..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City fined over Wigan FA Cup fracas


Manchester City have been fined £50,000 after admitting a Football Association (FA) charge of failing to control their players against Wigan Athletic.

Players were involved in a melee during last month's FA Cup tie at DW Stadium after Fabian Delph made a challenge on Wigan's Max Power.Referee Anthony Taylor initially appeared set to book Delph, before he subsequently showed a straight red card as Wigan players surrounded the City man and the match official.

Pep Guardiola and Wigan coach Paul Cook clashed on the sidelines, as players had to be separated on the pitch.City lost the tie 1-0, Will Grigg's second-half goal sending the League One side through to the fifth round at the expense of the Premier League leaders.

Sergio Aguero escaped punishment after City's record goalscorer was embroiled in an altercation with a Wigan supporter who invaded the pitch following the full-time whistle.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola not toasting Man City title despite 16-point gap


Pep Guardiola accepts Manchester City are "close" to securing the Premier League title, but stresses it is not "done" despite his side requiring only five more victories.Guardiola's men tore Arsenal apart with a 3-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday to restore a 16-point cushion at the top of the table.

City battered Arsenal by the same scoreline in Sunday's Carabao Cup final at Wembley to give Guardiola his first trophy since joining the club in 2016.

The Premier League title is almost certain to follow, but Guardiola is not ready to celebrate yet."We are close, we cannot deny that," the Catalan told Sky Sports."But it is not done. When you think it is done, it is not done "It is in our hands - the most important thing is it depends on us and we have to close it out."

While City are within touching distance of the title, they face what Guardiola has described as a "terrible" run of fixtures, starting with a home game against Chelsea on Sunday.

Last season's Premier League winners have made a poor title defence, sitting 22 points behind City in fifth, in danger of missing out on Champions League qualification."Right now, as we sit here, they are the champions," Guardiola said. "We want to take this crown but, not too long ago, they made amazing things.

"They can do it again. They have the same manager, almost the same players. They work all week preparing for the game, so it is another challenge."Chelsea have lost their last three away games in all competitions, piling pressure on under-fire Antonio Conte and Guardiola sympathises with the Italian's situation.

"I felt the same last season," he said. "All the managers know, when we are in the top, everybody has big words and says how good you are, you are a genius, you are something special."When you lose, then people say 'What are you doing here?', 'the players don't follow you', 'you have problems with the board'!"

Leroy Sane was unplayable against Arsenal, involved in creating goals for Bernardo Silva and David Silva before scoring City's third himself, and the Germany international echoed Guardiola's call for City to avoid complacency.
"Five games is close but we have to go step by step," said Sane. "On Sunday we have the next big game and it will be tough against Chelsea."We try to make a lot of pressure for ourselves. The thinking is not to relax in games because we're so far ahead of second place. We want to win the Premier League as soon as possible.

"The whole team is really professional. We all talk about it and the backroom staff tell us we have to go game by game. It helps if we win the previous game, especially if it is a big game because it gives us confidence to keep going."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho unsure on Fellaini future at Man Utd


Jose Mourinho does not know if Marouane Fellaini will be persuaded to sign a new Manchester United contract.Fellaini's deal expires at the end of the season, with Roma and Turkish sides Besiktas and Fenerbahce reportedly keen on the midfielder.

Belgium international Fellaini has missed the last month with a knee injury but Mourinho believes the 30-year-old could return in time for the FA Cup and Champions League quarter-finals, should United reach them.

"He is still a young player. His injury, he had a little surgery and he will be back to play in a couple of weeks," Mourinho told reporters on Friday.

"So if you proceed in the Champions League after Sevilla he will be ready for a hypothetical quarter-final, he will be ready for a hypothetical FA Cup quarter-final, he will be ready for the last couple of months of the Premier League fight.

"Is he going to stay or leave? I don't know. I want him to stay, the club wants him to stay. The process, negotiation, numbers - the distances between the offer and what he wants, I really don't know."

In Fellaini's absence, Scott McTominay has broken into United's midfield, with the 21-year-old preferred to Paul Pogba for the Champions League draw at Sevilla.
The 21-year-old is reportedly the subject of an international tug-of-war, with McTominay qualified to play for both Scotland and England, but Mourinho is unsure about the player's international future.

"I don't know if that's true," said Mourinho. "I can't confirm, I have no information about that."My advice to him is not about national teams, it's to keep the way he is, very humble and open to learn, intelligent and keep going in the same direction, same profile, trying to fight to have minutes with Manchester United, which is not easy.

