‘Do I need to email 20 lawyers?’: Rebel Icardi blasted by Inter coach Spalletti

Milan (AFP) – Inter Milan coach Luciano Spalletti remained defiant over his decision to snub Argentina striker Mauro Icardi despite Sunday’s 1-0 Serie A defeat to Champions League rivals Lazio.

Inter Milan are third, ten points behind second-placed Napoli, with Lazio just three points off the elite European football berths in fifth.

“The need to mediate with someone just to get him to pull on the shirt that they love, that’s humiliating,” said Spalletti of the ongoing dispute with Icardi.

“Do I need to email 20 lawyers and ask them if I can call someone up?”

Icardi has not played since February 9 after being replaced as club captain by Samir Handanovic amid protracted contract negotiations.

The 26-year-old, who has been linked with a summer move to Real Madrid, had complained of a knee problem but is back training during the week.

However, he remained dropped despite fellow Argentina striker Lautaro Martinez being sidelined through an injury picked up on international duty.

Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored the only goal after 13 minutes heading in a Luis Alberto cross in the San Siro.

“I know what my job is. As things stand today, for the way he behaved, he has to stay out and the others have to play,” said Spalletti. 

“I have had credibility for 22 years in my career, I have credibility on front of my players.

“People say we lost games without Icardi. Inter didn’t get into the Champions League for years with Icardi. Inter lost worse games than this with Icardi.

“(Lionel) Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo make the difference, not Icardi, with all due respect.

“Professionalism and self-respect are everything. Discipline is everything.” 

Lazio had missed out on Champions League football last season at the expense of Inter Milan in the final game of the campaign.

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Solskjaer defends United tactics after Van Gaal jibe

Wolverhampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes Manchester United back to the scene of his worst result as manager when he visits Wolves on Tuesday, but criticism from Louis van Gaal won’t ruffle the Norwegian.

Van Gaal made some critical comments in an interview last week in which he claimed only United’s results have improved, rather than the style of play, when Solskjaer’s team are compared with the group he inherited from Jose Mourinho.

It was an observation that seemed to be borne out as United laboured to an uninspiring 2-1 win over Watford on Saturday, Solskjaer’s 15th victory in 20 games in charge.

But it was also a result that keeps United firmly in contention for a top-four finish, a prospect that looked nearly impossible when Solskjaer took over as caretaker for the sacked Mourinho in December.

And, as he prepared to take United back to the scene of their FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Wolves, Solskjaer was happy to launch an impassioned defence of his team’s style of football.

“Louis is entitled to his opinion,” he said. “Some games we’ve pressed really high, won the ball up there and dominated.

“He is probably talking more about the PSG game, which was a game that we had to defend really well in the circumstances and counter attack.

“It’s about where you win the ball. You want to defend to win the ball to go forward. You have to win the ball to then attack.

“If you can attack quickly as we did today, then why not? As long as when you win the ball, your intention is to attack.  

“The foundation in any team is to play well without the ball. If you can do that, then you’ve got a great chance.

“I’m very happy and grateful that I have inherited a team that has had a great education. 

“Most of the players here have had Mourinho, van Gaal, Moyes and Fergie. They know both sides of the game.

“Of course we will have to add one or two, but they know what I will demand and expect from them.”

– Top four bid –

Since Solskjaer took over the reigns at Old Trafford, no team — not even runaway leaders Manchester City or Liverpool — has amassed more league points than United, although a top-four finish is still far from certain.

United could finish as high as third or as low as sixth, with London clubs Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal competing with them for what appear to be two Champions League places.

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Unstoppable Mbappe kills off Toulouse resistance

Paris (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe fired Paris Saint-Germain to their eighth straight Ligue 1 win a stunning goal that earned the champions a 1-0 victory at Toulouse on Sunday and kept them miles clear at the top of the league.

The 20-year-old World Cup winner crashed home his 27th league goal of the season, his seventh in as many league games, with 16 minutes left as he continues to shine in the absence of the injured duo Neymar and Edinson Cavani.

“We had to wait, be patient and in the end we won with Kylian’s speed,” said PSG skipper Marquinhos after the game.

“It brought a great deal of joy to our fans, I’m sure of that.”

PSG now have 80 points, 20 ahead of second placed Lille with a game in hand to boot.

Mbappe’s goal was the highlight of a dull game which was otherwise lit up by a cheeky PSG fan sneaking onto the pitch to snap a selfie with the striker.

The video assistant referee system ruled out Marquinhos’ tap-in just before half-time after Mbappe was judged offside, and the runaway league leaders threatened little other than that.

However they maintain their huge gap on second-placed Lille, who earlier on Sunday scored three quickfire second-half goals to comeback from 2-0 and snatch a vital win that kept them firm favourites for direct qualification for the Champions League.

– Lille stun Sala’s Nantes –

Emiliano Sala’s former side Nantes had been finding goals hard to come by but went 2-0 up in front of a packed and raucous Stade de la Beaujoire thanks to a penalty from Valentin Eysseric and a near post header from Kalifa Coulibaly that seemed destined to drag them up to mid-table.

But three strikes in seven minutes from Rafael Leao, Nicolas Pepe from the spot and Jonathan Bamba’s fired Christophe Galtier’s gutsy outfit to an impressive turnaround.

There was still time for Nantes to be cast a lifeline with a late penalty, but Eysseric however sent his spot-kick flying over the bar.

Lille are four ahead of Lyon, who occupy the final Champions League spot but will have to qualify for the group stage via playoff if they finish third, and 12 ahead of Marseille in fourth.

Elsewhere Monaco suffered a shock home defeat to Caen, who climbed off the bottom of Ligue 1 thanks to a 1-0 win in which their goalkeeper the Congolese Brice Samba emerged as the hero.

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Napoli run riot in Rome to pull clear of Inter Milan

Milan (AFP) – Napoli ran riot in Rome on Sunday with a 4-1 victory which pushed Roma out of the European places and consolidated second place for Carlo Ancelotti’s side in Serie A ahead of Inter Milan who fell 1-0 at home against Lazio.

Juventus closed in on an eighth consecutive Serie A title with on-form teenager Moise Kean scoring the only goal against Empoli on Saturday.

Napoli — a massive 15 points behind — have almost no chance of winning the title for the first time since 1990 with nine games to go, but have now a ten-point cushion on third-placed Inter.

