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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
- Start date
de match 1 yanawada
Burnley 0 Manchester United 1: Martial keeps up winning run
Manchester United moved to within nine points of Premier League leaders Manchester City, at least temporarily, with a 1-0 win away to Burnley on Saturday.
A superb strike from Anthony Martial early in the second half was enough to give Jose Mourinho's side a fourth victory in a row in all competitions, despite a lacklustre overall display.
The goal, Martial's ninth in the league this season, was the highlight of a game low on quality and sent a timely reminder to manager Jose Mourinho ahead of the suspected arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal.
United fought back to claim a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture in December and they looked similarly out-of-sorts for much of the contest at Turf Moor, in which they managed no shots on target until Martial's 54th-minute strike.
Burnley, who have only won once against United in 25 meetings, looked a threat in their pursuit of an equaliser, with Johann Berg Gudmundsson hitting the crossbar with a free-kick and Ashley Barnes missing a header.
United, without Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who is expected to join Arsenal as part of the Sanchez deal, survived the closing stages to make it four wins and four clean sheets in 2018 and put some pressure on City ahead of their meeting with Newcastle United later on Saturday.
Burnley, just as they were at Old Trafford, were the brighter of the teams in the early exchanges and it needed a fine block from Phil Jones to deny Barnes a clear shot on goal from just inside the area.United were edging possession but doing little of note with the ball in a strangely casual first half that ended without a shot on target from either side.
The closest the visitors came to breaking the deadlock in the first 45 minutes came through Ashley Young, restored at left-back in place of Luke Shaw after serving a three-match ban, who skinned Gudmundsson to the left of the penalty area before curling a shot just wide of the right-hand post.
Martial combined with Pogba before shooting just wide as the half drew to a close, but the France international made the most of his next opportunity with the first piece of real quality in the game.
Romelu Lukaku picked him out with a good pass and Martial feinted to curl a shot into the right-hand corner before choosing to blast his effort into the opposite side of the net off the crossbar.
Burnley immediately sought an equaliser, Gudmundsson clipping the woodwork with a free-kick from the edge of the box before referee Mike Dean waved away appeals for a handball by Chris Smalling in the United area.
The pressure from the home side continued, with a looping Ben Mee header tipped over the bar by David de Gea and Smalling called upon to get a crucial touch to deny James Tarkowski the chance for a tap-in.Barnes then glanced a promising opening wide following a long ball but United could easily have made the win safe either side of that miss, with Pogba and Jesse Lingard both choosing the wrong option at the end of promising counter-attacks.
Sean Dyche made some attacking changes, which included loan signing Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, but United survived to claim an important three points from a game that could be their last before Sanchez's arrival and only a good save from Nick Pope denied Martial an impressive second goal.
Arsenal 4 Crystal Palace 1: Early blitz means Sanchez is hardly missed
Arsenal shrugged off the impending departure of Alexis Sanchez by scoring four times in the first 22 minutes en route to a 4-1 hammering of Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Chile international appears set to make the switch to Premier League rivals Manchester United, who are reportedly ready to pay £35million plus Henrikh Mkhitaryan for the forward's services.
For the second straight game, Arsene Wenger left Sanchez out of his matchday squad and the Frenchman seems poised for a pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a replacement after Borussia Dortmund confirmed the Gunners had made a bid, thought to be in the region of €50m.
But whatever Arsenal's comings and goings before the end of the January window, they were certainly not short of firepower at Emirates Stadium as a sorry Palace were swept aside in a devastating opening.
Nacho Monreal capitalised on shambolic defending to score the first and then tee up the next two for Alex Iwobi and Laurent Koscielny before the returning Mesut Ozil, back after missing three games with a knee injury, played a key role in Alexandre Lacazette's marvellous fourth.
Luka Milivojevic's consolation came far too late to cause any Arsenal nerves and victory sees Wenger's men bring their five-match winless streak - since a 3-2 success at Palace in which Sanchez scored twice - to a resounding end and move within two points of fifth-placed Tottenham, who visit Southampton on Sunday.
Palace had enjoyed a resurgence under Roy Hodgson, losing only one of their past 12 Premier League outings, but they were comprehensively blown away as Arsenal moved out of sight inside the first quarter of the game.
The tone was set when Monreal stole in completely unmarked at the back post to head in Granit Xhaka's right-wing corner, and the lead was doubled before 10 minutes were up as the left-back turned provider, getting to the byline on the left before cutting back for Iwobi to steer home from close range.
Palace failed to learn their lessons, however, as another Xhaka set-piece was met at the far post by Monreal, whose ball across was bundled home by Koscielny inside the six-yard box.
The beleaguered Wayne Hennessey fumed at his defence as he picked the ball out of his net for the third time in 13 minutes, but neither he nor his backline could do anything about the glorious fourth.Ozil exchanged passes with Jack Wilshere and upon receiving the return, flicked a sumptuous backheel into the path of Lacazette, who swept home first-time into the bottom-right corner.
Palace showed belated signs of life as Bakary Sako caused havoc among the Arsenal defence and shot straight at Petr Cech, who was at full stretch shortly before the break to keep out Wilfried Zaha's deflected effort.
Hennessey raced from his line to deny Iwobi at the end of a searing counter 11 minutes into the second period and Cech was similarly impressive in spreading himself to keep out Christian Benteke at the other end.Iwobi's thumping drive was kept out by Hennessey at his near post as Arsenal sought a fifth but with the game long since sewn up, Wenger replaced Ozil with Premier League debutant Reiss Nelson as the match entered its closing stages.
Cech's wait for a 200th Premier League clean sheet went on, however, as Milivojevic spun and fired home from a corner late on with 12 minutes left, Benteke claiming the assist.
But that was the only sour note on an otherwise excellent outing for the Gunners ahead of their crucial EFL Cup semi-final date with Chelsea, while Palace's poor day at the office took another bad turn when Yohan Cabaye left the pitch on a stretcher in the final moments.
Arsenal shrugged off the impending departure of Alexis Sanchez by scoring four times in the first 22 minutes en route to a 4-1 hammering of Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Chile international appears set to make the switch to Premier League rivals Manchester United, who are reportedly ready to pay £35million plus Henrikh Mkhitaryan for the forward's services.
