Liverpool’s relentless march to a first English title since 1990 gathered pace with a comfortable win at Bournemouth, while Manchester City’s defence of the trophy was hit by a painful defeat against rivals Manchester United.

Fuelled by Jamie Vardy’s blistering form, Leicester have emerged as the closest challengers to Liverpool.

AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Premier League weekend:

Solskjaer’s big week

Seven days ago Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fielding questions over whether he is the man to return Manchester United to their former glories after a 2-2 home draw with Aston Villa left the Red Devils in ninth and with just four wins from their opening 14 Premier League games.

A week on and Solskjaer has secured the two biggest victories of his time in charge since a famous 3-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in March helped turn his caretaker spell in charge into a full-time position.

United have beaten Tottenham on Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford and now Manchester City 2-1 to climb up to fifth and within five points of the top four. On both occasions the scoreline arguably flattered the losing side with Solskjaer’s vision slowly coming to fruition.

Marcus Rashford has already matched his previous season’s best for goals with 13, Fred has enjoyed two of his best games since a £50 million move from Shakhtar Donetsk 18 months ago, Aaron Wan-Bissaka was outstanding in nullifying the threat of Raheem Sterling and Harry Maguire marshalled his defence resolutely under a late City bombardment.

There is still much to do for Solskjaer to convince the doubters, not least catching Chelsea in fourth to secure a return to the Champions League next season, but this was undoubtedly his best week as permanent United boss.

Klopp relishes Liverpool shutout

Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool’s first clean sheet in 14 games was the talk of the dressing room after the leaders’ 3-0 win at Bournemouth.

Klopp’s side made it 33 league games unbeaten as they maintained an eight-point lead over second-placed Leicester.

Goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Mohamed Salah earned the victory, but it was Liverpool’s first shutout since September 28 that pleased Klopp the most.

“I forgot actually how it feels, to be honest. It’s great, we should have that more often,” Klopp said.

“For the boys, that was the most used word in the dressing room when I came in, ‘clean sheet, clean sheet, clean sheet’.

“Obviously everybody was desperate for that and now we have it, so let’s have it more often.”

Leicester happy to stay in the shadows

With Jamie Vardy on the kind of hot streak he last managed when Leicester won their fairytale title in 2016, Brendan Rodgers’ side have become the last hope of a competitive race to be crowned kings of English football.

Liverpool have left Manchester City trailing in their wake, but Leicester remain in the hunt after Vardy’s double inspired a 4-1 rout of Aston Villa.

Vardy, the Premier League’s leading scorer with 16 goals this term, has netted in eight successive games, recalling his 11-match scoring streak from 2015-16.

The Foxes have reeled off a club record eight consecutive top-flight victories, but Rodgers has no intention of talking up his team’s title chances.

“I don’t think anyone expects us to be near the top. We respect that, we get on with our work and keep developing as a team,” Rodgers said.

“It’s just natural, Man City and Liverpool are both incredible teams. We know we are looking to improve and close the gap. We have finished ninth in the last two seasons but today we looked like a top team.”

Source: AFP

Manchester United landed another body blow to Manchester City’s hopes of retaining the Premier League title with a 2-1 derby win at the Etihad that leaves the champions 14 points adrift of runaway leaders Liverpool.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial scored the goals for the visitors, who should have made the margin of victory even greater with a host of first half chances.

Nicolas Otamendi pulled a goal back to give City hope five minutes from time, but that was too little, too late for Pep Guardiola’s men, who suffered a fourth league defeat in 16 games.

United remain eight points adrift of their neighbours, but move up to fifth and within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea to haul themselves back into contention for a return to the Champions League next season.

City’s priority may also now be limited to securing a top-four finish with the gap to Liverpool growing by the week and a makeshift defence that has now failed to keep a clean sheet in nine games.

In the midst of another testing season for United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have often saved their best for the toughest opposition having beaten Tottenham, Leicester and Chelsea and been the only side yet to take Premier League points off Liverpool.

City were powerless to stop the visitors pace on the break in the opening quarter in which United should have scored more than twice.