Lazio, with a game in hand, moved up to fifth, three points behind AC Milan who occupy the final Champions League berth and also fell 1-0 to Sampdoria.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sealed the three points for Lazio after 13 minutes in the San Siro.

In Rome, Arkadiusz Milik put the visitors ahead after two minutes with Dries Mertens, Simone Verdi and Amin Younes adding three more in the second half to inflict another blow on the hosts’ Champions League ambitions next season.

“I expected a performance like this, the team is growing,” said Carlo Ancelotti, whose side are building towards a Europa League quarter-final clash against Arsenal.

“We were masters of the pitch.”

It was a further blow for Roma coach Claudio Ranieri in just his third game since taking over from Eusebio Di Francesco as the Romans fell to their second consecutive defeat after lowly SPAL last time out.

“It’s tough. We’re going through a period where we concede from the first attack,” said former Leicester boss Ranieri. 

“Do I regret having accepted Roma? Never. I could never regret training this club,” he added.

“We’re doing everything we can, but we’re not giving up.”

– Roma suffers –

Roma are in danger of missing out on European football altogether as they drop to seventh, a point outside the Europa League places.

Atalanta are in sixth after a 3-1 comeback win against Parma.

Ancelotti’s Napoli dominated against the club where he spent eight seasons as a player. 

Roma were struggling to keep up from the start when Verdi sent the ball over for Milik to blast the visitors ahead early.

The Polish striker had a second goal disallowed for offside before Diego Perotti pulled Roma level just before the break with a penalty after a foul on Patrik Schick.

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Benzema saves Real Madrid blushes with late Huesca winner

Madrid (AFP) – Karim Benzema stopped Real Madrid’s underwhelming La Liga season going from bad to worse on Sunday after firing a last-minute winner to hand the European champions a barely-deserved 3-2 winner over bottom club Huesca.

Humbled by Ajax in the Champions League and dumped out of the Copa Del Rey by deadly rivals Barca, third-placed Real showed little signs of improvement in Zinedine Zidane’s second game in charge but Benzema struck with a fine curling finish the to snatch the three points. 

Real move to within two points of second-placed Atletico Madrid, who hammered Champions League hopefuls Alaves 4-0 on Saturday in a match that saw Diego Costa score for the first time since November.

However Real still lag 12 points behind leaders Barcelona, who are 10 clear of Atletico and heavy favourites to retain their La Liga after Lionel Messi fired them to their sixth league win on the bounce, 2-0 at home to local rivals Espanyol on Saturday, with a brace that took the Argentine to 31 league goals this season.

Zidane’s son Luca was given his second ever start between the sticks for Real but got off to the worst possible start, picking the ball out of his own net within three minutes after Cucho Hernandez lashed home Ezequiel Avila low cross.

Isco levelled the scores in the 25th minute when he tapped home a Brahim Diaz cross after Benzema’s low shot was well saved, but it was the away side — playing their first ever La Liga game at the Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium — who went closer going into the break ahead.

Zidane junior had to be alert to stop Damian Musto from glancing home a header nine minutes before the break, while Avila punched the ground in frustration in first half stoppage time after flashing a power shot over from the edge of the box.

– Heartbroken Huesca –

Real continued to disappoint in the second half but took the lead just after the hour mark thanks to Dani Ceballos, who bundled home the second after Gareth Bale’s beautiful cross was headed back across goal by Benzema.

Bale then missed a glorious opportunity to put the game beyond Huesca when he somehow put Alvaro Odriozola’s low cross over the bar from just yards out. 

Huesca pounced on that awful miss to draw level when Xabier Etxeita powered home Moi Gomez’s cross from a short corner.

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Mbappe fan sneaks on-pitch selfie during PSG game

Paris (AFP) – A cheeky Paris Saint-Germain fan ran onto the pitch at Toulouse on Sunday and snapped a sneaky selfie of himself with Kylian Mbappe before being a nabbed by security staff.

The supporter, wearing a PSG jacket, clambered out of the stands during the Ligue 1 contest and ran slowly up behind the 20-year-old World Cup winner, who jumped with surprise when he saw the fan brandishing his telephone.

The young man was then wrestled to the floor by security, although Mbappe shock his hand and exchanged a few words with him before he was led away.

The incident was one of the few bright spots of a prosaic Ligue 1 game that was locked at 0-0 at half time.

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Klopp hails Liverpool’s will to secure dramatic win over Tottenham

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool’s willpower is keeping their Premier League title hopes alive, admitted manager Jurgen Klopp after his side moved back top of the table in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 win over Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.

Toby Alderweireld’s own goal a minute from time moved Liverpool two points ahead of title rivals Manchester City.

Klopp’s men still need City to slip up in their remaining seven games as the champions have a game in hand.

However, Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’s error to parry the ball in off the unfortunate Alderweireld was reminiscent of Jordan Pickford’s mistake to also gift Divock Origi a late winner against Everton earlier in the season, suggesting Liverpool’s luck may be in this year.

“I told the boys after the game there are 500,000 ways probably to win a football game. Today it was rather ugly, but without a bit of luck you cannot be in the position we are,” said Klopp.

“If we are top of the table after the last matchday it would be a championship of will.”

Liverpool’s hopes of ending a 29-year wait to win the title looked set to be dealt a massive blow as Lucas Moura’s strike 20 minutes from time cancelled out Roberto Firmino’s early opener.

And the visitors will be left to regret Moussa Sissoko missing a huge chance to inflict Liverpool’s first home league defeat in nearly two years five minutes from time.

Spurs are now in serious danger of crashing out of the top four as they remain level on points with Manchester United and could be usurped by north London rivals Arsenal into third should the Gunners beat Newcastle on Monday.

“Overall I think we were better than Liverpool,” said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. “It is difficult to explain, but at the same time I am proud of the performance.”

Pochettino’s men remain without a Premier League win since February 10. However, the Argentine wants to set that record right at the opening night of the club’s new 62,000 capacity stadium against Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

“The new stadium must be a big boost for everyone,” said Pochettino. “I was telling the players in the changing room we have seven games and we are in top four and we need to compete. It’s a mini-league and, playing the way we played today, I think we can achieve the top four.”