For the second straight game, Arsene Wenger left Sanchez out of his matchday squad and the Frenchman seems poised for a pursuit of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a replacement after Borussia Dortmund confirmed the Gunners had made a bid, thought to be in the region of €50m.
But whatever Arsenal's comings and goings before the end of the January window, they were certainly not short of firepower at Emirates Stadium as a sorry Palace were swept aside in a devastating opening.
Nacho Monreal capitalised on shambolic defending to score the first and then tee up the next two for Alex Iwobi and Laurent Koscielny before the returning Mesut Ozil, back after missing three games with a knee injury, played a key role in Alexandre Lacazette's marvellous fourth.
Luka Milivojevic's consolation came far too late to cause any Arsenal nerves and victory sees Wenger's men bring their five-match winless streak - since a 3-2 success at Palace in which Sanchez scored twice - to a resounding end and move within two points of fifth-placed Tottenham, who visit Southampton on Sunday.
Palace had enjoyed a resurgence under Roy Hodgson, losing only one of their past 12 Premier League outings, but they were comprehensively blown away as Arsenal moved out of sight inside the first quarter of the game.
The tone was set when Monreal stole in completely unmarked at the back post to head in Granit Xhaka's right-wing corner, and the lead was doubled before 10 minutes were up as the left-back turned provider, getting to the byline on the left before cutting back for Iwobi to steer home from close range.
Palace failed to learn their lessons, however, as another Xhaka set-piece was met at the far post by Monreal, whose ball across was bundled home by Koscielny inside the six-yard box.
The beleaguered Wayne Hennessey fumed at his defence as he picked the ball out of his net for the third time in 13 minutes, but neither he nor his backline could do anything about the glorious fourth.Ozil exchanged passes with Jack Wilshere and upon receiving the return, flicked a sumptuous backheel into the path of Lacazette, who swept home first-time into the bottom-right corner.
Palace showed belated signs of life as Bakary Sako caused havoc among the Arsenal defence and shot straight at Petr Cech, who was at full stretch shortly before the break to keep out Wilfried Zaha's deflected effort.
Hennessey raced from his line to deny Iwobi at the end of a searing counter 11 minutes into the second period and Cech was similarly impressive in spreading himself to keep out Christian Benteke at the other end.Iwobi's thumping drive was kept out by Hennessey at his near post as Arsenal sought a fifth but with the game long since sewn up, Wenger replaced Ozil with Premier League debutant Reiss Nelson as the match entered its closing stages.
Cech's wait for a 200th Premier League clean sheet went on, however, as Milivojevic spun and fired home from a corner late on with 12 minutes left, Benteke claiming the assist.
But that was the only sour note on an otherwise excellent outing for the Gunners ahead of their crucial EFL Cup semi-final date with Chelsea, while Palace's poor day at the office took another bad turn when Yohan Cabaye left the pitch on a stretcher in the final moments.
Everton 1 West Brom 1: McCarthy horror injury overshadows cagey draw
James McCarthy suffered a suspected broken leg as Everton ended a run of three straight defeats with a 1-1 draw against West Brom at Goodison Park.
McCarthy suffered the horrific injury 10 minutes after the interval as he was attempting to block Salomon Rondon's shot inside the penalty area, with the Venezuelan kicking his planted standing leg at full force.The Irishman was attended to by medical staff for more than seven minutes, while a clearly distraught Rondon had to be comforted by his team-mates.
The Baggies had taken an early lead through Jay Rodriguez's fourth Premier League goal of the season, but Sam Allardyce's side pulled themselves level in the 70th minute through Oumar Niasse's first touch of the game.
Senegal forward Niasse had only just been introduced for the ineffective Cenk Tosun – a decision that was greeted with boos by Everton fans – when he met debutant Theo Walcott's precise back-post header to thunder a volley into the roof of the net.
Walcott himself came close to grabbing a dramatic late winner, but West Brom held on for a valuable away point ahead of daunting trips to Liverpool in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the league.
Clearly buoyed by their win over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, West Brom started in confident fashion and Grzegorz Krychowiak should have opened the scoring inside five minutes, instead lashing over after being played through by Rondon.
The Pole made amends just 60 seconds later, though, lofting a delightful pass over a static Toffees backline to release Rodriguez, who calmly slotted past the onrushing Jordan Pickford and into the bottom corner.
The goal failed to spark the hosts into life and they had to wait until the 38th minute for their first shot on target. Jonjoe Kenny's whipped effort from outside the penalty area was comfortably held by Ben Foster and was duly greeted with sarcastic cheers by the Goodison Park faithful.They could have had further reason to lambast their team moments before the interval had Rondon been able to keep his powerful header under the crossbar.
Yannick Bolasie was thrown on at the break in an attempt to inject some urgency into Everton's lacklustre attack, but any momentum he provided was cut short by McCarthy's injury. Both sides were understandably cautious in the minutes following the lengthy stoppage, but the introduction of Niasse sparked the game back into life.
Fellow substitute Wayne Rooney lofted a cross to the back post, which was headed into Niasse by Walcott, and the striker crashed a superb first-time volley past Foster to set up a frantic finale.
Walcott was denied a debut winner as Foster did well to block his fierce volley, while Rondon missed a number of clear openings to test Pickford, before rattling the crossbar from 25 yards to keep the Baggies in 19th, now three points from safety.
James McCarthy suffered a suspected broken leg as Everton ended a run of three straight defeats with a 1-1 draw against West Brom at Goodison Park.
McCarthy suffered the horrific injury 10 minutes after the interval as he was attempting to block Salomon Rondon's shot inside the penalty area, with the Venezuelan kicking his planted standing leg at full force.The Irishman was attended to by medical staff for more than seven minutes, while a clearly distraught Rondon had to be comforted by his team-mates.
The Baggies had taken an early lead through Jay Rodriguez's fourth Premier League goal of the season, but Sam Allardyce's side pulled themselves level in the 70th minute through Oumar Niasse's first touch of the game.
Senegal forward Niasse had only just been introduced for the ineffective Cenk Tosun – a decision that was greeted with boos by Everton fans – when he met debutant Theo Walcott's precise back-post header to thunder a volley into the roof of the net.