"The national team will be a consequence of his work at the club. I can't confirm both national teams have contacted him, I don't know. [He has made a] real evolution but I think it's a consequence of his profile as a boy.

"And I think people around him are the right people. I think - I never met them - but I have to believe that the kid with his attitude towards the others and towards football, I believe the parents must be really good people."The kid is very fit on the ground and very calm, so I think he passed some important tests. Not by the football point of view, but the mental point of view.Maturity, calm, play against champions, play knockout in the Champions League, two tests for mental approach."A long way to go, obviously, but very fit on the ground, very stable and I hope he can keep the same direction."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho expects Ibrahimovic to leave Manchester United


Jose Mourinho says the decision over the future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic rests with the player, but the veteran striker is expected to leave Manchester United at the end of his contract.

Injuries have restricted Ibrahimovic to a single Premier League start this term, in the home Boxing Day draw against Burnley, during which he was replaced at half-time.Ibrahimovic has not played since that game, although the 36-year-old has indicated he may come out of international retirement to play for Sweden at the World Cup.




Mourinho handed Ibrahimovic a one-year deal in August despite his knee problems and the United manager conceded the forward is expected to depart at the end of the season, with a move to MLS mooted."For Zlatan, we all think it's his last season at Manchester United and it will be a very personal decision for him to play or to stop," said Mourinho.

"I think he won the right of choosing his life and his future - he's such an amazing player with such an amazing career that only that awful injury in the wrong moment broke a fantastic couple of seasons that he could, and should, have with us."This season has been really difficult for him. Is he injured? No, he's not injured.Does he feel totally happy and totally ready and totally convinced that he's in the condition to help the team at this moment? No.

"But he's such an honest guy and such a champion that he only wants to be back with that feeling of 'I'm totally ready for it'. He's working hard and, hopefully, his evolution brings him to that level that he wants to have a positive answer."

Ibrahimovic, who has been training with United, is not expected to play in Monday's Premier League match away to Crystal Palace, but the striker thinks he could be back in action soon."I feel good, I've been training with the team for two weeks and it feels good," Ibrahimovic told Swedish media.

"I need to practice, exercise and play to put the movements in my head."Get more match-like situations because I've been away for quite some time now."Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind will also miss the trip to Selhurst Park.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid can still win La Liga - Zidane defiant on title hopes


Zinedine Zidane maintains Real Madrid can win the La Liga title for the second year running, despite his side sitting 15 points behind rivals Barcelona.Defeat at Espanyol last time out leaves Madrid with a huge task to catch Barca over the 12 remaining games, although on Thursday Ernesto Valverde's men were held to a 1-1 draw at lowly Las Palmas.

Atletico Madrid are putting pressure on Barca, Diego Simeone's side taking 37 points from the last 42 on offer to cut the gap to five ahead of their trip to Camp Nou on Sunday.

Madrid have a chance to move closer to the top two with a home game against Getafe on Saturday, with Zidane still believing Los Blancos can defend their title.

"What we have to do is win games, that's all," Zidane told a pre-match news conference on Friday. "Keep going to the end of the season. That's what we have to do and that's what we have to think about."It's not easy to go out and win all the games but it's what the players have to try and do. If we're always motivated and thinking about the game, then we can achieve something great.

"There's always a league - it's right to the end for every team. Perhaps everyone thinks the league is over but in football you can never give up. That's what we have to do. We have to get it into our heads that our remaining league games are important.

"We're going to fight until the end of the league. It's complicated but it's not impossible, that's the difference between what I say and what you [the media] say. It's difficult, it's very difficult, but it's not impossible.

"We went on a run of five wins, that's football. Last Tuesday against Espanyol, we were angry to lose but we didn't expect to lose. We made some mistakes. When things go wrong you can't just think about that, you have to look at the positives.Think about what we were doing before.

"It will be difficult, yes, but it won't be impossible. Look what's happening between the first and second teams, only five points different. Did you expect that? If Atletico win then it's only two points. Did anyone expect that? The league still exists and I'm an optimist, always, until the very end."

