of three consecutive draws in the Premier League.Pogba starred on New Year's Day, at home on the left of a three-man midfield – where the France international established himself during his time at Italian champions Juventus before returning to Manchester in 2016.
"He can play in a lot of positions. I said when he first arrived that, for me, he is not a holding midfielder," fellow Frenchman Henry told Sky Sports ."He can play in a lot of positions but that is where he is at his best. That was vintage Juve Pogba."Every time Lingard was making that early run inside, he was occupying that position on the left.
"When you go back on your right foot — I used to go on the left myself — you can ping a ball on the other side, you can play that reverse pass, you can play a cute one-two, you can dribble past people. As we saw, he did it all in the second half."When he plays at that level he is almost unplayable and I think he changed the second half.
"He went up to a certain level. That's what you do as a captain. You say to your team-mates, 'guys, follow me. I'll show you the way.'""When he plays like that and when he plays on the left, coming in and being kind of free, it's very difficult to stop him," Henry added.
"Today he acted like a captain. That's very important too."Manchester United moved up to second in the table, two points ahead of Chelsea – who are due to play Arsenal on Wednesday – and 12 points adrift of neighbours Manchester City.Pogba and company face a match on Jan. 5, an FA Cup tie against Derby Country to close an insane run of fixtures over the festive period. The club will then have a substantial break before returning to Premier League action on Jan. 15 against Stoke City.
Messi the best and Suarez still great - Valverde supports Barcelona's star men
Lionel Messi is “the best player in the entire world”, while Luis Suarez’s scoring struggles were never an issue for Barcelona, says Ernesto Valverde.The man in charge at Camp Nou has been discussing some of the star turns at his disposal, with established icons and exciting fresh faces being saluted.
Among those to have earned the highest praise is club talisman Messi, with the Argentine having missed out on individual honours in 2017 but still considered to be the finest performer in the business.
Valverde told Barca TV on the mercurial 30-year-old forward: “Messi is the best player in the entire world. He does something extraordinary with every ball he touches. We have the incredible good fortune to have him at our club.
“I can see how he faces competition and his enormous commitment to the club and the team. In terms of his position, playing in the middle is good both for him and for us. However, he can play well anywhere.”
While Messi has been able to maintain his impeccably high standards, fellow frontman Suarez endured a wobble early on in the current campaign as he struggled to find the target.
Valverde added on the Uruguayan striker: “The important thing is to create chances - the goals will come. Luis is an aggressive player with his finishing and is always close to scoring.
“I wasn't worried when he wasn't scoring as much, because it was a question of time before he found the net again. Also, we have players who are able to score, and it’s important that there are so many players who score goals.”
Barca lost the third member of their ‘MSN’ frontline to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer and are yet to see much from the man brought in to fill Neymar’s boots, with Ousmane Dembele only just returning from injury.
The manager admitted that losing the Brazilian was a blow for the Catalans. "Neymar's departure was a difficult moment for the club," he explained."We can't deny that."
However, he still has faith that the club's young signing has the quality to come good in Spain. "Any Barca player is a different player,” Valverde said on a €105 million addition from Borussia Dortmund.
“Dembele's profile was different to anything we had. He is able to play in various positions and is very fast. We have a big squad, we've made good replacements up to now, and now he's coming back. It's great news.”
While Dembele arrived amid much fanfare at Camp Nou, Barca have found greater value in a player who faced plenty of criticism following a €40m switch.
Valverde added on a Brazil international midfielder acquired from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande: “Paulinho has a different style. He gets into the opposition box and is highly effective. He has faith, he keeps up with play and he scores goals.“We try to have a balance: When we attack, we all attack -and when we defend, we all defend. That's what Paulinho does well.”
Barca return to action after the winter break with a Copa del Rey clash with Celta Vigo on Thursday, before the La Liga leaders then turn their attention back to a title bid with a home date against Levante.
Lionel Messi is “the best player in the entire world”, while Luis Suarez’s scoring struggles were never an issue for Barcelona, says Ernesto Valverde.The man in charge at Camp Nou has been discussing some of the star turns at his disposal, with established icons and exciting fresh faces being saluted.
