Tag: English Premier League

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Man Utd beat Chelsea as Spurs stunned by Brighton equaliser

Matheus Cunha fired Manchester United towards the Champions League with a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday, while Tottenham remain in the relegation zone after twice blowing the lead to draw with Brighton.

Chelsea failed to take advantage of a United defence ravaged by injury and suspension as a fourth straight league defeat for the Blues left their Champions League hopes in ruins.

United have missed out on the riches of Europe’s elite competition for the past two seasons but are closing in on a return thanks to an upturn in fortunes under Michael Carrick.

Cunha swept home Bruno Fernandes’ cross just before half-time to open up a 10-point gap between the Red Devils in third and Chelsea in sixth.

At the other end of the table, Spurs sank ever closer to dropping out of the top flight for the first time in nearly 50 years.

In Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game in charge, Tottenham were heading for their first win in 15 league matches until Georginio Rutter’s strike five minutes into stoppage time.

Pedro Porro’s header was quickly cancelled out by Kaoru Mitoma’s spectacular volley in first-half stoppage time.

Xavi Simons’ stunning strike 13 minutes from time sparked an outpouring of joy around the state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Yet, the home fans were silenced in added time when Jan Paul van Hecke outmuscled Kevin Danso and squared for Rutter to blast high into the net.

Spurs edge to within one point of West Ham in the battle for survival.

But the Hammers have a game in hand and could stretch that advantage when they travel to Crystal Palace on Monday.

“Everyone of us knows it’s a tough moment, it’s a difficult situation, but we have another five games, 15 points,” said De Zerbi. “And this team is able to win five games in a row.”

Brighton’s equaliser also saved Wolves from being officially relegated.

But their eight-year stay in the top flight is coming to an end after a 3-0 defeat at Leeds.

Fresh from a first league win away at fierce rivals Manchester United since 1981, Leeds all but secured their top-flight status.

Two goals in two first-half minutes from James Justin and Noah Okafor put the home side in control before Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty in stoppage time rounded off the scoring.

Tottenham’s woeful campaign has been compounded by an impressive return to the top flight by Sunderland and Leeds, to buck the trend of recent seasons.

For the past two years all three promoted sides have gone straight back down.

However, Daniel Farke’s men not only look set for survival, but could reach a first FA Cup final since 1973 should they beat Chelsea in next weekend’s semi-finals.

Bournemouth piled more pressure on Newcastle manager Eddie Howe with a 2-1 win at St James’ Park.

The Cherries showed no ill effects from the news that Andoni Iraola will depart as boss at the end of the season.

Marcus Tavernier and Adrien Truffert struck for the visitors to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to 13 matches.

Bournemouth climb to eighth and within four points of the Champions League places.

Newcastle, by contrast, remain in 14th with their hopes of European football next season all but over.

Brentford missed the chance to leapfrog Chelsea into the top six after being held to a 0-0 draw by west London rivals Fulham.

Leaders Arsenal travel to Manchester City in a clash that could decide the destiny of the title race on Sunday.

The Gunners hold a six-point lead, but City have a game in hand and home advantage when the top two clash at the Etihad Stadium. (JapanToday)

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Man City closes in on Arsenal in Premier League title race with 3-0 win over Chelsea

Manchester City issued a huge statement of intent in the race for the Premier League title with a 3-0 win at Chelsea on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s team moved to within six points of leader Arsenal ahead of next weekend’s top of the table clash between the two teams. City also has a game in hand.

Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku all scored in a blistering second-half performance at Stamford Bridge as City took full advantage of Arsenal’s shock defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

“We know that we still have everything in our hands,” Doku said.

Tottenham’s survival fight took another blow after a 1-0 loss to Sunderland left it rooted in the relegation zone.

In coach Roberto De Zerbi’s first game in charge, Spurs fell to a 16th league loss of the season. Its 14-game winless run in the league dates back to Jan. 1.

Nordi Mukiele’s deflected shot sealed the game at the Stadium of Light and plunged Tottenham’s campaign deeper into crisis.

Tottenham is two points adrift of safety with six games to go. Its plight wasn’t helped by relegation-fighting Nottingham Forest drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace came back from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

While Arsenal’s form has hit a slump at the worst possible time, City made it three statement wins in a row after rolling over Chelsea.

