Pep Guardiola’s trophy gathering was put on hold last season but the Spaniard gets the chance to resume populating his mantelpiece when his Manchester City side face Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday. The Spaniard won 11 major trophies with Barcelona and seven more with Bayern Munich so his failure to mark his debut season with Manchester City with anything tangible was a surprise. This season, however, Guardiola’s blueprint for success has fully infiltrated his City squad to such an extent that only a few days ago an unprecedented quadruple seemed possible. Third-tier Wigan Athletic ended that hope with a stunning 1-0 victory in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday -- becoming only the third team to beat City in any competition this season. That setback served as a wake-up call for runaway Premier League leaders City who will start as firm favourites to beat Arsenal at Wembley and win the League Cup for the third time in five seasons having triumphed twice under Manuel Pellegrini. Their progress to Wembley has not been straightforward and they needed penalty shootouts to dispose of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City.
They will be wary too of an Arsenal side who, despite their lack of a credible title challenge in recent years, have made a habit of rising to the occasion in big one-off finals. They have won their last three Wembley finals, all in the FA Cup, against Hull City (2014), Aston Villa (2015) and Chelsea last year when they were also underdogs. The League Cup is the only domestic trophy to elude Arsene Wenger in his near 22-year reign in north London and the Gunners have to go back to 1993 for the last time they won it. INTENSE SPECULATION Wenger has often treated the League Cup as an excuse to experiment, concentrating on the so-called bigger prizes, but Sunday’s showdown with City offers the Frenchman the chance to shove the words of his critics back down their throats. His side are languishing in the sixth place in the Premier League, eight points off the Champions League places, and they were knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier Nottingham Forest. The Europa League could also offer salvation this season but a League Cup trophy, especially against City, would help create calmer waters over the final months of the season when Wenger’s future is again likely to be a matter of intense speculation. Former midfielder Ray Parlour, who played in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the 1993 final, said Sunday’s showpiece is a huge game for both clubs. “At the end of your career people ask you what did you win, not how much money you earned,” Parlour told Sky Sports. “Every single player wants another medal in the cabinet.” Both sides are expected to start with their back-up goalkeepers on Sunday with Wenger keeping faith with Colombian David Ospina who has played throughout the competition. Guardiola is also likely to use Claudio Bravo, his Cup goalie this year, rather than Ederson. He will also be without Fabian Delph who is suspended after his red card against Wigan. Arsenal, who were in action against Ostersunds on Thursday in the Europa League, are without Alexandre Lacazette who has undergone knee surgery but midfielder Aaron Ramsey should have recovered from a groin injury in time to face City.
Such has been the war of words between Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte it is easy to forget that a vitally important top-four battle will break out on the Old Trafford pitch on Sunday. From the moment Conte’s Chelsea thrashed Mourinho’s Manchester United 4-0 to kickstart their 2016-17 Premier League title charge, a simmering tension has existed between the pair, who both won the Premier League in their first season in England - and both with the London side. This season the discord erupted into open dislike with insults flying backwards and forwards. In October, Mourinho said Conte was the kind of manager who “they cry, they cry, they cry when a player is injured”, while Conte suggested the Portuguese was far too interested in what was going on at the club where he was once worshipped.
Mourinho’s comments in January that not “behaving like a clown on the touchline” did not betray a lack of passion appeared to be directed Conte’s way. Even if it were not, Conte took the bait and hit back in no uncertain terms, accusing Mourinho of suffering from amnesia although his original remark, later clarified, spoke of “senile dementia”. Mourinho stoked the fires by dragging up a 2011 match-fixing saga that Conte was implicated in. “I think I will still make a few (mistakes). What never happened to me and will never happen is to be suspended for match-fixing,” Mourinho said. Conte, who always denied any wrongdoing in that affair, was furious and described Mourinho as “a little man with a very low profile” as the bad blood began to boil. So there would appear to be egos as well as points at stake this weekend as United and Chelsea strive to bolster their hopes of finishing in the top-four behind runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City. United and Chelsea are four points and one point respectively above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who could ramp up the pressure by winning Sunday’s early kickoff at Crystal Palace. The stakes will already be high enough without any pre-match trash talking as Mourinho will be desperate to avoid a fourth defeat in five matches against Chelsea since taking over at United in 2016. He certainly will not want to hear the chants of “you’re not special any more” from Chelsea’s visiting fans -- the same ones who lauded him for winning seven trophies in two spells as the Blues’ manager, including three league titles. Victory, and a first league double over United for eight years, would see Chelsea move level on points with Mourinho’s side, with 10 games of the season remaining. A win for United, however, would leave Chelsea glancing anxiously behind them. “The next game is always the most important because it’s where you can get the three points,” Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta said. “At the moment we are getting closer and closer to the end of the season, so we have to get the points.” Chelsea may reap the benefit of having 24 hours more recovery time from their Champions League exertions, having drawn 1-1 with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday. United ground out a 0-0 draw in Sevilla on Wednesday, but will surely be more adventurous against Conte’s side.
Harry Kane continued his single-handed assault on the record books when he scored Tottenham Hotspur’s opening goal in their comeback 2-2 draw at Juventus in the Champions League last 16, first leg on Tuesday. Kane’s 35th minute effort was his seventh goal in the competition this season -- matching Steven Gerrard whose seven for Liverpool in the 2008-09 campaign had stood as a record for an English player. Not only that but Kane’s nine-goal haul from his first nine games is more than any other player in the history of Europe’s blue-riband club competition -- one more than the quartet of Ronaldinho, Simone Inzaghi, Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. Kane has scored nine goals in his last eight games in all competitions and has 33 for the season -- more than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues. The 24-year-old, who this month reached 100 Premier League goals in only 141 appearances, could have added to his tally on Tuesday but for two great saves by Juve’s veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon in the first half. With the twice Premier League Golden Boot winner in this sort of form, however, Tottenham will feel they can topple Juventus in the second leg at Wembley next month -- indeed they will be favourites to do so. Kane, who bagged Tottenham’s winner against rivals Arsenal last weekend, paid tribute to the way his team mates recovered from conceding twice in the first nine minutes on Tuesday -- Gonzalo Higuain striking twice for the hosts.