Ederson made a hat-trick of big saves to deny Daniel James, Jesse Lingard and Martial before United were awarded a penalty when Rashford was chopped down by Bernardo Silva inside the area.

Referee Anthony Taylor amazingly did not point to the spot in the first instance, but was quickly corrected by a VAR review.

Rashford stepped up to continue his fine form with a 13th goal in 14 games for club and country.

The 22-year-old’s 13 for United this season also matches his career-high for a single campaign and he should have had a couple more in the minutes after opening the scoring.

Firstly, Rashford curled an effort wide with just Ederson to beat form a fine pass by Martial before he fired another effort off the bar.

A United second was a matter of time as they continued to cut City open at will on the counter-attack and it duly arrived as James and Martial skipped around a host of half-hearted challenges before the Frenchman caught Ederson out at his near post.

City restored some semblance of order in the closing stages of the first half and should have been given a route back into the game by Gabriel Jesus when he headed Kevin de Bruyne’s inch-perfect cross wide.

The home side were also furious when Fred was not penalised for handball as he blocked Kyle Walker’s cross inside his own area with VAR this time backing Taylor’s decision not to give a spot-kick.

City applied the pressure after half-time but seemed devoid of ideas bar De Bruyne.

The Belgian’s driven effort was deflected over by a brilliant last-ditch challenge from Victor Lindelof before Rodrigo’s effort from De Bruyne’s layoff was tipped over by David de Gea.

Otamendi gave City life five minutes from time when he rose highest to meet Riyad Mahrez’s corner.

United were suddenly rocking and De Gea had to make a brilliant save moments later to deny Mahrez an equaliser.

But they held out to round off a huge week for Solskjaer.

The Norwegian was facing questions over his future just six days ago after a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa left United with just four wins from their opening 14 league games.

However, victories over Jose Mourinho on his return to Old Trafford with Tottenham on Wednesday and now the side who have left United second best in their own city in recent times, massively relieves the pressure on Solskjaer.

Source: AFP

Match-winner Ramy Bensebaini admitted needing a reminder before taking the late penalty which sealed a 2-1 win for Bundesliga leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach and left ten-man Bayern Munich sixth in the table.

Defending champions Bayern now trail Gladbach by seven points after their second league loss in a week as Bensebaini scored two second-half goals to seal the hosts’ comeback win at Borussia Park.

A superb Ivan Perisic shot put Bayern ahead before Algeria international Bensebaini powered home a header on the hour mark.

He then showed nerves of steel to convert a late penalty after Javi Martinez was sent off for a second yellow card.

However, the 24-year-old Bensebaini admitted that, in the heat of the moment, he had forgotten being nominated Gladbach’s penalty taker.

“After (last Saturday’s 4-2 win against) Freiburg, we decided Breel (Embolo) wouldn’t be taking penalties anymore and it was agreed that I would take the next one, but I had forgotten,” Bensebaini told Sky.

Embolo had missed a penalty in last week’s victory.

“It was (replacement goalkeeper) Tobias Sippel who reminded me that it was down to me to take the kick.”

The left-back coolly converted the spot kick, conceded by Bayern defender Martinez, who was shown a second yellow and sent off, for a clumsy tackle on Gladbach winger Marcus Thuram.

“We’re going to do everything we can to stay top of the league. We’re going to go hard into all the games, then we’ll see,” Bensebaini added as Gladbach celebrated their ninth week in first place.

For Bayern, it was poor preparation for their attempt to become the first German club to win all six matches in the Champions League group stages when they host Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

– ‘It’s not nice’ –

Bayern only had themselves to blame after squandering a string of chances, six of which came in the first-half alone, just as they did in last Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.

“It annoys me to have lost the last two games when we were always the better team and created the most chances,” said interim coach Hansi Flick.

“Of course, the situation is not nice — we’re all unhappy with what we have gotten out of the last two games.”

“We clearly dominated in the first-half and missed a lot of goal chances. After going 1-0 up, we forgot to play.

“Now we have to win our last three games before the (January) winter break and make up one or two points.”