Victory followed triumph against Arsenal in the English League Cup final and the 4-0 rout of Liverpool in the FA Cup last week.

While those three results all came in different competitions, City’s charge has an ominous feel about it after twice chasing down Arsenal’s lead to win the title in 2023 and ’24.

Second-placed City has the chance to cut the gap at the top to three points with victory against Arsenal at the Etihad. Guardiola called for respect for Arsenal when looking ahead to that title showdown.

“They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far. Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks,” Guardiola said. “I would like to say to my fans — respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team. Come to join us from minute one because the players will do the maximum.”

Rayan Cherki was the inspiration at Stamford Bridge — setting up goals for O’Reilly six minutes after halftime and Guehi in the 57th.

Doku rounded off the win in the 68th.

The result didn’t help Chelsea’s bid to qualify for the Champions League, leaving it four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool.

Liam Rosenior’s team has won just one of its last seven league games.

Now on its third coach of the season, it’s more than three months since its last league win and just one point from a possible 24. This was a seventh defeat in eight games.

If the hope was that De Zerbi would provide an immediate bounce in form after replacing Igor Tudor, it didn’t come in a typically toothless display at Sunderland.

While the new coach could point to bad luck, given the nature of Mukiele’s 61st-minute winner, which took a wicked deflection off Micky van de Ven, his team rarely looked like finding a way back into the match — even during 11 minutes of added time at the end.

An injury to Cristian Romero made a bad day worse for Spurs, which next faces Brighton, one of De Zerbi’s former clubs.

Forest moved three points clear of Spurs after a draw at the City Ground. Neco Williams’ long-range shot leveled the game after a Murillo own-goal gave Villa the lead. (JapanToday)

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Newcastle vs Sunderland halted after discriminatory abuse from the crowd

The Premier League game between Newcastle and Sunderland was stopped on Sunday after there was a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd, the league said.

Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida, who is Black, was the target of the abuse that resulted in play being stopped during the second half of the match at St James’ Park.

The league said the pause was in line with its anti-discrimination protocol. It added that an investigation would be launched.

“Racism has no place in our game, or anywhere in society. We will continue to work with stakeholders and authorities to ensure our stadiums are an inclusive and welcoming environment for all,” the league said in a statement.

Newcastle also said it would investigate and “ensure any individuals are identified and held accountable.”

“Our stance is clear – we do not tolerate discrimination of any form,” it said.

Before kickoff in the local derby, there had been tense scenes between fans outside the stadium, with videos widely shared online. But Northumbria police said only one arrest had been made before the match.

Sunderland won the game 2-1 thanks to a late goal by Brian Brobbey. (JapanToday)

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Man City dominates Arsenal to win English League Cup

The first major domestic trophy of the season is Manchester City ‘s. And after a dominant 2-0 win against Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday, it may not be the last.

Manchester-born Nico O’Reilly sealed victory with both goals in the second half at Wembley Stadium. The win could also have delivered a psychological blow in the race for the Premier League title as Pep Guardiola aims to chase down Arsenal’s nine-point lead at the top of the standings.

“(It’s an) unbelievable feeling to win a final and to beat this team. We know how good they are,” O’Reilly told Sky Sports. “We need to build on it now, it’ll give us momentum.”

This was serial trophy-winner Guardiola flexing his muscles. It was his 16th major trophy as City manager and a record fifth League Cup. He has won 34 career titles as a manager including his time at Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

And, once again, he was stamping out Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s own ambitions, having twice beaten his former assistant to the league title in recent years.

“I’m really pleased because I know the opponent we played. Mikel created a team that is almost unbeatable,” Guardiola said. “Every time you win a title it looks more difficult than in the past. It is really difficult for many reasons.”

Arsenal remains favorite to be crowned league champion this season for the first time since 2004, given its big lead. But with second-place City having a game in hand and the teams still to play each other in Manchester at the Etihad Stadium, the picture could look very different in the coming weeks.

City’s win also ended Arsenal’s bid this season for an unprecedented quadruple of major trophies by an English team – including the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.

“I’m very sad. It is a very hard one to take, especially for our players and our supporters because we know how much it means to them and how much we want that,” Arteta said. “We will manage that energy in the right way and we have to go through that pain and disappointment. It’s normal and it’s part of football.”