Among those to have earned the highest praise is club talisman Messi, with the Argentine having missed out on individual honours in 2017 but still considered to be the finest performer in the business.
Valverde told Barca TV on the mercurial 30-year-old forward: “Messi is the best player in the entire world. He does something extraordinary with every ball he touches. We have the incredible good fortune to have him at our club.
“I can see how he faces competition and his enormous commitment to the club and the team. In terms of his position, playing in the middle is good both for him and for us. However, he can play well anywhere.”
While Messi has been able to maintain his impeccably high standards, fellow frontman Suarez endured a wobble early on in the current campaign as he struggled to find the target.
Valverde added on the Uruguayan striker: “The important thing is to create chances - the goals will come. Luis is an aggressive player with his finishing and is always close to scoring.
“I wasn't worried when he wasn't scoring as much, because it was a question of time before he found the net again. Also, we have players who are able to score, and it’s important that there are so many players who score goals.”
Barca lost the third member of their ‘MSN’ frontline to Paris Saint-Germain over the summer and are yet to see much from the man brought in to fill Neymar’s boots, with Ousmane Dembele only just returning from injury.
The manager admitted that losing the Brazilian was a blow for the Catalans. "Neymar's departure was a difficult moment for the club," he explained."We can't deny that."
However, he still has faith that the club's young signing has the quality to come good in Spain. "Any Barca player is a different player,” Valverde said on a €105 million addition from Borussia Dortmund.
“Dembele's profile was different to anything we had. He is able to play in various positions and is very fast. We have a big squad, we've made good replacements up to now, and now he's coming back. It's great news.”
While Dembele arrived amid much fanfare at Camp Nou, Barca have found greater value in a player who faced plenty of criticism following a €40m switch.
Valverde added on a Brazil international midfielder acquired from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande: “Paulinho has a different style. He gets into the opposition box and is highly effective. He has faith, he keeps up with play and he scores goals.“We try to have a balance: When we attack, we all attack -and when we defend, we all defend. That's what Paulinho does well.”
Barca return to action after the winter break with a Copa del Rey clash with Celta Vigo on Thursday, before the La Liga leaders then turn their attention back to a title bid with a home date against Levante.
Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United were "top class" in Monday's 2-0 win at Everton.The victory at Goodison Park brought an end to a run of three successive draws in the Premier League over the festive period, with United looking a lot sharper at the start of 2018.
Anthony Martial led the line in place of the injured Romelu Lukaku and scored the opening goal early in the second half with a fine strike, before Jesse Lingard sealed the win late on with a similarly impressive effort.
Mourinho was so happy with the performance that even without the win, he would have been "proud"."The boys deserve it," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "I keep saying that the draws have not been bad performances, because there were situations that have made it more difficult for us.
"We made our mistakes, especially in games against Leicester and Burnley, but the attitude, effort and pride were fantastic."Everything was top class. I think we played very well. It didn't look like a tired performance or the sort of performance [you might expect] after the worst possible calendar you [the Premier League] give to us.
"Okay, Everton had a reaction in the second half, but we were always in control.I'm really pleased with the points. Even without points, I'd be proud of what the boys did."Lingard was particularly effective once again – his six Premier League goals since the start of December are only bettered by Harry Kane's eight - and Mourinho believes he is starting to reach his potential.
He said: "These boys, they jump or they do not jump. It is one thing to be a young talent and another to be a very good player."Some players aren't capable of that jump. They go from having great potential as a young player, to becoming normal players.
"I think Jesse is making that jump. He's more consistent, understanding the game and different positions more. I think he's going in a good direction."Mourinho also hinted United may opt to bring in reinforcements in the January transfer window due to an injury list which has them "in trouble".
"I don't know, honestly," he said. "I know in this moment we are in trouble, but maybe in two or three weeks we recover more players and we think differently and wait until the summer to try things, but I cannot say now."
