..::Football IV::..

Wolverine GTR

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    Liverpool 4 West Ham 1: Salah nets again as Reds climb to second

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    Liverpool won an entertaining contest at Anfield to move up to second in the Premier League with a 4-1 victory over West Ham on Saturday.

    Both sides struck the woodwork in the opening 15 minutes before Emre Can broke the deadlock with a close-range header, chalking up Liverpool's 100th goal of the season in all competitions.Jurgen Klopp's side were two to the good early in the second half, Mohamed Salah's cool finish taking his tally for the season to 31.




    With David Moyes having never won a game as a manager at Anfield, all the signs pointed towards the contest being over and that seemed to be all but confirmed when Roberto Firmino netted before the hour mark.

    The Londoners showed some resolve and substitute Michail Antonio cut the deficit soon after coming off the bench, only for Sadio Mane to have the final say.Liverpool will watch with interest when fellow top-four hopefuls Manchester United and Chelsea meet on Sunday, with Tottenham also in action.


    The home side – back in top-flight action for the first time in almost a fortnight – threatened to take an early lead when Firmino pulled the ball back for Salah, whose low strike was tipped onto the post by an alert Adrian.

    West Ham, for whom Patrice Evra made his debut, were then caught out by some clever movement from the Egypt international, whose touch was surprisingly found wanting as he sought to get the ball under his spell inside the area.But it was not all one-way traffic and Loris Karius was forced into an excellent fingertip save, deflecting Marko Arnautovic's attempted lob onto the crossbar.

    However, the home side – 5-0 winners over Porto in the Champions League last time out – made the breakthrough in the 29th minute when, following a flurry of corners, Can nodded Salah's delivery past Adrian, who remained rooted to his line.

    Salah headed high and wide on the end of an excellent Andrew Robertson cross, with Klopp's men probing for a second.Karius continued to get the better of his personal duel with Arnautovic, whose dipping strike from long distance was pushed over the top.Liverpool emerged for the second half in determined mood and doubled their advantage when Salah stroked past Adrian following a surging run from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

    A moment of madness from Adrian, who raced off his line and failed to clear the ball, allowed Firmino to slot in the third as Liverpool further asserted their dominance. Moyes was finally given some cause for cheer when Antonio guided a measured finish into the bottom-left corner within a minute of replacing Manuel Lanzini.



    However, after Mane had spurned one golden opportunity to get in on the goalscoring action when he shot against the post, the Senegalese rounded off a fine afternoon for Liverpool by diverting Robertson's square pass into the net 13 minutes from time.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Bayern Munich 0 Hertha Berlin 0: Lewandowski's run ends as leaders are held at home

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    Robert Lewandowski failed to score for a record 12th successive Bundesliga home game as Bayern Munich's winning streak ended with a 0-0 draw against Hertha Berlin.

    Fresh from scoring five against Besiktas in the Champions League on Tuesday, Bayern drew a blank for the first time since a 3-0 European defeat at Paris Saint-Germain that cost former manager Carlos Ancelotti his job.

    Lewandowski - who had tied Jupp Heynckes' scoring record with a goal against Schalke last time out on home turf - had opportunities to continue his streak at the Allianz Arena, only to be thwarted by Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein.The visitors also defended in stoic fashion as they played the role of party poopers to perfection, in the process recording a third successive clean sheet on their travels.

    Despite their failure to secure a club record 15th straight victory, Bayern still extended their lead at the summit to 20 points, albeit nearest rivals Borussia Dortmund can cut into that gap when they host Augsburg on Monday.


    When the teams had met in Berlin last October, Bayern surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 in their first outing following the departure of Ancelotti.Heynckes wasn't in charge on that occasion, but the veteran coach has engineered such a stunning turnaround in the club's on-field fortunes that it's now a case of when, rather than if, Bayern secure a record-breaking sixth successive Bundesliga title.

    The 72-year-old – who missed the home win over Schalke on February 10 due to illness – recalled Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben as he shuffled his pack on Saturday, though all eyes were firmly focused on Lewandowski's record attempt.

    The Poland international twice went close to creating history before the interval, with Jarstein keeping out a close-range header before then combining with defender Jordan Torunarigha to snuff out a one-on-one opportunity set up by Thomas Muller's first-time throughball.

    Torunarigha was also in the right place to hack clear when Mats Hummels inadvertently deflected Javi Martinez's driven cross towards the goal, while Ribery carelessly blasted over as Bayern endured a frustrating first 45 minutes.

    Jarstein continued to keep Lewandowski at bay after the break, anticipating well to grasp hold of a curling attempt on one of the few occasions the forward had escaped the attentions of the impressive Torunarigha.David Alaba saw a curling free-kick from 20 yards out turned away in acrobatic fashion as Bayern's frustrations grew with each passing minute the game remained scoreless.



