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Chinese media urge football rethink after champions’ financial collapse Shanghai (AFP) – The “shocking” collapse of champions Jiangsu FC is a watershed for Chinese football that should prompt a rethink from top to bottom, state media said. Jiangsu, who are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italy’s Inter Milan — said Sunday they will “cease operations”, just over three months after winning the Chinese Super League. The announcement underlines the financial problems coursing through the league that could also see rival side Tianjin Tigers fold this week. It also highlights the declining fortunes of a league that repeatedly smashed the Asian transfer record just a few years ago, attracting a number of foreign stars. “It seems incredible and shocking, but it feels like the dust has now settled,” state-run Xinhua news agency said following the announcement by Jiangsu, who have not yet dissolved and are seeking a financial lifeline. Xinhua said that 16 teams across three tiers of Chinese football folded in 2020. The Super League gained a reputation for luring star players with hefty wages and exorbitant transfer fees — Shanghai SIPG signed Oscar from Chelsea in 2017 for an Asian-record 60 million euros. But the Chinese Football Association has since brought in a raft of measures to cool spending, including a 100 percent transfer tax and salary caps. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, money began to dry up in Chinese football. “The most important thing at the moment is to… reload and start again, rather than being lost in confusion or remorse,” said Xinhua. “To some extent it is a good thing that the bubble has burst earlier (than expected),” it added. “Chinese professional football has ushered in its first ‘watershed’ after its high-speed, wild growth. “Respect the laws of football, respect the laws of the market, adhere to youth training and work for the long term.” Beijing Youth Daily said the implosion of Jiangsu was an opportunity for renewal. “Where does Chinese football go from here?” it asked. “Experts say that to solve the predicament of Chinese football it must be overthrown and reconstructed. “Chinese football, the promotion of it and youth training all need to be reassessed.” The new season, which will almost certainly be shorn of Jiangsu and Tianjin, is expected to start in April but there is no definite date because of uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

Shanghai (AFP) – The “shocking” collapse of champions Jiangsu FC is a watershed for Chinese football that should prompt a rethink from top to bottom, state media said. Jiangsu, who are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italy’s Inter Milan — said Sunday they will “cease operations”, just over three months after winning the Chinese Super League. The announcement underlines the financial problems coursing through the league that could also see rival side Tianjin Tigers fold this week. It also highlights the declining fortunes of a league that repeatedly smashed the Asian transfer record just a few years ago, attracting a number of foreign stars. “It seems incredible and shocking, but it feels like the dust has now settled,” state-run Xinhua news agency said following the announcement by Jiangsu, who have not yet dissolved and are seeking a financial lifeline. Xinhua said that 16 teams across three tiers of Chinese football folded in 2020. The Super League gained a

Rose to meet Dortmund as rivals eye cup chance in Bayern absence Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Marco Rose will meet his future club Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, as Germany’s top teams eye a rare chance for silverware in Bayern Munich’s absence. Finalists in eight of the last ten seasons and 20-time winners overall, favourites Bayern suffered their earliest exit since 2001 with a penalty shootout defeat to second-tier minnows Holstein Kiel in the second round in January. The upset left the race for the cup wide open, and handed rivals such as Dortmund, Gladbach and RB Leipzig their best chance in years of winning a trophy. For Gladbach coach Rose, Tuesday’s clash is a chance to save a faltering final season before joining Dortmund at the end of the campaign. After leading them to a top-four finish last season and the Champions League knockout stages in the current campaign, the 44-year-old has seen his side drop to eighth after four defeats in their last five league games. Rose has come under increasing pressure after he announced his intention to join Dortmund earlier this month, with some fans and commentators calling for him to step down. Yet on Saturday, he dismissed the notion that there would be a conflict of interest when his Gladbach side meet Dortmund this week. “It’s not difficult for me at all. I am the coach of Borussia Mönchengladbach. I have goals with this club, and I am responsible for its sporting success and for my players,” he told Sky. For Gladbach, victory over Dortmund would move them one step closer to a first major title since 1995, the year they last won the cup. Dortmund, meanwhile, are hoping to get their hands on the trophy for the third time in the last decade, while RB Leipzig are eyeing a first major title. Currently second in the Bundesliga, 2019 finalists Leipzig are arguably favourites ahead of their quarter-final clash with Wolfsburg on Wednesday. Yet their opponents, who won the cup as recently as 2015, are also in fine form with six wins in their last seven games in all competitions. The other quarter-finals see Werder Bremen travel to second-tier side Regensburg, while Rot-Weiss Essen and Holstein Kiel meet in a clash of the giant-killers on Wednesday. While Kiel sensationally sank Bayern in the second round, fourth-tier Essen have claimed a number of major scalps on their way to the last eight, including Bundesliga sides Arminia Bielefeld and Bayer Leverkusen. Fixtures (all times GMT) Tuesday Regensburg v Werder Bremen (1730), Borussia Moenchengladbach v Borussia Dortmund (1945) Wednesday Rot-Weiss Essen v Holstein Kiel (1730), RB Leipzig v Wolfsburg (1945)

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Marco Rose will meet his future club Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, as Germany’s top teams eye a rare chance for silverware in Bayern Munich’s absence. Finalists in eight of the last ten seasons and 20-time winners overall, favourites Bayern suffered their earliest exit since 2001 with a penalty shootout defeat to second-tier minnows Holstein Kiel in the second round in January. The upset left the race for the cup wide open, and handed rivals such as Dortmund, Gladbach and RB Leipzig their best chance in years of winning a trophy. For Gladbach coach Rose, Tuesday’s clash is a chance to save a faltering final season before joining Dortmund at the end of the campaign. After leading them to a top-four finish last season and the Champions League knockout stages in the current campaign, the 44-year-old has seen his side drop to eighth after four defeats in their last five league games. Rose has come under

Mertens back with a bang for Napoli Milan (AFP) – Napoli’s record goalscorer Dries Mertens returned from injury to help set the southerners back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over local rivals Benevento in Serie A on Sunday. Coach Gennaro Gattuso had been under pressure after three defeats in their previous five league games, and elimination from the Europa League. Mertens started for the first time in over two months after injuring his ankle in mid-December, and returning to his native Belgium for treatment. The 33-year-old got his boot to a Faouzi Ghoulam cross after half an hour in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for his 131st Napoli goal and his fifth in this league season. Mertens had not scored in the league since the end of November, with only a brief substitute appearance in January since his injury. Napoli dominated their 16th-placed rivals with Piotr Zielinski having a goal ruled offside because of captain Lorenzo Insigne’s offside position in the first half. Insigne’s younger brother Roberto came off the bench for Benevento at the break. Matteo Politano turned in the second after 66 minutes in an action involving Insigne with Gattuso’s side holding despite Kalidou Koulibaly’s sending off 10 minutes from time for a second yellow card. Napoli are sixth, but stay in the chase for the Champions League berths, sitting three points behind fourth-placed Atalanta, with a game in hand.