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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.01.02
Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.01.02
Southampton Vs Crystal Palace
Swansea Vs Tottenham
West Ham Vs WBA
Manchester City Vs Watford
Manchester City 3 Watford 1: Sterling inspires leaders back to winning ways
Raheem Sterling scored the fastest Premier League goal of the season to help Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Watford at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
The England international netted after only 39 seconds, before a Christian Kabasele own goal and a second-half finish from Sergio Aguero saw Pep Guardiola's side move 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Andre Gray's late effort counting for little.
City's record 18-game winning run came to an end in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve and Guardiola took no chances with his line-up, with Kevin De Bruyne – passed fit after being hurt at Selhurst Park – joined by the returning David Silva in midfield, while John Stones made his first appearance since November at the heart of the defence.Watford were looking for a response to their dramatic defeat to Swansea City but some slack defending in the first minute saw them fall behind and they rarely threatened a comeback from then on.
Kabesele's unfortunate own goal sapped the morale from the visitors, who have now lost six of their last seven league games, and the encounter turned into little more than a training exercise for the home side, with Aguero scoring his 13th top-flight goal of the season midway through the second half before Gray's consolation.
The result means Chelsea must beat Arsenal on Wednesday if they are to cut the gap to City to 14 points, while Watford, though in 10th place, are only five points above the relegation zone thanks to West Ham's win over West Brom.
Watford lost to Swansea last time out after a collapse in the closing moments and they picked up where they left off against City, falling behind in the first minute.
Leroy Sane got away from Daryl Janmaat down the left and crossed for Sterling, who tapped home completely unmarked at the far post from six yards out.
The home side should have doubled their lead with only five minutes played, as Sane again made space on the left and teed up Stones, only for the centre-back to blast over with the goal gaping.But they were gifted a second in the 13th minute when Kabesele slid to intercept De Bruyne's low cross from the right and sent the ball spinning into the left-hand corner of the net.
De Bruyne was showing no signs of the injury inflicted by Jason Puncheon in the draw with Palace and he was inches away from making it 3-0 to City when his free-kick from the edge of the box crashed off the crossbar, with Heurelho Gomes having got fingertips to the ball.Watford displayed some positives before the interval, though, and it took a fine save from Ederson to deny Richarlison one-on-one after the visitors broke through City's high line, before the Brazilian saved again from Andre Carrillo.
City, who had dropped to something of a pedestrian pace, looked eager to kill off any rising Watford hope of a comeback and Aguero wasted three decent openings from inside the penalty area, firing straight at Gomes before twice miscuing headers.
However, in the 63rd minute, Gomes spilled a low cross right to the feet of Aguero, who could not miss the open goal from inside the six-yard box as the Watford keeper lay helpless on the sodden turf.
Gray steered home Carrillo's cut-back with eight minutes left to give City a minor headache and Nicolas Otamendi was fortunate not to concede a penalty for tripping Roberto Pereyra, but they now switch their focus to the domestic cups, with an FA Cup third-round clash at home to Burnley on Saturday followed by next Tuesday's visit of Bristol City in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.
Raheem Sterling scored the fastest Premier League goal of the season to help Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Watford at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
The England international netted after only 39 seconds, before a Christian Kabasele own goal and a second-half finish from Sergio Aguero saw Pep Guardiola's side move 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Andre Gray's late effort counting for little.
City's record 18-game winning run came to an end in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve and Guardiola took no chances with his line-up, with Kevin De Bruyne – passed fit after being hurt at Selhurst Park – joined by the returning David Silva in midfield, while John Stones made his first appearance since November at the heart of the defence.Watford were looking for a response to their dramatic defeat to Swansea City but some slack defending in the first minute saw them fall behind and they rarely threatened a comeback from then on.
Kabesele's unfortunate own goal sapped the morale from the visitors, who have now lost six of their last seven league games, and the encounter turned into little more than a training exercise for the home side, with Aguero scoring his 13th top-flight goal of the season midway through the second half before Gray's consolation.