“We could have capitulated, away from home in the Champions League. It showed character,” he said. “It was an excellent performance after that and we take two away goals to Wembley. A great result.” Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said his side had been sloppy in the opening 10 minutes but felt they should have been celebrating a victory after recovering to enjoy 62 percent of the possession against a side starting with seven of the players who began last year’s final against Real Madrid in Cardiff. His opposite number Massimiliano Allegri said his side had been taken aback by Tottenham’s riposte. “We started very well but then we struggled to keep the ball because Tottenham were playing so well,” he said. “After going 2-0 up, we did not decide to defend deep, Tottenham forced us to. After their second goal, however, we were the more dangerous side.”
London: Newcastle United’s manager Rafa Benitez would have taken a victory against just about anyone on Sunday, such was his side’s predicament, but a 1-0 win over Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United would have tasted that bit sweeter. Huddersfield Town’s 4-1 home victory over Bournemouth earlier in the day meant Newcastle started their home clash against United in the Premier League’s bottom three. Yet they responded with a gritty display, riding their luck at times to take the points courtesy of Matt Ritchie’s 65th-minute winner which propelled them from 18th to 13th. The result also left second-placed United a whopping 16 points behind leaders Manchester City and looking anxiously over their shoulders in what looks like becoming a tense battle for the remaining Champions League places. Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal on Saturday had lifted the north London club to within four points of United and Liverpool sliced the gap to two after Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah scored in a nonchalant 2-0 win at Southampton in Sunday’s late kickoff. Fifth-placed Chelsea can move to within three points of United with victory at West Brom on Monday.
There was a warm handshake between Benitez and Mourinho when the final whistle sounded at a tumultuous St James’ Park to confirm Newcastle’s first home league win since October. But their previous history has been marked by frostiness -- a result of former Liverpool manager Benitez twice getting the better of Mourinho’s Chelsea in Champions League semi-finals. The fact that they have both managed Chelsea, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, with Mourinho enjoying a superior record, meant Benitez’s triumph on Sunday, only his second in the Premier League against Mourinho, had added meaning. Ritchie rifled a shot past David De Gea in the 65th minute to punish a profligate United side who wasted several good chances with Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez culpable. Newcastle dug deep for their manager and debutant keeper Martin Dubravka made several superb saves. “They fought like animals,” Mourinho said of Benitez’s side. “Newcastle’s players gave the sacrifices all managers like to see. Were they lucky? Yes. But sometimes you deserve that luck. They fought for their lives and that’s a beautiful thing.” TOO SLICK Martial was denied by a great save from Dubravka and had two efforts cleared off the line after the break. Sanchez inexplicably failed to fire into an empty net after rounding Dubravka, shortly before Ritchie struck the winner. “We had games in the past when we conceded late. We got lucky with some shots, but we showed the character, the commitment and the desire today,” Benitez said. Liverpool were too slick for a feeble Southampton as they condemned the south coast side to a place in the bottom three. Salah punished a mistake and squared for Firmino to score in the seventh minute and the livewire Egyptian then stroked home the second before halftime after a snappy passing move. United have 56 points, Liverpool 54 and Tottenham 52 with Chelsea on 50. It is equally tight at the bottom where the so-called trap door is looking more like a revolving door. Huddersfield escaped the bottom three on Sunday as they snapped a five-game losing sequence. Alex Pritchard fired Huddersfield in front after seven minutes and although Junior Stanislas levelled, the hosts were ahead again before the break thanks to Steve Mounie’s 27th-minute header from Aaron Mooy’s delivery.
LONDON: Chelsea's troubled season hit a new low on Monday as the Premier League champions crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Watford that heaped fresh pressure on beleaguered boss Antonio Conte. Less than a year after being hailed as the mastermind of Chelsea's title triumph, Conte appears destined to become the latest high-profile boss to pay the price for failing to satisfy ruthless Blues owner Roman Abramovich. With fourth-placed Chelsea trailing 19 points behind leaders Manchester City, Abramovich is reported to be considering replacements for Conte, with former Barcelona coach Luis Enrique strongly linked with the job. Here is a look at the reasons for Chelsea's collapse: The champagne corks had barely finished popping at the end of Chelsea's title celebrations in May before Conte bizarrely lost his cool and set off down a path that now looks certain to end with his exit. Misjudging his power base, Conte felt winning the league should allow him much more say in who came and went from his squad -- and first in his sights was notorious malcontent Diego Costa.
