LEICESTER, United Kingdom: Chelsea swept to a 3-0 win at Leicester as N’Golo Kante’s rocket helped the Premier League leaders move six points clear at the top on Saturday.
Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring and Kante’s long-range blast put Chelsea in control before Christian Pulisic came off the bench to score in the second half.
Thomas Tuchel’s side are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions after erasing the bitter taste of a frustrating 1-1 draw against lowly Burnley before the international break.
Chelsea’s ruthless display provided the perfect riposte to Paris Saint Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino’s recent claim that the European champions are a “defensive” team.
It was the ideal preparation for a big week that features a crucial Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday before Manchester United visit Stamford Bridge on November 28.
“It’s a good away game, an excellent result. We created a lot of chances,” Tuchel said.
“We knew we needed to be strong from first to last minute. This is what we did.
“N’Golo is outstanding. He finds another gear on the pitch, when he plays with a free mind he can be the difference.”
With Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku hoping to return shortly after an ankle injury and Timo Werner back among the substitutes following his hamstring problem, Chelsea are perfectly positioned to cement their place at the top of the table.
The only concern was an injury that forced off Italy midfielder Jorginho in the closing stages.
Chelsea made quick work of dispatching lacklustre Leicester, who had managed only one clean-sheet in their previous 17 league games and none since the opening day of the season.
Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers switched to a three-man central defense in a bid to shore up his leaky rearguard, but Chelsea easily found holes in the formation.
Ben Chilwell has been among the goals for both Chelsea and England lately and the left-back should have opened the scoring against his former club after just four minutes.
Picked out by Jorginho’s raking pass, Chilwell got behind the Leicester defense and surged into the penalty area, only to drive his shot against the crossbar with just Kasper Schmeichel to beat.
Every touch from Chilwell was jeered by Leicester fans, but he helped silence the crowd in the 14th minute.
Chilwell curled an in swinging corner toward Rudiger and the German center-back got between two Leicester defenders to glance a header into the far corner.
It was a well-timed reminder of Rudiger’s quality as Chelsea try to persuade the 28-year-old to sign an extension to a contract that runs out at the end of the season.
“Everybody wants him to stay. It’s pretty clear,” Tuchel said.
“Sometimes there’s a delay in these things, but he knows which club he plays for — a fantastic club in a fantastic league.
“We need a bit of patience and hopefully there will be a happy ending.”
Having squandered the lead against Burnley after missing a host of chances, Chelsea were in no mood to repeat that mistake and they struck again in the 28th minute.
Reece James dropped his shoulder to work space for a pass to Kante and the France midfielder advanced unchecked before drilling a fine finish past Schmeichel from the edge of the area.
Like Rudiger, it was Kante’s first goal since scoring in the win at Tottenham in September.
Under-worked Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy was tested by Daniel Amartey’s fierce strike and Jamie Vardy headed over from James Maddison’s cross as Leicester briefly put Chelsea under pressure.
Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount was anonymous in his first start for almost a month after dental surgery and he was hauled off on the hour.
Pulisic was Mount’s replacement and the United States winger seized his chance when he stabbed home from fellow substitute Hakim Ziyech’s pass in the 71st minute.
It was Pulisic’s first club goal since the opening weekend of another injury-plagued season for the 23-year-old.
Chelsea cruise as Kante rocket inspires Leicester rout
https://arab.news/95fp9
Chelsea cruise as Kante rocket inspires Leicester rout
- Antonio Rudiger opened the scoring and Kante's long-range blast put Chelsea in control
- Thomas Tuchel's side are unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions
Saudi sports minister, IOC chief meet in Riyadh
- Visit is Bach’s third to Saudi Arabia since being elected as the IOC’s president in 2013
RIYADH: Minister of sports and president of the Saudi Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SOPC) received the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, upon his arrival in the Kingdom on Saturday.
The Olympic chief and Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz held their meeting in Riyadh.
The visit is Bach’s third to Saudi Arabia since being elected as the IOC’s president in 2013.
The visit underscores the robust relationship between the two sides, in line with Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Press Agency reported.
The vision has positioned the Kingdom as a permanent hub for global sports through the hosting of several significant sporting events.
Among these are the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2025, the Asian Winter Games TROJENA 2029, and the Asian Games Riyadh 2034, in addition to numerous championships and sporting events.