The result means Chelsea must beat Arsenal on Wednesday if they are to cut the gap to City to 14 points, while Watford, though in 10th place, are only five points above the relegation zone thanks to West Ham's win over West Brom.
Watford lost to Swansea last time out after a collapse in the closing moments and they picked up where they left off against City, falling behind in the first minute.
Leroy Sane got away from Daryl Janmaat down the left and crossed for Sterling, who tapped home completely unmarked at the far post from six yards out.
The home side should have doubled their lead with only five minutes played, as Sane again made space on the left and teed up Stones, only for the centre-back to blast over with the goal gaping.But they were gifted a second in the 13th minute when Kabesele slid to intercept De Bruyne's low cross from the right and sent the ball spinning into the left-hand corner of the net.
De Bruyne was showing no signs of the injury inflicted by Jason Puncheon in the draw with Palace and he was inches away from making it 3-0 to City when his free-kick from the edge of the box crashed off the crossbar, with Heurelho Gomes having got fingertips to the ball.Watford displayed some positives before the interval, though, and it took a fine save from Ederson to deny Richarlison one-on-one after the visitors broke through City's high line, before the Brazilian saved again from Andre Carrillo.
City, who had dropped to something of a pedestrian pace, looked eager to kill off any rising Watford hope of a comeback and Aguero wasted three decent openings from inside the penalty area, firing straight at Gomes before twice miscuing headers.
However, in the 63rd minute, Gomes spilled a low cross right to the feet of Aguero, who could not miss the open goal from inside the six-yard box as the Watford keeper lay helpless on the sodden turf.
Gray steered home Carrillo's cut-back with eight minutes left to give City a minor headache and Nicolas Otamendi was fortunate not to concede a penalty for tripping Roberto Pereyra, but they now switch their focus to the domestic cups, with an FA Cup third-round clash at home to Burnley on Saturday followed by next Tuesday's visit of Bristol City in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final.
West Ham 2 West Brom 1: Carroll's last-gasp winner deepens Baggies' misery
West Brom's club-record winless league run continued as Andy Carroll struck a 94th-minute winner to earn a dramatic 2-1 victory for West Ham on Tuesday.
The Hammers had trailed to James McClean's opener in the first half but Carroll levelled with a fine header in the second period before snatching all three points with practically the last kick.
The result means the Baggies have gone 20 Premier League games without victory since their 1-0 triumph at Burnley in mid August, while Alan Pardew has failed to pick up maximum points in his eight matches since succeeding Tony Pulis.They remain mired in the bottom three while the Hammers, who have endured their own struggles since changing managers earlier in the season, move out of the relegation zone up to 16th.
McCLean's opener owed much to a sizeable slice of fortune, his shot looping up off Pedro Obiang to leave Adrian flapping helplessly as it dropped just under the crossbar.
Ben Foster had made two fine saves to deny Manuel Lanzini in the first half but could do nothing about the equaliser as Carroll rose above two defenders in trademark fashion to plant a powerful header into the bottom-right corner.
And Carroll slid the ball home from a tight angle in the final minute of stoppage time to give West Ham just their third win in 10 since David Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic.
West Brom came into this clash without a first-half goal under Pardew but they went close to breaking that duck in the 13th minute when Salomon Rondon's chip sailed narrowly over.
The Hammers forced Foster into the first real save soon afterwards as Pablo Zabaleta's cross was only cleared as far as Lanzini, whose rasping half-volley from 16 yards stung the palms of the goalkeeper.
McClean shot straight at Adrian by way of a Baggies response but he had more luck on the half-hour when his effort from outside the box deflected heavily off Obiang and flew over the flailing keeper.
Foster pulled off another superb save seven minutes before the break, getting down sharply to his left to again deny Lanzini, who showed tremendous control in bringing down a high ball and working space for himself inside the area.
The Baggies were indebted to their keeper once more as half-time approached, this time reacting to Carroll's knockdown to dive bravely at Cheikhou Kouyate's feet.Jonny Evans scuffed an excellent chance too close to Adrian in first-half stoppage time and within a minute of the restart Carroll came agonisingly close to a leveller by diverting Marko Arnautovic's cross just over.