– Kop delirium –

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“It’s tough,” says Ranieri as four-goal Napoli run riot in Rome

Milan (AFP) – Napoli piled the pressure on Claudio Ranieri’s Roma with a 4-1 win in the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday consolidating second place, 15 points behind runaway leaders Juventus in Serie A.

Arkadiusz Milik put the visitors ahead after two minutes with Dries Mertens, Simone Verdi and Amin Younes adding three more in the second half to inflict another blow on the hosts’ Champions League ambitions next season.

Juventus continued their march towards an eighth consecutive Serie A title with on-form teenager Moise Kean scoring the only goal against Empoli on Saturday.

Napoli have almost no chance of winning the title with nine games to go, but extended their cushion on third-placed Inter Milan to ten points before Luciano Spalletti’s side host Lazio later on Sunday.

“I expected a performance like this. In training I had seen the right spirit, the team is growing,” said Carlo Ancelotti, whose side are building towards a Europa League quarter-final clash against Arsenal.

“We were masters of the pitch.”

It was a further blow for Ranieri in just his third game since taking over from Eusebio Di Franecesco as the Romans fell to their second consecutive defeat for the first time this season.

“We’re going through a period where we concede from the first attack,” said former Leicester boss Ranieri. 

“Do I regret having accepted Roma? Never. I could never regret training this club,” he added.

“It was tough, as Napoli swarm around you, change position constantly and make it very difficult to defend.

“We’re doing everything we can, but we’re not giving up.”

Roma’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are dwindling and they are in danger of missing out on European football as their sixth position is under threat from Lazio who are two points behind but have a game in hand.

Roma failed to take advantage of fourth-placed AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat against Sampdoria on Saturday. A win would have moved them within a point of the Champions League places.

Instead, Atalanta jumped to fifth with a 3-1 comeback win against Parma.

– Ancelotti at home –

Ancelotti’s Napoli dominated against the club where he spent eight seasons as a player. Roma were struggling to keep up from the start when Verdi sent the ball over for Milik to blast the visitors ahead early.

The Polish striker had a second goal disallowed for offside before Diego Perotti pulled Roma level just before the break with a penalty after a foul on Patrik Schick.

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Liverpool back on top as late own goal secures dramatic win over Tottenham

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool moved back top of the Premier League in dramatic fashion as Toby Alderweireld’s last minute own goal beat Tottenham 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side move two points clear of Manchester City once more at the top of the table, but still need City to slip up in their remaining seven games as the champions have a game in hand.

Liverpool’s hopes of ending a 29-year wait to win the title looked set to be dealt a massive blow as Lucas Moura’s strike 20 minutes from time cancelled out Roberto Firmino’s early opener.

However, Hugo Lloris could only palm Mohamed Salah’s header into the path of the unfortunate Alderweireld to condemn Tottenham to a fourth defeat in five Premier League games.

“It is only positive,” said Klopp. “I said there are 500 ways to win a football game and today was slightly ugly. Who cares?”

Spurs are now in serious danger of crashing out of the top four as they remain level on points with Manchester United and could be usurped by north London rivals Arsenal into third should the Gunners beat Newcastle on Monday.

And the visitors will be left to regret Moussa Sissoko missing a huge chance to inflict Liverpool’s first home league defeat in nearly two years five minutes from time.

Instead, Mauricio Pochettino’s men remain without a Premier League win since February 10.

“We were a little bit unlucky to concede the second goal when we should have been ahead because we dominated Liverpool, who are a very good team,” said Pochettino.

“I was telling the players in the changing room we have seven games and we are in top four and we need to compete. It’s a mini-league and, playing the way we played today, I think we can achieve the top four.”

– Kop delirium –

Spurs started brightly, but conceded with Liverpool’s first significant attack when Firmino headed home the opener on 16 minutes from a delightful Andy Robertson cross.

That was Robertson’s 12th assist of the season from left-back and the Scotland captain was involved again in a flowing move moments later as he forged down the left and neat touches from Salah and Georginio Wijnaldum teed up Sadio Mane to curl just wide.

Liverpool were thankful again to Robertson at the other end as he made a vital block to prevent Christian Eriksen firing home on the rebound after Alisson Becker was forced into his first save of the afternoon by Harry Kane.

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‘It was ugly, but who cares?’: Klopp joy as Liverpool go top

Liverpool (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp admitted he couldn’t care less that Liverpool’s dramatic 2-1 win against Tottenham was an “ugly” way to return to the top of the Premier League. 

Klopp’s side took the lead through Roberto Firmino’s first half opener, only to be pegged back by Lucas Moura’s equaliser after the interval.

Tottenham dominated but then wasted several chances before Liverpool stole the points in stoppage-time.

Mohamed Salah’s header was spilled by Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris before rebounding off Toby Alderweireld for an own goal.

It was a lucky break that Liverpool arguably didn’t deserve, but Reds boss Klopp wasn’t complaining about a result that took them two points clear of second placed Manchester City.

“In the first half we had fantastic chances and scored a wonderful goal. In the second half we looked heavy and couldn’t really play,” Klopp said.

“Tottenham changed a little bit. We didn’t adapt well. I was not happy we conceded, but after Spurs’ goal we started playing again more.

“We can play better football but in the first half we had a lot of good moments. In the second not that many but we scored — 2-1, brilliant!

“I saw the header and nothing else. I had no clue how the ball went in.

“It is only positive. I said there are 500 ways to win a football game and today was slightly ugly. Who cares?”

Liverpool’s crucial win keeps the pressure on City, but the champions can return to the top if they beat struggling Cardiff at home on Wednesday.

That would leave City one point clear of Liverpool, with both sides having six games remaining after the Cardiff match.

– ‘Tough task’ –

Klopp, trying to Liverpool to their first English title since 1990, acknowledged the race is likely to go down to the wire as City show no signs of surrendering the trophy easily.

“We compete with the best team in the world (Manchester City) and play against one of best in the world in Tottenham — it is a tough task. It is all good,” he said.

“City last year were champions and are still pretty good. We have to fight like crazy. The crowd was outstanding. They were really here to push us and at the end it helped.

“I am really happy we don’t have any (international) breaks now. We compete with the best team in world for one position and that is really hard.”

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Serbian duo Kostic and Jovic fire Frankfurt into top four

Berlin (AFP) – Serbian forwards Filip Kostic and Luka Jovic fired Eintracht Frankfurt into the Bundesliga top four with a comfortable 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Stuttgart on Sunday.