Milan (AFP) – Napoli’s record goalscorer Dries Mertens returned from injury to help set the southerners back to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over local rivals Benevento in Serie A on Sunday. Coach Gennaro Gattuso had been under pressure after three defeats in their previous five league games, and elimination from the Europa League. Mertens started for the first time in over two months after injuring his ankle in mid-December, and returning to his native Belgium for treatment. The 33-year-old got his boot to a Faouzi Ghoulam cross after half an hour in the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona for his 131st Napoli goal and his fifth in this league season. Mertens had not scored in the league since the end of November, with only a brief substitute appearance in January since his injury. Napoli dominated their 16th-placed rivals with Piotr Zielinski having a goal ruled offside because of captain Lorenzo Insigne’s offside position in the first half. Insigne’s younger brother Roberto ca

Freiburg pile misery on Leverkusen as crisis-club Schalke perform mass clear out Berlin (AFP) – Bayer Leverkusen’s miserable run of form continued Sunday as they fell to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Freiburg thanks to a brilliant second-half performance from Lucas Hoeler. Having topped the Bundesliga in December, Leverkusen are now five points adrift of the Champions League places in sixth after winning just one of their last six games. For Peter Bosz’s team, who crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday, a promising season is now beginning to fall apart. After a dominant first-half performance from Leverkusen, Freiburg launched a smash-and-grab attack to take the lead just after half-time. With a darting run into the box, Hoeler cut the ball back to an unmarked Ermedin Demirovic, who swept it past debutant goalkeeper Lennart Grill. Hoeler doubled the lead 10 minutes later, tapping the ball in after a sharp cross from Vincenzo Grifo. Jamaica winger Leon Bailey pulled a goal back 20 minutes from time, but Freiburg held on to condemn Leverkusen to their eighth defeat in all competitions in 2021. – Zentner howler – Elsewhere, Union Berlin striker Max Kruse celebrated his long-awaited return from injury with a goal as the capital club were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Hoffenheim. Making his first appearance since his injury in the Berlin derby back in December, the former Germany international netted his seventh goal of the season in a hard-fought draw in Berlin. “It felt good today. I’ve been out for a long time so it was nice to be able to help my team again,” Kruse told the Bundesliga website. Kruse gave Union the lead from the penalty spot on nine minutes, smashing the ball into the top corner after Florian Grillitsch brought down Christopher Trimmel. Hoffenheim equalised through an own-goal shortly before the half-hour mark, Nico Schlotterbeck knocking the ball into his own net as he tried to challenge Togolese striker Ihlas Bebou. Liverpool loanee Loris Karius, who was making only his second start for Union with first-choice keeper Andreas Luthe out of action, was powerless to stop the own goal. Pavel Kaderabek appeared to have scored a winner for Hoffenheim ten minutes from time, but the goal was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. The draw sees Union hold onto seventh place while Hoffenheim remain in 11th. Further down the table, a howler from goalkeeper Robin Zentner condemned Mainz to a 1-0 defeat at home to Augsburg and kept the relegation-threatened side in the bottom two. With 25 minutes gone, Zentner mistakenly passed the ball straight to Augsburg’s Florian Niederlechner, despite being under no pressure. Niederlechner gratefully squared the ball to Andre Hahn, who slotted it into the empty net to take Augsburg eight points clear of the drop zone. “Robin is old enough to put it behind him. He’s helped us out enough times in the past,” said Mainz coach Bo Svensson, defending his goalkeeper. – Schalke clear out – Crisis club Schalke sacked almost their entire sporting leadership, including coach Christian Gross, after an alleged player revolt and a 16th league defeat plunged their nightmare season deeper into crisis. Schalke were thumped 5-1 at Stuttgart on Saturday to leave them bottom and nine points clear of safety, the final straw for the club hierarchy after being humiliated by fierce rivals Borussia Dortmunud last week. “The decision had become unavoidable after results against Dortmund and Stuttgart,” said Schalke chairman Jens Buchta. “The team now owe it to the club and the fans to be as successful as possible in the last third of the season.” Coach Gross, sporting director Jochen Schneider and team coordinator Sascha Riether were all relieved of their duties in Sunday’s mass clear out. Gross’ assistant Rainer Widmayer and fitness coach Werner Leuthard were also fired. Having been in the Champions League two seasons ago, Schalke are now hurtling towards their first relegation since 1988.

Berlin (AFP) – Bayer Leverkusen’s miserable run of form continued Sunday as they fell to a shock 2-1 home defeat to Freiburg thanks to a brilliant second-half performance from Lucas Hoeler. Having topped the Bundesliga in December, Leverkusen are now five points adrift of the Champions League places in sixth after winning just one of their last six games. For Peter Bosz’s team, who crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday, a promising season is now beginning to fall apart. After a dominant first-half performance from Leverkusen, Freiburg launched a smash-and-grab attack to take the lead just after half-time. With a darting run into the box, Hoeler cut the ball back to an unmarked Ermedin Demirovic, who swept it past debutant goalkeeper Lennart Grill. Hoeler doubled the lead 10 minutes later, tapping the ball in after a sharp cross from Vincenzo Grifo. Jamaica winger Leon Bailey pulled a goal back 20 minutes from time, but Freiburg held on to condemn Leverkusen to their eight

Solskjaer rages at penalty talk as Man Utd draw another blank at Chelsea London (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United are being negatively influenced by opposition managers referring to their penalty record after being denied a spot-kick in a 0-0 draw at Chelsea on Sunday. United were furious that referee Stuart Attwell stuck to his original call not to award a penalty for handball by Callum Hudson-Odoi despite being asked to review the incident by VAR in the first-half. The Red Devils have been awarded 22 penalties in the Premier League since the start of last season, four more than any other club, which led Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard to question why their sides failed to get the same treatment from officials. “It’s all these outside influences. That’s influencing referees,” said an unusually irate Solskjaer. “We’ve seen there is loads of talk about us getting penalties when there is no doubt about it and today we should’ve had a penalty, that’s clear.” A draw does little for either side’s ambitions at the top of the Premier League. Second-placed United now trail runaway leaders Manchester City by 12 points, while Chelsea remain a point outside the top four in fifth. United’s poor record against traditional top six opponents has prevented them maintaining a title challenge as they have now failed to win in seven league meetings with Chelsea, Arsenal, City, Liverpool and Tottenham. Five of those games ended 0-0 and Solskjaer admitted his side need to be better with the ball. “Defensively our attitude, application and pressing was brilliant. With the ball it wasn’t good enough,” said the Norwegian. “We didn’t create the chances we hoped for. But if you get that penalty and win 1-0 that’s a perfect away performance.” Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel remains unbeaten in nine games since replacing the sacked Lampard, but a lack of firepower that has been a problem in the German’s short reign so far was in evidence again for the Blues. Solskjaer had given Mason Greenwood a start ahead of the out-of-sorts Anthony Martial and the young striker was involved in the most noteworthy incident as he and Hudson-Odoi vied for possession inside the Chelsea box. Hudson-Odoi inadvertently caught the ball with his arm. However, Tuchel took a very different view of the incident, claiming Greenwood had handled the ball first. “How can this be an intervention (by VAR)? The player in red plays the ball with the hand and then we are checking for a penalty,” he said. “Why does the referee have to see this? He did everything right. I don’t understand why he needs to check it but I’m glad there is no penalty because that would be even worse.” Edouard Mendy did well to save Scott McTominay’s low shot early in the second-half and nervously parried Fred’s piledriver in stoppage time with United’s best efforts. But it was Chelsea who posed the bigger threat after the break. Substitute Timo Werner stung David De Gea’s palms from long-range before Victor Lindelof’s brilliant clearance denied the German international a tap in from Reece James’s inviting cross.