The 21-year-old O’Reilly, who came through City’s academy, was the unlikely hero with both goals from left back.

He took advantage of Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s fumble to head City in front on the hour. And he headed in a second four minutes later to effectively kill off the match.

“My whole family came down today (to watch) … I know they’ll be buzzing and I can’t wait to see them,” O’Reilly said.

Arteta said he had no regrets about selecting Kepa — who had played in previous rounds — rather than first-choice David Raya.

Tottenham’s Premier League survival fight was plunged deeper into crisis with a 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, one of three league games played on Sunday.

The relegation six-pointer left Spurs one place and one point above the drop zone and raised further questions about the future of coach Igor Tudor.

“The season is tough, especially in this moment. Another very bad (result) for us,” said Tottenham captain Cristian Romero. “The situation is tough, but most important thing is play (every game) like a final now.”

Fellow relegation-fighting Forest climbed above Spurs to 16th in the standings. The only positive on another miserable day for Tottenham was defeat for West Ham at Aston Villa to keep it in the bottom three.

Tottenham – one of English soccer’s most iconic teams and a founding member of the Premier League – is still without a win in the top flight in 2026. Its last win was Dec. 28 and it has lost six of its last seven games.

Igor Jesus’ header just before halftime gave Forest the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Morgan Gibbs-White added a second just after the hour mark.

Taiwo Awoniyi completed Forest’s first league win under coach Vitor Pereira in the 87th to leave home fans fearing the end of its ever-present stay in England’s top division since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.

Tudor was hired last month to try to turn Spurs’ season around, but has lost five of his seven games in charge in all competitions and seen his team eliminated from the Champions League.

Tottenham remains one point above 18th-place West Ham, which lost 2-0 to Villa.

Villa boosted its chances of Champions League qualification and took advantage of all of its immediate rivals dropping points.

Villa is fourth, one point behind Manchester United and five points above fifth-place Liverpool.

Brian Brobbey struck in the 90th minute to give Sunderland bragging rights in the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle.

Brobbey’s close-range effort sealed a 2-1 comeback win at St. James’ Park and saw Sunderland complete a league double over its fiercest rival.

Earlier, the game had been halted due to a report of discriminatory abuse from the crowd towards Sunderland’s Lutsharel Geertruida.

Before kickoff, there had been tense scenes between fans outside the stadium. Northumberland police said one arrest was made. (JapanToday)

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Troubled Spurs snatch late draw at Liverpool; Man Utd boosts top-four bid

Troubled Tottenham rescued a 1-1 draw at Liverpool thanks to Richarlison’s late leveller, while Manchester United bolstered their bid to qualify for the Champions League with a 3-1 win against Aston Villa on Sunday.

Igor Tudor’s relegation-haunted side trailed to Dominic Szoboszlai’s first-half free-kick at Anfield.

But Brazil striker Richarlison netted in the 90th minute to spare Tottenham from a sixth successive Premier League defeat.

In grave danger of playing into the second tier for the first time since 1977-78, Tottenham are without a victory in their last 12 league matches — their worst winless run for 91 years.

However, their first point under interim boss Tudor, who had lost his four previous matches in all competitions since replacing the sacked Thomas Frank, offered a glimmer of hope in their desperate fight for survival.

Tottenham arrived on Merseyside in crisis after suffering an embarrassing 5-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last-16 first leg in midweek.

Tudor had substituted goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after just 17 minutes after he made a pair of costly mistakes.

He opted against doing the same to Guglielmo Vicario after his weak attempted save allowed Szoboszlai’s free-kick to elude him in the 18th minute.

Tottenham could have crumbled after that, but to their credit they hit back in a spirited second half.

Richarlison ensured they didn’t finish empty-handed when he steered a close-range finish past Alisson Becker after Andrew Robertson and Virgil van Dijk made a hash of dealing with Randal Kolo Muani’s flick from Vicario’s long punt.

With eight games left to save themselves, Tottenham remain in 16th place, one point above both fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest and third-bottom West Ham.

They face a crucial clash with Forest in north London in a week’s time.

Lacklustre Liverpool were booed off at the final whistle after a result that left them in fifth place, likely to be the final Champions League slot, two points behind fourth-placed Villa.

At Old Trafford, United took the lead through Casemiro’s 53rd-minute header before Ross Barkley hauled Villa level in the 64th minute.