Walcott himself came close to grabbing a dramatic late winner, but West Brom held on for a valuable away point ahead of daunting trips to Liverpool in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the league.
Clearly buoyed by their win over Brighton and Hove Albion last weekend, West Brom started in confident fashion and Grzegorz Krychowiak should have opened the scoring inside five minutes, instead lashing over after being played through by Rondon.
The Pole made amends just 60 seconds later, though, lofting a delightful pass over a static Toffees backline to release Rodriguez, who calmly slotted past the onrushing Jordan Pickford and into the bottom corner.
The goal failed to spark the hosts into life and they had to wait until the 38th minute for their first shot on target. Jonjoe Kenny's whipped effort from outside the penalty area was comfortably held by Ben Foster and was duly greeted with sarcastic cheers by the Goodison Park faithful.They could have had further reason to lambast their team moments before the interval had Rondon been able to keep his powerful header under the crossbar.
Yannick Bolasie was thrown on at the break in an attempt to inject some urgency into Everton's lacklustre attack, but any momentum he provided was cut short by McCarthy's injury. Both sides were understandably cautious in the minutes following the lengthy stoppage, but the introduction of Niasse sparked the game back into life.
Fellow substitute Wayne Rooney lofted a cross to the back post, which was headed into Niasse by Walcott, and the striker crashed a superb first-time volley past Foster to set up a frantic finale.
Walcott was denied a debut winner as Foster did well to block his fierce volley, while Rondon missed a number of clear openings to test Pickford, before rattling the crossbar from 25 yards to keep the Baggies in 19th, now three points from safety.
Leicester City 2 Watford 0: Vardy & Mahrez decisive as Puel's men go seventh
Leicester City's star men Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez made the difference as Claude Puel's men comfortably beat Watford 2-0 at the King Power Stadium, moving them up to seventh in the Premier League.
The Foxes looked significantly the more threatening in attack and, although they wasted several chances, victory never looked in doubt as Vardy's first-half penalty was added to late on by the lively Mahrez.Watford's recent run of just one win – against Leicester on Boxing Day – in 10 league matches rarely looked like being improved upon, as their opponents dominated the first period.
Leicester were deserving of the lead when Vardy found the net from the spot in the 39th minute, after winning his 13th penalty since the start of the 2014-15 season, more than any other player.
Puel's side remained in the ascendancy upon the restart and continued to craft opportunities, but Watford managed to survive several scares.Andre Gray made an impression late on after coming on as a substitute, before Mahrez's fine solo goal made sure of three points for Leicester as they moved above Burnley on goal difference.There was every indication early on that Watford's defenders were going to be in for a long day, as Leicester started the contest in a voracious mood.
Vardy was the first to go close in the sixth minute, catching Watford short at the back and forcing Orestis Karnezis into a save with a rasping 20-yard drive, before Shinji Okazaki sent the rebound over with a diving header.Karnezis had to be alert again a few moments later, crucially tipping Wilfred Ndidi's header around the post.
Watford did improve slightly and Andre Carrillo gave Kasper Schmeichel something to do with 20 minutes played, drilling a low strike at the Dane from distance.But Leicester soon took control again and deservedly went ahead six minutes before the break.
Vardy darted into the area and was tripped by former Leicester team-mate Molla Wague, with the England international coolly dispatching the resulting spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.
Watford showed few signs of encouragement after the break and nearly found themselves two behind in the 51st minute, but Okazaki's left-footed effort was easily gobbled up by Karnezis following Vardy's cut-back.
They had another escape just before the hour mark, as Marvin Zeegelaar cleared at the vital moment after Ben Chilwell's low delivery across the face of goal looked set to find Vardy.The visitors were afforded a rare chance 23 minutes from the end, but Gray saw his effort kept out by Schmeichel after the ball dropped kindly in the area.
Gray saw another opportunity go to waste soon after, racing into the left side of the area and seeing his effort brilliantly saved by Schmeichel when one-on-one.And Leicester took full advantage of that let-off to wrap things up in stoppage time – Mahrez skipping past Christian Kabasele and slotting into the right side of the net.
Leicester City's star men Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez made the difference as Claude Puel's men comfortably beat Watford 2-0 at the King Power Stadium, moving them up to seventh in the Premier League.
The Foxes looked significantly the more threatening in attack and, although they wasted several chances, victory never looked in doubt as Vardy's first-half penalty was added to late on by the lively Mahrez.Watford's recent run of just one win – against Leicester on Boxing Day – in 10 league matches rarely looked like being improved upon, as their opponents dominated the first period.
Leicester were deserving of the lead when Vardy found the net from the spot in the 39th minute, after winning his 13th penalty since the start of the 2014-15 season, more than any other player.
Puel's side remained in the ascendancy upon the restart and continued to craft opportunities, but Watford managed to survive several scares.Andre Gray made an impression late on after coming on as a substitute, before Mahrez's fine solo goal made sure of three points for Leicester as they moved above Burnley on goal difference.There was every indication early on that Watford's defenders were going to be in for a long day, as Leicester started the contest in a voracious mood.
Vardy was the first to go close in the sixth minute, catching Watford short at the back and forcing Orestis Karnezis into a save with a rasping 20-yard drive, before Shinji Okazaki sent the rebound over with a diving header.Karnezis had to be alert again a few moments later, crucially tipping Wilfred Ndidi's header around the post.
Watford did improve slightly and Andre Carrillo gave Kasper Schmeichel something to do with 20 minutes played, drilling a low strike at the Dane from distance.But Leicester soon took control again and deservedly went ahead six minutes before the break.
Vardy darted into the area and was tripped by former Leicester team-mate Molla Wague, with the England international coolly dispatching the resulting spot-kick into the bottom-right corner.
Watford showed few signs of encouragement after the break and nearly found themselves two behind in the 51st minute, but Okazaki's left-footed effort was easily gobbled up by Karnezis following Vardy's cut-back.
They had another escape just before the hour mark, as Marvin Zeegelaar cleared at the vital moment after Ben Chilwell's low delivery across the face of goal looked set to find Vardy.The visitors were afforded a rare chance 23 minutes from the end, but Gray saw his effort kept out by Schmeichel after the ball dropped kindly in the area.