Inconsistency has dogged Madrid this season, Zidane's side recording three heavy home wins in succession in La Liga, although they have failed to beat Fuenlabrada, Numancia and Leganes in the Copa del Rey at the Santiago Bernabeu. And Zidane called for Madrid to renew their focus for Saturday's home game with Getafe, although attention is being drawn to Tuesday's clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

"We've just lost a game and we want to do all we can to go and get a victory," Zidane said. "We've got to do the most we can on the pitch, we studied the opponent but we concentrate on ourselves. We have to go out and give everything.

"All the teams play well, it's the reality of playing against good, motivated teams. They'll be really focused, it's one of the biggest games of the year for them. We have to go into these games in the same way.

"Anyone can have an opinion and feelings about how the squad is, if we are in good shape or not. What I think is we have won nothing yet. What I like to think is the games we have coming up give us a chance to show our quality and prove ourselves.

"We played well in the first game [against PSG] and against Espanyol we played well too. But nothing is certain in football. You don't know what you can achieve and that will always be the same. Tomorrow is a big game and we have to show the form we're in."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.03.03

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.03.03

Burnley Vs Everton

Leicester City Vs Bournemouth

Southampton Vs Stoke

Swansea Vs West Ham

Tottenham Vs Huddersfield

Watford Vs WBA

Liverpool Vs Newcastle

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.03.03

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.03.03

Villareal Vs Girona

Sevilla Vs Athletic Bilbao

Deportivo Vs Eibar

Leganes Vs Malaga

Real Madrid Vs Getafe​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A Fixtures 2018.03.03

Serie A Fixtures 2018.03.03

Spal Vs Bologna

Lazio Vs Juventus

Napoli Vs Roma​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.03.03

Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.03.03

Frankfurt Vs Hannover

Augsburg Vs Hoffenheim

Hamburg Vs Mainz

Schalke Vs Hertha Berlin

Wolfsburg Vs Leverkusen

Leipzig Vs Dortmund​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 3 Getafe 1: Two-goal Ronaldo reaches 300 mark in LaLiga

Cristiano Ronaldo passed 300 LaLiga goals with a brace as Real Madrid warmed up for Tuesday's Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain by beating 10-man Getafe 3-1.

Ronaldo reached the landmark in typically stylish fashion just before the break, making him only the second player after Lionel Messi to score 300 in Spain's top flight and managing the feat in 48 fewer games than his long-standing rival, before completing the scoring late on.

Early evidence suggested Ronaldo and Madrid were in for a frustrating day at the Santiago Bernabeu, as Getafe put up a characteristically dogged performance.



But Gareth Bale broke the deadlock 24 minutes in, sending a fierce effort into the net from inside the penalty area.

On just his 286th LaLiga appearance, Ronaldo then got his 300th goal on the stroke of half-time, dazzling the Getafe defence with his quick feet before unleashing a fine finish, while a red card for Loic Remy early in the second period left the visitors with a mountain to climb.


Although a controversial Francisco Portillo penalty in the 65th minute gave the 10 men a route back into the contest, Ronaldo wrapped things up with his second in the 78th minute to move Zinedine Zidane's men to within seven points of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who face Barcelona on Sunday.

Getafe's performance during the early exchanges showed why they have the third best defence in LaLiga this season, as they sat deep and absorbed significant Madrid pressure.

And the breakthrough had more than a hint of fortune about it, as Isco rose to meet Karim Benzema's looping cross and appeared to nudge it towards Bale with his arm, before the Wales star drilled low past Emiliano Martinez.Madrid did not threaten again until the 40th minute, when Martinez managed to tip Dani Carvajal's low drive wide of the right-hand post.

But Martinez was helpless on the stroke of half-time – Ronaldo collecting Benzema's intricate pass and slamming home left-footed after skilfully evading a couple of challenges.

Things went from bad to worse for Getafe right at the start of the second half, as Remy caught Nacho Fernandez in the throat with a flailing arm and was unsurprisingly shown his second yellow card.Madrid's pressure became relentless thereafter and Benzema almost got in on the act, but Martinez kept his 16-yard effort at bay after Bale teed him up perfectly.

Getafe got themselves a lifeline just after the hour, though, as Portillo converted a spot-kick following the controversial decision to penalise Nacho when appearing to win the ball from Jorge Molina.Ronaldo was prominent again twice in quick succession a few moments later, first seeing a header disallowed for fouling his marker, before forcing a remarkable save from Martinez.