Kostic grabbed two goals against his old club to set Frankfurt on their way, before Jovic sealed the win with a cool finish on 84 minutes. 

The win saw Europa League quarter-finalists Frankfurt move above Borussia Moenchengladbach into fourth place and left Stuttgart stranded in the relegation play-off spot at the other end of the table.

After a cagey first half, Kostic fired Frankfurt in front on the stroke of half-time, his shot slipping through the fingers of goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler at the near post.

The Serbian winger doubled the lead 15 minutes after the break, bursting onto an Ante Rebic through ball as Frankfurt carved up Stuttgart on the counter-attack. 

Six minutes from time, Danny Da Costa cut the ball back for Jovic, who slotted in Frankfurt’s third.

Defeat leaves Stuttgart five points adrift of safety and six points behind Schalke, who sealed a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Hanover earlier on Sunday thanks to Suat Serdar’s first goal for the away side just before half-time.

The win broke an eight-game winless run in all competitions for Schalke.

“The win means a lot to me personally because it was my first goal for Schalke, but the team is the most important thing. We fought until the very last second of the game,” Serdar told Sky.

Hanover, meanwhile, were plunged deeper into the relegation mire and are now bottom of the table, nine points from safety. 

Serdar’s goal was Schalke’s first under interim coach Huub Stevens, who celebrated his 100th victory in charge of Schalke after taking the reins at the club for a third time after Domenico Tedesco was fired earlier this month. 

“I didn’t realise it was my 100th, but a win is a win. In the situation we are in, you have to fight, and the lads did that fantastically today,” he told Sky.

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Lille stun Nantes with three-goal comeback

Paris (AFP) – Lille scored three quickfire second-half goals to comeback from two goals down  to snatch a vital win that kept them firm favourites for direct qualification for the Champions League.

Emiliano Sala’s former side Nantes had been finding goals hard to come by but went 2-0 up in front of a packed and raucous Stade de la Beaujoire thanks to a penalty from Valentin Eysseric and a near post header from Kalifa Coulibaly that seemed destined to drag them up to mid-table.

But three strikes in seven minutes from Rafael Leao, Nicolas Pepe from the spot and Jonathan Bamba’s fired Christophe Galtier’s gutsy outfit to an impressive turnaround.

There was still time for Nantes to be cast a lifeline with a late penalty, but Eysseric however sent his spot-kick flying over the bar.

Lille now have 60pts in second place, four ahead of third-placed Lyon, who occupy the final Champions League spot, and 12 ahead of Marseille in fourth. 

Runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain play at Toulouse later.

Elsewhere Monaco suffered a shock home defeat to Caen, who climbed off the bottom of Ligue 1 thanks to a 1-0 win in which their goalkeeper the Congolese Brice Samba emerged as the hero.

It was Leonardo Jardim’s first defeat since returning to the helm eight games ago when Thierry Henry was fired.

“Were back in a relegation scrap,” Jardim lamented.

“This is a message to all of us to do better. We are only seven points clear of the drop zone and that’s nothing, just three matches,” he said.

Patrick Viera was a happy man after seeing his Nice said win 1-0 at Dijon, who slipped to bottom with this latest defeat.

“It’s great to get an away win, it’s been a while. Now we can dream of European qualification,” said Viera, whose side are seventh, four points away from a spot in the Europa League.

A late goal from Martin terrier saw Lyon win 1-0 at Rennes on Friday while an early brace from Mario Balotelli was cancelled out by two Thomas Mangani penalties on Saturday as Marseille drew 2-2 at home to Angers.

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Liverpool back on top as late own goal secures 2-1 win over Tottenham

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool moved back top of the Premier League in dramatic fashion as Toby Alderweireld’s last minute own goal beat Tottenham 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side move two points clear of Manchester City once more at the top of the table, but City have a game in hand.

Liverpool’s hopes of ending a 29-year wait to win the title looked set to be dealt a massive blow as Lucas Moura’s strike 20 minutes from time cancelled out Roberto Firmino’s early opener.

However, Hugo Lloris could only palm Mohamed Salah’s header into the path of the unfortunate Alderweireld to condemn Tottenham to a fourth defeat in five Premier League games.

Spurs are now in serious danger of crashing out of the top four as they remain level on points with Manchester United and could be usurped by north London rivals Arsenal into third should the Gunners beat Newcastle on Monday.

And the visitors will be left to regret a huge missed chance by Moussa Sissoko five minutes from time when Liverpool were wobbling.

The hosts had got off to the perfect start when Firmino headed home the opener on 16 minutes from a delightful Andy Robertson cross.

That was Robertson’s 12th assist of the season from left-back and the Scotland captain was involved again in a flowing move moments later as he forged down the left and neat touches from Salah, and Georginio Wijnaldum teed up Sadio Mane to curl just wide.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was serving the last of a two-game touchline ban and without the guiding hand of the Argentine, they lacked inspiration in the final third.

However, Liverpool were often causing their own problems by gifting away possession inside their own half and Dele Alli pounced on a slack pass by his England teammate Jordan Henderson to power a volley that dipped just over the bar with Spurs’ best effort of the first-half.

Virgil van Dijk had a great chance to double the hosts’ lead at the start of the second period, but the Dutch defender headed over after a well-worked short corner between Trent Alexander-Arnold and James Milner.

However, Liverpool were thankful again to Robertson at the other end as he made a vital block to prevent Christian Eriksen firing home the rebound after Alisson Becker was forced into his first save of the afternoon by Harry Kane.

When these two sides met at Anfield last season, Salah scored one his many goal of the season candidates amidst an incredible 44-goal campaign.

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Sarri vows to fight as Chelsea ride luck amid fan mutiny in Cardiff

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri insists he will fight to remain Chelsea manager despite fans chanting for him to be sacked during their controversial 2-1 win at Cardiff City on Sunday.

Sarri’s position looked precarious when Chelsea trailed 1-0 against Premier League strugglers Cardiff with just six minutes remaining.

Victor Camarasa’s goal looked likely to dent Chelsea’s pursuit of a top four finish and their supporters’ anger towards Sarri was audible.

But a dubious equaliser from Cesar Azpilicueta, who was clearly offside, and a stoppage-time Ruben Loftus-Cheek winner rescued Sarri’s team, who stay within touching distance of a place in next season’s Champions League.

