Liverpool stretch lead as Man City, Chelsea stumble

Virgil van Dijk scores Liverpool’s second goal during Saturday’s match. (AFP)
Updated 30 November 2019
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Liverpool stretch lead as Man City, Chelsea stumble

  • Virgil van Dijk is hoping to beat Lionel Messi to the Ballon d’Or on Monday

LONDON: Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to 11 points with a nervy 2-1 win over Brighton as Manchester City slipped up once more in a draw at Newcastle on Saturday.

Chelsea missed the chance to go level on points with second-placed City as Frank Lampard’s men suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat by West Ham, while Tottenham’s winning run under Jose Mourinho continued as Dele Alli scored twice in a 3-2 win over Bournemouth.

Virgil van Dijk is hoping to beat Lionel Messi to the Ballon d’Or on Monday and showed he can score goals as well as stop them with two towering headers from Trent Alexander-Arnold set-piece deliveries to put Liverpool 2-0 up inside 25 minutes.

However, goalkeeper Alisson Becker was sent off 14 minutes from time for handling outside his area and Brighton reduced the deficit from the resulting free-kick through captain Lewis Dunk.

But the 10 men held out for another vital three points to edge closer to a first league title in 30 years.

While Liverpool have made a habit of winning games when not at their best, not for the first time this season, City let points slip away to further dent their title chances after a 2-2 draw.

Twice Pep Guardiola’s men led at St. James’ Park through Raheem Sterling and a brilliant Kevin De Bruyne strike eight minutes from time. But Newcastle responded quickly on both occasions as Jetro Willems canceled out Sterling’s strike before Jonjo Shelvey swept home a well-worked free kick two minutes from time.

“We do the same work we have done over the last few seasons. We tried to score more goals but it did not happen,” said Guardiola, whose side failed to capitalize on nearly 80 percent of possession.

City’s slip-up gave Chelsea the chance to go level on points with the champions and Leicester, who host Everton on Sunday.

However, the Blues failed to replicate their fine form over the past two months as West Ham won for the first time in nine games to ease the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini.

Aaron Cresswell scored the only goal three minutes into the second half with a tidy finish as he cut inside onto his weaker right foot.

But it was the Hammers who were the more likely to add to the scoring as the second period wore on with Kepa Arrizabalaga keeping them at bay with a string of saves, while Michail Antonio had a goal ruled out after a VAR review for handball.

Tottenham are up to fifth and within six points of Chelsea in the battle for a top-four finish as the in-form Alli preserved Jose Mourinho’s perfect start.

The scoreline should have been far more convincing for Mourinho’s men, who led 3-0 with 17 minutes left as Alli’s fine form continued with a goal either side of half-time before Moussa Sissoko scored for the first time in over two years.

But Tottenham have conceded twice in all three of Mourinho’s matches in charge and were left hanging on as Harry Wilson scored a double for the visitors.

Crystal Palace secured their first win in six games to move into the top half as Wilfried Zaha and Jeffrey Schlupp were on target in a 2-0 win at Burnley.


Rodgers’ Al-Qadsiah fall behind in title race as points dropped against Al-Fateh

Updated 8 sec ago
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Rodgers’ Al-Qadsiah fall behind in title race as points dropped against Al-Fateh

  • The Knights of the East move onto 44 points after 1-1 draw, six behind leaders Al-Hilal
  • Julian Quiñones nets 18th goal of the season to move second in goal rankings

RIYADH: Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli will breathe a sigh of relief after Al-Fateh held Al-Qadsiah to a 1-1 draw at the culmination of Matchday 21 in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Qadsiah now sit three points adrift of Al-Ahli, five behind Al-Nassr and six behind Al-Hilal.
Al-Fateh, who continue to rise up the table after a difficult start to the season, entered the encounter with a set of changes made by José Manuel Gomes. Looking to counter Brendan Rodgers’ 5-3-2, the visitors set up in a similar formation, with Sofiane Bendebka operating higher up the pitch to press Julian Weigl.
The match began at a frantic pace, with two goals arriving in quick succession. Al-Qadsiah’s right flank has continued to be a target for opposition sides, with the space behind Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat exposing Jehad Thekri to repeated one-on-one situations.
Naif Masoud dribbled his way into the box before releasing Wesley Delgado down his left. The Cape Verde international squared for Matías Vargas, who finished with precision past Koen Casteels in the eighth minute.
Shortly after, Al-Qadsiah made their way back into the game. While Abu Al-Shamat’s marauding runs can leave space for opposition wingers, his attacking contributions remain a vital part of Al-Qadsiah’s play. A through ball from a tight angle found Julian Quiñones, who finished to equalize and make his 14th goal contribution in 10 games.
Despite the quick response, Al-Qadsiah struggled to find a way back into the game. Fernando Pacheco stood firm in Al-Fateh’s goal, making four saves on the night, as the hosts fired 19 attempts across the 90 minutes.
A final attempt for Al-Qadsiah came in the closing moments of the game, when Nacho found space inside the box, only for Al-Fateh’s defense to close him down and deny a clear shot at goal.
Brendan Rodgers remains unbeaten since taking charge at Al-Qadsiah, as the Northern Irishman led Al-Qadsiah to eight victories and three draws in his 11 matches at the helm. They face NEOM next in a bid to revitalize their title charge.
Elsewhere, surprise package of the season Al-Taawoun continued a difficult run of form, dropping points in a 1-1 draw to Al-Khaleej. Meanwhile, Al-Kholood completed the double over Al-Shabab, with Abdulaziz Al-Aliwa once again proving decisive by scoring a 78th-minute winner in a 1-0 victory.
The Saudi Pro League takes its first five-day break since the league’s return from hiatus in December, with Matchday 22 getting underway on Thursday. As the title race tightens, Al-Ahli travel to Riyadh to face Al-Shabab, while Al-Hilal host Al-Ettifaq on Friday. Al-Nassr conclude the round on Saturday as they make their way to Al-Hasa to face Al-Fateh.