The imposing striker was celebrating just before the hour, though, as he met Aaron Cresswell's superb left-wing delivery with a thumping downward header that left Foster motionless.
Pardew's response was to send Hal Robson-Kanu on in place of Jake Livermore, who appeared to become involved in a spat with a supporter sat close to the dugout before departing down the tunnel. Arnautovic was denied by a sprawling Foster midway through the half before Baggies substitute Oliver Burke raced clear on goal only to delay his shot and allow Angelo Ogbonna to recover and make the block.
Just when it seemed neither side would be able to force a winner, Arnautovic slid a low ball across the six-yard box for Carroll to convert, leaving Pardew with plenty to ponder at the start of a new year.
West Brom's club-record winless league run continued as Andy Carroll struck a 94th-minute winner to earn a dramatic 2-1 victory for West Ham on Tuesday.
The Hammers had trailed to James McClean's opener in the first half but Carroll levelled with a fine header in the second period before snatching all three points with practically the last kick.
The result means the Baggies have gone 20 Premier League games without victory since their 1-0 triumph at Burnley in mid August, while Alan Pardew has failed to pick up maximum points in his eight matches since succeeding Tony Pulis.They remain mired in the bottom three while the Hammers, who have endured their own struggles since changing managers earlier in the season, move out of the relegation zone up to 16th.
McCLean's opener owed much to a sizeable slice of fortune, his shot looping up off Pedro Obiang to leave Adrian flapping helplessly as it dropped just under the crossbar.
Ben Foster had made two fine saves to deny Manuel Lanzini in the first half but could do nothing about the equaliser as Carroll rose above two defenders in trademark fashion to plant a powerful header into the bottom-right corner.
And Carroll slid the ball home from a tight angle in the final minute of stoppage time to give West Ham just their third win in 10 since David Moyes took over from Slaven Bilic.
West Brom came into this clash without a first-half goal under Pardew but they went close to breaking that duck in the 13th minute when Salomon Rondon's chip sailed narrowly over.
The Hammers forced Foster into the first real save soon afterwards as Pablo Zabaleta's cross was only cleared as far as Lanzini, whose rasping half-volley from 16 yards stung the palms of the goalkeeper.
McClean shot straight at Adrian by way of a Baggies response but he had more luck on the half-hour when his effort from outside the box deflected heavily off Obiang and flew over the flailing keeper.
Foster pulled off another superb save seven minutes before the break, getting down sharply to his left to again deny Lanzini, who showed tremendous control in bringing down a high ball and working space for himself inside the area.
The Baggies were indebted to their keeper once more as half-time approached, this time reacting to Carroll's knockdown to dive bravely at Cheikhou Kouyate's feet.Jonny Evans scuffed an excellent chance too close to Adrian in first-half stoppage time and within a minute of the restart Carroll came agonisingly close to a leveller by diverting Marko Arnautovic's cross just over.
The imposing striker was celebrating just before the hour, though, as he met Aaron Cresswell's superb left-wing delivery with a thumping downward header that left Foster motionless.
Pardew's response was to send Hal Robson-Kanu on in place of Jake Livermore, who appeared to become involved in a spat with a supporter sat close to the dugout before departing down the tunnel. Arnautovic was denied by a sprawling Foster midway through the half before Baggies substitute Oliver Burke raced clear on goal only to delay his shot and allow Angelo Ogbonna to recover and make the block.
Just when it seemed neither side would be able to force a winner, Arnautovic slid a low ball across the six-yard box for Carroll to convert, leaving Pardew with plenty to ponder at the start of a new year.
Southampton 1 Crystal Palace 2: Milivojevic inflicts more pain on struggling Saints
Luka Milivojevic made up for his stoppage-time penalty miss against Manchester City with a sublime winning goal as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1.
Milivojevic saw his spot-kick saved by Ederson at Selhurst Park on Sunday as Palace ended City's 18-game winning streak with a 0-0 draw, but his strike on Tuesday could be even more significant.