Michael Carrick’s side finished strongly, with Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko scoring in the closing stages to seal Carrick’s seventh win in nine games since taking over as interim boss.

Sitting third in the Premier League, United are three points clear of top-four rivals Villa.

United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe this week praised Carrick’s “excellent” work, but stopped short of committing to the former Old Trafford star on a long-term basis.

But Carrick is making a strong case to earn the job on a permanent basis after stabilizing United, who lost at Newcastle last week, following Ruben Amorim’s sacking.

“We looked a good team. It was a big game coming off the defeat. The boys reacted incredibly well,” Carrick said. “It’s a good feeling and something we want to keep getting used to. We are in a good position at the moment.”

Bruno Fernandes now has 16 Premier League assists this term, moving the United captain past David Beckham’s previous club record of 15 in 1999-2000.

He has 100 assists for United in all competitions since signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.

“He’s proven over a period of time how impactful he is in the big moments. He’s there all the time, he puts himself forward in training and games,” Carrick said.

Spluttering Villa have lost their last three league games and have just one win in seven top-flight matches, leaving them three points above sixth-placed Chelsea with eight games left in the battle for European places.

Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone after a 0-0 draw against Fulham at the City Ground.

Still waiting for their first win under Vitor Pereira, fourth-from-bottom Forest, who have had four managers this term, are above third-from-bottom West Ham on goal difference.

Ten-man Leeds held on for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace despite Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s missed penalty and a red card for Gabriel Gudmundsson. (JapanToday)

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Arsenal stays in control of title race as Dowman become youngest ever Premier League scorer

Arsenal stayed in control of the Premier League title race with a 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, with 16-year-old Max Dowman’s solo goal in stoppage time making him the competition’s youngest ever scorer.

In a dramatic finish at Emirates Stadium, Viktor Gyokeres scored in the 89th minute before Dowman collected the ball midway in his own half after a corner was cleared, dribbled around two players, and raced clear to tap into an empty net. Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was stranded upfield having gone up for a corner.

It dealt a psychological blow to second-place Manchester City, which headed into the first of two games in hand — at West Ham later Saturday — trailing Arsenal by 10 points.

Dowman, who is still in school, came on in the second half for his third Premier League appearance and also played a part in Gyokeres’ goal.

It was his cross from the right that was missed by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and struck the midriff of Arsenal substitute Piero Hincapie. The ball bounced across the goalmouth and Gyokeres applied the finishing touch from close range.

“He stays so calm and without fear every time he gets the ball,” Gyokeres said of Dowman. “He takes the right decision most of the time as well and with the goal, he definitely took the right one.”

In a breakthrough season for the English soccer prodigy, Dowman became the second-youngest player — behind Arsenal teammate Ethan Nwaneri — to feature in the Premier League after making his debut against Leeds in August.

In November, he became the youngest player in Champions League history at 15 years, 308 days when he entered as a second-half substitute against Slavia Prague.

Across London, Chelsea lost 1-0 to Newcastle thanks to an 18th-minute goal by Anthony Gordon.

Chelsea stayed in fifth place but could be overtaken by Liverpool, which hosts struggling Tottenham on Sunday.

Burnley is running out of time and hope in the Premier League.

A 0-0 home draw with Bournemouth on Saturday left next-to-last Burnley — one of the many U.S.-owned teams in England’s top division — eight points from safety with just eight games remaining this season and facing an immediate return to the Championship.

Burnley has won just four of its 30 league games.

Sunderland, another promoted team, appears to be safe from relegation but is limping toward the end of the season after a third straight home loss – this time to Brighton 1-0.

The only goal was a bizarre one, with Yankuba Minteh’s mis-hit cross from the byline somehow squeezing in at the near post in the 58th minute at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland hadn’t lost at home until a defeat to Liverpool on Feb. 11. Since then, it has lost to Fulham and now Brighton. (JapanToday)

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Osimhen fires Liverpool second leg warning

Victor Osimhen has warned Liverpool that Galatasaray can “do some damage” at Anfield ahead of the second leg of their UEFA Champions League tie, as the Nigerian striker also attracts transfer interest from Arsenal and Manchester United in a potential €140m deal, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The forward made the comments after Galatasaray secured a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the first leg at RAMS Park, a result that places the Turkish side in a strong position heading into the return leg in England.