But there was no stopping the Ballon d'Or holder soon afterwards as he met Marcelo's cross with an unstoppable header before being replaced by Marco Asensio, with the Portugal star's mission accomplished.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

RB Leipzig 1 Borussia Dortmund 1: Reus on target to extend Stoger's unbeaten run

Marco Reus' third goal in as many Bundesliga matches was enough to secure a point for Borussia Dortmund as they came from behind to draw 1-1 with RB Leipzig.Reus has been in stunning form since returning from injury last month but his efforts were not enough to move Dortmund back into second place.

Schalke's earlier victory over Hertha Berlin sees them jump ahead of their fierce rivals, although both are well behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich.It could have been a lot worse for Dortmund after Jean-Kevin Augustin broke the deadlock before the half hour, the striker latching onto Naby Keita's throughball.

Dortmund – who had seen two goals ruled out for offside – restored parity before the break thanks to Reus, the forward on hand to beat Peter Gulacsi with a calm finish.Finding a winner proved impossible for either side, though, as they were forced to settle for a share of the spoils, a result that sees Dortmund extend their unbeaten run under Stoger to 10 league matches.


Both goalkeepers were in action early on - Roman Burki denying Timo Werner before Gulacsi was equal to Michy Batshuayi's venomous effort at the other end.

Keita's return from a hamstring injury provided a timely boost for Leipzig, though the Liverpool-bound midfielder could have cost his side dear in the 16th minute when his loose pass allowed Reus to counter.Batshuayi thought he had given Dortmund the lead from the resulting attack, only for the linesman's flag to cut short the Belgian's celebrations - Andre Schurrle having strayed offside in the build-up.But Keita was quick to atone for his error.

Having dispossessed Schurrle with a fine challenge, the 23-year-old brilliantly picked out Augustin, who kept his composure to curl a finish into the bottom-right corner.

Leipzig's lead would not last long, however - Reus getting the better of the hosts' high-line to latch onto Mahmoud Dahoud's throughballl and slot home.Keita's indifferent return to action continued after the interval, as his sluggish pass forced Gulacsi to rush out and prevent Batshuayi getting through on goal.Marcel Sabitzer was fortunate not to concede a free-kick on the cusp of Leipzig's area just prior to the hour, while Emil Forsberg also escaped a booking for a lunge on Lukasz Piszczek.

Dahoud should have had another assist when he prodded a cross into Batshuayi, but the Chelsea-loanee somehow failed to apply the finish from three yards out.
Bruma's introduction injected pace into Leipzig's play, though, as the hosts managed to gain a foothold as the half wore on.

And the winger could have snatched it late on when he created space in Dortmund's area, only to loft his cross-cum-shot just wide as Dortmund held firm to claim a point that keeps them in the top three.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 2 Newcastle United 0: Salah scores again to send Reds second

Mohamed Salah scored his 24th Premier League goal of the season as Liverpool moved up to second place with a 2-0 home win against former manager Rafael Benitez's Newcastle United.Salah struck the opener, finding the net for his seventh appearance in a row for the Reds, maintaining a stunning run of goalscoring since arriving at Anfield from Roma.

Newcastle deployed a packed defence but Salah found a way through before half-time, finishing off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's pass to put Liverpool on track for a solid win ahead of Tuesday's Champions League visit of Porto.




And when Liverpool cut Newcastle open again, Sadio Mane finishing off a fine team move to score the 200th league goal of Jurgen Klopp's reign, the game was effectively over as a contest.

Benitez's men rarely looked like scoring, with Newcastle left 16th in the table and just two points above the relegation zone, with captain Jamaal Lascelles seemingly fortunate not to see red in stoppage time for a push on the clean-through Salah.

Liverpool climb above Manchester United into second and Klopp's men have built a seven-point cushion from fifth-placed Chelsea in the race to secure Champions League qualification, with Antonio Conte's side in action at the Premier League's runaway leaders Manchester City on Sunday.


Mane's heavy touch denied the winger a sight of goal in the early minutes, while Salah sent a volley into the side-netting, but both attackers would find the target later.Florian Lejeune's ambitious long-range free-kick posed no problems for Loris Karius, Martin Dubravka showing sharp reflexes to keep out a Dejan Lovren header at the other end.

Newcastle's determined defending was denying Liverpool space, but Salah dallied when he could have fired at goal, Lejeune recovering to make a block.Salah did not waste his next opportunity, though, breaking the deadlock in the 40th minute to score his 32nd goal of the season in all competitions.