Asked how he had felt when the chants of “We want Sarri out” rang out from the visiting fans, Sarri said: “I don’t want to answer, but I can understand the reaction of the fans.

“But it was probably best for them to wait until the end of the match.”

Sarri insisted he wouldn’t let the supporters’ abuse drive him out of Stamford Bridge, although he may yet have that decision taken out of his hands if Chelsea fail to qualify for the Champions League.

“I am getting used to this and for me it’s not a big problem. I just have to work to change their opinion,” he said.

“I want to stay here. When I arrived the team were 30 points behind Manchester City. I want to stay and improve results, but it is not easy work.

“At the moment, there is a difference between Manchester City, Liverpool and us.”

The victory keeps Chelsea in sixth place, but only a point behind fourth-placed Manchester United, and may also have emboldened Sarri to launch a staunch defence of his selection decisions. 

He began with both Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante on the substitutes’ bench and failed to hand an appearance to in-form England teenager Callum Hudson-Odoi.

“Hazard cannot play 70 matches a season,” added Sarri. “Kante has played a lot of games and in every season there is a moment when you have to give players a rest.”

– ‘We were lucky’ –

Azpilicueta’s goal drew anger from Cardiff manager Neil Warnock and Sarri admitted his team had been fortunate that the linesman did not spot that the Chelsea skipper was in an offside position when a corner was flicked on by Marcos Alonso.

“We were lucky with the first goal. But I think we deserved to win,” Sarri said.

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‘Best league, worst officials’: Warnock rages over Cardiff’s controversial defeat

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Cardiff manager Neil Warnock admitted he was so angry with his side’s controversial defeat against Chelsea that he might play a weakened team at Manchester City on Wednesday.

Warnock was furious that Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta was allowed to head a late equaliser from a clearly offside position as the Blues hit back to win 2-1 on Sunday.

Relegation-threatened Cardiff had been leading with just six minutes left, but Azpilicueta’s goal was followed by more controversy as Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger escaped a red card despite hauling down Kenneth Zohore.

Cardiff also felt they could have had two penalties, but it was Chelsea who took the points through Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s stoppage-time header.

“It hurts. The referee had a decent game but we didn’t get the major decisions. The linesman, though…It is so disappointing. Chelsea know they have got away with murder today,” Warnock said.

“When you don’t win and it is nothing to do with ourselves it is a kick in the teeth. 

“Against the big teams you have to have VAR because you don’t get the big decisions. 

“The equalising goal is the winning goal really, and if you can’t see across the line and see offside I don’t know why we are in the game. 

“I look at the two penalties we should have had and the red card against Kenneth Zohore.

“The biggest and best league in the world but probably the worst officials at the minute.”

Cardiff are five points from safety but have a game in hand at title-chasing City in midweek.

After being denied a chance to close the gap on their relegation rivals, Warnock claimed he might even surrender the points by fielding his youngest players in a match they are likely to lose anyway against Pep Guardiola’s side.

While Warnock is likely to change his mind once his anger subsides, his team selection will be closely monitored by Liverpool, who are fighting with City for the title.  

“We keep getting knock-backs, I will probably play the U23s on Wednesday against Manchester City and try to keep it down to 10 or 11,” Warnock said.

“It doesn’t matter who you play at the minute, it is who has a flag in his hand and who has a whistle.”

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri conceded his team had been fortunate to escape with three points that kept their top four bid alive.

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Four-goal Napoli run riot in Rome

Milan (AFP) – Napoli piled the pressure on Claudio Ranieri’s Roma with a 4-1 win in the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday consolidating second place, 15 points behind runaway leaders Juventus in Serie A.

Arkadiusz Milik put the visitors ahead after two minutes with Dries Mertens, Simone Verdi and Amin Younes adding three more in the second half to inflict another blow on the hosts’ Champions League ambitions next season.

Juventus continued their march towards an eighth consecutive Serie A title with on-form teenager Moise Kean scoring the only goal against Empoli on Saturday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Napoli have almost no chance of winning the title with nine games to go, but extended their cushion on third-placed Inter Milan to ten points before Luciano Spalletti’s side host Lazio later on Sunday.

“I expected a performance like this. In training I had seen the right spirit, the team is growing,” said Ancelotti, whose side are building towards a Europa League quarter-final clash against Arsenal.

It was a further blow for Ranieri in just his third game in charge since taking over from Eusebio Di Franecesco as the Romans fell to their second consecutive defeat for the first time this season.

“Do I regret having accepted Roma? Never. I could never regret training this club,” said Ranieri.

“It was tough, as Napoli swarm around you, change position constantly and make it very difficult to defend,” said Ranieri.

“We’re doing everything we can.”

Roma’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are dwindling and they are  in danger of missing out on European football as their sixth position is under threat from Lazio who are two points behind but have a game in hand.

Roma failed to take advantage of fourth-placed AC Milan’s 1-0 defeat against Sampdoria on Saturday. A win would have moved them within a point of the Champions League places.

Instead, Atalanta jumped to fifth with a 3-1 comeback win against Parma.

– Fitness concerns –

Ancelotti’s Napoli dominated against the club where he spent eight seasons as a player. Roma were struggling to keep up from the start when Verdi sent the ball over for Milik to blast the visitors ahead early.

The Polish striker had a second goal disallowed for offside before Diego Perotti pulled Roma level just before the break with a penalty after a foul on Patrik Schick.

But hopes of a revival were short lived with Mertens tapping in a second four minutes after the break off a Jose Callejon assist.

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Serdar strike lifts Schalke clear of relegation zone

Berlin (AFP) – Suat Serdar’s first-half goal earned Schalke a hard-fought 1-0 win in their crucial relegation showdown with fellow Bundesliga strugglers Hanover on Sunday. 

The win broke an eight-game winless run in all competitions for Schalke, and saw them leapfrog Augsburg to go six points clear of the bottom three.

“The win means a lot to me personally because it was my first goal for Schalke, but the team is the most important thing. We fought until the very last second of the game,” Serdar told Sky.

Hanover, meanwhile, were plunged deeper into the relegation mire and are now bottom of the table, two points adrift of Nuremberg.  

Though chances were few and far between, both goalkeepers were called into action in the first half.