Infuriated by Costa's mood swings and an attempt to engineer a move to China, Conte decided to sell the Spain striker even though his goals had been instrumental in the title success. But he hadn't reckoned on Costa going public with a text message from Conte telling him he is not in his plans for next season, a move that prompted the Chelsea boss to exile his forward from the squad. The situation quickly disintegrated as Costa refused to train with the reserves, leaving Chelsea struggling to find a buyer. Abramovich was said to be furious and, although Costa eventually got his wish to join Atletico Madrid, the Italian has been on a collision course with the club's hierarchy ever since. The breakdown in relations manifested itself in Conte dragging out negotiations over a new contract and when he eventually signed the improved terms, tellingly it didn't include an extension. Already grumbling about his lack of influence over transfers and complaining that Chelsea weren't spending as much as their rivals, Conte was livid when Abramovich sanctioned Nemanja Matic's switch to Manchester United. It didn't help that technical director Michael Emenalo left the club, leaving Marina Granovskaia, a close Abramovich aide, in charge of transfer deals, much to Conte's chagrin. Engaging in a petty feud with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho only added to the perception that Conte was unravelling as Chelsea failed to keep pace with City in the title race. "That's the type of wretched result and performance that gets managers the sack," Henry Winter, chief football writer of The Times, said of the rout at Watford. Yet Conte has never seemed settled in England, with his family only joining him this year, and he seems unruffled by the prospect of leaving. "I'm not worried. I can be the Chelsea coach or not. What is the problem? My soul is clear," he said after the Watford game. From the very first day of the season, Chelsea, reflecting their manager's discontent, have seemed totally out of sync on the pitch. A shock 3-2 home defeat against Burnley on the opening weekend foreshadowed the problems to come, with Conte claiming it could take four years to build a team capable of consistently winning silverware. That downbeat assessment hardly inspired Conte's players, who were already reported to be chafing at his demanding training sessions and intense personality. A 3-0 loss at Roma in the Champions League in October exposed more fault lines in a team suddenly bereft of confidence, with the problems exacerbated by David Luiz clashing with the Italian after the defender criticised his tactics. Adding to Conte's woes, Tiemoue Bakayoko, signed from Monaco to fill the defensive midfield role vacated by Matic, has endured a dismal season, while Alvaro Morta, the Spain striker brought to replace Costa, has been inconsistent in front of goal and lacks his predecessor's intimidating physical presence. Numerous hamstring injuries to Chelsea players this season have led some to question whether Conte's training methods are culpable, yet he complained that the club had signed too many players, rather than investing their money in marquee recruits like City and Manchester United.
London: Ten-man Chelsea suffered another setback in their stumbling season as they lost 4-1 at Watford on Monday after conceding three late goals to go down to their second straight Premier League defeat. Daryl Janmaat, Gerard Deulofeu and Roberto Pereyra all scored late on in response to Eden Hazard dragging Chelsea back into the game with a curler in the 82nd minute after Tiemoue Bakayoko was sent off for a second booking on the half-hour. Chelsea cruised to the title in coach Antonio Conte’s first campaign in England last season but they are 19 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City and are focused on finishing in the top four Champions League qualification spots. Chelsea sit in fourth spot, a point behind third-placed Liverpool and one ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in fifth.
“I tried to warn everyone about the difficulty of our path in the league and Champions League,” said Chelsea coach Antonio Conte. “We performed very bad but maybe I made the mistakes with the starting XI today. My choice was very poor I think.” Mid-table Watford had taken the lead in the 43rd with a Troy Deeney penalty after Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois brought down on-loan Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu. By that stage, Chelsea were down to 10 men after their France midfielder Bakayoko was booked twice for challenges in the space of a few minutes before the half-hour mark. Watford reacted quickly to Hazard’s equaliser as defender Janmaat exchanged passes with Pereyra before shooting low past Courtois. Deulofeu sealed the win in the 88th with his first goal for the club before Pereyra got the fourth in added time. Monday’s loss has added to the pressure on Conte, who faces more questions about his future after a poor start to 2018 which has seen Chelsea knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal before they lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth last week in the league. “My position? It is the same. I stay here, try to work and put all myself in the work,” Conte told Sky Sports. “The pressure? What is the pressure? I work - if this is enough it is, OK. Otherwise the club has to take another decision.” It was a different story for new Watford manager Javi Gracia who modestly described the victory in his first home match in charge as a “good beginning” for his side, who sit in 11th place but are still only six points clear of the relegation zone. “I think it is important not only for three points but for the motivation to believe in our possibilities,” Gracia told reporters. “I think it is very important today.”
LONDON : Chelsea manager Antonio Conte goes into Monday’s Premier League game at Watford with mounting uncertainty over his future amid concern the champions may miss out on a Champions League spot next season. Fourth-placed Chelsea are one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur after an unimpressive start to the year in which they were knocked out of the League Cup by Arsenal and beaten at home in the Premier League by Bournemouth. Conte has been the subject of persistent British media reports that he will leave the club at the end of the season after publicly criticising their transfer policy. Although the 48-year-old has been linked with a return to his former job as Italy manager, Italian football federation (FIGC) assistant commissioner Alessandro Costacurta said on Sunday that he has ruled himself out.
“As Conte reiterated the other day, he wants to continue working as a coach on a day-by-day basis at club level for at least the next 18 months, the length of his Chelsea contract, so he has pulled out of the running,” Costacurta said. Conte has called on the Chelsea board to end the uncertainty over his future by publicly confirming they trust in his work. One way or another he may well be disappointed. The only time Chelsea have done anything similar was in Oct. 2015 when they released a statement backing Jose Mourinho following Chelsea’s worst start to a season since 1979. Two months later the Portuguese was sacked. Conte’s methods underwent further scrutiny over the weekend when it was revealed that new signing Ross Barkley will miss Monday’s game at Vicarage Road after becoming the eighth Chelsea player to suffer a hamstring injury this season. Conte has consistently said his squad is not strong enough, although striker Olivier Giroud and defender Emerson Palmieri were recruited last week in an attempt to provide more options. Publicly at least, Conte is putting a brave face on the situation, refusing to confirm media reports he has been at odds with director Marina Granovskaia, one of owner Roman Abramovich’s most trusted employees, following November’s surprise departure of transfer chief Michael Emenalo. Conte maintains that he intends to stay until at least until next summer when his contract runs out. “We are doing the maximum for this club. If the club understands this and the club wants to extend a new contract, we can talk,” he said. “We can talk. Why not? My contract expires in 2019. My desire and my will are to continue to work with this club.”