London (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United are being negatively influenced by opposition managers referring to their penalty record after being denied a spot-kick in a 0-0 draw at Chelsea on Sunday. United were furious that referee Stuart Attwell stuck to his original call not to award a penalty for handball by Callum Hudson-Odoi despite being asked to review the incident by VAR in the first-half. The Red Devils have been awarded 22 penalties in the Premier League since the start of last season, four more than any other club, which led Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard to question why their sides failed to get the same treatment from officials. “It’s all these outside influences. That’s influencing referees,” said an unusually irate Solskjaer. “We’ve seen there is loads of talk about us getting penalties when there is no doubt about it and today we should’ve had a penalty, that’s clear.” A draw does little for either side’s

Sundowns cruise, Chiefs crushed in CAF Champions League Johannesburg (AFP) – South African clubs had vastly contrasting fortunes in the CAF Champions League Sunday with Mamelodi Sundowns romping to a four-goal victory and Kaizer Chiefs suffering a four-goal hiding. Themba Zwane scored twice as Sundowns took advantage of Algerian opponents CR Belouizdad having Chouaib Keddad sent off after only three minutes to win 5-1 in Dar es Salaam. Slack defending contributed to Chiefs crashing 4-0 against Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca in Ouagadougou and they finished with 10 men after Ramahlwe Mphahlele was red-carded. The home matches of Belouizdad and Wydad were played in Tanzania and Burkina Faso respectively because Moroccan and Algerian coronavirus regulations forbid entry to South Africans. Victory for Sundowns lifted them to six points in Group B after two matchdays, four more than five-time African champions TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Al Hilal of Sudan and Belouizdad, who conceded only once in five previous Champions League matches this season, share third place with one point each. Wydad, who have been champions, runners-up, and semi-finalists twice in the past five seasons, top Group C with six points, followed by Horoya of Guinea with four. Chiefs, who have reached the group stage for the first time after five failed attempts, have one point and Petro Luanda of Angola none. In an empty Dar es Salaam stadium due to Covid-19 protocols, Sundowns punished a hand-ball by Keddad, which resulted in his expulsion, when Zwane converted the resulting penalty. – Onyango injured – Amir Sayoud levelled just before half-time with his fifth goal of the campaign and Sundowns goalkeeper Denis Onyango retired after being injured trying to prevent the goal. Namibian Peter Shalulile headed Sundowns into the lead again just after the break and Zwane finished a brilliant chip from Uruguayan Gaston Sirino with 55 minutes gone. A superb multi-pass movement ended with Lebohang Maboe rifling a low shot past Gaya Merbah to make it 4-1 and substitute Kermit Erasmus completed the rout with a tap-in. Playing in Ouagadougou was a challenge for Wydad and Chiefs as the temperature soared to 38 degrees celsius (100 fahrenheit) in the west African city. The fixture had been postponed three times, first when Morocco barred Chiefs, then the South Africans could not obtain visas in time to visit Egypt, and finally after the Cairo match venue became unavailable. After keeping five consecutive clean sheets in Africa this season, Chiefs fell behind after just seven minutes as Mohamed Ounajem sneaked in at the far post to poke the ball into the net. Star forward Ayoub el Kaabi doubled the advantage before half-time and late goals from Tanzanian Simon Msuva and Yahya Jabrane, from a penalty, completed the humiliation of the Soweto outfit.

Johannesburg (AFP) – South African clubs had vastly contrasting fortunes in the CAF Champions League Sunday with Mamelodi Sundowns romping to a four-goal victory and Kaizer Chiefs suffering a four-goal hiding. Themba Zwane scored twice as Sundowns took advantage of Algerian opponents CR Belouizdad having Chouaib Keddad sent off after only three minutes to win 5-1 in Dar es Salaam. Slack defending contributed to Chiefs crashing 4-0 against Moroccan giants Wydad Casablanca in Ouagadougou and they finished with 10 men after Ramahlwe Mphahlele was red-carded. The home matches of Belouizdad and Wydad were played in Tanzania and Burkina Faso respectively because Moroccan and Algerian coronavirus regulations forbid entry to South Africans. Victory for Sundowns lifted them to six points in Group B after two matchdays, four more than five-time African champions TP Mazembe from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Al Hilal of Sudan and Belouizdad, who conceded only once in five previous Champ

Man Utd draw blank again at Chelsea to fall further behind Man City London (AFP) – Manchester United and Chelsea played out a second 0-0 draw of the season on Sunday with the result doing little for either side’s ambitions at the top of the Premier League. Second-placed United now trail runaway leaders Manchester City by 12 points, while Chelsea remain a point outside the top four in fifth. Neither side did enough to deserve all three points in a game of few chances, although United will claim they should have had a first-half penalty for a handball by Callum Hudson-Odoi. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel remains unbeaten in nine games since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard, but a lack of firepower that has been a problem in the German’s short reign so far was in evidence again for the Blues. Tuchel’s decision to play Hakim Ziyech and Mason Mount close to Olivier Giroud in attack left the hosts without the width to cause United problems and Chelsea only looked likely to make the breakthrough once Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner came off the bench in the final quarter. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had given Mason Greenwood a start ahead of the out-of-sorts Anthony Martial and the young striker was involved in the most noteworthy incident as he and Hudson-Odoi vied for possession inside the Chelsea box. Hudson-Odoi inadvertently caught the ball with his arm and was lucky to escape a VAR review for a penalty. Giroud then just failed to meet a teasing Hudson-Odoi cross at the other end with Chelsea’s best moment of the first-half. Stalemates against traditional top six opponents has been a theme of United’s season with 0-0 draws against Chelsea twice, City, Liverpool and Arsenal in the league this season. Edouard Mendy did well to save Scott McTominay’s low shot early in the second-half and nervously parried Fred’s piledriver in stoppage time. But it was Chelsea who posed the bigger threat after the break. Werner stung David De Gea’s palms from long-range before Victor Lindelof’s brilliant clearance denied the German international a tap in from Reece James’s inviting cross.