Osimhen praised his teammates for their performance against the Premier League club and expressed confidence that the team could produce another strong display away from home.

“Every time we play here it’s so emotional for us. Aside from that, the victory is important,” he said.

“We know next week is going to be really hard, but I believe in this team and the kind of performance we put in against a very good side like Liverpool. I’m optimistic that we can do some damage there at Anfield.”

The striker acknowledged the challenge awaiting the team in the second leg but insisted Galatasaray would analyse their performance and attempt to improve.

“But like I said earlier, it’s not going to be easy. We will go back, look at our mistakes and try to correct them. I’m proud of the boys tonight,” he added.

Osimhen’s performances this season have further enhanced his reputation as one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, with the Nigerian contributing 24 goals and assists across competitions.

His form has reportedly drawn strong interest from Premier League clubs ahead of the summer transfer window, with Arsenal and Manchester United among the sides monitoring his situation if he is to be priced away from Galatasaray.

According to SportsBoom, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta sees the Nigerian as a key addition to his attack.

“Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reportedly views Osimhen as the ‘final piece of the puzzle’ for his frontline,” the report said.

Arsenal are understood to be seeking a reliable goalscorer to strengthen their title ambitions, while Manchester United are also considering reinforcements in attack as part of a wider squad rebuild.

The report added that pressure from former players could influence United’s pursuit of the striker.

“At Manchester United, the pressure from club legends like Rio Ferdinand is pushing the board toward a more aggressive pursuit. The club have attempted to sway the Nigerian international to Old Trafford on several occasions. Chelsea have also been linked with a move,” SportsBoom said.

Any move for the Nigerian forward is expected to command a fee of around €140m, a figure that would require significant financial commitment from potential suitors.

“If Galatasaray decides to cash in, the asking price sits between €120 million and €140 million; a figure that would shatter every record in the Süper Lig,” SportsBoom added.

For now, however, Osimhen’s immediate focus remains on helping Galatasaray complete the job against Liverpool as they attempt to progress further in Europe’s premier club competition. (Punch)

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Southampton shocks Fulham to reach FA Cup quarterfinals

Championship side Southampton reached the FA Cup quarterfinals with a shock 1-0 win against Fulham on Sunday.

Ross Stewart’s ice-cool penalty in stoppage-time at Craven Cottage sealed Southampton’s fifth-round upset.

It was an embarrassing loss for Fulham manager Marco Silva, who paid the price for a selection gamble that backfired.

Silva made nine changes to following a disappointing 1-0 defeat against West Ham in the Premier League earlier this week, but his switches failed to produce the desired result.

Southampton won it in the first minute of stoppage-time when Finn Azaz was fouled by Fulham defender Joachim Andersen and Stewart drilled his spot-kick past Benjamin Lecomte.

Relegated from the Premier League last season, they are through to the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2022.

Southampton’s success served as a fitting tribute to the greatest day in the club’s history.

Their players wore a yellow commemorative kit to mark 50 years since they wore the same shirts when Bobby Stokes’ sealed then second-tier Southampton’s shock 1976 FA Cup final win against Manchester United at Wembley.

Southampton’s current crop still have a way to go to emulate the achievement of Lawrie McMenemy’s men.

But Tonda Eckert’s side are unbeaten in 10 games in all competitions as they chase FA Cup glory and a place in the Championship play-offs.

Later on Sunday, Sunderland travel to Port Vale, who sit bottom of League One, and Leeds host second-tier Norwich, while West Ham meet Brentford on Monday.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool have already booked their places in the quarterfinals. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool tames Wolves to reach FA Cup quarterfinals

Liverpool moved into the FA Cup quarterfinals with a 3-1 win against Wolves on Friday as the Reds avenged their painful Premier League loss at Molineux just 72 hours earlier.

Arne Slot’s side struck twice in quick succession in the second half through Andrew Robertson’s long-range rocket and a predatory Mohamed Salah finish.

Curtis Jones wrapped up a much-needed fifth round victory for Liverpool after their embarrassing 2-1 defeat against the Premier League’s bottom club three days earlier.

Hwang Hee-chan’s late reply was no consolation for Wolves.