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho offered only the briefest explanation as to why he dropped the club’s record signing Paul Pogba for Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield Town at Old Trafford. The Frenchman had been criticised for his midweek performance in the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, during which he was substituted in the 63rd minute after having an animated conversation with Mourinho on the touchline. On Saturday, the manager refused to go into details about what was said but a video was widely shared on social media showing the Portuguese gesticulating at the Frenchman. The upshot was Pogba dropped to the bench for the first time since joining United for 89 million pounds ($125.67 million) in August 2016, with 21-year-old midfielder Scott McTominay named in his place. Asked why the Frenchman had been left out, Mourinho said: “Just change, try different qualities with different players.” Pogba eventually came on as a 65th-minute substitute for Jesse Lingard in a disjointed United performance that still saw United close the gap on leaders Manchester City to 13 points.
“We had to be patient but had to keep the intensity high and the pressure. We had to break down the Berlin Wall organised so well by (Huddersfield manager) David Wagner,” said Mourinho. Although Pogba has delivered some excellent displays this season, he has also been criticised on several occasions, notably for his rash sending off against Arsenal. Mourinho also said that Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who limped off injured against Spurs, has undergone knee surgery and will be out for at least two months. ”He had surgery this morning,“ said Mourinho. ”I don’t want to be very specific. It’s not the end of his season, not at all. It’s a small intervention in his external (lateral) meniscus and I want to believe that by the end of March he can be back. “If he can be back by the end of March, I hope we have a big April and a big May still to play in more than one competition.”
LONDON : Manchester United’s new signing Alexis Sanchez scored on his home debut in a 2-0 win over Huddersfield Town as they took advantage of a slip by cross-town rivals and Premier League leaders Manchester City on Saturday. After City had been held 1-1 at Burnley, their daunting lead over United was reduced to 13 points when Jose Mourinho’s side eventually overcame a defensive Huddersfield side. It took 55 minutes before Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock after which Sanchez won a penalty, had it saved by Jonas Lossl, but tucked away the rebound in the 68th. City paid the price for missed chances as they drew at Turf Moor with Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s 82nd minute equaliser earning Burnley a point.
City had dominated possession but, after taking the lead with a fine strike from Brazilian Danilo in the 22nd minute, the visitors failed to press home their advantage. Raheem Sterling produced one of the misses of the season from two metres out and Burnley made the most of that let-off. “We are frustrated in terms of the result but the performance was outstanding against a Burnley side who are the most British of teams in terms of long balls and the way they play,” said City manager Pep Guardiola. City have 69 points from 26 games, ahead of United on 56 with third-placed Liverpool (50) at home to Tottenham Hotspur (48), who are fifth, on Sunday, while Chelsea (50), in fourth, visit mid-table Watford on Monday. RELEGATION BATTLE Huddersfield’s defeat at Old Trafford dropped them into the bottom three for the first time since being promoted as Southampton and Swansea City both moved above them. Bottom club West Bromwich Albion lost 3-2 at home to Southampton on an emotional day at the Hawthorns, where there was a minute’s applause for the home side’s former striker Cyrille Regis, who recently died aged 59. Albion led early on through Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazi but were rocked by three goals in a quarter of an hour either side of halftime. Southampton held on after Salomon Rondon’s goal to secure a first win in 13 league games, leaving Albion four points adrift at the bottom with 20 points. Improving Swansea earned a valuable point with Federico Fernandez’s equaliser at Leicester City, for whom Jamie Vardy scored his 13th goal of the season in all competitions. Bournemouth consolidated their place in the top 10 by coming from behind to beat Stoke City 2-1 and, on a good day for the south-coast sides Brighton & Hove Albion beat West Ham United 3-1 to draw level with them on 27 points.
London: Tottenham Hotspur must replicate the form they displayed to outclass Manchester United in midweek if they are to get past an in-form Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday, striker Harry Kane said. Tottenham produced a dominant display to beat United 2-0 at Wembley on Wednesday, scoring through midfielder Christian Eriksen on 11 seconds before United defender Phil Jones turned Kieran Trippier’s cross into his own net on the hour mark. Kane said the fifth-placed London club cannot let their guard down against Liverpool, after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the corresponding fixture last season. “We have got to put in the same performance as we did against United,” Tottenham’s top scorer Kane said.
”Liverpool are a strong team, especially at home when they are on the attack. They have some fast players and last season we didn’t cope with that very well. “We were poor throughout the whole team, but we can take confidence from the United game. This is the kind of performance we need to produce against the big teams both at home and away.” Tottenham beat Juergen Klopp’s side 4-1 when the two teams met earlier this season but third-placed Liverpool are a tougher prospect at home, where they are unbeaten in 14 league matches. “We played well against Liverpool at Wembley so we have to go to Anfield full of confidence,” Kane added. Midfielder Lucas Moura, Tottenham’s new signing from French club Paris St Germain, watched on as the London club beat United and Kane said he was looking forward to seeing what the Brazilian brings to the table.
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has signed a new contract to extend his stay in north London, the Premier League club said on Thursday. The 29-year-old Germany international confirmed on Twitter that he had agreed a three-and-a-half year deal. “It’s been one of the most important decisions of my footballing career and that’s why I had to think hard and talk to everyone who’s important to me,” Ozil said. Ozil’s contract had been due to expire at the end of the season. “Good things take time. In the end, I let my heart decide. As I always said, I feel at home here and I‘m highly motivated to achieve big things in the next few years. Once a Gunner, always a Gunner.”
British media reported that the new deal is worth up to 350,000 pounds ($500,000) a week, making the World Cup winner the highest-paid player at the club. Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013 for a then club-record of about 42.5 million pounds. The playmaker has made 182 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions, scoring 36 goals and providing 61 assists.