A ricochet in midfield fell to Oxlade-Chamberlain, who fed Salah for the Egypt international to take a sharp touch out of his feet and hit a crisp finish through the legs of Dubravka.Karius made a brilliant save high to his right to palm over a looping Mohamed Diame strike after Mikel Merino's backheel teed up a first-time drive.

Salah wanted a penalty for handball early in the second half when Lascelles blocked his shot in the box, but referee Graham Scott waved his appeals away.
Liverpool doubled their lead in the 55th minute, though, with Mane on target for the third game in a row in all competitions.Beautiful passing combinations and superb movement led to Roberto Firmino setting up Mane, with the Senegal forward - involved earlier in the sweeping attack - beating Dubravka with a super curling strike.

The intensity dropped from Klopp's men thereafter, their energy levels protected ahead of Tuesday, but there was never any sign of a Magpies fightback and Lascelles somehow avoided punishment when he brought down Salah on the edge of the box with the last action of the game.

Newcastle have not won at Anfield since 1994 and they were largely toothless here, Benitez's side slipping closer to the relegation zone after a tame defeat, but Liverpool continue to thrive following the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lazio 0 Juventus 1: Dybala strikes late to keep pressure on Napoli

Paulo Dybala scored in injury time as Juventus extended their winning run in Serie A to 10 matches with a dramatic 1-0 triumph over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico.

On his return from a hamstring problem, Dybala shrugged off the attentions of Marco Parolo to tuck home in stoppage time and make sure the Bianconeri remain right on the coattails of Napoli in a two-horse race for the title.The much-anticipated battle between third and second in the table seemed set to end in stalemate, with both teams cancelling each other out in a disappointing game devoid of clear-cut opportunities.




Juve had a first-half goal correctly ruled out for a foul - sparing Jordan Lukaku the embarrassment of scoring in his own net - as they seemed set to draw a blank ahead of Wednesday's Champions League tie with Tottenham.

Both sides faded in the second half, hardly a surprise after playing in the Coppa Italia in midweek, before Dybala struck right at the death.The forward converted Daniele Rugani's pass as he fell to the ground to secure three valuable points and make sure Juventus will head to Wembley on a winning note.


The last-gasp strike settled a heavyweight clash that had seen the competitors struggle to land a meaningful blow between them.The two teams went toe-to-toe after contrasting results in the cup in midweek.While Juventus reached a fourth successive final thanks to a 1-0 victory over Atalanta in the second leg of their semi-final, Lazio lost out to AC Milan in a penalty shoot-out.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – one of those who missed from the spot in midweek – had a firm header saved by Gianluigi Buffon in the first half, with the veteran goalkeeper also required to tip a low drive from Ciro Immobile around his right post before the break.

Juventus thought they'd gone ahead when Lukaku nodded Dybala's corner into his own goal just before the half-hour mark, only for referee Luca Banti to correctly spot a push by Mario Mandzukic on the defender.The official had decided against whistling for a foul in the opening minutes of the second half in the same penalty area, rejecting appeals for a penalty when Dybala theatrically fell under pressure from Lucas Leiva.



The pace dropped significantly after the interval, and Allegri's decision to send on the attack-minded Douglas Costa – resulting in a switch to a flat-back four – still failed to inspire Juventus.

Yet the champions still found a way to triumph before the final bell, Argentine Dybala demonstrating both skill and strength to land the knockout blow in the closing seconds of an otherwise forgettable contest.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Troyes 0 Paris Saint-Germain 2: PSG cruise without 'MCN'

Angel Di Maria continued his brilliant run of goal-scoring form to help Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-0 Ligue 1 defeat of Troyes, despite the revered attacking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani all missing out.

PSG were far from their vibrant best without the injured Neymar and Mbappe, and rested Cavani, but did enough to claim a routine win over a side that hardly threatened, with second-half goals from Di Maria and Christopher Nkunku proving decisive.

Given the fact PSG were without the sources of 53 of their Ligue 1 goals this season, it was hardly surprising to see them struggle as an attacking force in the first half, with Troyes goalkeeper Erwin Zelazny mostly kept busy by long-range attempts.But a fine Di Maria effort early in the second half, his seventh goal in six games across all competitions, ended Troyes' dogged resistance.

The home side failed to offer much of a response, Alphonse Areola in the PSG goal enjoying a leisurely outing.And PSG ultimately cruised to all three points thanks to Nkunku's late effort, taking them into Tuesday's crunch Champions League tie at home to Real Madrid in winning form.


