LONDON: Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said he was disappointed just to take a point from his opening match in charge after his side came from behind to draw 1-1 with Liverpool on Sunday.
The visitors settled into the new season quicker at Stamford Bridge and could have been out of sight inside the first 30 minutes.
Mohamed Salah hit the crossbar before teeing up Luis Diaz to open the scoring.
Salah then saw a second goal ruled out after a VAR review for offside.
But the momentum swung back Chelsea’s way after debutant Axel Disasi equalized eight minutes before half-time.
VAR intervened once more to deny the Blues a second when Ben Chilwell scored and the home side wasted a series of chances to secure three points after the break.
Pochettino took over a side that had finished 12th last season — Chelsea’s lowest finishing position since 1994.
And the Argentine believes they will only improve as the season goes on.
“Fantastic way to start the season, unbelievable game,” said Pochettino, who previously managed Southampton and Tottenham in the Premier League.
“Overall I think we deserve a little bit more. We feel pleased and at the same time disappointed.
“That is only the beginning and I am so pleased with the performance of the players.”
Chelsea and Liverpool have spent recent days battling for the signing of Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo for a Premier League record fee.
Liverpool had a £110 million ($140 million) offer for the Ecuadorian accepted by the Seagulls, but the player appears to be holding out for Chelsea and Brighton to agree a fee.
“If we want to be a contender we need to improve in all areas,” added Pochettino.
“It’s time to work all together, once the transfer window closes, to find the best dynamic. This result makes us believe, that is why I am positive.”
Liverpool are in even more desperate need of midfield reinforcements after losing captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the wave of players heading to the Saudi Pro League.
After a bright start, the Reds’ defense was easily picked apart with an attack-minded midfield offering little protection.
“The start was pretty convincing,” said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp. “We scored two wonderful goals, one was disallowed for an offside.
“We opened up the door for Chelsea, we lost the ball in moments where it was difficult to prepare for it. It gave the game a different direction, so we were not in control of the game.”
However, Klopp insisted he is still “really looking forward” to the season ahead.
Liverpool are aiming to bounce back after missing out on Champions League qualification last season for the first time in seven years.
“Today didn’t decide where our season will go, it’s just important information,” added Klopp. “This team deserve so much trust, they will go for it!”
Pochettino pleased with new-look Chelsea on ‘unbelievable’ Premier League return
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Pochettino pleased with new-look Chelsea on ‘unbelievable’ Premier League return
- Pochettino took over a side that had finished 12th last season - Chelsea’s lowest finishing position since 1994
Hamdy gives Zamalek second CAF Confederation Cup title
- The two-leg final finished 2-2 on aggregate with the Cairo club winning the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League on away goals
- It was a historic triumph for Zamalek boss Jose Gomes, who became the first Portuguese coach to win the Confederation Cup
CAIRO: Ahmed Hamdy scored midway through the first half to give Zamalek of Egypt a 1-0 victory over Renaissance Berkane of Morocco on Sunday and a second CAF Confederation Cup title.
The two-leg final finished 2-2 on aggregate with the Cairo club winning the African equivalent of the UEFA Europa League on away goals.
The previous Zamalek triumph in the second-tier competition also came against Berkane with the Egyptians winning on penalties in 2019 after another aggregate draw.
It was a historic triumph for Zamalek boss Jose Gomes, who became the first Portuguese coach to win the Confederation Cup.
Zamalek made one change to the team that started the first leg in Morocco last Sunday with Senegalese Ibrahima Ndiaye replacing Nigeria-born fellow winger Samson Akinyoola.
Berkane were unchanged with Burkina Faso center-back Issoufou Dayo captaining the team and Senegalese Paul Bassene leading the attack.
A sell-out crowd in the 75,000-capacity Cairo International Stadium cheered, chanted and waved large flags as Zamalek attacked relentlessly in the early stages.
It seemed a matter of time before Berkane conceded, and Zamalek took the lead on 23 minutes through Hamdy, a midfielder who joined the White Knights four months ago.