London: Manchester City tightened their stranglehold at the top of the Premier League on Wednesday by trouncing bottom club West Bromwich Albion 3-0 as nearest rivals Manchester United suffered a chastening 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur. Pep Guardiola’s runaway leaders, whose new record signing Aymeric Laporte enjoyed an impressive debut, surged 15 points clear of their neighbours, who were outplayed by Spurs at Wembley after Christian Eriksen scored in just under 11 seconds. The last night of the transfer window provided a fascinating backdrop to the midweek fixture list with Chelsea’s final-day signing Olivier Giroud doubtless shocked at Stamford Bridge to see the champions suffer a remarkable 3-0 loss to Bournemouth. Manchester City’s 12th straight league home win, thanks to goals from Fernandinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero, took them to 68 points - level with Tottenham Hotspur in 1960-61 as the best record by any club after 25 matches of an English top-flight season. Manchester United are on 53 points with Chelsea dropping to fourth on 50, the same as third-placed Liverpool. Spurs moved to within two points of the pair on 48. Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering City took their tally of goals in all competitions this season to 100 when the outstanding De Bruyne, who had provided a superb first-half assist for Fernandinho to shoot home, scored their second.
Frenchman Laporte, signed from Athletic Bilbao for a City club record of 57 million pounds ($80.9 million) on Tuesday, slotted into their defence comfortably. His debut left Guardiola enthusing: “Yesterday he made the first training session but today we saw how good he is. He made an amazing, amazing performance.” The match of the night at Wembley, though, played in front of a record crowd for a Premier League game of 81,978, proved a disappointing one for Jose Mourinho as his own major signing Alexis Sanchez failed to shine after United had conceded a “ridiculous” early goal. Eriksen cashed in with a neat finish after Spurs had launched a long ball straight from kickoff that was flicked on by Harry Kane and Dele THIRD FASTEST Timed at just under 11 seconds, it equalled the third fastest goal scored in the Premier League era after the 10-second efforts netted by former Spurs favourite Ledley King and Newcastle United’s Alan Shearer. When Phil Jones, who was bullied by Kane for the first goal, hammered the ball clumsily into his own net when trying to clear from Kieran Trippier’s cross midway through the first half, Mourinho conceded that the own goal “mentally killed us”. “After 10 seconds, we made a ridiculous mistake,” Mourinho told reporters. “My players have watched the Tottenham kickoff many, many times. It was a really, really bad goal.” Antonio Conte suffered one of his worst Premier League defeats at Chelsea after three second-half goals in the space of 16 minutes from Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas and Nathan Ake earned Eddie Howe his best top-flight win with the Cherries. “We have to accept it’s a bad result and understand that we have to fight this season,” Conte told the BBC. West Brom’s defeat left them rooted at the foot of the table while Southampton also remain in the bottom three despite largely dominating while coming from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at home to fellow strugglers Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton are just a point above the relegation zone alongside Newcastle, who have now not won a home league match in eight attempts after goalkeeper Karl Darlow’s 85th-minute own goal earned Burnley a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. Stoke City’s goalless draw with Watford also left them alongside Newcastle and Brighton, just four points ahead of West Brom.
The January transfer window slammed shut on Wednesday after a frantic month of activity during which Barcelona completed the biggest deal by signing Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool and Premier League clubs spent heavily across the board. ENGLAND The Premier League clubs’ purchasing power was evident again in January but unusually the big money went on defenders. Early in the window, Liverpool made Virgil van Dijk the world’s most expensive defender by splashing out a world record 75 million pounds ($106 million) to sign the Dutchman from Southampton. Liverpool badly needed more quality in their back line but the improvement in the squad was undermined by the departure of Brazil attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for a transfer fee reported at about 142 million pounds. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has also not been afraid to spend big on defenders - his signing of French centre-half Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao for a club record fee of 57 million pounds means they have spent more than 200 million pounds on defenders and a keeper since the end of last season. City lost out on some attacking talent, though, with Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, long linked with a move to The Etihad, opting instead to join rivals Manchester United with Armenia midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving the opposite way. City also failed to agree a deal with Leicester City for midfielder Riyad Mahrez. While Arsenal fans were disappointed to see Sanchez go, the London club splashed out a club-record transfer fee to sign Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a reported 65 million pounds from Borussia Dortmund.