Schalke keeper Alexander Nuebel denied Henrik Weydandt with a flying save, while his opposite number Michael Esser palmed away Benjamin Stambouli’s effort at the other end. 

Yet the opener, which arrived shortly before half-time, seemed to come from nowhere. Stambouli suddenly found Serdar unmarked with a cross from the right. The 21-year-old fired the ball across Esser and into the far corner. 

Hanover substitute Florent Muslija clipped the bar with a long range effort in the second half, and striker Nicolai Mueller forced another reflex stop from Nuebel. 

But Serdar’s goal, Schalke’s first under first under interim coach Huub Stevens, remained the decisive moment in a scrappy game. 

Stevens, who took the reins at Schalke for a third time after Domenico Tedesco was fired earlier this month, celebrated a 100th victory in charge of the club. 

“I didn’t realise it was my 100th, but a win is a win. In the situation we are in, you have to fight, and the lads did that fantastically today,” he told Sky.

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Chelsea ride their luck to rescue Sarri with Cardiff escape

Cardiff (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri rode his luck as Chelsea narrowly avoided humiliation at Cardiff to hit back and snatch a controversial 2-1 win on Sunday.

Blues boss Sarri was on the brink of a loss that would have pushed him closer to the sack after Victor Camarasa swept struggling Cardiff ahead early in the second half.

Chelsea’s travelling fans had made their feelings clear as they chanted “We want Sarri out” in the second half.

But Sarri’s luck was in as Cesar Azpilicueta headed Chelsea’s equaliser even though clearly offside with just six minutes left.

Chelsea’s fightback got another boost when Antonio Rudiger escaped a red card when he hauled down Kenneth Zohore.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek capped Chelsea’s sorely-needed escape act with a last-gasp winner.

The result keeps sixth placed Chelsea in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League, leaving them just one point behind fourth as Sarri battles to salvage a wretched first season in charge.

Cardiff remain third bottom, with boss Neil Warnock visibly furious at the decisions that pushed his team closer to relegation.

The pressure on Sarri will reduce a little with this victory, but the performance was so unconvincing that it would be no surprise if Wednesday’s clash with Brighton is another close affair for the former Napoli boss.

Despite the clamour for Callum Hudson-Odoi to be given his first league start for Chelsea after his fine England performances, Sarri was unmoved.

The 18-year-old was named among the substitutes, with Eden Hazard – scorer of a hat-trick against Cardiff back in September – also surprisingly on the bench alongside N’Golo Kante.

Chelsea controlled the early stages but the nearest they came to a threat was a long range shot by Pedro which dipped over the bar.

– Lacklustre –

Cardiff’s response was to create their own first opportunity. 

Harry Arter’s neat pass let Josh Murphy have a run at Marcos Alonso and when the winger cut inside, his shot curled the wrong side of the far post.

Chelsea were remarkably lacklustre in attack and Marcos Alonso’s tame side-foot effort summed up their drab efforts in the first 45 minutes, highlighting how blunt their attack can appear when Hazard is absent.

Within a minute of the re-start Camarasa gave the home side a shock lead.

A long throw-in by Aron Gunnarsson was only half-cleared by the Chelsea defence, giving the Icelander the time to find Arter.

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Serdar strike lifts Schalke away from bottom three

Berlin (AFP) – Suat Serdar’s first-half goal earned Schalke a hard-fought 1-0 win in their crucial relegation showdown with fellow Bundesliga strugglers Hanover on Sunday. 

The win broke an eight-game winless run in all competitions for Schalke, and saw them leapfrog Augsburg to go six points clear of the bottom three.

Hanover, meanwhile, were plunged deeper into the relegation mire and are now bottom of the table, two points adrift of Nuremberg.  

Though chances were few and far between, both goalkeepers were called into action in the first half.

Schalke keeper Alexander Nuebel denied Henrik Weydandt with a flying save, while his opposite number Michael Esser palmed away Benjamin Stambouli’s effort at the other end. 

Yet the opener, which arrived shortly before half-time, seemed to come from nowhere. Stambouli suddenly found Serdar unmarked with a cross from the right. The 21-year-old fired the ball across Esser and into the far corner. 

Hanover substitute Florent Muslija clipped the bar with a long range effort in the second half, and striker Nicolai Mueller forced another reflex stop from Nuebel. 

But Serdar’s goal, Schalke’s first under first under interim coach Huub Stevens, remained the decisive moment in a scrappy game. 

Stevens, who took the reins at Schalke for a third time after Domenico Tedesco was fired earlier this month, celebrated a 100th victory in charge of the club. 

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Zapata brace revives Atalanta’s European ambitions

Milan (AFP) – Colombian striker Duvan Zapata scored a late brace in a 3-1 comeback win for Atalanta against Parma on Sunday to revive the Bergamo side’s Champions League ambitions.

Atalanta move into Europa League calculation in fifth, three points behind AC Milan, who occupy the final Champions League berth, but who fell 1-0 at Sampdoria on Saturday.

Roma are one point behind Atalanta and can move ahead when they host second-placed Napoli later Sunday.

Gervinho had put Parma ahead after eight minutes at home, with Matteo Scozzarella pouncing on a Mario Pasalic error allowing the Ivorian to break through and slot in his 10th league goal this season.

But Croatian Pasalic made up for his early mistake by grabbing the equaliser on 24 minutes off a Papu Gomez cross with the Argentine having a role in all three Atalanta goals.

Gomez also passed to Timothy Castagne who provided the assist for Zapata’s first goal after 75 minutes, with the Argentine then rolling the ball across for the winner four minutes into injury time.

Zapata, 27, has now scored 19 league goals this season, matching Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo’s haul, but two less than Sampdoria’s Fabio Quagliarella.

Juventus, meanwhile, continued their march towards an eighth consecutive Serie A title with on-form teenager Moise Kean scoring the only goal against Empoli on Saturday.

Juventus have an 18-point lead on Napoli.

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Bayern self-critical after slipping behind Dortmund in title race

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac questioned his team’s attitude after Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Freiburg saw Bayern slip two points behind rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race.

“I am not just disappointed, I am also annoyed,” said Kovac. 

“We didn’t go into the game in the way I thought we would. One or two players perhaps thought that it would all just work out fine, but that isn’t the case in Freiburg.”

Kovac had warned his players not to underestimate Freiburg before the game, and called on them to defend top spot ahead of next Saturday’s showdown with Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.