Aston Villa topple Arsenal and extend record home win streak
- Villa made John McGinn’s seventh-minute goal stand up in the latest standout victory for Unai Emery’s high-flying team
- Villa are third on the table, a point behind second-placed Arsenal
BIRMINGHAM, England: Aston Villa beat Arsenal 1-0 and moved within two points of new English Premier League leader Liverpool on Saturday.
Villa made John McGinn’s seventh-minute goal stand up in the latest standout victory for Unai Emery’s high-flying team, which upset defending champion Manchester City by the same scoreline on Wednesday.
Arsenal led the league at the start of the day but could not find a way through a Villa team that are proving to be a match for anyone on home turf. Villa have a club-record 15 straight home wins in the league.
Villa are third on the table, a point behind second-placed Arsenal.
The only other league managers to record 15-game winning streaks at home were Manchester United great Alex Ferguson, Roberto Mancini, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
Villa went ahead after Leon Bailey broke down the right and played in McGinn, who turned and beat Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.
Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez denied Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus from equalizing before the break.
Arsenal almost levelled in the second half when Martinez looked to claim a corner, but palmed the ball into the back of Ollie Watkins and it hit the post.
Bukayo Saka had a goal ruled out for offside and Kai Havertz thought he salvaged a point in the last minute, but was adjudged to have handled the ball.
Ten Hag blasts ‘inconsistent’ Man Utd after Bournemouth misery
- Ten Hag’s side slumped to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat that underlined the array of problems threatening to ruin United’s season
- “Of course, annoyed and disappointed, definitely. I expected something different,” Ten Hag said
MANCHESTER, United Kingdom : Erik ten Hag blasted his “inconsistent” Manchester United charges after Bournemouth made history with their first ever victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Ten Hag’s side slumped to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat that underlined the array of problems threatening to ruin United’s season.
Just three days after beating Chelsea to revive their bid for a top four finish in the Premier League, United reverted to the sloppy form that has plagued them for much of the campaign.
Goals from Dominic Solanke, Philip Billing and Marcos Senesi handed Bournemouth a memorable win as Ten Hag and his players were booed off at full-time.
With the pressure mounting on Ten Hag with each defeat in his troubled second season as United boss, the Dutchman slammed his team’s lacklustre performance.
“Of course, annoyed and disappointed, definitely. I expected something different,” Ten Hag said.
“I hoped before the game you can build on the performance and result from Chelsea, so then it’s very disappointing.
“That (consistency) is of course the question, but I think we have to always be ready for the game, so I have to take the responsibility for that.
“I have to prepare my team so that they are ready for the game, so from my point of view I’m very disappointed the way we started so I have to do the things better.”
United have now lost 35 home league games since Alex Ferguson retired at the end of the 2012-13 title-winning season.
During the iconic 26-year reign of the Scottish manager, United were only beaten in the league at Old Trafford 34 times
Ten Hag shouldered much of the responsibility for United’s 11th defeat in all competitions this term.
But alarmingly for United fans, the former Ajax boss conceded he did not believe his squad were consistent enough to thrive at the highest level.
“We are really inconsistent. We have the abilities to do it, but you have to do it every game and every third day,” he said.
“I think as a squad we are not good enough to be consistent and we have to work as a squad to improve that.”
It was an eye-catching remark at the end of a week that began with reports that some United players had grown unhappy with the manager.
Ten Hag denied those claims but, with his team mired in sixth place, he desperately needs some positive results quickly.
United host Bayern Munich in the Champions League next week knowing they must win to have any chance of progressing to the last 16.
A trip to in-form Liverpool in the Premier League follows the Bayern clash.
“As a group, we have to improve,” Ten Hag said. “That’s a fact. We have to get tougher, that we are ready for the game and from the start.
“I said on Friday, it can’t be in this league that you are not playing on the highest levels because you get killed.
“That’s what happened in the five minutes and then you are following facts and especially against them, such a good transition team, you make life easy for them. They have the perfect conditions to play in.
“Then you see the team fighting, battling, put a lot of effort in for a long period to return in the game, but it can’t happen that you so easily concede a goal.”
Jude Bellingham scores again as Real Madrid held to draw at Betis
- Bellingham’s transformation into a clinical finisher with a league-leading 12 goals has kept Madrid at the top of the standings
- He has 16 goals in 18 games between the domestic competition and the Champions League
BARCELONA, Spain: Jude Bellingham kept up his great scoring form since joining Real Madrid but his strike was not enough to save the injury-hit Spanish leaders from dropping points in a 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Saturday.