PSG established control early on and went close to the opener in the seventh minute, but Di Maria's effort was repelled by Zelazny after Julian Draxler had raced on to Giovani Lo Celso's through pass and teed up the former Manchester United man.

Aside from that opportunity, PSG's lack of Neymar, Cavani and Mbappe was telling during the early exchanges, as their replacements showed little sign of being on the same wavelength and clear-cut chances failed to flow.The visitors only looked like troubling Troyes from distance, but did force Zelazny into a couple of saves, with Lo Celso and then Di Maria testing the goalkeeper.

PSG were a little more vibrant and fluid towards the end of the half. However, Zelazny continued to come out on top, keeping another long-range Lo Celso attempt at bay, before producing a fine reaction save to thwart Nkunku's overhead-kick.Zelazny was eventually beaten just after the break – Di Maria racing on to Draxler's pass and lifting a clever chipped effort over the approaching goalkeeper.

Nkunku should have doubled their lead soon after, but he inexplicably shot wide of the right-hand post from about eight yards after a sensational run and pass from Draxler.But the young attacker made amends for that miss 13 minutes from time, providing a neat finish from close range.

Things got worse for Troyes soon after, as Jean-Louis Garcia was sent to the stands for his protestations, but PSG – who introduced George Weah's 18-year-old son Timothy for a debut late on – were unable to add further gloss to the scoreline, Dani Alves seeing an injury-time strike ruled out for offside.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Swansea City 4 West Ham 1: King on target as Carvalhal revolution continues


Andy King scored on his full debut as Swansea City bolstered their hopes of Premier League survival with a 4-1 thrashing of woeful West Ham.

The victory saw Carlos Carvalhal's side leapfrog the Hammers in the Premier League table and rise out of the relegation zone after a run of four wins from their last six games.

The visitors' afternoon quickly unravelled as Ki Sung-yueng opened the scoring inside eight minutes and defender Winston Reid was stretchered off before being taken to hospital with injuries to his knee and head.




Mike van der Hoorn doubled Swansea's lead before Leicester City loanee King struck early in the second half and David Moyes will have been furious to see his side concede two goals at corners.

Jordan Ayew heaped more misery on Moyes with a penalty after his brother Andre – making his first start for Swansea since rejoining the club from West Ham in January – was brought down by Cheikhou Kouyate.


Substitute Michail Antonio grabbed a late consolation but the result leaves West Ham with just one win from their last six games and serious defensive frailties - not helped by Reid's serious-looking injury - to address if they are to avoid the drop.

Both sides launched themselves into this crucial game at a high tempo but Swansea quickly took the wind out of West Ham's sails when Ki received Andre Ayew's lay-off, switched the ball to his left foot and drove a low shot into the bottom-right corner of the net after eight minutes.West Ham were clinging on when Federico Fernandez shot from close range after a scramble in the penalty area and Declan Rice had to clear the ball off the line to keep his team in the contest.

The game was delayed for 10 minutes while Reid was treated and stretchered off having suffered a severely twisted knee and a bang to the head.Following the restart Andre Ayew sought to inflict further misery when he arrowed a powerful strike towards goal, forcing a good save from Adrian.

And it was 2-0 just after the half-hour when Van der Hoorn scored his first goal of the season, heading Ki's corner into the net from close range after losing his marker.West Ham looked brighter when they emerged for the second period but within three minutes their defence fell asleep at a set-piece, allowing King to poke home the rebound from Andre Ayew's saved header.

The visitors belatedly sparked into life as Marko Arnautovic received the ball on the edge of the box and executed a piece of skill that left two Swansea defenders on the floor, only to send a disappointing shot into the arms of Lukasz Fabianski.Just after the hour mark, Swansea made it 4-0 from the penalty spot.Andre Ayew was clumsily tripped in the box by Kouyate, and the striker's younger brother Jordan rifled the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner of the net.

With 11 minutes to go, Antonio collected a high ball inside the box and deftly turned before firing low past Fabianski, but it was far too little, too late for Moyes' men.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham 2 Huddersfield Town 0: Son double helps Spurs warm up for Juventus

Two goals from Son Heung-min gave Tottenham a comfortable 2-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday.The South Korea international struck in each half to give the home side all three points at Wembley and move them into third in the table, at least temporarily.