Having conceded an early goal, Bayern drew level before half-time, only to waste several opportunities to win in the second half. 

At the same time, Paco Alcacer’s late double saw Dortmund beat Wolfsburg and sneak back into top spot. 

Bayern’s sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic also questioned the team’s mentality, saying that they had taken “the wrong attitude” against Freiburg.

“Watching from the sidelines, you didn’t get the feeling that the players wanted to win the game at all costs,” he said.

The players themselves were also self-critical. Stand-in goalkeeper Sven Ulreich said the result was “very frustrating”, while midfielder Leon Goretzka said Bayern had ignored their own pre-match team talk.

“We slept through the first five minutes, and I can’t explain why because that is exactly what we discussed 500 times in the dressing room before the game,” Goretzka told Sky.

Polish striker Robert Lewandowski struck a more positive note, claiming that Bayern would hit back in Saturday’s clash with Dortmund. 

“Dortmund scored two late goals, so they had the rub of the green this weekend,” said Lewandowski.

“But I’m sure that the luck will be on our side when we play them next week, especially as we are at home.”

Kovac and Salihamidzic both demanded a response from the players against Dortmund, and both said that the title race showdown was now a must-win game. 

“We expect a reaction against Dortmund. We need to beat them and show that we want to be champions,” said Salihamidzic.

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Solskjaer is a breath of fresh air for United, says Jones

London (AFP) – Phil Jones has saluted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a “breath of fresh air” after Manchester United made a winning start to the manager’s permanent reign.

Solskjaer was handed a three-year contract last week after a successful spell as interim boss since December.

The former United striker’s astute leadership has revived a club in turmoil during his predecessor Jose Mourinho’s reign.

Fan favourite Solskjaer has led United into the Premier League’s top four and the Champions League quarter-finals.

There was a celebratory atmosphere ahead of Watford’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday. Then Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial goals sealed a narrow 2-1 win.

Solskjaer knows it was a “sloppy” display and Jones accepts it was far from United’s best, but the long-serving defender is excited for the future and loving life under the Norwegian.

“The lads are buzzing. He’s come in, he’s been a breath of fresh air for us. He’s put arms around the shoulders of people who needed it,” Jones said.

“His man management skills are terrific and he’s definitely what we need going forward. Everyone can see that he has laid foundations.

“The fans, the media, everyone can see what he’s done and how he wants to play since he has come, and we’ve shown that in quite a few games.

“It’s positive, we’re looking forward and we’re pleased with the result.”

With a remarkable 35 points since Solskjaer’s arrival from Molde, United are the Premier League’s form-team even though the title remains out of reach for this season at least.

Asked what United’s blistering run will do for their trophy chances in the Solskjaer era, Jones said: “I don’t think we’re far away.

“Obviously we had a poor start to the season. It’s sort of like a story of two halves of the season, really.

“He’s come in and done a terrific job. I’m delighted he’s here now and we can move forward and progress under him.

“That’s the vision for the players, the staff, the fans, everyone involved in this football club, to win trophies.

“It’s a wonderful place to play football and that’s where we want to get back to.”

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Solskjaer is a breath of frsh air for United, says Jones

London (AFP) – Phil Jones has saluted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a “breath of fresh air” after Manchester United made a winning start to the manager’s permanent reign.

Solskjaer was handed a three-year contract last week after a successful spell as interim boss since December.

The former United striker’s astute leadership has revived a club in turmoil during his predecessor Jose Mourinho’s reign.

Fan favourite Solskjaer has led United into the Premier League’s top four and the Champions League quarter-finals.

There was a celebratory atmosphere ahead of Watford’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday. Then Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial goals sealed a narrow 2-1 win.

Solskjaer knows it was a “sloppy” display and Jones accepts it was far from United’s best, but the long-serving defender is excited for the future and loving life under the Norwegian.

“The lads are buzzing. He’s come in, he’s been a breath of fresh air for us. He’s put arms around the shoulders of people who needed it,” Jones said.

“His man management skills are terrific and he’s definitely what we need going forward. Everyone can see that he has laid foundations.

“The fans, the media, everyone can see what he’s done and how he wants to play since he has come, and we’ve shown that in quite a few games.

“It’s positive, we’re looking forward and we’re pleased with the result.”

With a remarkable 35 points since Solskjaer’s arrival from Molde, United are the Premier League’s form-team even though the title remains out of reach for this season at least.

Asked what United’s blistering run will do for their trophy chances in the Solskjaer era, Jones said: “I don’t think we’re far away.

“Obviously we had a poor start to the season. It’s sort of like a story of two halves of the season, really.

“He’s come in and done a terrific job. I’m delighted he’s here now and we can move forward and progress under him.

“That’s the vision for the players, the staff, the fans, everyone involved in this football club, to win trophies.

“It’s a wonderful place to play football and that’s where we want to get back to.”

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Cardiff ‘shocked’ by Sala pilot report

London (AFP) – Cardiff claim they are shocked by a report that the pilot in the plane crash that killed Emiliano Sala was not qualified to fly at night.

The Premier League club said they remain “deeply concerned” that the pilot David Ibbotson and those who arranged the flight “seemingly completely disregarded the rules of flying and put Mr Sala’s life in such danger”.

Sala died when the Piper Malibu aircraft they were travelling in came down in the English Channel on January 21, two days after Cardiff had signed the Argentinian striker from French club Nantes.

The BBC on Saturday reported Ibbotson was thought to have been colour-blind and that his licence restricted him to flying in daytime hours only.

Cardiff said in a statement: “Cardiff City is shocked to hear the pilot, David Ibbotson, may not have been permitted to fly at night.

“The club remains deeply concerned that the pilot, and those who arranged the flight, seemingly completely disregarded the rules of flying and put Mr Sala’s life in such danger.

“We believe those who are responsible should be held fully accountable for their actions.

“We reiterate our support for the Air Charter Association’s call for more awareness of and better enforcement against illegal flights.”

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Where to find Ajax vs. PSV on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Ajax vs. PSV in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Eredivisie match.

Ajax vs. PSV is available exclusively via ESPN+ but will not be on television. However, you can stream the game from ESPN+ to your TV set.