With 10 minutes remaining, the midfielder was found in acres of space by Andros Townsend and stroked the ball home first time to secure Palace's first win at Southampton in nine Premier League visits.
Shane Long looked like being the star of the show as he ended his 1320-minute goal drought in the league with a crisply taken first-half strike.However, James McArthur levelled things up as Palace finished strongly, before Milivojevic snared a massive win for the Eagles.
The three points lift them above Southampton and into 14th position, two clear of the drop zone, while the Saints slipped further into trouble after a ninth game without a win.Without a goal since February, the pressure had been on lone striker Long to deliver and, with 17 minutes on the clock, he finally found the back of the net.
Long – who missed a great chance in the opening minute – was found by Jeremy Pied's perfectly placed low cross and the Irishman lashed the ball home, his effort fizzing in off Wayne Hennessey's left-hand post.
The goal helped settle Southampton but extending their advantage proved difficult, and they needed the fingertips of Alex McCarthy to deny Townsend an equaliser just after the half-hour.
It was a fleeting moment of danger on the home goal, though, and Southampton would have gone into the break two goals ahead had the treacherous conditions not hampered Sofiane Boufal, the attacker slipping at the crucial moment when unmarked at the back post.
As the rain continued to come down it became difficult for either side to enjoy spells of quality possession and the start to the second period was extremely scrappy.Shortly after the hour mark, Benteke provided a much-needed bit of class as he turned Maya Yoshida in the penalty area but McCarthy was equal to his low effort.
It signalled a Palace revival and they found a leveller after 69 minutes, McArthur ghosting into the area to fire past McCarthy from Benteke's superb knock down.With momentum on their side it was the Eagles who finished the match strongly and they got their reward late on, with Milivojevic producing a stunning first-time effort from Townsend's pass to continue the Roy Hodgson revival.
Luka Milivojevic made up for his stoppage-time penalty miss against Manchester City with a sublime winning goal as Crystal Palace came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1.
Milivojevic saw his spot-kick saved by Ederson at Selhurst Park on Sunday as Palace ended City's 18-game winning streak with a 0-0 draw, but his strike on Tuesday could be even more significant.
With 10 minutes remaining, the midfielder was found in acres of space by Andros Townsend and stroked the ball home first time to secure Palace's first win at Southampton in nine Premier League visits.
Shane Long looked like being the star of the show as he ended his 1320-minute goal drought in the league with a crisply taken first-half strike.However, James McArthur levelled things up as Palace finished strongly, before Milivojevic snared a massive win for the Eagles.
The three points lift them above Southampton and into 14th position, two clear of the drop zone, while the Saints slipped further into trouble after a ninth game without a win.Without a goal since February, the pressure had been on lone striker Long to deliver and, with 17 minutes on the clock, he finally found the back of the net.
Long – who missed a great chance in the opening minute – was found by Jeremy Pied's perfectly placed low cross and the Irishman lashed the ball home, his effort fizzing in off Wayne Hennessey's left-hand post.
The goal helped settle Southampton but extending their advantage proved difficult, and they needed the fingertips of Alex McCarthy to deny Townsend an equaliser just after the half-hour.
It was a fleeting moment of danger on the home goal, though, and Southampton would have gone into the break two goals ahead had the treacherous conditions not hampered Sofiane Boufal, the attacker slipping at the crucial moment when unmarked at the back post.
As the rain continued to come down it became difficult for either side to enjoy spells of quality possession and the start to the second period was extremely scrappy.Shortly after the hour mark, Benteke provided a much-needed bit of class as he turned Maya Yoshida in the penalty area but McCarthy was equal to his low effort.
It signalled a Palace revival and they found a leveller after 69 minutes, McArthur ghosting into the area to fire past McCarthy from Benteke's superb knock down.With momentum on their side it was the Eagles who finished the match strongly and they got their reward late on, with Milivojevic producing a stunning first-time effort from Townsend's pass to continue the Roy Hodgson revival.