Having been put in charge until January after Niko Kovac was sacked in early November, Flick, 54, had been tipped to see out the season as coach after winning his first five games, but two straight defeats have narrowed his chances.

Flick must wait until after Bayern’s final game of the year — at home to Wolfsburg in a fortnight — before discovering his fate.

“I am not thinking about it at all, because there are lots of other things I need to take care of,” he said with the Spurs match looming.

Former Germany forward Thomas Mueller said Flick is the right man for Bayern.

“It fits… but now we have to win our next three (league) games. Whenever FC Bayern loses, it’s not very nice.”

Source: AFP

Jurgen Klopp says he does not care about being top of the Premier League at Christmas as he prepares his Liverpool team for a hectic few weeks.

Liverpool, who finished a single point behind champions Manchester City last season, travel to Bournemouth on Saturday with an eight-point lead over Leicester. City are a further three points adrift.

A win on the south coast would mean Liverpool cannot be caught before December 25.

Only three times in the past 11 years has the top-placed team at Christmas failed to go on to win the title — and on every occasion it was Liverpool, including last year.

Klopp, targeting Liverpool’s first English top-flight title for 30 years, said he was not interested in such numbers.

“There are a lot of people who celebrate already, a lot of people who worry still and a lot of people who hope that we will still fail so that’s it,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I don’t listen to (any) of them, to be honest. So I’m completely fine. We want to try and win at Bournemouth.

“What that means for Christmas, I never thought about. So it’s not really interesting. We know that we are in a really, really difficult situation with the games coming up.

“We know that but we accepted that a long ago. But now we have to deal with it and we are really positive in this moment but we need to be lucky with the players that they stay fit and healthy.”

The European champions face 10 matches between Saturday’s game at Bournemouth and their FA Cup tie against Everton on January 5, including two within 24 hours in the League Cup and Club World Cup, for which Liverpool will use two squads.

Klopp’s much-changed team coasted to a 5-2 win over Everton at Anfield on Wednesday, with rarely used Belgian striker Divock Origi scoring twice and Xherdan Shaqiri once to underline the depth of resources at the German manager’s disposal.

“Very often we used three other players up front, but Div was always so important for us and it’s really nice that he can show his importance as well in a game like this,” he said.

The Liverpool manager was asked whether he would follow a similar template to last December, when he made multiple changes to cope with a busy calendar.

He said: “It was not a plan last year to make 30 changes… but it’s a time where you have to make changes, that’s clear. It’s not a specific number. It’s just the need of the situation and that’s what we will do, 100 percent.

“I know when you are a football supporter then you want to play in your mind the best 11 all the time but it’s not FIFA or PlayStation where they don’t need a rest.”

Source: AFP

Rwanda signed a deal on Wednesday with French soccer club Paris St Germain to promote tourism in the east African nation, its second such agreement since last year.

“We invest part of our tourism revenues in strategic collaborations such as the one with Paris St Germain because we understand the positive effect they have on the overall perception of the country globally,” the Rwanda Development Board’s chief executive, Clare Akamanzi, said in a statement after the signing.

Akamanzi did not say how much Rwanda would pay for the deal. A source close to the French club said it was worth between 8 and 10 million euros.

Under the deal, PSG will promote Rwandan products, while messages promoting Rwanda will be displayed on its women’s team kit and in the club’s stadium.

PSG said on Twitter that it had signed a deal “inviting the world to participate in the remarkable transformation of Rwanda”.

Last May, Rwanda signed a sponsorship and tourism promotion deal with the English soccer club Arsenal.

Rwanda earned $380 million from tourism in 2018, the central bank said last month, and was forecast to earn $405 million this year. It expects to earn $800 million by 2024, mainly from conferences and high-end tourists who trek with gorillas.

REUTERS

Reigning European champions Portugal will come up against World Cup winners France and Germany in the standout group at Euro 2020 following Saturday’s draw for the tournament in Bucharest, as England came out alongside Croatia.

Neither France nor Portugal were in Pot One for the 24-team competition being held in 12 cities across Europe, making them the dangerous teams to avoid for the top seeds.