League: Eredivisie

Genre: Sports

Looking to watch Eredivisie matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

 
Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Ajax vs. PSV
What: Eredivisie gameweek 27
When: Game kicks off at 10:45am ET / 7:45am PT; Sunday, March 31, 2019
Where: Live on ESPN+ (7-day free trial)

With ESPN+, you can watch Ajax vs. PSV and tons more Eredivisie games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and XBOX One.

Now with ESPN+, you can stream Serie A, UEFA Nations League, Championship, League One, League Two, FA Cup, League Cup, Copa America, International Champions Cup, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, Eredivisie, Danish Superliga, Chinese Super League, Indian Super League, Australian A-League, Sweden’s Allsvenskan, MLS out-of-market games and USL.

ESPN+ is only $4.99/month after a free 7-day trial.

In addition to all of the soccer coverage, ESPN+ also includes a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, NHL, select PGA TOUR golf, Top Rank Boxing and Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon to the US Open and Australian Open. Plus you get instant access to your favorite college sports like football, basketball, lacrosse, softball and more.

There’s also the daily ESPN FC show, 30 For 30 documentaries, exclusive access to studio programs and more.

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Where to find Inter Milan vs. Lazio on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Inter Milan vs. Lazio in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Serie A match.

Inter Milan vs. Lazio is available exclusively via ESPN+ but will not be on television. However, you can stream the game from ESPN+ to your TV set.

League: Serie A

Genre: Sports

Looking to watch Serie A matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

 
Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Inter Milan vs. Lazio
What: Serie A, gameweek 29
When: Game kicks off at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT; Sunday, March 31, 2019
Where: Live on ESPN+ (7-day free trial)

With ESPN+, you can watch Inter Milan vs. Lazio and tons more Serie A games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and XBOX One.

Now with ESPN+, you can stream Serie A, UEFA Nations League, Championship, League One, League Two, FA Cup, League Cup, Copa America, International Champions Cup, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, Eredivisie, Danish Superliga, Chinese Super League, Indian Super League, Australian A-League, Sweden’s Allsvenskan, MLS out-of-market games and USL.

ESPN+ is only $4.99/month after a free 7-day trial.

In addition to all of the soccer coverage, ESPN+ also includes a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, NHL, select PGA TOUR golf, Top Rank Boxing and Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon to the US Open and Australian Open. Plus you get instant access to your favorite college sports like football, basketball, lacrosse, softball and more.

There’s also the daily ESPN FC show, 30 For 30 documentaries, exclusive access to studio programs and more.

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Emery urges Suarez to take his chance as Arsenal chase top four

London (AFP) – Unai Emery has challenged Denis Suarez to finally make an impact as Arsenal bid to climb back into the Premier League’s top four against Newcastle on Monday.

Suarez has struggled since his January loan move from Barcelona and the Spanish midfielder is yet to make a competitive start for the Gunners.

But a series of impressive displays at Arsenal’s recent training camp in Dubai could have earned the 25-year-old a chance to shine when Newcastle visit the Emirates Stadium.

Suarez played the full 90 minutes and created a goal for Carl Jenkinson in Arsenal 3-2 friendly victory over Al Nasr.

With Granit Xhaka facing a late fitness test and Lucas Torreira suspended, Arsenal boss Emery is encouraged by Suarez’s timely improvement. 

“He is okay for starting in the first XI, to give us this impact,” Emery said.

“We are going to need everybody, every player for the next matches.

“We decided to go away to train for four days and play a match in Dubai. But it’s the same idea, the same spirit.”

Emery was keen to work with Suarez again after signing on loan at Sevilla in 2014-15.

Asked about the time it had taken Suarez to settle in north London, Emery added: “It’s normal. Now we have a lot of players ready, with a big mentality and with a big performance to play and help us.”

Beating Newcastle would give Arsenal a 10th successive home league win, equalling a run they last enjoyed in the 1997-98 season in Arsene Wenger’s first full campaign as manager.

A victory is essential after Arsenal dropped to fifth place on Saturday as a result of Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Watford.

– ‘Take nothing for granted’ –

Emery’s men are one point behind United and can’t afford to drop points as they battle to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top four finish or winning the Europa League.

With so much at stake, Emery is nervously monitoring Arsenal’s fitness updates.

“We trained on Friday morning and some players were rested to give them one day more before training with us on Saturday,” Emery said.

“That’s Aaron Ramsey, Dinos Mavropanos. But they can be okay and ready for Monday.

“Xhaka also rested and we are going to wait for Saturday and Sunday. But the first previews from the doctor’s analysis is that they can be okay to play on Monday.”

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Where to find Liverpool vs. Spurs on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Liverpool vs. Spurs on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place.

For viewers in the US, Liverpool vs. Spurs will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below).

Match: Liverpool vs. Spurs

Kickoff: Sunday, 11:30am ET

Looking to watch Liverpool vs. Spurs online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming:

Who: Liverpool vs. Spurs
What: Premier League, gameweek 32
When: Game kicks off at 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT; Sunday, March 31, 2019
Where: Live on NBCSN, Telemundo, fuboTV, Sling Blue and PlayStation Vue (free trial)

 

 

With fuboTV, you can watch Liverpool vs. Spurs and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast.

Now with fuboTV, you can stream NBCSN, FS1, FS2 as well as beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, NBC (in select cities), CNBC, USA, FOX (in select cities), FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports Net, RAI Italia, Telemundo, Univision, Univision Deportes, UniMas, Eleven Sports, CBS, CSN, RAI Italia and YES.

Plus fuboTV, the legal streaming service, also streams Serie A, La Liga, Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, Bundesliga, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and Euro 2020 qualifiers.

The fuboTV app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones, Android tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kindle.

 

Here are the steps to take to watch the Liverpool vs. Spurs game with your free fuboTV trial:

1. Click on this link for the fuboTV 7-day trial.

2. Click on the red ‘Start for free’ button (see screengrab below)

3. On the login page, enter your e-mail address to sign up (or you can use your Facebook or Google logins) (see screengrab below)

4. After entering your login details and signing up for the free trial, you’ll be taken to the fuboTV main screen (see screengrab below)

5. From here, you can either scroll down the page to see the TV listings which include the Liverpool vs. Spurs game (see screengrab below)

6. Or you can click on the ‘Guide’ button at the top to see all of the channels available to you, which will include NBCSN featuring Liverpool vs. Spurs (see screengrab below)

SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming

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