The England midfielder used his chest to cushion a nifty pass from Brahim Díaz before slotting under Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva to open the scoring in the 53rd minute.
Bellingham’s transformation into a clinical finisher with a league-leading 12 goals has kept Madrid at the top of the standings. He has 16 goals in 18 games between the domestic competition and the Champions League, compared to 14 goals in 42 games in all of last season for Borussia Dortmund.
Betis right back Aitor Ruibal equalized in the 66th from outside the right corner of the box with a powerful looping strike that sailed past goalkeeper Andriy Lunin.
The draw left Madrid atop the table, but Girona were just one point behind before they visit third-placed Barcelona on Sunday in a clash of Catalan clubs.
“Ruibal scored a fantastic goal and they drew level with us. (But) I am satisfied. You can’t always win,” Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said after his team’s run of five wins overall came to an end.
Both sides had late chances to snatch the victory. Former Madrid playmaker Isco Alarcón headed off the woodwork for Betis and Madrid substitute Joselu Mato shot inches wide.
Ruibal, an attacking player who has converted into a defender, had trouble keeping up with Madrid’s Rodrygo early on. But he showed his scorer’s instinct when he blasted home the equalizer on a counterattack that started when Bellingham lost the ball.
“To take a point against this rival, we have to be happy. The team competed like real animals,” Ruibal said. “I didn’t even think twice (before shooting).”
Ancelotti started Luka Modric after the veteran midfielder missed two games with a thigh problem. Modric, who has seen his playing time dwindle, appeared to be angry when he was substituted shortly after Ruibal’s goal.
Lunin started for Madrid even though Kepa Arrizabalaga was back in the squad after recovering from a minor injury. Kepa joined Madrid at the start of the season after regular starter Thibaut Courtois tore a knee ligament.
“Lunin played well and I am giving him confidence, but we will see who plays in the next game,” Ancelotti said about Tuesday’s Champions League group stage game at Union Berlin.
Betis remained in seventh. Manuel Pellegrini’s team are undefeated in nine consecutive league games at their Benito Villamarín Stadium.
Eighth-placed Las Palmas won at Alaves 1-0 as the Canary Islands club continues to impress since returning to the top-flight.
Bayern thrashed by Eintracht Frankfurt in Bundesliga
- In a wet and wild contest in Frankfurt, the hosts raced into an extraordinary 3-0 first-half lead
- Leaders Bayer Leverkusen travel to third-place Stuttgart on Sunday
BERLIN: Bayern Munich suffered a jolt to their title defense, losing their first league game of the season 5-1 in Frankfurt and handing Bayer Leverkusen the chance to open a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
In a wet and wild contest in Frankfurt, the hosts raced into an extraordinary 3-0 first-half lead, with Omar Marmoush, Junior Dina Ebimbe, and Hugo Larsson scoring the goals as Dino Toppmoeller’s side outmuscled a timid Bayern.
Joshua Kimmich dragged Bayern back into the match just before half-time but French midfielder Ebimbe had other ideas, capping a scintillating counter-attack after a mistake by Dayot Upamecano to make it four.
Ansgar Knauff added a fifth to put the game out of reach for Thomas Tuchel’s side to complete a memorable performance for Frankfurt, who become the first team to score five goals against Bayern in the first 60 minutes of a league game since Frankfurt themselves, in 1975.
Leaders Bayer Leverkusen travel to third-place Stuttgart on Sunday on a weekend when six of the Bundesliga’s top seven face each other.
Union Berlin won their first game since August 26 with a 3-1 victory over Borussia Moenchengladbach ensuring a winning start in the Bundesliga under new coach Nenad Bjelica.
The Croatian coach ran down the touchline to join the celebrations with his players as the team climbed to 15th.
Elsewhere, Werder Bremen arrested a four-game winless slump with a 2-0 win over Augsburg, secured by Niklas Stark’s first-half strike and Marvin Ducksch’s, midway through the second.
Heidenheim edged out Darmstadt with a 3-2 win in a meeting of two of the newly-promoted strugglers. Jan Schoeppner scored twice for Heidenheim, which leaves Darmstadt winless in seven Bundesliga games.
Freiburg sneaked a 1-0 win in Wolfsburg ahead of the day’s headline clash between Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