In the event, they came out together in an incredibly tough Group F alongside Germany, who will play group games at home in Munich. That is where Joachim Loew’s team will face France in their first match on June 16.

Group F will be completed by one of the winners of the play-offs to be played next March, leaving open several possibilities including Hungary, who will play at home in Budapest should they make it.

France beat Germany in the semi-finals of Euro 2016 on home soil, before losing in the final to a Portugal side who claimed the title for the first time.

Meanwhile, England were drawn with Croatia and the Czech Republic in Group D, with Gareth Southgate’s team to play home group games at Wembley, which will also be the venue for the semi-finals and final.

That section will be completed by the team to emerge victorious from Path C in the play-offs, between Serbia, Norway, Israel and Scotland. The latter have the added incentive of knowing they will play home games in Glasgow in the group stage should they qualify.

England faced the Czech Republic in qualifying, winning 5-0 at Wembley but suffering their only defeat of the campaign in Prague, where they went down 2-1 in October.

England will kick off at home to Croatia on June 14 in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, which was won by the Croatians.

However, should England win their group they will have to play the runners-up from Group F, setting up a possible clash with Germany, France or Portugal in the last 16.

Elsewhere, Italy will face Turkey in Rome in the tournament’s opening game on June 12, with Switzerland and Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales also in that section, Group A.

Spain will take on Sweden and Poland as well as a play-off winner in Group E.

The month-long tournament will conclude with the final in London on July 12.

(AFP)

Goalkeeper André Onana of Ajax and Cameroon national team may continue his professional football career at Real Madrid. 

According to Tuttomercato, Real view 23-year-old Onana as a replacement for Thibaut Courtois in the future.

 In the current season, Onana has made 22 appearances for Ajax and conceded 18 goals. 

André Onana is a student of the FC Barcelona Football Academy, and the Cameroon goalkeeper played within the Barça system in 2010-2015.

Source: Sports.news.am

Cristiano Ronaldo conceded he is not ‘100 percent’ despite his goal spree for Portugal but always ready to play as injury-hit Juventus head to Atalanta on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten run this season to stay top of Serie A.

Juventus visit fifth-placed Atalanta before hosting Atletico Madrid in the Champions League next week.

Maurizio Sarri’s side are just one point ahead of Antonio Conte’s Inter Milan after 12 matches, with Lazio and Cagliari eight points adrift of the leaders in joint third.

Atalanta have gone three league games without a win and will be eager to get back into the Champions League berths, as they sit two points off fourth place, before next week’s trip to Shakhtar Donetsk.

Atalanta’s fortunes have slipped following the thigh injury suffered to Colombian star Duvan Zapata, who scored six goals in six Serie A matches before being sidelined for their last five league games.

As Atalanta sweat on Zapata’s return, Juventus will be without full-back Alex Sandro, who picked up a thigh problem playing for Brazil, with Blaise Matuidi recovering from a rib injury.

Ronaldo had said he was not be at his best physical form, with Sarri saying the Portuguese star has a “little knee problem”.

But the 34-year-old wants to make amends after storming off when he was substituted in Juventus’s last game against AC Milan.

“In the last three weeks, I have played at a slightly reduced capacity,” Ronaldo conceded after his goal spree for Portugal.

“I don’t like to be replaced, no one does,” added Ronaldo. “I tried to help Juve even when injured.”

Full-back Danilo, who scored his first goal for Brazil during the international break, warned: “The games after the international break are never easy, let alone against Atalanta, a team who are doing well.

“We can’t make mistakes or underestimate them.”

Inter will be looking to make it a perfect seven league games on the road this season as they travel to Torino, before their European trip to Slavia Prague.

Conte’s side face a tough task against the Andrea Belotti-powered Torino, who ended their six-match winless run against Brescia last time out, and are in 11th position.

Serie A runners-up Napoli are in crisis, having slipped to seventh, and desperately need a result at 14th-placed AC Milan, who are themselves floundering.

Cagliari and Lazio will look to continue their strong form at lowly Lecce and Sassuolo respectively.

Roma have a chance to move into the Champions League places as the look to bounce back from last week’s defeat to Parma at home against tailenders Brescia.