Spurs, who have won their last seven games against Huddersfield in all competitions and are unbeaten in 34 league meetings with promoted teams, rarely looked troubled against a visiting side who lost the reverse fixture 4-0 in September.




Manager Mauricio Pochettino named a strong team, despite the looming visit of Juventus in the Champions League, and they took full advantage of some early dominance through Son's stylish finish just before the half-hour mark.

The 25-year-old headed in his second after the break to make the win safe, as Spurs climbed a point above Liverpool, who face Newcastle United later on Saturday.Huddersfield, meanwhile, remain just three points outside the relegation zone with nine matches remaining.


Son was the most dangerous player during Spurs' control of the ball in the opening 20 minutes, with goalkeeper Jonas Lossl doing well to save at Harry Kane's feet after one of the former Bayer Leverkusen man's driving runs down the left.Christian Eriksen stung Lossl's hands as Spurs pressure began to build, and they finally broke the deadlock 27 minutes in, with Son rounding the goalkeeper before drilling home left-footed after Dele Alli's pass sent him clean through on goal.

The visitors were trying to hit on the break but could barely bring the ball out of their own half, such was Spurs' dominance, and their difficult first 45 minutes was made worse by the loss of both Collin Quaner and Alex Pritchard to injury.

Referee Kevin Friend, who had to replace the injured Mike Jones at the start of the match, waved away strong penalty appeals from Son early in the second half after the prostrate Terence Kongolo grabbed at his leg, although the Spurs forward should really have been penalised for being offside.

Hugo Lloris saved well from Tom Ince on the break but Huddersfield's hopes of a point were extinguished 54 minutes in, as Son headed Kane's bouncing cross from the right beyond the static Lossl and into the net.David Wagner's side looked resigned to their defeat and Spurs took the chance to rest some key players before Juve's visit on Wednesday, with Son departing to a standing ovation from the home crowd.

Kane had a strangely quiet outing and volleyed a good chance wide in the closing stages, but Pochettino looked largely unconcerned by the miss, with his thoughts now turning to that showdown with the Serie A champions.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Save your goals for another time' - Valverde tells Barca target Griezmann


Ernesto Valverde believes Antoine Griezmann will provide a major threat to Barcelona's La Liga ambitions on Sunday but the Camp Nou boss would not be drawn on speculation over the France forward's future.

Griezmann enters the top-of-the-table clash in incredible form, having followed a hat-trick in last weekend's 5-2 win at Sevilla with all four in the 4-0 thumping of Leganes on Wednesday.

The latest round of transfer rumours in the Spanish media this week suggested Barca were moving closer to securing a deal for the 26-year-old, despite Atleti complaining to FIFA over the Liga leaders' alleged pursuit of their player at the end of last year.

For his part, Griezmann is simply focused on scoring a first career goal at one of football's most celebrated arenas, telling reporters "I really want to score and celebrate it on Sunday"."Well I'd rather he saved his goals for another time," Valverde said in response at his pre-match news conference.

"As for his future, I can't tell you but he's a player who's in excellent form at the moment. "Tomorrow he's one of the strengths of the Atleitco Madrid team. We're going to have to look after him very closely."

Pressed again on whether he would like Griezmann at Barcelona next season, Valverde added: "Look, he's a very good player. I have no doubt about that."He scored four goals the other day and three the time before."But I'm not going to talk about a player who plays for another team, especially one we are playing the next day. That would be improper."

Sunday's match has taken on added weight due to Atleti taking chunks out of Barca's once-formidable lead at the summit.Their advantage has been trimmed to five points on the back of midweek action that saw Las Palmas hold Valverde's team to a draw.

Far from being unsettled by this state of affairs, the Barcelona head coach expects his star men to rise to the occasion."The games this season that have been really tough and tight, where there have been things at stake, we've responded," he said.

"Look at the game away to Atletico [a 1-1 draw in October], we played very well.Juventus at home [a 3-0 win in September] there was tension we might not win. We ended up top of the Champions League group.

"In the game at Stamford Bridge [1-1 in the Champions League last month] we played good football and let's not forget the Bernabeu [a 3-0 Clasico win in December]."I think the team responds to the big occasions but we're playing big teams who have their own weapons as well."

Atletico's title challenge is built on a miserly defence, breached only 11 times over the course of 26 games in La Liga, but Valverde expects them to be buoyed by their recent prolific form."They tend to alternate during their games so I suppose they'll do something similar tomorrow," he added.