They also got a pleasant surprise when Germany midfielder Mesut Ozil signed a new contract until 2021, though their France striker Olivier Giroud was shipped out to rivals Chelsea. Tottenham Hotspur were also active on deadline day, signing Brazilian winger Lucas Moura from Paris St Germain for 25 million pounds. SPAIN Barcelona will feel the most pleased of all the Liga sides with their January transfer business after capturing coveted playmaker Philippe Coutinho for a club record 142 million pounds and signing Colombia defender Yerry Mina. The signings of Coutinho, 25, from Liverpool and Mina, 23, from Palmeiras will rejuvenate Ernesto Valverde’s ageing squad and buttress his already brilliant side, which has an 11-point lead in the table and look destined to win a 25th league title. Cup-tied Coutinho cannot help Barca in the Champions League but the Brazilian already looks to be on the same page as Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez and has been praised by team mates for his early performances, with Gerard Pique saying he has “Barca DNA”. Colombian defender Mina, 23, was signed as a direct replacement for the departing Javier Mascherano, who is 10 years his senior, while Barca have temporarily cut loose inconsistent winger Gerard Deulofeu, loaning him to Premier League Watford. Champions Real Madrid have strangely not boosted their squad to help their crumbling campaign, with coach Zinedine Zidane saying he did not want new signings despite his side sitting in fourth place an embarrassing 19 points adrift of Barca. The Frenchman’s stance may have blocked a move for Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who according to local media had passed a medical with Real and was on the verge of a move but eventually signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao. Bilbao made their most expensive sale ever with French defender Aymeric Laporte moving to Manchester City for 65 million euros and then swiped Inigo Martinez from local rivals Real Sociedad for 32 million. Barca’s closest title challengers Atletico Madrid made no high profile signings in January but got a huge lift with Spain forwards Diego Costa and Vitolo able to play after the ban on the club registering new players expired. Costa has added extra aggression to their underperforming attack although he has also reminded Atletico of his infamous problems with fitness and discipline, getting sent off on his full debut and sustaining a muscle problem later in January. Perhaps the most eye-catching moves, however, saw Saudi Arabia’s Fahad Al-Muwallad, Yahia Al-Shehri and Salem Al Dawsari join Levante, Leganes and Villarreal respectively as part of an agreement between La Liga and the Arab state’s authorities. ITALY Serie A clubs largely stayed out of the transfer window in another indication of their relatively limited spending power. The main moves were outwards with AS Roma selling full back Emerson Palmieri to Chelsea for around 22 million euros and Genoa letting 16-year-old prodigy Pietro Pellegri leave for AS Monaco for slightly more, according to Italian media. Roma forward Edin Dzeko was also the subject of speculation over a move to Chelsea, with every game reported as being possibly his last, but that move fell through. Neither of the leading pair, Napoli and Juventus, made any signings although the former had been chasing Sassuolo winger Matteo Politano. AC Milan, having splurged 230 million euros in the summer, spent nothing at all in January after UEFA rejected the club’s request to waive its breakeven “Financial Fair Play” rules under a so-called voluntary agreement. UEFA cited “uncertainties in relation to the financing of the loans to be paid back in October 2018 and the financial guarantees provided by the main shareholder.” Neighbours Inter Milan, also being monitored by UEFA over the breakeven rule, had warned beforehand that there would be no spending spree on their part. Their only signings were Brazilian midfielder Rafinha and Argentine defender Lisandro Lopez on loan from Barcelona and Benfica respectively. They also chased Paris St Germain midfielder Javier Pastore without success. Underachieving Portuguese Euro 2016 winner Joao Mario was loaned out to West Ham United and forward Gabriel Barbosa to Santos, the club he arrived from 18 months ago, although the Brazilian had already been on loan at Benfica. “We can do better by making sure that our players play to their potential,” said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti. “That gets over difficult moments.” GERMANY The sale of Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal for 56 million pounds ($79 million) dwarfed any signings made by Bundesliga clubs, again showing the remarkable spending power of their English counterparts. The biggest buys by Bundesliga sides were Dortmund’s 21.5-million-euros capture of Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji from FC Basel, and Germany forward Sandro Wagner’s move to Bayern Munich from Hoffenheim for 13 million euros. Wagner, 30, began his career at Bayern and returned after a 10-year absence, having played at half a dozen clubs, all in the Bundesliga. In a similar move, another veteran striker, Mario Gomez, returned to his first club VfB Stuttgart nine years after departing. Dortmund, who are sixth in the table and 19 points behind leaders Bayern, were the most active team, also signing Michy Batshuayi on loan from Chelsea while defenders Marc Bartra and Neven Subotic both left. Most other clubs forked out one or two million euros at most while RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Hertha Berlin, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, FC Augsburg and Hamburg SV spent nothing at all. Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong, a player with a bruising reputation, signed for Mainz 05 at the age of 33 and the same club also signed Nigerian Anthony Ujah from Liaoning FC.
MADRID: Football clubs across the world splashed out a record $6.37 billion on players during 2017 with English teams again the biggest spenders, FIFA’s Global Transfer Market Report said. The total paid out was about 33 percent more than in 2016 as English clubs led the way with a net spend of $988 million on squad improvement. Deals such as Romelu Lukaku’s 75 million-pound move from Everton to Manchester United and Alvaro Morata’s 60 million-pound switch from Real Madrid to Chelsea put English teams at the top of the list. But those individual deals were eclipsed by Brazilian forward Neymar’s move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain in a world-record transfer worth 222 million euros ($263 million).
The fee was over double the previous record which took France midfielder Paul Pogba to Manchester United from Juventus for $126 million. “Spending growth is driven by a relatively small group of clubs,” the report said, with over two-thirds of the total amount spent by 50 clubs in 13 different countries. The average transfer fee for a player in the top 50 most-expensive moves was $48.4 million, up from $35.2 million in 2016. The report shows that only 15.8 percent of transfers involved fees being paid from one club to another. Fees paid to agents also increased significantly. English clubs forked out a reported $125.7 million on intermediary payments and $447 million was handed over worldwide – up from $387 million in 2016. Brazil was the country most involved in international transfers with 1,755 of their players switching teams in 2017. Two hundred and fifty four Brazilian clubs conducted international transfer deals with Germany (143), England (132), Argentina (111) and Spain (98) making up the top five. Spanish clubs received the most money in transfer fees ($840.4 million), but Portuguese ones posted the highest net receipts of $707.5 million.
Arsenal suffered another painful Premier League defeat as Swansea City capitalised on some glaring errors to win 3-1 on Tuesday, boosting their survival hopes and denting the visitors’ top four chances. Swansea’s Sam Clucas struck either side of Jordan Ayew’s strike to give Swansea the points after Arsenal had taken the lead through full back Nacho Monreal. The visitors scored after 33 minutes but their advantage lasted just seconds as Mesut Ozil gave the ball away and Clucas equalised for the Welsh side. Worse was to come for Arsenal in the second half as keeper Petr Cech sliced an attempted clearance, leaving Ayew to fire home after 61 minutes before Clucas finished right-footed to grab his second of the night with four minutes remaining. “I felt defensively we were very poor and made big mistakes,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. “It’s better not to talk about the second or third goals.”