Gray saw another opportunity go to waste soon after, racing into the left side of the area and seeing his effort brilliantly saved by Schmeichel when one-on-one.And Leicester took full advantage of that let-off to wrap things up in stoppage time – Mahrez skipping past Christian Kabasele and slotting into the right side of the net.
Manchester City 3 Newcastle United 1: Aguero hat-trick sees pacesetters bounce back
Manchester City bounced back from their first Premier League defeat of the season with little difficulty, as Sergio Aguero again tormented Newcastle United by scoring a perfect hat-trick in a 3-1 home win at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool beat City 4-3 at Anfield last time out, but the runaway leaders rarely looked in danger of dropping further points on Saturday, Aguero taking his tally of goals against Newcastle to a whopping 14.In the first half, the visitors looked like a team whose only plan was to sit back and keep the game goalless for as long as possible.
They managed to hold City at bay for more than half an hour, before Pep Guardiola's side deservedly ended their resistance 11 minutes prior to the break, Aguero heading in a Kevin De Bruyne cross.Aguero doubled his tally for the day from the penalty spot in the second half, but City became sloppy thereafter and Newcastle grabbed a goal back in style through Jacob Murphy.
Further chances fell to Newcastle as they threatened to pull off a shock comeback, yet Aguero killed off their hopes with a fine 83rd-minute finish after Leroy Sane's incredible solo run, ensuring City again opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the table.
City were all over Newcastle for the entire first half, dominating the ball and keeping their opponents penned into their own defensive third for long periods.However, arguably the best chance of the opening period fell to the visitors in the second minute, as Christian Atsu's cross fell kindly for Ciaran Clark, who shot straight at Ederson.
John Stones followed suit in wasting a decent chance soon after, prodding David Silva's cut-back wide of the right-hand post.City's frustration increased when a Raheem Sterling goal was disallowed – correctly – for offside.
But their persistence paid off in the 34th minute, as Aguero got the slightest of touches on De Bruyne's left-wing cross to find the bottom-right corner.De Bruyne nearly added a second shortly after, only for Karl Darlow to get down and tip his deflected effort wide.
City's domination continued into the second half and, although chances hardly flowed, Newcastle's performance showed nothing to suggest the hosts' lead was at threat.
The lead was eventually increased in the 63rd minute thanks to Aguero's powerful penalty, converted after Sterling had been clumsily tripped by Javier Manquillo.Newcastle pulled one back out of nowhere soon after, though, as Clark's pass released Murphy behind City's defence and the winger produced a brilliant finish to chip the approaching Ederson.
The Brazilian nearly gifted Newcastle an equaliser when he spilled shots from Mohamed Diame and Ayoze Perez in quick succession, but City survived and Aguero wrapped things up late on, stroking home left-footed after a remarkable run and cut-back from the excellent Sane.
Manchester City bounced back from their first Premier League defeat of the season with little difficulty, as Sergio Aguero again tormented Newcastle United by scoring a perfect hat-trick in a 3-1 home win at the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool beat City 4-3 at Anfield last time out, but the runaway leaders rarely looked in danger of dropping further points on Saturday, Aguero taking his tally of goals against Newcastle to a whopping 14.In the first half, the visitors looked like a team whose only plan was to sit back and keep the game goalless for as long as possible.
They managed to hold City at bay for more than half an hour, before Pep Guardiola's side deservedly ended their resistance 11 minutes prior to the break, Aguero heading in a Kevin De Bruyne cross.Aguero doubled his tally for the day from the penalty spot in the second half, but City became sloppy thereafter and Newcastle grabbed a goal back in style through Jacob Murphy.
Further chances fell to Newcastle as they threatened to pull off a shock comeback, yet Aguero killed off their hopes with a fine 83rd-minute finish after Leroy Sane's incredible solo run, ensuring City again opened up a 12-point lead at the top of the table.
City were all over Newcastle for the entire first half, dominating the ball and keeping their opponents penned into their own defensive third for long periods.However, arguably the best chance of the opening period fell to the visitors in the second minute, as Christian Atsu's cross fell kindly for Ciaran Clark, who shot straight at Ederson.
John Stones followed suit in wasting a decent chance soon after, prodding David Silva's cut-back wide of the right-hand post.City's frustration increased when a Raheem Sterling goal was disallowed – correctly – for offside.
But their persistence paid off in the 34th minute, as Aguero got the slightest of touches on De Bruyne's left-wing cross to find the bottom-right corner.De Bruyne nearly added a second shortly after, only for Karl Darlow to get down and tip his deflected effort wide.
City's domination continued into the second half and, although chances hardly flowed, Newcastle's performance showed nothing to suggest the hosts' lead was at threat.
The lead was eventually increased in the 63rd minute thanks to Aguero's powerful penalty, converted after Sterling had been clumsily tripped by Javier Manquillo.Newcastle pulled one back out of nowhere soon after, though, as Clark's pass released Murphy behind City's defence and the winger produced a brilliant finish to chip the approaching Ederson.
The Brazilian nearly gifted Newcastle an equaliser when he spilled shots from Mohamed Diame and Ayoze Perez in quick succession, but City survived and Aguero wrapped things up late on, stroking home left-footed after a remarkable run and cut-back from the excellent Sane.
Atletico Madrid 1 Girona 1: Griezmann substitution costs Simeone
Antoine Griezmann set aside speculation over his future to star for Atletico Madrid, but his goal was only enough for a 1-1 LaLiga draw at home to Girona after the forward was surprisingly substituted with the match still in the balance.
France international Griezmann had been the subject of reports earlier on Saturday that suggested he and Barcelona had a secret pact for a transfer later this year, forcing the Catalan club to deny any agreement.
But such talk did not distract Atletico's star man as he broke the deadlock towards the end of a frustrating first half in which an exciting attacking home line-up had lacked fluency in the tight confines of the final third.
That strike still looked to be enough to secure victory but, with Diego Costa and Griezmann both having been substituted, Portu struck in the 73rd minute to snatch a point for Girona.
Diego Simeone's decision to withdraw his two forwards had not been a popular one for the home crowd and, after they had exited the stage, his side lacked the invention required to win the game by moving ahead for a second time.
Atleti consequently missed the opportunity to move to within six points of leaders Barca, and they could now lose second place to Valencia, who travel to Las Palmas later on Saturday.