"I'm expecting an Atleti who will be quite attack-minded. I don’t think they will sit and wait for us, I think they will come at us and try to make our defence suffer."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pochettino joins elite group with 100th Premier League win


Mauricio Pochettino reached 100 Premier League wins as Tottenham manager in Saturday's 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town at Wembley.Two goals from Son Heung-min secured all three points for the home side and moved them into third place in the table, a point above Liverpool, who face Newcastle United in their game in hand.It was Spurs' third straight win in the Premier League, and marked 11 games unbeaten since folding to Manchester City shortly before Christmas.




The former Argentina international has now managed a century of wins in England's top flight in just 197 matches, which matches ex-Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers boss Kenny Dalglish's efforts.In doing so, the manager enters an elite group of bosses who have managed the mark with such speed.

Only six managers reached the milestone in fewer games. Jose Mourinho leads the way, having won 100 of his first 142 matches, ahead of Alex Ferguson, who needed 162 contests to get a century of victories.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is next on the list (179 matches), ahead of Rafa Benitez (181) and Claudio Ranieri (187).

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Henry a novice and wrong for Arsenal' - Petit wants experienced Wenger successor


Thierry Henry would be the wrong choice to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, says Emmanuel Petit, with the legendary striker a “novice” in managerial terms.

With the man currently at the Gunners helm facing more uncomfortable questions regarding his future, a host of names have been offered up as possible candidates to fill a coaching void.

Wenger has given no indication that he will be stepping aside any time soon, but if that decision is taken out of his hands then Arsenal will be in the market for a new boss for the first time in 22 years.

Club icon Henry, who is fondly remembered in north London for breaking the Gunners’ all-time goalscoring record, has been mooted as an option to cut his management teeth at the very highest level, with the Frenchman boasting the fan support that Wenger now lacks.Petit, though, believes his former team-mate and fellow Premier League title winner needs to gain experience elsewhere before taking on such a role, telling SFR Sport:"He has his statue outside the stadium, and he benefits from an impressive credit in terms of affection and love not only from Gunners fans but also the whole Premier League."He's the player, after Ryan Giggs, who has made the most impact in the Premier League.

"That shows you the extent to which he is in people's minds and has been for a long time. If you add to that his passion for football, he could do something good - but he is a novice."He's the third assistant coach of Belgium. When you see Patrick Vieira, who is coaching in the MLS ... the MLS is different, but he belongs to Manchester City.

"So, bring back a former player? Yes, but I think that given Arsenal's current context it's not what Arsenal need right now. I think they need a seasoned coach who'll put things on the right track."While Petit is against Henry returning to Arsenal at this stage, others have been quick to talk up his claims to a coaching post.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said: "If he wants to be manager, he has the talent to do it. But he has to decide, not me."Former Barcelona president Joan Laporta has added of a man who admits it is his “dream” to one day take charge of the Gunners: "The same requirements we were appreciating in Pep Guardiola when we decided to put him as a coach of the first team, Thierry has many of them.

"If he wants to become a coach, and more specifically wants to coach Arsenal, then it is because he is convinced he will do it very well because he is looking for excellence all the time - just as when he was a player.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casemiro: Ronaldo showed again that he's the world's best


Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro hailed Cristiano Ronaldo and said the forward again showed he was the world's best player.Ronaldo scored a brace – his 300th and 301st goals in La Liga – during Madrid's 3-1 win over a 10-man Getafe on Saturday.

The Portugal international has found form in recent weeks, netting 14 times in his past eight games, and Casemiro was full of praise for his team-mate.

"We enjoyed it and played very well, especially when they went a man down because we were able to control the game," he said."It was obvious Getafe struggled physically after the sending off. We had control of the game and we did a good job at home."Cristiano showed again he's the best in the world and he brings so much to the team."

Madrid now turn their attentions back to the Champions League, making the trip to Paris Saint-Germain for the second leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday with a 3-1 aggregate lead.The Ligue 1 leaders will be without Casemiro's Brazil team-mate Neymar, who underwent surgery after breaking his metatarsal.

"I haven't spoken to Neymar, but in these kinds of matches everyone should be involved. It is a game he won't play, but PSG have top players," Casemiro said.
"Now [Angel] Di María will feature and he is top class. We have the advantage but they are a tough side and will make us suffer. It will be a great game."Hopefully [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos will play. I cannot confirm anything but hopefully they'll be ready. They are top drawer and I'm used to having them alongside me."