The defeat leaves Arsenal in sixth place, eight points adrift of Liverpool in fourth after the Merseysiders won 3-0 at Huddersfield Town, and they were left licking their wounds after one win in their last five league games. They have three wins and six defeats in their 13 league matches on the road this season and have gone five successive away games without a victory in all competitions. Swansea, however, have been rejuvenated by new manager Carlos Carvalhal and climbed out of the bottom three with the win, moving above Stoke City on goal difference. Having also beaten visitors Liverpool in the league last week, Swansea have won four and lost one of eight games in all competitions under the Portuguese coach. “We have a chance (of staying up). We are not in intensive care,” said Carvalhal. “We are not far away from the doctor saying we can go home.” Arsenal started with new signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the bench following his move from Manchester United as part of the deal that took Chile forward Alexis Sanchez in the other direction, but it was not long before they were ahead. Ozil’s superb ball over the defence found Monreal sliding in at the back post to score his fourth goal of the season. That lead was wiped out in a flash, however, as Ozil went from hero to villain, giving the ball away under pressure to Alfie Mawson, who slid it through for Clucas to score. Mkhitaryan came on to make his debut after an hour but moments later the hosts stunned the visitors by taking the lead thanks to another error, this time from Cech. Arsneal defender Shkodran Mustafi rolled the ball back to the keeper but he made a mess of his clearance, presenting a gift for Ayew to score before Clucas wrapped up the win by firing home after another superb run from Ayew.
LONDON: There have been moments this season when Pep Guardiola, the orchestrator of Manchester City’s landmark season, has been left open-mouthed by the excellence of his on-field conductor Kevin De Bruyne. “I have no words...” spluttered the City manager after watching De Bruyne engineer the 4-1 destruction of Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in December. Guardiola explained then that it was the Belgian’s work ethic, chasing around tirelessly like “a player in the Conference (minor) league” as much as his sheer brilliance on the ball that was so striking. De Bruyne, he felt, was shining his light on the path that the rest of City’s young armada of talent needed to take. His positivity, selflessness and industry demonstrated the way forward. The Guardiola way and now the City way.
Which was why the manager sounded so enthused when commenting on the five-year contract extension that De Bruyne signed on Monday. Asked how delighted he felt by this news, the Spaniard just smiled: “You cannot imagine...”
Twenty-four hours after he had put pen to paper, the League Cup semi-final second leg at Bristol City illustrated De Bruyne’s worth perfectly. Though the home side’s late equaliser could only be a consolation with the tie already lost, the 26-year-old made it seem a personal affront, driving back downfield in the 96th minute to score and make it 3-2. It capped yet another of those complete performances that makes De Bruyne an unassailable favourite to win the footballer of the year honours in England this season. Yet it also left awed observers wondering if a man who has run his heart out in all of City’s 24 league matches this season could maintain such energy levels over the rest of a sapping campaign as City still targetted four trophies. “I‘m trying to, hopefully,” he told reporters after the Bristol City match when asked if he could feature on all four fronts, adding wryly: “Otherwise I will fall down...” For the moment, though, with City preparing for another potentially tricky visit to a Championship (second-tier) side, this time Cardiff City in the fourth round of the FA Cup, on Sunday, he reckoned he and his team were “managing really well”. Guardiola, who has overseen City’s commanding 12-point lead in the League as well as piloting them to a League Cup final date against Arsenal on Feb. 25, keeps saying the ‘quadruple’, capped by a Champions League triumph, is “an illusion”. In truth, a coach who once won six trophies in a year with Barcelona must know anything is possible yet he will need De Bruyne, the man he hails for “making us a better club”, to be operating at the stellar level he has made look almost routine. De Bruyne, who still shows no signs of offering anything but his familiar study in perpetual motion, rules out nothing himself. “Obviously we want to try and win all four, because we want to win every game,” he shrugged. “But it’s a hard task...”
London: Debutant Alexis Sanchez had little trouble adjusting to his new place in Manchester United's line-up as he assisted the opening two goals in the Premier League club's 4-0 FA Cup fourth round win at Yeovil Town on Friday. Marcus Rashford and Ander Herrera both benefited from the Chilean's presence either side of halftime, while Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku scored late on as the 12-times FA Cup champions overcame a spirited performance from the League Two hosts. United will discover their fifth round opponents when the draw is made on Monday, two days before they return to Premier League action at Tottenham Hotspur. Despite a shaky start to the match, it proved to be a very happy evening for manager Jose Mourinho to mark his 55th birthday, a day after committing his future to Old Trafford until 2020.
The Portuguese coach, who previously criticised his side for their lack of intensity in falling to lower league side Bristol City in the League Cup last month, this time hailed his side's 'correct attitude' and singled out the maturity of his new signing in particular. "Everybody is happy that he (Sanchez) comes because good players want good players and Alexis is a fantastic player for us," Mourinho told the BBC. "And the question as well is which one is going to be axed, where is he going to play - it is not about that for us. For us it is the fact that we have a fantastic group of attacking players and he's another one with a bit more maturity, more experience." Yeovil started the brighter of the two teams in front of a packed Huish Park and had the first shots on goal, Jordan Green in particular testing stand-in United goalkeeper Sergio Romero after 15 minutes. However, they went behind after 41 minutes when Sanchez played in Rashford who was fortunate that Yeovil defender Thomas James hesitated to clear, allowing the English striker to put the ball in. Hopes of an upset were further dashed in a swift United counter-attack around the hour mark, with Sanchez once again the provider to the overlapping Herrera, who rifled in with his left foot. Sanchez's replacement Lingard continued his recent fine run of form by running into the opposition penalty area late on and firing in his 12th goal of the season in all competitions. Lukaku then grabbed his third goal of 2018 with a close finish to cap a flattering win for Mourinho's men.