One to watch:

Carlo Ancelotti’s Serie A runners-up last season head for AC Milan amid reports he has two games left to save his job.

Napoli have gone four games without a win in Serie A to sit seventh.

The southerners have 19 points — 13 behind leaders Juventus — their worst tally after 12 games since the 2011-2012 season when they finished fifth.

After being held 1-1 by Salzburg in the Champions League, they travel to Liverpool next week in a key game for the former Chelsea, AC Milan and Real Madrid boss.

Key stats:

100 – Torino captain Andrea Belotti’s Serie A goals

29 – Juventus’s unbeaten run against Atalanta — 23W, 6D

13 – Points between Juventus and last season’s runners-up Napoli

6 – Inter have won six in six on the road so far this league season.

5 – Years since AC Milan last beat Napoli

Fixtures

Saturday (all times GMT)

Atalanta v Juventus (1400GMT), AC Milan v Napoli (1700), Torino v Inter Milan (1945)

Sunday

Bologna v Parma (1130GMT), Verona v Fioretina, AS Roma v Brescia, Sassuolo v Lazio (1400), Sampdoria v Udinese (1700), Lecce v Cagliari (1945)

Monday

SPAL v Genoa (1945)

Source: AFP

France’s ostracized striker Karim Benzema has fired back at the head of the French Football Federation, who declared this week that the Real Madrid star’s international career was over. 

Though a fixture of Real Madrid’s squad for the past 10 years, Benzema has been excluded from the French national team since 2015 over his alleged involvement in an attempt to blackmail a former teammate.

Earlier this week, his coach at Real Madrid, French football legend Zinedine Zidane, called for Benzema’s four-year exile to be ended, describing him as France’s “best” striker.

But Zidane’s plea was promptly dismissed by Noël Le Graët, the head of the French Football Federation, who told French radio that Benzema’s days with Les Bleus were over.

On Saturday, the player hit back at Le Graët, writing on his Twitter account: “Noël I thought you didn’t interfere with the decisions of the France coach.

“Please understand that I and I alone will call an end to my international career.”

The 31-year-old striker, who is of Algerian origin, added that Le Graët should let him play for another country if he thinks he is done with France.

Benzema was placed under formal investigation in 2015 for his alleged part in the attempt to blackmail teammate Mathieu Valbuena. The case is still pending.

France’s coach Didier Deschamps has maintained that Benzema’s omission is in the best interests of the French squad, who won last year’s World Cup without him.

The striker has scored 9 goals in 11 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid already this season.

“He has always wanted to play for France,” Zidane said this week of his player.

“He is the best and I think he should definitely have a place in the national team,” Zidane added. “Football-wise, there is no debate.”

Source: France 24

Manchester United are shock contenders to sign Ajax’s £50million-rated keeper Andre Onana – just two months after handing David De Gea a new £350,000-a-week contract.

Ajax have slapped a huge asking price on the Cameroon international after United joined Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain in asking to be kept informed of any plans to sell the 23-year-old.

Spurs have lost skipper Hugo Lloris for the season with a dislocated elbow.

But United made De Gea one of the highest-paid players in the Premier League in September after spending the last 12 months desperately trying to convince the Spaniard to sign a new four-year deal.

Onana has become one of Ajax’s most prized assets after helping the Amsterdam giants win a Dutch league and cup double last season.

The Cameroon international also helped Erik ten Hag’s side to the semi-finals of the Champions League, beating the likes of the Real Madrid and Juventus before their exit to Spurs.

He joined Barcelona at the age of 13 after impressing at Samuel Eto’s soccer school.

He moved to Holland in the summer of 2015 but has recently spoken of his ambition to play in England.

United’s interest has shocked officials at Ajax, where former United keeper Edwin van der Sar is chief executive.

Onana is under contract at the Amsterdam Arena until June 2022 after extending his current deal with the Eredivisie club at the end of March.

However, despite his claims he is happy at the Dutch giants, the 23-year-old recently admitted he would be interested in a move to the Premier League.

Source: The Mirror