LONDON: Leeds climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with a big win on Saturday while Tottenham’s grip on a top-four place loosened after they threw away a 3-1 lead at last-place Southampton.
Leeds were in danger of wasting a 3-0 lead at Wolverhampton as the hosts pulled two goals back before going down to 10 men, and Rodrigo put the game away with the fourth goal in injury time. It’s just the second win in 13 league games for Leeds and lifts the team from 19th place up to 14th in the exceedingly tight lower half of the table.
While the title race has long been a two-way fight between Arsenal and Manchester City, the relegation battle involves no fewer than nine teams who are in real danger of finishing among the bottom three.
Only four points now separate 12th-place Crystal Palace and last-place Southampton, which rallied to draw 3-3 at home against Tottenham after being awarded a contentious penalty in injury time.
James Ward-Prowse smashed that spot kick into the net for a point that helps give Southampton some hope of avoiding the drop, even though they have played at least one more game than most of the teams directly above it.
It could be a costly collapse for Tottenham, though, as Antonio Conte’s team had a chance to provisionally climb above Manchester United into third. Instead, Spurs are now just two points ahead of fifth-place Newcastle, which have played two fewer games.
Leicester remained firmly entrenched in the relegation battle despite halting a five-game losing streak in all competitions with a 1-1 draw at Brentford that keeps them just one point above the drop zone — and two points ahead of Southampton — while midtable Aston Villa made it three wins in four games with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth.
Chelsea hosted Everton later looking for a fourth straight league win, while Manchester City played Burnley in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Arsenal can stretch their lead to eight points over City by beating Palace on Sunday.
Leeds earn big win; Tottenham throw away lead in EPL
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Leeds earn big win; Tottenham throw away lead in EPL
- The relegation battle involves no fewer than nine teams who are in real danger of finishing among the bottom three
- Only four points now separate 12th-place Crystal Palace and last-place Southampton
King Fahd Stadium to host 2027 Asian Cup final
- Popularly known as “The Tent” because of its roof, inspired by a traditional Bedouin dwelling, the stadium is the largest of the eight venues hosting the soccer showpiece
KUALA LUMPUR: Riyadh’s King Fahd Sport City Stadium will host the opening and closing matches of next year’s Asian Cup, officials announced Monday, the football showpiece seen as a precursor for the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia was awarded the World Cup but first will host the Asian Cup from Jan. 7 to Feb. 5, 2027.
“The King Fahd Sports City Stadium ... will provide the backdrop for both the eagerly anticipated final as well as the opening match, featuring hosts and three-time Asian champions Saudi Arabia,” the AFC said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur.
The 70,000-plus venue in Riyadh will also host four group stage battles, a round of 16 tie and a quarterfinal match before the final in early February, the AFC added.
Popularly known as “The Tent” because of its roof, inspired by a traditional Bedouin dwelling, the stadium is the largest of the eight venues hosting the soccer showpiece.
Asian Cup matches will also be played in Jeddah and Alkhobar.
Match pairings and kickoff times will be confirmed at the AFC’s final draw on April 11 in Riyadh, the AFC said.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup host, staged and won the Asian Cup two years ago.
The tournament was supposed to take place in China in 2023, but was moved out of the country because of the country’s COVID policies at the time.