An attempted clearance by Berkane was blocked and Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed pushed the ball to unmarked Hamdy, who rifled a low shot wide of goalkeeper Hamza Hamiani into the corner of the net.
Level on aggregate but behind on away goals, Berkane came out of their defensive shell and Dayo almost levelled soon after with a far-post header after a free kick.
Paul Bassene had his first sight of goal on 32 minutes, but blazed over, then Yassine Labhiri was much closer to equalising with a shot from just outside the area.
Zamalek finished the opening half strongly and Berkane had to defend desperately with defenders blocking several goal attempts after Hamiani failed to grasp a cross.
The Berkane goalkeeper nearly gifted Zamalek a second goal just past the hour mark as he initially hesitated to clear the ball and came close to being dispossessed by Seifeddine Jaziri.
Berkane threatened with 14 minutes remaining when awarded a free kick close to the area, but a poor attempt by Ayoub Khairi sailed over.
The Moroccans were reduced to 10 men two minutes into added time when Hamza El Moussaoui was red-carded for stamping on Zizo after fouling the winger.
Emotional Klopp tells fans ‘I love you to bits’ as his final match with Liverpool ends with a win
- Goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah secured one last victory of the Klopp era
- They lined the streets outside Anfield to welcome Klopp and his players and produced a paper mosaic of the word “JURGEN”
LIVERPOOL: The last time as Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp ran over to The Kop and delivered those repeated fist pumps that have been his signature during his transformational spell at Anfield.
The Liverpool fans — many with tears in their eyes, just like some of the team’s players -responded with a series of deafening roars, and then cheered Klopp as he did a circuit of the field.
Soon enough, he had disappeared out of view down the tunnel.
Gone, but never forgotten.
“I’m one of you now — I love you to bits,” Klopp said among his last words as he addressed the crowd inside Anfield after his final game as Liverpool’s manager, a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton on Sunday.
The match on the final day of the Premier League season doubled as a tribute to a German coach who led Liverpool to seven major trophies in his nearly nine years at Anfield and forged such a connection with the city that he has been compared to Bill Shankly — the club’s legendary manager from 1959-74.
No wonder Klopp looked emotional throughout an afternoon that Liverpool fans never wanted to come.
They lined the streets outside Anfield to welcome Klopp and his players, and then produced a paper mosaic of the word “JURGEN” in the stand opposite the dugouts as he emerged for the game.
“People are calling it The Last Dance. So let’s dance,” Klopp told Sky Sports just off the field before kickoff – and Liverpool obliged by strolling to one final victory for Klopp thanks to goals by Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah.
In some ways, it was business as usual for Klopp.
He touched the “This is Anfield” sign in the tunnel on the way out to the pitch.
He patrolled the middle of the field with his hands behind his back during the warmups, watching his own team — and then, with that trademark glare, his opponents.
He waved to fans behind the Liverpool dugout and tapped his heart just ahead of kickoff, before soaking in an emotionally charged rendition of the club’s anthem, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
“This morning I woke up,” Klopp said before the game, “and I was completely in game mode.”
The farewell party really started after the final whistle, which he marked by embracing each member of his backroom staff and also Wolves manager Gary O’Neil. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk was in tears as he hugged Klopp near the center circle.
The goodbye celebrations reached a crescendo as Klopp walked back out onto the field about 45 minutes after fulltime, wearing a red hoodie with the words “Thank You Luv” on the front and “I’ll Never Walk Alone” on the back, to speak to the crowd one last time.
“It doesn’t feel like an end. It feels like a start,” Klopp said. “Because I saw a football team full of youth, full of creativity, full of desire.
“For a few weeks, I got too much attention and it feels really uncomfortable but this time I realize a lot of things. People told me I turned them from doubters into believers. That’s not true. Believing is an act. You had to do it yourself. You did it. And nobody tells you now to stop believing.”
With Liverpool right back Trent Alexander-Arnold now in tears, Klopp continued in his speech to the home fans: “Because we have you, the super power of world football.”
He followed it up by chanting the name of Arne Slot, his likely successor.