Manchester: Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho stressed on Alexis Sanchez's decision to sign for the club over arch-rivals Manchester City and said he did not join the club because of the money poured at him. "I know that if other clubs did not get him it's not a problem of money, for sure. "That's not a problem of money. You go and analyse the numbers and Manchester City spent more money than us, Chelsea spent more money than us, I think even Everton spent more money than us. I don't think that's not the problem. "I don't know. Alexis could go everywhere. He had lots of choices. He decided to come here and you have to ask him why," Mourinho was quoted as saying by ESPNFC on Thursday.
City were jostling with United for the Chilean's signature this month. Sanchez eventually moved to Old Trafford from Arsenal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan signing for the Gunners in return. "I think Alexis reminds me a little bit of the history -- I don't know, it's not a history, almost a metaphor -- when you see the tree with amazing oranges at the top of the tree and cannot get there," Mourinho added. "You say: 'Oh, I got the lower ones because I don't like the ones at the top.' You like the ones at the top. "They are so nice, so orange, so round, so full of juice but you cannot get there so you say: 'I don't want to go there' or 'I didn't like it, I prefer the other ones.' It reminds me of that story," the Portuguese continued. It was widely reported that City finally pulled out of the race as they could not match United's bid. The Chilean star forward has signed a four-and-a-half year deal at Old Trafford.
Source: News Agency
LONDON: Jose Mourinho has signed a contract extension that will keep him at Manchester United until at least 2020, the club said Thursday, putting an end to rumours he is unhappy at Old Trafford. Mourinho became the first United manager in history to win a major trophy in his first season when he secured the League Cup last year, and he also led the club to victory in the Europa League, the only competition they had never won. But this season they are a distant second in the Premier League to Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who are 12 points clear in the table and unlikely to be caught barring a spectacular collapse.
"I am really honoured and proud to be Manchester United manager," Mourinho, 54, said in a club statement. "I would like to say a big thank you to the owners and to (executive vice-chairman) Mr (Ed) Woodward for the recognition of my hard work and dedication. I am delighted they feel and trust that I am the right manager for this great club for the foreseeable future.
"We have set very high standards -- winning three trophies in one season -- but those are the standards I expect my teams to aim for. We are creating the conditions for a brilliant and successful future for Manchester United."
Woodward said the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss, whose new deal includes an option for a further year, had already achieved a great deal in his time at Old Trafford. "His work rate and professionalism are exceptional and he has embraced the club's desire to promote top quality young players to the first team," said Woodward. "He has brought an energy and a sense of purpose to everything that he does and I am sure that will continue to bring results for the fans and the club." Earlier this month Mourinho dismissed reports he may walk out on United this coming close season as "garbage". Mourinho had looked an unhappy figure as United's title bid faltered and they suffered a shock League Cup exit at Championship side Bristol City. There had been suggestions that Mourinho was disappointed at the relative lack of spending power at his disposal, claims which he also denied.
London: Arsenal fought back from a goal down against old foes Chelsea to reach the League Cup final as Granit Xhaka poked home to complete a 2-1 second-leg win on Wednesday that set up a Wembley showdown with Manchester City. Nothing separated the sides after the semi-final’s first leg at Stamford Bridge ended goalless two weeks ago, but the stalemate was swiftly broken as Chelsea took the lead through Eden Hazard after seven minutes at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has faced perennial questions about his side’s steel in the face of adversity, but these were swept away as they levelled five minutes later through a fortuitous Antonio Rudiger own goal before they turned the match on its head.
Midfielder Xhaka turned predator 15 minutes after halftime to finish from close range and Arsenal stayed rock-solid at the back for the rest of the game to set up an enticing final against Premier League leaders City on Feb. 25. Arsenal had been under the cosh for much of the first half but they came out after the break a changed side, taking the game to their visitors. “In the first half we gave Chelsea too much respect and distance. We were a bit scared to go for it,” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has never won the League Cup. “We were not playing in the right position but we amended that in the second half and took control of the game.” The sides were meeting for the fifth time this season and it was clear that familiarity had bred a certain degree of contempt as the tackles flew in during a fiercely contested opening.Arsenal had lost only one of their previous seven games against Chelsea, but were quickly under pressure as Hazard put the visitors ahead, calmly stroking the ball past David Ospina after Chelsea carved open the hosts’ backline. The Emirates was subdued as Chelsea controlled the ball but a fortuitous leveller after 12 minutes brought the home crowd back to life and sparked Arsenal’s revival. A deep corner was met by Nacho Monreal whose header cannoned off the head of Marcos Alonso before ricocheting of Rudiger to leave Chelsea keeper Willy Caballero stranded. Chelsea were hit with an injury blow when Willian was forced off with what looked like a hamstring problem after 29 minutes and his departure handed a debut off the bench to Ross Barkley. That seemed to shift momentum in Arsenal’s favour as the hosts finished the first half on the front foot, with Mesut Ozil seeing an effort deflected just wide, before they grabbed the lead shortly after the break. Lacazette’s pull back was deflected off Rudiger into the path of Xhaka, who stuck out a leg and poked the ball past Caballero from close range. From that moment on Chelsea barely created a chance as Arsenal stayed resolute at the back and sharp on the counter, with the best opening falling to Alex Iwobi whose effort from 15 metres was saved by the legs of Caballero. It was Chelsea’s first defeat since Dec. 9, yet they have now failed to win six out of their last seven games, if you discount their penalty shootout win over Norwich in the FA Cup.