London (AFP) – Manchester United and Chelsea played out a second 0-0 draw of the season on Sunday with the result doing little for either side’s ambitions at the top of the Premier League. Second-placed United now trail runaway leaders Manchester City by 12 points, while Chelsea remain a point outside the top four in fifth. Neither side did enough to deserve all three points in a game of few chances, although United will claim they should have had a first-half penalty for a handball by Callum Hudson-Odoi. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel remains unbeaten in nine games since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard, but a lack of firepower that has been a problem in the German’s short reign so far was in evidence again for the Blues. Tuchel’s decision to play Hakim Ziyech and Mason Mount close to Olivier Giroud in attack left the hosts without the width to cause United problems and Chelsea only looked likely to make the breakthrough once Christian Pulisic and Timo Werner came off the bench in

Man Utd frustrated by penalty row in Chelsea stalemate, Bale stars for Spurs London (AFP) – Manchester United were left frustrated by a VAR penalty controversy in their 0-0 draw at Chelsea, while the revitalised Gareth Bale struck twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of Burnley on Sunday. Second-placed United had hoped to close the gap on Manchester City with a victory at Stamford Bridge. But instead they now sit 12 points behind the Premier League leaders as their title hopes fade following a run of one win from four games. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard, but the stalemate was a blow to his team’s top-four challenge. The fifth-placed Blues are one point behind fourth-placed West Ham and four ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool, who visit Sheffield United in Sunday’s late game. Neither side could claim they deserved to win in a game of few clear-cut chances. The biggest talking point came in the first half when United’s appeal for a penalty was rejected by referee Stuart Attwell after he consulted the pitchside monitor when Callum Hudson-Odoi appeared to handle in a challenge with Mason Greenwood. After five defeats in their previous six league games, Tottenham eased the pressure on Jose Mourinho with a significant contribution from Bale, who made just his third league start of the season. The Wales forward’s most impressive display since his season-long loan move from Real Madrid gave him four goals in his last four appearances. Bale, who had clashed with Tottenham boss Mourinho over his fitness earlier in February, took just 68 seconds to score with a clinical close-range finish from Son Heung-min’s cross. In the 15th minute, Bale’s superb long pass picked out Harry Kane’s run and the England captain’s shot deflected off James Tarkowski for his 22nd goal of the season. Lucas Moura netted with a predatory finish after Sergio Reguilon’s cross was deflected into the Brazilian’s path by Tarkowski in the 31st minute. Bale, in his second spell with Tottenham after leaving for Madrid in 2013, scored again with a cool strike from Son’s 55th-minute pass. Tottenham are up to eighth, six points behind the top four with a game in hand. “Sometimes you (the media) like to say things that are not really true but there is not one single manager in the world that doesn’t play Gareth Bale if Gareth Bale is in very good condition,” Mourinho said. “There is not one, but now he is better than ever. It’s not just about the two goals he scored, it’s fundamentally about his physical performance.” – Arsenal down Leicester – Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester’s faint hopes of winning the title with an impressive 3-1 win. Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Youri Tielemans’ early goal at the King Power Stadium, but David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave Arsenal the lead. Nicolas Pepe’s second-half goal sealed the Gunners’ second win in their last six league games and their first success at a team in the Premier League’s top three since 2015. Leicester remain in third place and trail City by 13 points with 12 games remaining. After Thursday’s shock Europa League exit against Slavia Prague, it was a week to forget for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. With Arsenal stuck in mid-table, Arteta has prioritised winning the Europa League as his side’s only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Having picked his best team for the come-from-behind win against Benfica in the last 32 second leg on Thursday, Arteta left Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka on the bench after the long trip back from the neutral venue in Greece. After the gamble paid off, Arteta said: “Coming into this game I was concerned. They’re one of the most dangerous teams in the league to play once you go behind against them. “The reaction was terrific, the team looked really mature.” Third-bottom Fulham are three points from safety after a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace.

London (AFP) – Manchester United were left frustrated by a VAR penalty controversy in their 0-0 draw at Chelsea, while the revitalised Gareth Bale struck twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of Burnley on Sunday. Second-placed United had hoped to close the gap on Manchester City with a victory at Stamford Bridge. But instead they now sit 12 points behind the Premier League leaders as their title hopes fade following a run of one win from four games. Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard, but the stalemate was a blow to his team’s top-four challenge. The fifth-placed Blues are one point behind fourth-placed West Ham and four ahead of sixth-placed Liverpool, who visit Sheffield United in Sunday’s late game. Neither side could claim they deserved to win in a game of few clear-cut chances. The biggest talking point came in the first half when United’s appeal for a penalty was rejected by referee Stuart Attwell af

Former West Ham boss Roeder dies aged 65 London (AFP) – Former West Ham and Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder has died aged 65 after a long struggle with a brain tumour. Roeder was first diagnosed with the tumour in 2003 while in charge of West Ham, who he led to an impressive seventh-placed finish in the Premier League just a year earlier. He had to undergo surgery and a period of recovery before returning to the Hammers after they were relegated to the Championship later that year. Roeder was sacked early in the following season and didn’t manage again until 2006 when he took over at Newcastle after a spell as the club’s youth-team boss. He resigned in 2007 and went on to manage Norwich for two years before his last role in the game as a managerial advisor with Stevenage in 2016. Roeder also managed Watford and Gillingham and worked as a coach under Glenn Hoddle with England. He enjoyed a successful playing career with QPR, Newcastle and Watford. Roeder captained QPR in the 1982 FA Cup final against Tottenham, which they lost following a replay, and led them to the Second Division title in 1983. At Newcastle, he made 219 senior appearances in five years and won promotion from the Second Division in 1984. League Managers Association chairman Howard Wilkinson said: “Glenn was such an unassuming, kind gentleman who demonstrated lifelong dedication to the game. “Not one to court headlines, his commitment and application to his work at all levels warrants special mention. “Football has lost a great servant today and our sincere condolences go to Glenn’s family and friends.” Former England striker Gary Lineker called Roeder: “A real football man who had a great career both on the field and in the dugout”. Newcastle shared several pictures of his time as player and manager at St James’ Park on social media. The Magpies wrote: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former player and manager, Glenn Roeder at the age of 65. “The thoughts of everybody at NUFC are with his family and friends. Rest in peace, Glenn.”

London (AFP) – Former West Ham and Newcastle manager Glenn Roeder has died aged 65 after a long struggle with a brain tumour. Roeder was first diagnosed with the tumour in 2003 while in charge of West Ham, who he led to an impressive seventh-placed finish in the Premier League just a year earlier. He had to undergo surgery and a period of recovery before returning to the Hammers after they were relegated to the Championship later that year. Roeder was sacked early in the following season and didn’t manage again until 2006 when he took over at Newcastle after a spell as the club’s youth-team boss. He resigned in 2007 and went on to manage Norwich for two years before his last role in the game as a managerial advisor with Stevenage in 2016. Roeder also managed Watford and Gillingham and worked as a coach under Glenn Hoddle with England. He enjoyed a successful playing career with QPR, Newcastle and Watford. Roeder captained QPR in the 1982 FA Cup final against Tottenham, which th

Fonte rescues draw for Lille, Monaco continue surge up table Paris (AFP) – Portugal centre-back Jose Fonte’s late header rescued Ligue 1 leaders Lille a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg on Sunday, while Monaco moved closer to the top of the table by cruising past Brest. Lille are now two points ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, although Lyon could move within a point of the pace-setters when they visit Marseille later on Sunday. Monaco sit in fourth place, only four points off the summit. Christophe Galtier’s Lille, bidding for a first major trophy since winning the league and French Cup double in 2011, are unbeaten in nine league games since losing to Angers in early January. Home team Lille started on the front foot and had a penalty appeal waved away in the 17th minute after Jonathan David went down in the area, despite a VAR review. But they fell behind nine minutes before half-time as Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque volleyed home. Ajorque almost doubled his tally two minutes later, but his header was well saved by Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Sven Botman saw a header kept out by Strasbourg’s Eiji Kawashima and David also fired over before the break. Two good second-half chances both fell to Jonathan Ikone, but the young Lille forward, who snapped a 10-game goal drought in the win over Lorient last weekend, saw his low effort saved by Kawashima and a header fly over. But Lille were not to be denied the point which ensured they would end the weekend top, as Fonte rose highest to head home Benjamin Andre’s cross with four minutes remaining. – Monaco march on – Earlier on Sunday, Monaco extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a 2-0 win over Brest. Goals deep into the second half from Stevan Jovetic and Kevin Volland sealed the Principality club’s ninth win from their last 10 outings. At Monaco’s Stade Louis II, Brest goalkeeper Gautier Larsonneur had kept the visitors in the hunt, especially when denying Wissam Ben Yedder from the penalty spot after half an hour. But he was finally beaten by Jovetic in the 75th minute, with German forward Volland cementing the three points in the final minute. Monaco are now 14 points clear of fifth-placed Metz, but coach Niko Kovac is still focused on securing fourth, which provides a Europa League spot. “The top three? Yes, it’s taboo,” he said. “When we have enough points to ensure the fourth place, we’ll talk about it (top three).” Elsewhere, Lorient beat Saint-Etienne 2-1 to climb out of the bottom three, pushing Nantes into 19th place after their 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers Nimes. PSG bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Monaco at the Parc des Princes with a Kylian Mbappe-inspired 4-0 victory over last-placed Dijon on Saturday.

Paris (AFP) – Portugal centre-back Jose Fonte’s late header rescued Ligue 1 leaders Lille a 1-1 draw against Strasbourg on Sunday, while Monaco moved closer to the top of the table by cruising past Brest. Lille are now two points ahead of second-placed Paris Saint-Germain, although Lyon could move within a point of the pace-setters when they visit Marseille later on Sunday. Monaco sit in fourth place, only four points off the summit. Christophe Galtier’s Lille, bidding for a first major trophy since winning the league and French Cup double in 2011, are unbeaten in nine league games since losing to Angers in early January. Home team Lille started on the front foot and had a penalty appeal waved away in the 17th minute after Jonathan David went down in the area, despite a VAR review. But they fell behind nine minutes before half-time as Strasbourg striker Ludovic Ajorque volleyed home. Ajorque almost doubled his tally two minutes later, but his header was well saved by Lille goalk

Quick-fire Lukaku helps Inter pull seven points clear Milan (AFP) – Romelu Lukaku scored after 33 seconds and then set up a second as Inter Milan beat Genoa 3-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Serie A table on Sunday. Inter are seven points ahead of second-placed city rivals AC Milan who are at Roma later Sunday, and 10 clear of champions Juventus, who were held 1-1 at Hellas Verona on Saturday and have played a game fewer. Lukaku scored with the first chance at the San Siro, then laid on Matteo Darmianfor Inter’s second in the 69th minute. Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to add a third with 13 minutes to go. “We’re first in the standings and it’s a good feeling,” said Lukaku, whose side are trying to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive league title after finishing runners-up last season. Antonio Conte’s side followed on from last weekend’s 3-0 derby win over Milan, notching up a fifth win in a row as they push for a first league title since 2010. “These matches are opportunities for us to give signals to others, but the championship is long,” continued the former Manchester United player. “We must not give up, last year we lost in these matches, this year we’re growing. “I’m in a good moment of my career but the important thing is that Inter wins.” Lukaku led the way, completing a give-and-go with Lautaro Martinez after good work from Nicolo Barella to fire in from an angle for his 18th Serie A goal of the season, one shy of leading scorer Cristiano Ronaldo. Inter missed a string of chances to pull further ahead against their 13th-ranked rivals with Barella and Darmian both rattling the crossbar and Mattia Perin denying a pair goal-bound efforts from Lukaku. But the giant Belgian set up defender Darmian, who took the place of suspended Achraf Hakimi, for his first league goal for Inter, with Sanchez scoring minutes after coming off the bench getting his head to a rebound after Perin had denied Lukaku. The 27-year-old Belgian has scored six goals in the last five games. Mid-table Genoa ended their seven-game unbeaten run under new coach Davide Ballardini before next weekend’s local derby with Sampdoria. – Atalanta bounce back – Atalanta shook off their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid midweek with a 2-0 win at Sampdoria to move up to fourth, equal on 46 points with third-placed Juventus. Ruslan Malinovskiy broke through five minutes before the break with Robin Gosens adding a second with 20 minutes to go in Genoa. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side fell 1-0 against Real Madrid in Bergamo in a game they played over 70 minutes a man down. Duvan Zapata picked up an injury in that game and was ruled out along with Hans Hateboer, with Gasperini sitting out a touchline ban. Atalanta could thank goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and defender Jose Palomino for keeping their slate clear early before taking hold of the game. The breakthrough came when Luis Muriel set up Ukrainian midfielder Malinovskyi to blast into the top corner for his second league goal this season. Matteo Pessina and Josip Ilicic came off the bench before the hour with Atalanta thereafter dominating. Joakim Maehle set up Gosens for the second with goalkeeper Emil Audero denying Pessina the visitors a third. In the relegation battle, Cagliari snapped their 16-match winless run in coach Leonardo Semplici’s first match in charge with a 2-0 success over rock-bottom Crotone. Leonardo Pavoletti got the first after 56 minutes with Joao Pedro adding a second from the penalty spot four minutes later to give the 18th-placed Sardinians their first win since November 7.

Milan (AFP) – Romelu Lukaku scored after 33 seconds and then set up a second as Inter Milan beat Genoa 3-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Serie A table on Sunday. Inter are seven points ahead of second-placed city rivals AC Milan who are at Roma later Sunday, and 10 clear of champions Juventus, who were held 1-1 at Hellas Verona on Saturday and have played a game fewer. Lukaku scored with the first chance at the San Siro, then laid on Matteo Darmianfor Inter’s second in the 69th minute. Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to add a third with 13 minutes to go. “We’re first in the standings and it’s a good feeling,” said Lukaku, whose side are trying to deny Juventus a 10th consecutive league title after finishing runners-up last season. Antonio Conte’s side followed on from last weekend’s 3-0 derby win over Milan, notching up a fifth win in a row as they push for a first league title since 2010. “These matches are opportunities for us to give signals to others, but the champ

Late Tadic penalty keeps Ajax in control of title race Eindhoven (Netherlands) (AFP) – Dusan Tadic netted an injury-time penalty to secure Ajax a 1-1 draw at second-placed PSV Eindhoven on Sunday to stay six points clear at the top of the Eredivisie. The Amsterdam giants went into the match on an 11-game winning streak after beating Lille in the Europa League in midweek, but a point was an excellent result for Erik ten Hag’s side, who also have a game in hand. PSV, without a win over their rivals since September 2018, took the lead six minutes before half-time through Eran Zahavi’s excellent free-kick. Olivier Boscagli and Philipp Max both wasted opportunities to double the hosts’ advantage, while PSV substitute Yorbe Vertessen had a goal ruled out by VAR with 12 minutes remaining for handball. Full-back Denzel Dumfries was penalised for handling in added time and Tadic stepped up to score his 16th goal of the season. Ajax are bidding for a second straight league title after their triumph in 2019, with last season ended early and no trophy awarded due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Eindhoven (Netherlands) (AFP) – Dusan Tadic netted an injury-time penalty to secure Ajax a 1-1 draw at second-placed PSV Eindhoven on Sunday to stay six points clear at the top of the Eredivisie. The Amsterdam giants went into the match on an 11-game winning streak after beating Lille in the Europa League in midweek, but a point was an excellent result for Erik ten Hag’s side, who also have a game in hand. PSV, without a win over their rivals since September 2018, took the lead six minutes before half-time through Eran Zahavi’s excellent free-kick. Olivier Boscagli and Philipp Max both wasted opportunities to double the hosts’ advantage, while PSV substitute Yorbe Vertessen had a goal ruled out by VAR with 12 minutes remaining for handball. Full-back Denzel Dumfries was penalised for handling in added time and Tadic stepped up to score his 16th goal of the season. Ajax are bidding for a second straight league title after their triumph in 2019, with last season ended early and no

Spurs need Bale to keep shining: Mourinho London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho admits Tottenham will need Gareth Bale to reproduce the dazzling display that destroyed Burnley after the Wales forward netted twice in Sunday’s 4-0 win. Bale maintained his recent revival with a man-of-the-match performance in the north London sunshine. The 31-year-old scored Tottenham’s opening goal with a close-range finish, provided a superb assist with a long pass for Harry Kane’s goal and then rounded off the scoring with another lethal strike. After a wretched start to his second spell at Tottenham following his loan switch from Real Madrid, Bale is finally showing signs of the form that made him the world’s most expensive player when he moved to Spain in 2013. Tottenham desperately needed the jolt provided by Bale’s renaissance after losing five of their previous six league games. Battling to drag Tottenham back into the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish, Mourinho hopes Bale can carry his team up the Premier League table. “I’m very happy for him and very happy for the team because the team needs his talent. He is quiet, doesn’t speak to you (the media), watches, reads, listens or probably not, because he is from Real Madrid, probably ignores it a little bit,” Mourinho said. “I’m happy because when his condition is good he can do things like today. His game was very good, not just scoring, changing speeds, going inside.” Bale, a four-time Champions League winner with Real, rarely played in Spain over the last two seasons after falling out of favour with boss Zinedine Zidane. This was only his third league start for Spurs this season and he admitted it has taken a while to get back up to speed. “It was good, I have been building up a little bit to get fully fit. I felt comfortable and my form is coming back, it’s nice to help the team,” Bale said. “I’m delighted with the goals and the assist and whatever I can do for the team.” Despite public criticism from Mourinho when he posted a social media message about a “good” training session just before pulling out of the squad for Tottenham’s FA Cup defeat at Everton, Bale insisted he never felt frozen out. “I’ve been happy all season. In the dressing room I feel comfortable and I’m having fun. I’m happy and I’m sure it’s showing on the pitch,” he said. “I wasn’t upset to be substituted. There are a lot of games to come. It’s important to keep building minutes each game. “It’s understandable, it’s been a while so I just continue to work hard. I know you get criticism but I’m experienced enough to keep my head down, not say anything stupid and keep plugging away.”

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho admits Tottenham will need Gareth Bale to reproduce the dazzling display that destroyed Burnley after the Wales forward netted twice in Sunday’s 4-0 win. Bale maintained his recent revival with a man-of-the-match performance in the north London sunshine. The 31-year-old scored Tottenham’s opening goal with a close-range finish, provided a superb assist with a long pass for Harry Kane’s goal and then rounded off the scoring with another lethal strike. After a wretched start to his second spell at Tottenham following his loan switch from Real Madrid, Bale is finally showing signs of the form that made him the world’s most expensive player when he moved to Spain in 2013. Tottenham desperately needed the jolt provided by Bale’s renaissance after losing five of their previous six league games. Battling to drag Tottenham back into the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top four finish, Mourinho hopes Bale can carry his team up the Premier League

Arsenal hit back to beat Leicester, Bale stars for Spurs London (AFP) – Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester’s faint hopes of winning the Premier League with an impressive 3-1 win, while the revitalised Gareth Bale struck twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of Burnley on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Youri Tielemans’ early goal at the King Power Stadium, but David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave Arsenal the lead. Nicolas Pepe’s second half goal sealed the Gunners’ second win in their last six league games and their first success at a team in the Premier League’s top three since 2015. Leicester remain in third place and trail leaders Manchester City by 13 points with 12 games remaining. After Thursday’s shock Europa League exit against Slavia Prague, it was a week to forget for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. With Arsenal stuck in mid-table, Arteta has prioritised winning the Europa League as his side’s only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Having picked his best team for the come-from-behind win against Benfica in the last 32 second leg on Thursday, Arteta left Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka on the bench after the long trip back from the neutral venue in Greece. Leicester opened the scoring in the seventh minute when Tielemans broke into the Arsenal area before drilling a low strike into the far corner. – Willian redemption – Arsenal drew level in the 39th minute as Willian’s out-swinging free-kick arrowed towards Luiz and the defender stooped to head home from 10 yards. They were ahead in stoppage-time when Pepe’s cross hit Wilfred Ndidi’s out-stretched arm and VAR ruled the block had taken place just inside the area. Lacazette stepped up to slam the penalty past Schmeichel for his 11th goal of the season. Arsenal landed the knockout punch in the 52nd minute as Willian’s cutback was perfectly placed for Pepe to tap into the empty net. “Coming into this game I was concerned. We’ve played a lot of games. But let’s not talk about fatigue. We just got on with it,” Arteta said. “They’re one of the most dangerous teams in the league to play once you go behind against them. The reaction was terrific, the team looked really mature. We played some excellent stuff.” Harvey Barnes joined Leicester’s growing injury list in the second half and Rodgers revealed the midfielder needs a knee operation that will keep him out for six weeks. After five defeats in their previous six league games, Tottenham eased the pressure on Jose Mourinho with a significant contribution from Bale, who made just his third league start of the season. The Wales forward’s most impressive display since his season-long loan move from Real Madrid gave him four goals in his last four appearances. Bale, who had clashed with Tottenham boss Mourinho over his fitness earlier in February, took just 68 seconds to showcase his quality. The 31-year-old met Son Heung-min’s cross with a clinical close-range finish. In the 15th minute, Bale’s superb long pass picked out Harry Kane’s run and the England captain’s shot deflected off James Tarkowski for his 22nd goal of the season. Lucas Moura netted with a predatory finish after Sergio Reguillon’s cross was deflected into the Brazilian’s path by Tarkowski in the 31st minute. Bale was finally giving a glimpse of the talent that once made him the world’s most expensive player. The four-time Champions league winner, in his second spell with Tottenham after leaving for Madrid in 2013, scored again with a cool strike from Son’s 55th minute pass. Tottenham are up to eighth as they try to climb back into the battle for a top four finish. In Sunday’s other early match, Fulham had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace. Third bottom Fulham are three points behind fourth bottom Newcastle in the fight to avoid relegation. Later, Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start as Chelsea boss will be under threat against second placed Manchester United, while troubled Liverpool travel to Sheffield United.

London (AFP) – Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester’s faint hopes of winning the Premier League with an impressive 3-1 win, while the revitalised Gareth Bale struck twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of Burnley on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Youri Tielemans’ early goal at the King Power Stadium, but David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave Arsenal the lead. Nicolas Pepe’s second half goal sealed the Gunners’ second win in their last six league games and their first success at a team in the Premier League’s top three since 2015. Leicester remain in third place and trail leaders Manchester City by 13 points with 12 games remaining. After Thursday’s shock Europa League exit against Slavia Prague, it was a week to forget for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. With Arsenal stuck in mid-table, Arteta has prioritised winning the Europa League as his side’s only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Having picked his best team for th

Barnes ruled out for six weeks in latest injury blow for Leicester London (AFP) – Leicester’s challenge to qualify for next season’s Champions League suffered another major injury blow with news Harvey Barnes is set to miss six weeks due to knee surgery. The 23-year-old winger had been tipped for a call-up to the England squad for three World Cup qualifiers next month after scoring 13 goals this season to help the Foxes into third in the Premier League. However, Barnes’s injury compounded a bad day for Brendan Rodgers’s men as they lost 3-1 at home to Arsenal on Sunday. “It looks like Harvey Barnes is going to need an operation on his knee. I just spoke to the doctor; he might be out for six weeks,” said Rodgers. “That’ll be a huge blow for us.” Leicester let a huge lead over Manchester United and Chelsea slip away in the second half of last season to miss out on the top four on the final day of the campaign. A mounting injury list means they are at risk of the same thing happening again with the influential James Maddison also nursing a hip injury, while Dennis Praet, Ayoze Perez, Wesley Fofana, Wes Morgan and James Justin are all currently ruled out. Fifth-placed Chelsea can close to within three points of Leicester with victory over Manchester United later on Sunday, while Liverpool can also make up ground when they travel to bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United.

London (AFP) – Leicester’s challenge to qualify for next season’s Champions League suffered another major injury blow with news Harvey Barnes is set to miss six weeks due to knee surgery. The 23-year-old winger had been tipped for a call-up to the England squad for three World Cup qualifiers next month after scoring 13 goals this season to help the Foxes into third in the Premier League. However, Barnes’s injury compounded a bad day for Brendan Rodgers’s men as they lost 3-1 at home to Arsenal on Sunday. “It looks like Harvey Barnes is going to need an operation on his knee. I just spoke to the doctor; he might be out for six weeks,” said Rodgers. “That’ll be a huge blow for us.” Leicester let a huge lead over Manchester United and Chelsea slip away in the second half of last season to miss out on the top four on the final day of the campaign. A mounting injury list means they are at risk of the same thing happening again with the influential James Maddison also nursing a hip in

Germany coach Loew opens door to return for exiled trio Berlin (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew opened the door Sunday to a surprise summer return for Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, the trio of veteran World Cup winners he controversially exiled two years ago. “If you begin a transition, you should not reverse it and go back in the opposite direction,” Loew told public broadcaster ARD Sunday. “But the pandemic has stolen almost a year from us, so we can think about maybe pausing the transition if it is absolutely necessary,” he added, suggesting that the trio could return for this summer’s European Championships. A return for Mueller, Hummels or Boateng could be possible “if I am of the opinion that we need an extra percent or someone who brings a bit of energy,” said Loew. It is the first time that Loew has shown signs of relenting from his controversial decision to drop the three experienced stars back in 2019. Though under pressure to give younger players a chance at the time, criticism of Loew has mounted in the two years since as Germany have struggled and the three exiled players have returned to their best form. Recent results have been poor for Loew’s team, with a 6-0 away defeat to Spain in November a low point for the beleaguered, long-serving Germany boss. With the rebuilding process not going as planned, Loew suggested Sunday that players like Mueller, Hummels and Boateng could be useful short-term solutions for Euro 2020. They would be “quick to integrate because they already know exactly how things work with the national team,” he said. Germany launch their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign next month with games against Iceland, Romania and North Macedonia. They are scheduled to meet France in their opening EURO 2020 group game on June 15.

Berlin (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew opened the door Sunday to a surprise summer return for Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, the trio of veteran World Cup winners he controversially exiled two years ago. “If you begin a transition, you should not reverse it and go back in the opposite direction,” Loew told public broadcaster ARD Sunday. “But the pandemic has stolen almost a year from us, so we can think about maybe pausing the transition if it is absolutely necessary,” he added, suggesting that the trio could return for this summer’s European Championships. A return for Mueller, Hummels or Boateng could be possible “if I am of the opinion that we need an extra percent or someone who brings a bit of energy,” said Loew. It is the first time that Loew has shown signs of relenting from his controversial decision to drop the three experienced stars back in 2019. Though under pressure to give younger players a chance at the time, criticism of Loew has mounted in t

Monaco extend unbeaten run to keep Ligue 1 summit in reach Paris (AFP) – Monaco extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a 2-0 win over Brest on Sunday to move Niko Kovac’s in-form side to within three points of the top of Ligue 1. Goals deep into the second half from Stevan Jovetic and Kevin Volland sealed the Principality club’s ninth win from their last 10 outings. Monaco climbed level with third-place Lyon on 55 points, with the team they saw off last week, Paris Saint-Germain, two points in front in second behind leaders Lille. Lyon are at crisis-hit Marseille on Sunday evening after Lille host Strasbourg. PSG bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Monaco at the Parc des Princes with a comfortable Kylian Mbappe-inspired 4-0 victory over last-placed Dijon on Saturday to keep tabs on Lille. Mbappe’s double and goals from Moise Kean and Danilo Pereira left Mauricio Pochettino’s team one point adrift of Lille ahead of Sunday’s late action. At Monaco’s Louis II stadium, Brest keeper Gautier Larsonneur had kept the visitors in the hunt, especially when denying Wissam Ben Yedder from the penalty spot after half an hour. But he was finally beaten by Jovetic in the 75th minute, with German forward Volland cementing the three points in the final minute.