Branded “slow and predictable” by furious captain Virgil van Dijk following that calamity, Liverpool set the record straight on their return to the West Midlands.

Despite spending £450 million ($599 million) on new signings in the close season, Liverpool have mounted a woeful title defence, leaving the FA Cup and the Champions League as their last chances for silverware.

Languishing in sixth place in the Premier League — 19 points behind leaders Arsenal — Slot needs to deliver a trophy to ease the mounting pressure in his turbulent second season at Anfield.

Liverpool remain in contention for a ninth FA Cup triumph, and a first since 2022, while they step up their Champions League challenge with a last 16 first leg trip to Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Slot made four changes for the Wolves rematch, including three in defence as Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Ibrahima Konate were all dropped.

Avoiding relegation remains unlikely for a team currently 12 points from safety, but as well as beating Liverpool, Wolves also recently drew with Premier League leaders Arsenal and defeated Aston Villa.

Well aware of their impending fate, Wolves fans mocked Liverpool with chants of “2-1 to the Championship” in the first half.

Liverpool’s 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha nearly silenced the taunts with a low drive that forced a good save from Sam Johnstone.

Ngumoha carried Liverpool’s lone threat in the opening period, his goal-bound strike headed clear by Joao Gomes after an incisive raid.

Despite Ngumoha’s best efforts, it was another uninspired half from Liverpool in a season scarred by criticism of their prosaic approach.

Slot’s men finally conjured a rare moment of magic to break the deadlock in the 51st minute.

Salah and Jones worked the ball to Robertson and he thundered a superb strike into the far corner from 20 yards.

It was the Scotland left-back’s second goal this season and his first since September.

After scoring against Wolves on Tuesday, Salah was back on target to double the lead two minutes later.

When Salah pounced on Robertson’s cross with a close-range finish, the Egyptian’s ninth goal this season was initially disallowed for offside before VAR overturned the decision.

Adding to the good news for Slot, German playmaker Florian Wirtz came off the bench in the closing stages after missing three games with a back injury.

Jones put the seal on Liverpool’s fifth win in their last six matches, caressing his shot past Johnstone in the 74th minute.

Liverpool switched off in stoppage time as Hwang ran onto Johnstone’s long punt to slot past Alisson Becker. (JapanToday)

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Chelsea happy to rotate goalkeepers, says Rosenior

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior said Friday he has no fixed number one goalkeeper after dropping Robert Sanchez from his starting line-up in midweek.

The English manager brought in Denmark’s Filip Jorgensen for the 4-1 victory at Aston Villa days after Sanchez, who has been the first choice this season, struggled in a defeat against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Rosenior was asked on the eve of Chelsea’s FA Cup tie against second-tier Wrexham to explain his goalkeeping policy.

“For me, genuinely, I look at the goalkeeper position maybe differently for each game,” he said. “I want there to be competition in every area of the pitch.

“I know traditionally if there’s a change of goalkeeper it’s like ‘He’s now the number one’. It’s not the case, it’s not the case at all.

“So we will try and pick the best team possible for each game.”

Rosenior played down potential fears over rhythm and confidence.

“You need continuity, but you need to win games of football,” he said. “There’s different ways, modern coaching or old school or anything.

“I will pick the team I think is best to win each game. I don’t think I’ve kept the same 11 in any game that we’ve played.

“Now, people can say we need continuity, and if we lose, then we don’t have enough continuity. If we win, then it’s the right decision.”

Rosenior, who took charge at Stamford Bridge in January, said Spain’s Sanchez had reacted well to being dropped.

“I’ve spoken about (winger Alejandro) Garnacho and the way he’s responded to not being in the team,” he said.

“If we’re going to be successful, I’m sure in the short and long term you need a group, you need a squad with the right mentality and Rob so far has been absolutely magnificent in that.”

Rosenior said he was expecting a tough battle in Saturday’s fifth-round tie at Hollywood-backed Wrexham, who have enjoyed three successive promotions and are now in a Championship play-off spot.

“When you see a club grow, develop, improve and come up through the leagues, it’s a great story,” said the Chelsea boss as he paid tribute to Wrexham counterpart Phil Parkinson.

“They’ve done a great job, I think Phil’s done an incredible job…We know it’s going to be a really difficult game. It’s a club that’s ( on the rise and there’s a good energy in them.” (Channels)