    Heynckes sent on Kingsley Coman, Sandro Wagner and Arturo Vidal in an attempt to find a breakthrough, though when the first of the three substitutes quickly picked up an injury, Bayern were effectively reduced to 10 men for the remainder of the contest.

    Still, Robben saw a set-piece strike kept out by Jarstein during stoppage time as Hertha held firm through to the final whistle to claim an unlikely point.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Matic insists Manchester United can still do 'big things'


    Midfielder Nemanja Matic is confident Manchester United can do "big things" despite the Premier League title looking beyond them this season.

    United go into Sunday's home top-flight meeting with Matic's former club Chelsea trailing neighbours and runaway leaders Manchester City by 16 points.That gap can be trimmed to 13 with victory at Old Trafford on the same day City face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.

    United are still in contention in the Champions League, though Jose Mourinho's men were fortunate to escape their away last-16 first-leg clash against Sevilla with a 0-0 draw, and are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.And Matic has plenty of hope of a successful conclusion to the campaign, the Serbia international telling United Review: "I think that we have improved.

    "Of course, in the Premier League, it is difficult to win every game, but I think step by step we have improved and in the future I believe, as a team, we can do big things together."I'm happy to be with the team and how we are working together. I'm sure we can do something this season and in the future for sure.

    "We have to be honest and say we have had some very good games, but we have also had some bad games. We have to improve together. We have the Champions League and the FA Cup still to play for.

    "To win the league is going to be very hard as we know because the gap is very big, but we have to fight until the end and we will see what we can do."A victory for the Red Devils would see them go six points over fourth place Chelsea. However, a defeat would see the Blues draw level on points with them.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Man Utd's form will be 'amazing' - Mourinho


    Jose Mourinho forecasts an "amazing" period for Manchester United as he prepares for a glut of home matches across various competitions.United host Chelsea in a key Premier League clash on Sunday to kick off a run of four home games in their next five fixtures.

    Mourinho's men start March with a trip to Crystal Palace before welcoming Champions League qualification rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford.

    The return leg of United's Champions League last-16 tie with Sevilla follows, with a home FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton and Hove Albion wrapping up a busy period, and Mourinho is prepared for the challenges ahead as he faces a crunch spell."I think the next few weeks at Old Trafford will be amazing," Mourinho told MUTV.

    "Two big matches against two direct rivals in the Premier League, two knockout matches that, if things go well, can leave us in the quarter-final of the Champions League and the semi-final of the FA Cup.

    "Sometimes we have periods with three, four consecutive away matches but this time we have four matches at home, with Crystal Palace away in between, but four big matches at Old Trafford."United face an increasingly hectic schedule in the closing months of the campaign due to competing on multiple fronts, with no date yet set for a postponed Premier League match against West Ham.

    "Time flies. It feels like two days ago that we were in Los Angeles for pre-season and now we're almost in March," added Mourinho.

    "March, April and May can be really busy and going far in the FA Cup creates you problems."We now play Brighton when we were supposed to play West Ham and we don't know when we’ll play West Ham."If we play the semi-final of the FA Cup, I don't know when that will be so it can be really busy and complicated."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Pochettino labels 'new dog' Vertonghen one of Europe's best


    Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino believes Jan Vertonghen is one of the best defenders in Europe, comparing the Belgian to his new dog.

    Vertonghen has enjoyed a fine campaign for Spurs, making 35 appearances in all competitions to help his side into fifth in the Premier League and the last 16 in the Champions League.Pochettino is happy to see the Belgium international, who he said deserved a new contract before his current deal expires in 2019, getting credit.

    "He deserves to be praised. In my opinion, he's one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League and in Europe," he said."I think he is the complete centre-back. We have worked a lot together to reach the level that he is at today.

    "He looks like a 20-year-old because it is easy for him to run – he is like my new dog. Physicality is his talent. It is genetic. "He is an athlete and he could play until he is 40 because his physical condition comes very naturally to him."

    However, Pochettino recalled a time when Vertonghen lacked the same presence – during a 4-0 loss to Liverpool in March 2014, two months before the Argentine took over.Pochettino said he used that game to lift the 30-year-old, who he feels has improved a great deal since then.

    "I remember always the Liverpool game. I remember saying, 'Jan, come... How can you be like this? You are going into a battle, no?'" he said."You cannot show this body language because you are a warrior. You are different but when you show this energy it is difficult."You have to show that you are ready to fight. Now he is a complete defender."
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Liverpool win had everything – Klopp enthuses over West Ham's Anfield rout


    Jurgen Klopp hailed Liverpool's 4-1 win over West Ham as a "joy to watch for everybody" after his side climbed to second in the Premier League.The Reds were indebted to a trio of usual suspects as Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane all scored after Emre Can's first-half header had broken the deadlock.It was a game full of chances and attacking intent, with Hammers substitute Michail Antonio's goal ensuring it was not all one-way traffic.