Griezmann tested Bono with an early dipping strike and later flicked a cute pass into the area for Angel Correa to nip in ahead of Bernardo Espinosa and go to ground, but the felled forward's optimistic penalty appeals were waved away.
While Girona largely succeeded in keeping the hosts at arm's length in the opening half-hour, they still struggled to muster an answer to the evasive pair of Griezmann and Correa, who combined again to draw a smart stop from Bono at the end of a speedy break.And, sure enough, after 34 minutes, Griezmann proved the difference.
Having kept a dwindling attack alive by prodding a loose ball back towards Thomas Partey, the 26-year-old timed his run to meet Costa's brave knockdown following the subsequent cross and lash into the net from eight yards out.Portu could well have stolen a scarcely deserved equaliser in first-half stoppage time, but Jan Oblak pounced on his mishit close-range shot.
That scrappy passage of play was a signal of what was to come after the interval, with Atleti starting slowly and yet initially dealing comfortably with a blunt Girona front line.
Gorka Iraizoz, on for the injured Bono, blocked well when the hosts belatedly created their next clear opening - Yannick Carrasco failing to beat the goalkeeper having been played in by Saul Niguez.Instead, however, the second goal arrived at the other end when Portu made no mistake with his second gilt-edged opportunity and poked Espinosa's header beyond Oblak.
Atleti looked to rally again, but Griezmann's absence was keenly felt as Girona matched the title challengers in the closing stages and held on for a point.There was even a further late scare for Simeone's side as Oblak took down Michael Olunga outside his area in the dying seconds and was punished only with a yellow card and a free-kick on a disappointing afternoon for the hosts.
Antoine Griezmann set aside speculation over his future to star for Atletico Madrid, but his goal was only enough for a 1-1 LaLiga draw at home to Girona after the forward was surprisingly substituted with the match still in the balance.
France international Griezmann had been the subject of reports earlier on Saturday that suggested he and Barcelona had a secret pact for a transfer later this year, forcing the Catalan club to deny any agreement.
But such talk did not distract Atletico's star man as he broke the deadlock towards the end of a frustrating first half in which an exciting attacking home line-up had lacked fluency in the tight confines of the final third.
That strike still looked to be enough to secure victory but, with Diego Costa and Griezmann both having been substituted, Portu struck in the 73rd minute to snatch a point for Girona.
Diego Simeone's decision to withdraw his two forwards had not been a popular one for the home crowd and, after they had exited the stage, his side lacked the invention required to win the game by moving ahead for a second time.
Atleti consequently missed the opportunity to move to within six points of leaders Barca, and they could now lose second place to Valencia, who travel to Las Palmas later on Saturday.
Griezmann tested Bono with an early dipping strike and later flicked a cute pass into the area for Angel Correa to nip in ahead of Bernardo Espinosa and go to ground, but the felled forward's optimistic penalty appeals were waved away.
While Girona largely succeeded in keeping the hosts at arm's length in the opening half-hour, they still struggled to muster an answer to the evasive pair of Griezmann and Correa, who combined again to draw a smart stop from Bono at the end of a speedy break.And, sure enough, after 34 minutes, Griezmann proved the difference.
Having kept a dwindling attack alive by prodding a loose ball back towards Thomas Partey, the 26-year-old timed his run to meet Costa's brave knockdown following the subsequent cross and lash into the net from eight yards out.Portu could well have stolen a scarcely deserved equaliser in first-half stoppage time, but Jan Oblak pounced on his mishit close-range shot.
That scrappy passage of play was a signal of what was to come after the interval, with Atleti starting slowly and yet initially dealing comfortably with a blunt Girona front line.
Gorka Iraizoz, on for the injured Bono, blocked well when the hosts belatedly created their next clear opening - Yannick Carrasco failing to beat the goalkeeper having been played in by Saul Niguez.Instead, however, the second goal arrived at the other end when Portu made no mistake with his second gilt-edged opportunity and poked Espinosa's header beyond Oblak.
Atleti looked to rally again, but Griezmann's absence was keenly felt as Girona matched the title challengers in the closing stages and held on for a point.There was even a further late scare for Simeone's side as Oblak took down Michael Olunga outside his area in the dying seconds and was punished only with a yellow card and a free-kick on a disappointing afternoon for the hosts.
Brighton and Hove Albion 0 Chelsea 4: Hazard dazzles as Conte's men get back on track
A masterclass from two-goal hero Eden Hazard helped Chelsea stylishly return to winning ways with an entertaining 4-0 Premier League triumph at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Antonio Conte's men had been held to five consecutive draws – three games ending goalless – in all competitions, needing a penalty shootout to get past Norwich City in the FA Cup on Wednesday.
Progress to the fourth round came at a price, with forwards Alvaro Morata and Pedro receiving red cards, but Hazard and Willian made light of their absence with goals inside the first six minutes – the Brazilian's eighth of the campaign certainly one to trouble the end-of-season lists.To their credit, Brighton did not buckle. Ezequiel Schelotto was unfortunate to have penalty claims rejected and Davy Propper hit the post after half-time.
Willian came similarly close to his second before turning provider on his 50th consecutive Premier League appearance for Hazard.Victor Moses added gloss to the scoreline in the 89th minute as the reigning champions moved up to third in the table.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton sought to match up Chelsea by switching to a 3-5-2 formation – a decision that instantly looked regrettable amid a rampant opening from the visitors.
Willian and Moses both asked questions down the Albion left and Dale Stephens only partially cut out the latter's cross, meaning the ball rolled kindly for Hazard to lash home the 100th league goal of his career.
Brighton's heads were yet to clear when a dazzling second arrived, with Willian scything towards a ragged backline before being audaciously set up for an emphatic finish by twin backheels from Hazard and Michy Batshuayi.
Such a healthy early advantage meant Chelsea could absorb an erratic showing from Willy Caballero, who deputised in goal for the injured Thibaut Courtois.
The former Manchester City goalkeeper was fortunate not to be penalised when he raced off his line and appeared to trip Schelotto in the box, while offside spared him after unconvincingly challenging Shane Duffy at a 20th-minute corner.
