Premier League
Liverpool frustrated in Merseyside derby, Tottenham maintain strong start
Liverpool dropped more points as a feisty Merseyside derby ended 0-0 at winless Everton on Saturday but Tottenham Hotspur maintained their fast start to the Premier League season with Harry Kane sealing a 2-1 victory over Fulham.
Liverpool had 23 goal attempts but could find no way through at Goodison Park where both sides hit the woodwork and Everton were denied a winner by a VAR decision.
Juergen Klopp’s side have nine points from a possible 18 and with champions Manchester City in action later on Saturday against Aston villa they are alarmingly off the pace.
Leaders Arsenal, who have a maximum 15 points from five games, are at resurgent Manchester United on Sunday.
“Rule number one: if you cannot win the derby, don’t lose it. We could have won it today but we could have lost it in a few moments as well,” Klopp said.
Chelsea hit back to beat West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz cancelling out Michail Antonio’s opener.
But West Ham were left seething when an equaliser by Maxwel Cornet in the dying moments was ruled out after a VAR check ruled that Jarrod Bowen had fouled Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.
Newcastle United also felt aggrieved as they had a goal chalked off following a VAR decision in a 0-0 home stalemate with Crystal Palace, their fourth draw in six games.
Ivan Toney scored a stunning hat-trick for Brentford in a 5-2 mauling of Leeds United.
Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed their first win of the season as they beat Southampton 1-0 with Daniel Podence on target just before halftime.
Nottingham Forest, who signed 21 new players in the transfer window for a combined 145 million pounds ($167 million), including several on deadline day, squandered a 2-0 lead at home to Bournemouth to eventually lose 3-2 and fall into the bottom three.
CRACKING DERBY
After back-to-back home wins, Liverpool’s season appeared to be back on track and they welcomed back new signing Darwin Nunez on Saturday after his three-game ban.
Nunez was denied by the woodwork in the second half as was Luiz Diaz although Everton’s Tom Davies also struck an upright in the opening half of a derby that somehow remained goalless.
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford made several fine saves to frustrate Liverpool but the hosts thought they had grabbed the lead when Conor Coady tapped in at the far post.
With pandemonium ensuing at Goodison, the goal was ruled out for offside after a long VAR review. A cracking derby then ended with Mohamed Salah firing against the post in stoppage time.
Everton’s 12-year wait for a win over Liverpool at Goodison goes on but manager Frank Lampard took plenty of positives from the draw. “I thought we were brilliant. It’s one of the best 0-0s you’re likely to see,” said the former England midfielder.
Tottenham are enjoying their joint-best start to a Premier League campaign and maintained the pace at home to Fulham.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg gave Tottenham a 40th minute lead after a wave of attacks from the hosts in which Son Heung-min was denied his first goal of the season by the crossbar.
Kane doubled Tottenham’s lead in the 75th minute with a tap-in from Ryan Sessegnon’s pass — his 188th Premier League goal taking him past Andy Cole into third place on the all-time scoring list in the competition.
Aleksandar Mitrovic curled a superb reply for Fulham — his sixth goal of the season — after Richarlison was denied his first for Tottenham by the inside of a post.
“We are going to score many goals with these strikers,” Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, who started with Richarlison, Kane and Son combined for the first time, said.
-Reuters
Premier League
Manchester United tighten hold on third in the Premier League with win over Aston Villa
Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha buried a second‑half strike off a pinpoint through ball from Bruno Fernandes for a club-record 16th Premier League assist in a season to lift the hosts to a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday.
Casemiro and substitute Benjamin Sesko scored United’s other goals in a result that tightened United’s grip on third place in the standings on 54 points after 30 games, while fourth-placed Villa have 51 points.
United, who were playing their first game in 11 days, were keen for a victory after interim boss Michael Carrick’s seven-game unbeaten run ended in a 2-1 loss to 10-man Newcastle United on March 4.