“Arne Slot, la la la la la,” Klopp sang, to the tune of “Live is Life” by Austrian band Opus.
Liverpool finished third in the standings, nine points behind champion Manchester City, but at least won a trophy in Klopp’s final season — the English League Cup.
Abu Dhabi-backed MMA championship makes successful France debut
- Benoit Saint Denis, Espen Mathiesen, Ffion Davies, Khaled Al-Shehhi emerge as champions at ADXC in Paris
ABU DHABI: Some of the world’s best grapplers and jiu-jitsu athletes participated this past weekend in the ADXC 4 championships at the Dojo de Paris in France.
The Grappling Main Event at the fourth edition of the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship featured the long-awaited duel between UFC powerhouses Benoit Saint Denis and Marc Diakiese go the way of the home favorite.
Fighting in his homeland, Saint Denis used his grappling prowess to emerge victorious in the ADXC cage. Saint Denis almost submitted England’s Diakiese in the first round, but the latter managed to survive to go five rounds.
Norway’s Espen Mathiesen is now a two-time ADXC champion after defeating France’s Leon Larman in the Jiu-Jitsu Main Event. The Norwegian athlete played to his strength and defeated his opponent with a collar choke in the first round.
In the Grappling Co-Main Event, Wales’ Ffion Davies beat her opponent Morgan Black in the second round with an armbar, after intense pressure in the first round.
In the Jiu-Jitsu Co-Main Event, Khaled Al-Shehhi and Leonardo Mario found themselves evenly matched over the five rounds of three minutes each. Al-Shehhi started with a takedown, followed with a submission attempt and, when that did not work, used the single-leg to press Leonardo against the cage wall.
Mario applied pressure on Al-Shehhi’s guard, but the UAE powerhouse had a better run in the duel, using his technique to attack on top and even reach the side. Ultimately, Al-Shehhi did enough to convince the majority of the referees and won with a split decision.
In another matchup between MMA athletes, Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady controlled Amin Youb throughout the first two rounds, even managing to mount in the third. Youb attempted to attack with a guillotine, but Al-Selwady managed to avoid the danger and convinced the referees, who unanimously decided in favor of the “Pride of Palestine.”
In a well-balanced fight between purple belts, the UAE’s Shamma Al-Kalbani took on Lina Grosset of France. The first round saw both athletes exchanging foot attacks while the following one brought a little more movement, with reversals and guard-passing attempts. The third and final round saw Grosset putting on pressure from the top, but Al-Kalbani dished out some sneaky attacks and won via split decision.
ADXC 4 results:
Main Event: Benoit Saint Denis defeated Marc Diakiese via unanimous decision.
Espen Mathiesen defeated Leon Larman via collar choke.
Co-Main Event: Ffion Davies defeated Morgan Black via armbar.
Khaled Al-Shehhi defeated Leonardo Mario via split decision.
Main Card
Abdul-Kareem Al-Sewady defeated Amin Youb via unanimous decision.
Cassio Silva defeated Marko Oikarainen via unanimous decision.
Nathiely de Jesus defeated Elizabeth Mitrovic via unanimous decision.
Nia Blackman defeated Magdalena Loska via split decision.
Steven Ray defeated Ibrahima Mane via guillotine.
Preliminary Card
Youness Bennouali defeated Florian Bayili via split decision.
Geo Martinez defeated Nicolas Renier via heel hook.
Kalim Mastouri defeated Luca Anacoreta via unanimous decision.
Kasper Larsen defeated Alexander Alexandrov via rear-naked choke.
Shamma Al-Kalbani defeated Lina Grosset via split decision.
Saudi Arabia hosts Red Bull Four 2 Score Championship
RIYADH: The Red Bull Four 2 Score Championship is returning to Saudi Arabia for its second edition from May 24 to June 7.
The tournament will feature teams of four players each competing in local qualifiers across three Saudi Arabia cities, culminating in a national final. The ultimate goal for participants is to win an all-inclusive trip to the world final in Germany later this year.
The event is being held in partnership with Red Bull Mobile, Subway and the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sports and Sports for All Federation.