Any encouragement for Brighton was generally punctured by the irresistible Hazard, who strode forward to play in Willian once more, with Mat Ryan saving well at his near post.The Australia international also denied Batshuayi before Caballero displayed astonishing reactions to keep out Tomer Hemed's 30th-minute header at the other end.
Schelotto had another penalty claim waved away when he tangled with Tiemoue Bakayoko, earning a booking for his protests, while Hazard displayed rare misjudgement when he floated the ball between Moses and Ryan's far post on the stroke of half-time.
Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen suffered a nasty clash of heads with Duffy early in the second half and was still regaining position after receiving treatment when Propper nodded Schelotto's cross against the post.Christensen made way as the hour approached, prompting David Luiz's first Premier League outing since October.
A buccaneering run from Hazard was halted illegally by Duffy, booked for his troubles, and a combination of Ryan and his left-hand post kept out Willian's resulting free-kick.
Schelotto's all-action outing continued when he capitalised upon hesitation from Marcos Alonso but was unable to prod past Caballero.Goals remain elusive for Brighton and this was their 13th shutout of the campaign, something recording signing Jurgen Locadia – looking on from the stands after his arrival from PSV – will hope to remedy.Chelsea had long forgotten such problems by the time Willian's wonderful pass sent Hazard scampering towards an embattled defence to unleash another fine finish.
On the heels of that familiar combination, 21-year-old substitute Charly Musonda gave a nod towards Chelsea's next generation when his fine lofted ball unleashed Moses for a first Premier League goal in 14 months.
A masterclass from two-goal hero Eden Hazard helped Chelsea stylishly return to winning ways with an entertaining 4-0 Premier League triumph at Brighton and Hove Albion.
Antonio Conte's men had been held to five consecutive draws – three games ending goalless – in all competitions, needing a penalty shootout to get past Norwich City in the FA Cup on Wednesday.
Progress to the fourth round came at a price, with forwards Alvaro Morata and Pedro receiving red cards, but Hazard and Willian made light of their absence with goals inside the first six minutes – the Brazilian's eighth of the campaign certainly one to trouble the end-of-season lists.To their credit, Brighton did not buckle. Ezequiel Schelotto was unfortunate to have penalty claims rejected and Davy Propper hit the post after half-time.
Willian came similarly close to his second before turning provider on his 50th consecutive Premier League appearance for Hazard.Victor Moses added gloss to the scoreline in the 89th minute as the reigning champions moved up to third in the table.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton sought to match up Chelsea by switching to a 3-5-2 formation – a decision that instantly looked regrettable amid a rampant opening from the visitors.
Willian and Moses both asked questions down the Albion left and Dale Stephens only partially cut out the latter's cross, meaning the ball rolled kindly for Hazard to lash home the 100th league goal of his career.
Brighton's heads were yet to clear when a dazzling second arrived, with Willian scything towards a ragged backline before being audaciously set up for an emphatic finish by twin backheels from Hazard and Michy Batshuayi.
Such a healthy early advantage meant Chelsea could absorb an erratic showing from Willy Caballero, who deputised in goal for the injured Thibaut Courtois.
The former Manchester City goalkeeper was fortunate not to be penalised when he raced off his line and appeared to trip Schelotto in the box, while offside spared him after unconvincingly challenging Shane Duffy at a 20th-minute corner.
Any encouragement for Brighton was generally punctured by the irresistible Hazard, who strode forward to play in Willian once more, with Mat Ryan saving well at his near post.The Australia international also denied Batshuayi before Caballero displayed astonishing reactions to keep out Tomer Hemed's 30th-minute header at the other end.
Schelotto had another penalty claim waved away when he tangled with Tiemoue Bakayoko, earning a booking for his protests, while Hazard displayed rare misjudgement when he floated the ball between Moses and Ryan's far post on the stroke of half-time.
Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen suffered a nasty clash of heads with Duffy early in the second half and was still regaining position after receiving treatment when Propper nodded Schelotto's cross against the post.Christensen made way as the hour approached, prompting David Luiz's first Premier League outing since October.
A buccaneering run from Hazard was halted illegally by Duffy, booked for his troubles, and a combination of Ryan and his left-hand post kept out Willian's resulting free-kick.
Schelotto's all-action outing continued when he capitalised upon hesitation from Marcos Alonso but was unable to prod past Caballero.Goals remain elusive for Brighton and this was their 13th shutout of the campaign, something recording signing Jurgen Locadia – looking on from the stands after his arrival from PSV – will hope to remedy.Chelsea had long forgotten such problems by the time Willian's wonderful pass sent Hazard scampering towards an embattled defence to unleash another fine finish.
On the heels of that familiar combination, 21-year-old substitute Charly Musonda gave a nod towards Chelsea's next generation when his fine lofted ball unleashed Moses for a first Premier League goal in 14 months.
Barclays Premier Fixtures 2018.01.21
Barclays Premier Fixtures 2018.01.21
Southampton Vs Tottenham
LA Liga Fixtures 2018.01.21
LA Liga Fixtures 2018.01.21
Alaves Vs Leganes
Real Madrid Vs Deportivo
Real Sociedad Vs Celta Vigo
Real Betis Vs Barcelona
Alaves Vs Leganes
Real Madrid Vs Deportivo
Real Sociedad Vs Celta Vigo
Real Betis Vs Barcelona
Serie A Fixtures 2018.01.21
Serie A Fixtures 2018.01.21
Atalanta Vs Napoli
Bologna Vs Benevento
Lazio Vs Chievo
Sampdoria Vs Fiorentina
Sassuolo Vs Torino
Udinese Vs Spal
Verona Vs Crotone
Cagliari Vs AC Milan
Inter Vs Roma
Atalanta Vs Napoli
Bologna Vs Benevento
Lazio Vs Chievo
Sampdoria Vs Fiorentina
Sassuolo Vs Torino
Udinese Vs Spal
Verona Vs Crotone
Cagliari Vs AC Milan
Inter Vs Roma
Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.01.21
Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.01.21
Bayern Vs Werder Bremen
Schalke Vs Hannover
Bayern Vs Werder Bremen
Schalke Vs Hannover
Southampton 1 Tottenham 1: Kane earns visitors a point
Harry Kane moved to 99 Premier League goals with a headed equaliser to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw in a scrappy match at Southampton on Sunday.