    And Klopp lauded the spectacle at Anfield as Liverpool stole a march on their Champions League qualification rivals, with Manchester United meeting Chelsea on Sunday, when Tottenham also play."When I woke up this morning I didn't expect a game like this, it was a joy to watch for everybody," said Klopp in quotes reported by BBC Sport.

    "It was intense, it was aggressive, it was angry, it was full of desire. I saw everything I wish to see in a game of football and it's not often you see that. "We scored from a set-piece too. You only ever talk to me about set-pieces when we suffer from them so it's nice to score one too.

    "Can we stay second? That depends on other results. We don't have to worry about that now."Can's goal was Liverpool's 100th of the season in all competitions, Salah later taking his personal tally to 31 and allowed him to pick up a little bit of Premier League history in the process.

    Liverpool now sit one point above Manchester United, four points above fourth-place Chelsea and five above fifth-place Tottenham in the race for the Premier League top four.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Mourinho: McTominay should follow his heart for international decision


    Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he has given advice to Scott McTominay but insisted the emerging midfielder must follow his heart as he decides between representing Scotland or England.Scotland and England are both keen on McTominay, who was born in Lancaster to a Scottish father amid a tug-of-war over his international allegiance.

    The 21-year-old has become a valuable member of Mourinho's side this season, beating star team-mate Paul Pogba to a spot in the starting XI for Wednesday's goalless draw against Sevilla in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

    Speaking ahead of Sunday's visit of defending Premier League champions Chelsea, Mourinho said: "I've given him my advice but I think the advice of his parents is more important than mine.

    "His own heart is more important than my advice, because mine is purely from a career point of view. "More important than his career is his feeling, his family's feeling and also the overall situation with him.

    "He's going to have a very good career independently of his international choice – if he has the choice, because maybe Scotland or England don't want to select him, which is also possible. The most important thing is for him to feel good with himself."McTominay's recent rise is a boost for the Old Trafford outfit as they head into a crucial period.

    Mourinho's side can move back into second position ahead of Liverpool with a win against Chelsea, though a loss would leave the club level on points with Antonio Conte's side.

    Manchester United also face both Crystal Palace and Liverpool before the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Sevilla on March 13.
     

    Wolverine GTR

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    Guardiola tells Man City players how to beat Carabao Cup final jitters


    Pep Guardiola wants his Manchester City players to treat Sunday's Carabao Cup final against Arsenal like a friendly game so they can leave Wembley without regrets.

    Guardiola boasts a supreme record in finals as a club coach, triumphing three times in the Club World Cup and twice apiece in the Champions League, Copa del Rey and DFB-Pokal.

    The only time over 10 showpiece encounters in the dugout the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss tasted defeat was when Cristiano Ronaldo settled the 2011 Copa del Rey final in extra time at Barca's expense.

    Last season at City was the first time in his coaching career Guardiola finished a campaign without silverware, although the manager of the runaway Premier League leaders did not speak like a man fearing reputational damage on the eve of facing Arsene Wenger's men.As a player he featured at Wembley when Barcelona won their maiden European Cup in 1992 and his message to younger members of the City squad who are yet to lift a major trophy was a simple one.

    "In your first finals you are more nervous than the next ones," Guardiola said."What I try to say to the players is try to play more like a friendly game. "In the final you want more calm [but also] it has to be with more courage. That's all and on Sunday we are going to try again.

    "I think it's a game we have to try to enjoy the most. It's a final. We are here to play these types of game, why be nervous? Why be worried about win, win, win?
    "It's just a game. No regrets after the game – 'Oh, it's too late now, I didn't do what I should do' - because it’s a final.

    "Everybody is going to be watching us. It's good for our fans and the fans from Arsenal to be there and it’s a success already to be there. Now we just have to try to win."Arsenal beat City 2-1 at the national stadium in the semi-finals of last year's FA Cup, the last game Gabriel Jesus missed as he recuperated from a broken metatarsal.

    The Brazil striker has been forced to endure another lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering medial knee ligament damage during the 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace on New Year's Eve, but he is back in training and ready to feature this weekend – in all probability from the bench as top scorer Sergio Aguero leads the line
    "With Gabriel, it is because of his mentality," Guardiola said. "He is a young guy, he is strong. He is a guy who will be ready."

    Despite suffering a shock 1-0 defeat to League One Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup on Monday, the Carabao Cup could still be the first of multiple honours this season for City, who hold a 4-0 first-leg lead over Basel in the last 16 of the Champions League.

    Perhaps with this in mind, Guardiola will not endorse any wild celebrations if his team triumph, with a Premier League rematch at Arsenal on Thursday to consider.

    Asked whether he would allow the team to enjoy a few drinks if they are victorious, the 47-year-old's hard-earned experience in the game shone through.
    "I think talking about the celebration before the game is stupid, it makes no sense," he replied. "Before the celebration we have to play a game. But normally there is no alcohol."