Qualifiers will take place in five stages in Riyadh and Jeddah, with the national final scheduled for June 7 in Abha.
The tournament’s rules and concept are designed to showcase Red Bull’s “power football” philosophy. In the first and last 60 seconds of the 10-minute matches, goals are doubled. There are no breaks or goalies, emphasizing the importance of scoring at critical moments. Both male and female players aged 16 to 35 are eligible to participate.
The two winning teams from the female and male categories will represent Saudi Arabia alongside other international teams at the world final, hosted by RB Leipzig.
Timberwolves knock out defending champion Nuggets, Pacers oust Knicks
- Timberwolves became the first team to come back from a halftime deficit of more than 11 points to win a Game 7
- Minnesota will play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals while the Pacers booked an Eastern Conference finals showdown with the top-seeded Boston Celtics
LOS ANGELES: The Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 20-point deficit to stun Denver 98-90, knocking the defending NBA champions out of the playoffs Sunday as Indiana ousted the New York Knicks.
Karl-Anthony Towns scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Jaden McDaniels added 23 points and Anthony Edwards hit his stride late as the Timberwolves became the first team to come back from a halftime deficit of more than 11 points to win a Game 7.
The Pacers connected on an NBA playoff record 67.1 percent of their shots — making 53 of their 79 attempts from the floor — in a 130-109 Game 7 triumph over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Edwards, who has emerged as a star for the Timberwolves at 22, said poise was the key to Minnesota’s latest unlikely victory over three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets.
Down by 15 at halftime, Minnesota trailed by 20 early in the third. But Denver went cold as Edwards found his range and the Timberwolves cut the deficit to one point going into the fourth quarter.
Edwards, who scored 12 of his 16 points in the second half, said coach Chris Finch told him at the break to “play quicker.”
“If they’re going to continue to trap you, you got to make the right play and trust your teammates,” Edwards said. “We was just poised throughout the entire game. We just fought, fought.
“And KAT played spectacular tonight,” Edwards added of Towns. “He carried us tonight.”
Minnesota had pulled within one point going into the fourth quarter and took the lead for good on Rudy Gobert’s driving layup in the first minute of the final period.
Jokic scored 14 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter. He added 19 rebounds and seven assists and Jamal Murray scored 35 points but both said the Nuggets just missed too many shots.
“I felt like we got the shots we wanted and the opportunities were there,” Murray said.
The Timberwolves, who had rocked the Nuggets with two wins in Denver to open the series before dropping three straight games, closed it out with a blowout Game 6 win and their final comeback triumph.
“It’s a special moment,” Finch said. “This is a hell of a team with the best player on the planet. The series was wild, and this game was just a microcosm of the series.”
Minnesota will play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals while the Pacers booked an Eastern Conference finals showdown with the top-seeded Boston Celtics.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points while Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard added 20 apiece as six Pacers players scored in double figures.
Donte DiVincenzo made nine three-pointers on the way to 39 points for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson scored 17 and handed out nine assists before departing with a broken left hand at the start of the fourth quarter — a final injury blow for the ravaged Knicks.
The Pacers broke through for their first road win of the series with a breathtaking offensive display in the first half, when they made 29 of their 38 shots for a 76.3 shooting percentage.
The Knicks cut a 15-point halftime deficit to six early in the third, but the Pacers had all the answers.
“Just a great game overall, top to bottom for us,” Haliburton said. “We hadn’t won on the road all series — we just found a way.”
The Knicks, chasing a first Eastern Conference finals berth since 2000, hurt their own cause with two costly turnovers on inbounds plays and the Pacers quickly pushed the lead back to 19 points.
The Knicks had hoped for a boost from forward OG Anunoby, who returned to the starting lineup after missing four games with a hamstring injury.
But Anunoby was clearly limited and departed in the first quarter as hurting teammate Josh Hart soldiered on despite an abdominal strain.
“Guys gave everything they had, and that’s all you could ask,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau, who was without Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic for the playoffs.
“It was a battle all year and there was nothing left to give at the end.”