Southampton remain in the relegation zone after their winless run was extended to 11 Premier League matches, the current longest sequence without a victory in the top-flight, while Spurs missed the chance to move into the Champions League places.Kane hit a hat-trick in the reverse fixture but he could not reach his three-figure landmark as Spurs, in the absence of ill creative midfielder Christian Eriksen, toiled at a sodden St. Mary's.
Southampton - who dropped into the bottom three on Saturday due to Stoke City's defeat of Huddersfield Town - took the lead after making a bright start, the unfortunate Davinson Sanchez directing a low Ryan Bertrand cross into his own goal.
Kane levelled 197 seconds later, heading in a Ben Davies corner, and the Premier League's top goalscorer should have won it in the final minute but dragged a left-footed chance wide.
After failing to win at his old club, Mauricio Pochettino's men lost ground in the race for top-four spots, sitting two points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who visit rock-bottom Swansea City on Monday.
Hugo Lloris also missed out through illness and his deputy Michel Vorm was tested in the first minute, the Dutch goalkeeper collecting Manolo Gabbiadini's effort at the second attempt. James Ward-Prowse had scored Southampton's last three goals in all competitions but it was a Spurs defender who handed them the lead in the 15th minute.
Dusan Tadic sent Bertrand clear and the England left-back pulled back a low cross that a full-stretch Sanchez could only toe past a helpless Vorm, via the post, with Gabbiadini lurking.Eric Dier struck the outside of the woodwork as Spurs responded well, before Kane converted his 21st Premier League goal of the season to erase Southampton's short-lived lead.
The prolific forward, captaining Spurs with Lloris unavailable, shook off marker Jack Stephens, then got above Gabbiadini to nod Davies' corner home.Moussa Sissoko diverted a Davies drive just wide before Stephens planted a free header narrowly over the angle from a tremendous Ward-Prowse free-kick after 37 minutes.Ward-Prowse tested Vorm with a 20-yard drive shortly after the restart, but both teams were struggling for cohesion in driving rain on the south coast.
Dele Alli had been involved in eight goals in four previous Premier League games against Southampton, but he dragged a shot wide after 64 minutes.Southampton's Mauricio Pellegrino brought on Michael Obafemi for his Premier League debut with eight minutes to play and the 17-year-old should have converted Tadic's centre.
But the best late chances fell to Spurs, who recorded only two shots on target in the match, with a brilliant block from Stephens denying substitute Erik Lamela the winner, while Kane missed the chance to score his 100th goal by firing wide in the last minute.
Harry Kane moved to 99 Premier League goals with a headed equaliser to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw in a scrappy match at Southampton on Sunday.
Southampton remain in the relegation zone after their winless run was extended to 11 Premier League matches, the current longest sequence without a victory in the top-flight, while Spurs missed the chance to move into the Champions League places.Kane hit a hat-trick in the reverse fixture but he could not reach his three-figure landmark as Spurs, in the absence of ill creative midfielder Christian Eriksen, toiled at a sodden St. Mary's.
Southampton - who dropped into the bottom three on Saturday due to Stoke City's defeat of Huddersfield Town - took the lead after making a bright start, the unfortunate Davinson Sanchez directing a low Ryan Bertrand cross into his own goal.
Kane levelled 197 seconds later, heading in a Ben Davies corner, and the Premier League's top goalscorer should have won it in the final minute but dragged a left-footed chance wide.
After failing to win at his old club, Mauricio Pochettino's men lost ground in the race for top-four spots, sitting two points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who visit rock-bottom Swansea City on Monday.
Hugo Lloris also missed out through illness and his deputy Michel Vorm was tested in the first minute, the Dutch goalkeeper collecting Manolo Gabbiadini's effort at the second attempt. James Ward-Prowse had scored Southampton's last three goals in all competitions but it was a Spurs defender who handed them the lead in the 15th minute.
Dusan Tadic sent Bertrand clear and the England left-back pulled back a low cross that a full-stretch Sanchez could only toe past a helpless Vorm, via the post, with Gabbiadini lurking.Eric Dier struck the outside of the woodwork as Spurs responded well, before Kane converted his 21st Premier League goal of the season to erase Southampton's short-lived lead.
The prolific forward, captaining Spurs with Lloris unavailable, shook off marker Jack Stephens, then got above Gabbiadini to nod Davies' corner home.Moussa Sissoko diverted a Davies drive just wide before Stephens planted a free header narrowly over the angle from a tremendous Ward-Prowse free-kick after 37 minutes.Ward-Prowse tested Vorm with a 20-yard drive shortly after the restart, but both teams were struggling for cohesion in driving rain on the south coast.
Dele Alli had been involved in eight goals in four previous Premier League games against Southampton, but he dragged a shot wide after 64 minutes.Southampton's Mauricio Pellegrino brought on Michael Obafemi for his Premier League debut with eight minutes to play and the 17-year-old should have converted Tadic's centre.
But the best late chances fell to Spurs, who recorded only two shots on target in the match, with a brilliant block from Stephens denying substitute Erik Lamela the winner, while Kane missed the chance to score his 100th goal by firing wide in the last minute.
Real Madrid 7 Deportivo La Coruna 1: Seven-up for Zidane's men as Bale shines
Gareth Bale dragged Real Madrid away from the ignominy of a third straight home defeat in LaLiga by netting a match-turning brace before Deportivo La Coruna collapsed to a 7-1 defeat.Cristiano Ronaldo and, in a more unlikely turn of events, Nacho, also notched doubles to boost under-fire boss Zinedine Zidane.
Loses to Barcelona and Villarreal either side of the mid-season break contributed to leaving Madrid fourth and 19 points off the pace in the title race, and further woes awaited when Adrian Lopez capitalised on slack defending to net a 23rd-minute opener.
Amid palpable unrest from the stands, Madrid steadied themselves and centre-back Nacho levelled, before Bale took centre stage.The Wales star finished exquisitely to give Zidane's men the lead at the break and he converted Toni Kroos' corner before the hour to make the points safe.That Bale is now Madrid's joint-top scorer in LaLiga with six this season owes much to Ronaldo's trials in front of goal.