With 22 points from a possible 27 under Carrick’s leadership, Sunday’s win will invariably lead to more questions about his chances of becoming United’s permanent manager.
“It was a slightly different game today going into it being so close in the league and making the small jump we could if we won, off the back of a defeat,” Carrick said. “It was a small test and we haven’t really had that.
“The boys dealt with it really well, had a really good week and applied themselves well. Everything is so so encouraging. We’ve got a lot to play for.”
The game looked headed for a draw before Cunha scored from the left side of the box in the 71st minute, with Fernandes recording his 100th assist for the club across all competitions.
With eight games left, Fernandes is also four shy of matching the Premier League record for assists in one season of 20 held by Thierry Henry (2002-03) and Kevin de Bruyne (2019-20).
“He’s had so many big moments, to score a goal, to make a pass,” Carrick said of Fernandes. “Training or games, he’s always there. Really good with the corner. The pass to Matheus was fantastic to cap off a good performance all around.”
Sesko put the game out of reach 10 minutes later with a blistering shot from the centre of the box.
Casemiro put United ahead in the 53rd minute with a glancing header from a Fernandes corner.
Ross Barkley levelled in the 64th with a shot from the middle of the area. After a lengthy VAR check to determine whether the ball glanced off an offside Amadou Onana, the goal stood.
A better second half salvaged a decent game after a dreary first 45 minutes plagued by errant passes and slipping players.
United did have some decent first-half chances including a header from Amad Diallo that goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez stretched backwards to keep out of the net. Diogo Dalot had a terrific chance inside the box that he launched over the bar.
Leny Yoro’s block spoiled one of Villa’s best chances and led to a long-range shot from Fernandes at the other end that he sent just wide of the post.
Villa have not won a league game since February 11, and an animated manager Unai Emery spent much of the afternoon stomping his feet and waving his arms in frustration.
“How we are progressing after we did fantastic months in October, November, December, the last two months we are struggling,” Emery said. “It’s Manchester United here at home, and they are now in good moment. And of course, they played a very intelligent match.
“I think we can get better. The result at the end was a bad result for us. We must accept it and try to analyse now to get better for the next challenge.”
-Reuters
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England and Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been handed a 15-month suspended prison sentence by a Greek court over a 2020 incident in Mykonos, Sky Sports reported on Wednesday.
In 2020, Maguire was found guilty of repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence against public employees after his arrest in a brawl in which two police officers were assaulted.
Maguire, who was detained for two days following the incident and denied any wrongdoing, was handed a suspended prison sentence of 21 months and 10 days but was granted a full retrial after appealing against Greek court convictions on multiple charges.
In accordance with the Greek judicial process, the filing nullified Maguire’s conviction before a full retrial in a more senior court. His retrial was postponed many times.
Maguire faced allegations of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery. The 32-year-old was convicted on all three counts but will face no prison time. His legal team will appeal against the guilty verdict, Sky Sports reported.
Maguire’s brother Joe and friend Christopher Sharman were also found guilty of offences related to the incident and received suspended prison sentences in 2020. They also denied any wrongdoing.
-Reuters
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Arsenal maintained control of the Premier League title race as they chiselled out a nervy 2-1 win over London rivals Chelsea to open up a five-point lead at the top of the table on Sunday.
Jurrien Timber’s 66th-minute header from a Declan Rice corner ensured Arsenal took three precious points, but it was a nervy afternoon in north London.
Mikel Arteta’s side moved to 64 points from 29 games, with Manchester City, who have played a game fewer, on 59.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber celebrates scoring their second goal with Gabriel Magalhaes REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Defender William Saliba had given Arsenal the lead in the 21st minute from a trademark corner routine.
But it had looked as though an own goal by Piero Hincapie just before halftime would prove costly for the hosts until Timber came to their rescue.
Chelsea, whose six-match unbeaten league sequence under new manager Liam Rosenior was halted, ended the match with 10 men after Pedro Neto was sent off for a second yellow card.
-Reuters
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