Paris (AFP) – Monaco extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a 2-0 win over Brest on Sunday to move Niko Kovac’s in-form side to within three points of the top of Ligue 1. Goals deep into the second half from Stevan Jovetic and Kevin Volland sealed the Principality club’s ninth win from their last 10 outings. Monaco climbed level with third-place Lyon on 55 points, with the team they saw off last week, Paris Saint-Germain, two points in front in second behind leaders Lille. Lyon are at crisis-hit Marseille on Sunday evening after Lille host Strasbourg. PSG bounced back from their 2-0 loss to Monaco at the Parc des Princes with a comfortable Kylian Mbappe-inspired 4-0 victory over last-placed Dijon on Saturday to keep tabs on Lille. Mbappe’s double and goals from Moise Kean and Danilo Pereira left Mauricio Pochettino’s team one point adrift of Lille ahead of Sunday’s late action. At Monaco’s Louis II stadium, Brest keeper Gautier Larsonneur had kept the visitors in the hunt,

Kruse scores on comeback as Union held by Hoffenheim Berlin (AFP) – Union Berlin striker Max Kruse celebrated his long-awaited return from injury with a goal on Sunday as the capital club were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim. Making his first appearance since his injury in the Berlin derby back in December, the former Germany international netted his seventh goal of the season in a hard-fought draw in Berlin. Kruse gave Union the lead from the penalty spot on nine minutes, smashing the ball into the top corner after Florian Grillitsch brought down Christopher Trimmel. Hoffenheim equalised through an own-goal shortly before the half-hour mark, Nico Schlotterbeck knocking the ball into his own net as he tried to challenge Togolese striker Ihlas Bebou. Pavel Kaderabek appeared to have scored a winner for Hoffenheim ten minutes from time, but the goal was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. The draw sees Union hold onto seventh place while Hoffenheim remain in 11th.

Berlin (AFP) – Union Berlin striker Max Kruse celebrated his long-awaited return from injury with a goal on Sunday as the capital club were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim. Making his first appearance since his injury in the Berlin derby back in December, the former Germany international netted his seventh goal of the season in a hard-fought draw in Berlin. Kruse gave Union the lead from the penalty spot on nine minutes, smashing the ball into the top corner after Florian Grillitsch brought down Christopher Trimmel. Hoffenheim equalised through an own-goal shortly before the half-hour mark, Nico Schlotterbeck knocking the ball into his own net as he tried to challenge Togolese striker Ihlas Bebou. Pavel Kaderabek appeared to have scored a winner for Hoffenheim ten minutes from time, but the goal was ruled out for an offside in the build-up. The draw sees Union hold onto seventh place while Hoffenheim remain in 11th. from World Soccer Talk https://if

Atalanta hit back at Sampdoria to move fourth in Serie A Milan (AFP) – Atalanta shook off their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid midweek with a 2-0 win at Sampdoria on Sunday to move up to fourth in Serie A. Ruslan Malinovskiy broke through five minutes before the break with Robin Gosens adding a second with 20 minutes to go in Genoa. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side fell 1-0 against Real Madrid in Bergamo in a game they played over 70 minutes a man down. Duvan Zapata picked up an injury in that game and was ruled out along with Hans Hateboer, with Gasperini sitting out a touchline ban. Atalanta could thank goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and defender Jose Palomino for keeping their slate clear early before taking hold of the game. The breakthrough came when Luis Muriel set up Ukrainian midfielder Malinovskyi to blast into the top corner for his second league goal this season. Matteo Pessina and Josip Ilicic came off the bench before the hour with Atalanta thereafter dominating their midtable rivals. Joakim Maehle set up Gosens for the second with goalkeeper Emil Audero denying Pessina the visitors a third. Atalanta are fourth, equal on points with third-placed Juventus who were held 1-1 at Hellas Verona on Saturday. Inter Milan could pull 10 points clear of both Juventus and Atalanta when they play 12th-placed Genoa on Sunday. Roma in fifth could move back third with a win over second-placed AC Milan in the capital.

Milan (AFP) – Atalanta shook off their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid midweek with a 2-0 win at Sampdoria on Sunday to move up to fourth in Serie A. Ruslan Malinovskiy broke through five minutes before the break with Robin Gosens adding a second with 20 minutes to go in Genoa. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side fell 1-0 against Real Madrid in Bergamo in a game they played over 70 minutes a man down. Duvan Zapata picked up an injury in that game and was ruled out along with Hans Hateboer, with Gasperini sitting out a touchline ban. Atalanta could thank goalkeeper Marco Sportiello and defender Jose Palomino for keeping their slate clear early before taking hold of the game. The breakthrough came when Luis Muriel set up Ukrainian midfielder Malinovskyi to blast into the top corner for his second league goal this season. Matteo Pessina and Josip Ilicic came off the bench before the hour with Atalanta thereafter dominating their midtable rivals. Joakim Maehle set up Gosens for the

Arsenal hit back to beat Leicester, Fulham held at Palace London (AFP) – Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester’s faint hopes of winning the Premier League with an impressive fightback to win 3-1 on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Youri Tielemans’ early goal at the King Power Stadium. They had lost nine of 11 league games when they conceded the opening goal this term. But David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave the Gunners the lead just before half-time. Nicolas Pepe’s second half goal sealed Arsenal’s second win in their last six league games. The north Londoners’ stirring escape act left Leicester in third place, trailing leaders Manchester City by 13 points with 12 games remaining. After Thursday’s shock Europa League exit against Slavia Prague, it was a week to forget for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. Arsenal have virtually no chance of finishing in the top four, but this was still a significant result as it underlined the potential in Arteta’s team. With Arsenal languishing in mid-table, Arteta has prioritised winning the Europa League as his side’s only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Having picked his best team for the dramatic come-from-behind 3-2 win against Benfica in the last 32 second leg on Thursday, Arteta made six changes. He left Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bukayo Saka on the bench after the long trip back from the neutral venue in Greece. Arsenal’s reshuffled line-up initially lacked cohesion and Leicester took advantage to open the scoring in the seventh minute. Tielemans was gifted time and space by the lumbering Granit Xhaka to break into the Arsenal area. