LONDON: Manchester United succumbed to a first away league defeat for 30 games by losing 4-2 at Leicester as Liverpool stormed to the top of the Premier League with a 5-0 demolition of Watford on Saturday.
Manchester City moved into second with a 2-0 win over Burnley, while Chelsea can move back to the top of the table when they travel to Brentford later in the day.
But the focus will fall on United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his side failed to win for the third consecutive Premier League game.
United led at the King Power thanks to Mason Greenwood’s spectacular strike, but were quickly pegged back by Youri Tielemans’ dinked finish beyond David de Gea.
A flurry of four goals in the final 12 minutes then condemned Solskjaer’s men to a first defeat on the road since January 2020.
Caglar Soyuncu put Leicester in front before Marcus Rashford equalized on his first appearance of the season after shoulder surgery.
Straight from kick-off, United’s leaky defense was breached once more as Jamie Vardy smashed home and Patson Daka’s first Leicester goal in stoppage time sealed a much-needed win for Brendan Rodgers’ men.
Roberto Firmino scored his first hat-trick since 2018 as Liverpool ran riot at Vicarage Road in Claudio Ranieri’s first match as Watford boss.
But it was Mohamed Salah who again took most of the plaudits for another stunning solo goal to take his tally for the season to 10 in as many games.
“In this moment it is clear that there is no one better than him,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp of the Egyptian.
Salah helped open the floodgates with a defense-splitting pass that teed up Sadio Mane to score his 100th Premier League goal.
Firmino would have been unavailable due to a late return from international duty but for an injury that forced him to withdraw from the Brazil squad.
He tapped home his first goal from James Milner’s cross before half-time and took advantage of another open goal after Ben Foster parried Craig Cathcart’s attempted clearance.
Salah left four Manchester City defenders trailing to score in a thrilling 2-2 draw before the international break and pulled off a similar feat before curling into the far corner.
Firmino then completed the rout in stoppage time.
City did not need to hit top gear to see off Burnley at the Etihad and remain one point behind Liverpool at the top of the table.
Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne were on target either side of half-time for Pep Guardiola’s men.
Wolves produced a miraculous comeback from 2-0 down with 10 minutes remaining to win 3-2 at Aston Villa.
Danny Ings and John McGinn had put the hosts in a commanding position at Villa Park.
But Romain Saiss, Conor Coady and Ruben Neves handed Bruno Lage’s men a dramatic three points.
Southampton got their first league win of the season thanks to Armando Broja’s goal to beat Leeds 1-0.
Norwich remain winless and bottom of the table after a 0-0 draw with Brighton.
Manchester United lose at Leicester, City roll on as five-star Liverpool go top
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Manchester United lose at Leicester, City roll on as five-star Liverpool go top
- Mohamed Salah again took most of the plaudits for another stunning solo goal
World No. 5 Elena Rybakina to headline strong field at 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
- The 2022 Wimbledon champion joins defending champion Belinda Bencic and Spanish favorite Paula Badosa for the event from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7
- Rising stars Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala continue breakthrough journeys at WTA 500 platform
ABU DHABI: One of the strongest fields in its history has been unveiled for this year’s Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion and world No. 5 Elena Rybakina will head an exciting line-up featuring Grand Slam winners, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting rising stars when the WTA 500 tournament returns to the International Tennis Centre, Zayed Sports City, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7.
The Kazakh powerhouse, who won the tournament in 2024, has established herself as one of the game’s elite competitors. Since her triumph at Wimbledon, she has reached the 2023 Australian Open final and secured multiple WTA 500 and 1000 titles, including the 2025 WTA Finals Riyadh where she brushed aside World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in straight sets.
“I really enjoyed my time in Abu Dhabi last year,” said Rybakina, who was defeated in the semi-finals by Bencic. “The city’s support for tennis is amazing, and reaching the semifinals was a solid way to begin 2025. This year, I’m coming back with the goal of going all the way again. The competition will be fierce, but that’s what makes it exciting.”
Rybakina will be joined by Belinda Bencic, who returns to defend her unbeaten record at the event. The Swiss Olympic gold medalist has lifted the trophy in both 2023 and 2025 and remains the only player never to have lost a match at the tournament.
Spanish favorite Paula Badosa adds further depth to the elite contingent. A former world No. 2 and Indian Wells champion, Badosa brings explosive power and fierce competitiveness to a field that promises compelling matches throughout the week.
The tournament’s commitment to the next generation is underlined by the confirmation of two of 2025’s most compelling breakthrough stars. Canadian sensation Victoria Mboko, who rocketed from outside the world’s top 300 at the start of 2025 to inside the top 20 following titles in Montreal and Hong Kong, continues her remarkable rise on the WTA Tour.
Joining her is Filipina star Alexandra Eala, who returns to Abu Dhabi following her 2024 debut. The 20-year-old former US Open girls’ champion has continued her steady climb through the rankings and remains the highest-ranked Filipino player in tour history.
Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova, a multiple Grand Slam champion in both singles and doubles, and Marketa Vondrousova, the 2023 Wimbledon champion, bring proven track records while American rising star Emma Navarro, Denmark’s Clara Tauson and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez — the 2023 French Open finalist — add further depth to an already formidable lineup.
The field also features former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, who captured the 2025 doubles title in Abu Dhabi alongside Ellen Perez. Chinese star Qinwen Zheng, Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin round out a top 20 that promises world-class tennis from the opening qualifiers through to the championship weekend.
Further elite talent includes Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova, Belgium’s Elise Mertens, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, American McCartney Kessler and Australian Maya Joint.
Nigel Gupta, MARI tournament director, said: “The 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open field represents everything this tournament has become — a compelling blend of Grand Slam champions, Olympic medalists and the sport’s most exciting emerging talent. Elena Rybakina’s arrival as our top seed adds tremendous star power, while Belinda’s pursuit of a third title and the inclusion of breakthrough stars like Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala demonstrate our commitment to showcasing both today’s champions and tomorrow’s legends. This is shaping up to be our strongest edition yet.”