Those were again gruesomely evident until the five-time Ballon d'Or winner followed Luka Modric onto the scoresheet 12 minutes from time and his brave diving header preceded Nacho completing a rout that leaves Deportivo slumped in the relegation zone.
Borja Mayoral was preferred in attack alongside Ronaldo and Bale by Zidane and the 20-year-old forward turned Modric's cross goalwards to draw a fifth-minute stop from Ruben Martinez in the Deportivo goal.
Madrid largely ambled through the opening exchanges, with nothing to show for their meagre efforts, and the Bernabeu faithful whistled their side when they fell behind.Florin Andone's clever flick on caught out Dani Carvajal and Lucas Perez scooted past a napping Raphael Varane for Adrian to slide home.
Marcelo was the closest player to the Deportivo goalscorer and, seemingly stung, the left-back drove an impressive response from the hosts.He saw an angled volley flash wide before Ruben brilliantly saved a Ronaldo header from the Brazil international's 28th-minute cross.
Ruben then fortuitously turned a Marcelo drive on to the base of his post and it was no surprise to see him turn provider as Nacho steered home in assured fashion.Madrid kept their momentum rumbling on and were rewarded three minutes before half-time.
Ronaldo went to ground under minimal encouragement from Depor defender Fabian Schar and, as he berated the referee, Bale collected the loose ball from Marcelo's cross and curled a sumptuous strike into the top corner.
Five minutes into the second half, Ronaldo contrived to foul Schar as Carvajal's low ball across the box suggested a tap-in.A sliding Mayoral was unable to provide the decisive touch at the end of Marcelo's latest raid and, in another recurring theme of the match, Ruben showed lightning reactions in the 58th minute to deny Casemiro from Kroos' cross.Kroos trotted over to the left flank to take the resulting corner when Bale rose unchallenged to muscularly power home the header.
Mayoral headed a Bale cross off target from four yards and that miss heralded the introduction of Karim Benzema, a substitution that was whistled by a section of supporters apparently underwhelmed by the long-awaited reunion of the BBC.Ronaldo had a contribution to enjoy as his 68th-minute backheel teed up Modric to crisply net his first league goal of the season from the edge of the box.
Andone should have pulled one back from close range for Deportivo before Ronaldo controlled brilliantly with his chest, only to finish with all the poise of a rank amateur.There was relief and a notable lack of his trademark celebration when Ronaldo finished Casemiro's cross from close range.
He joined Bale with a double but paid a painful price in the 84th minute, bloodied by Schar's boot as he bravely converted a centre from substitute Lucas Vazquez.
Nacho suffered far less for his own satisfaction, converting a set-piece against opponents who appeared to have clocked off before the final whistle.
Gareth Bale dragged Real Madrid away from the ignominy of a third straight home defeat in LaLiga by netting a match-turning brace before Deportivo La Coruna collapsed to a 7-1 defeat.Cristiano Ronaldo and, in a more unlikely turn of events, Nacho, also notched doubles to boost under-fire boss Zinedine Zidane.
Loses to Barcelona and Villarreal either side of the mid-season break contributed to leaving Madrid fourth and 19 points off the pace in the title race, and further woes awaited when Adrian Lopez capitalised on slack defending to net a 23rd-minute opener.
Amid palpable unrest from the stands, Madrid steadied themselves and centre-back Nacho levelled, before Bale took centre stage.The Wales star finished exquisitely to give Zidane's men the lead at the break and he converted Toni Kroos' corner before the hour to make the points safe.That Bale is now Madrid's joint-top scorer in LaLiga with six this season owes much to Ronaldo's trials in front of goal.
Those were again gruesomely evident until the five-time Ballon d'Or winner followed Luka Modric onto the scoresheet 12 minutes from time and his brave diving header preceded Nacho completing a rout that leaves Deportivo slumped in the relegation zone.
Borja Mayoral was preferred in attack alongside Ronaldo and Bale by Zidane and the 20-year-old forward turned Modric's cross goalwards to draw a fifth-minute stop from Ruben Martinez in the Deportivo goal.
Madrid largely ambled through the opening exchanges, with nothing to show for their meagre efforts, and the Bernabeu faithful whistled their side when they fell behind.Florin Andone's clever flick on caught out Dani Carvajal and Lucas Perez scooted past a napping Raphael Varane for Adrian to slide home.
Marcelo was the closest player to the Deportivo goalscorer and, seemingly stung, the left-back drove an impressive response from the hosts.He saw an angled volley flash wide before Ruben brilliantly saved a Ronaldo header from the Brazil international's 28th-minute cross.
Ruben then fortuitously turned a Marcelo drive on to the base of his post and it was no surprise to see him turn provider as Nacho steered home in assured fashion.Madrid kept their momentum rumbling on and were rewarded three minutes before half-time.
Ronaldo went to ground under minimal encouragement from Depor defender Fabian Schar and, as he berated the referee, Bale collected the loose ball from Marcelo's cross and curled a sumptuous strike into the top corner.
Five minutes into the second half, Ronaldo contrived to foul Schar as Carvajal's low ball across the box suggested a tap-in.A sliding Mayoral was unable to provide the decisive touch at the end of Marcelo's latest raid and, in another recurring theme of the match, Ruben showed lightning reactions in the 58th minute to deny Casemiro from Kroos' cross.Kroos trotted over to the left flank to take the resulting corner when Bale rose unchallenged to muscularly power home the header.
Mayoral headed a Bale cross off target from four yards and that miss heralded the introduction of Karim Benzema, a substitution that was whistled by a section of supporters apparently underwhelmed by the long-awaited reunion of the BBC.Ronaldo had a contribution to enjoy as his 68th-minute backheel teed up Modric to crisply net his first league goal of the season from the edge of the box.
Andone should have pulled one back from close range for Deportivo before Ronaldo controlled brilliantly with his chest, only to finish with all the poise of a rank amateur.There was relief and a notable lack of his trademark celebration when Ronaldo finished Casemiro's cross from close range.
He joined Bale with a double but paid a painful price in the 84th minute, bloodied by Schar's boot as he bravely converted a centre from substitute Lucas Vazquez.
Nacho suffered far less for his own satisfaction, converting a set-piece against opponents who appeared to have clocked off before the final whistle.
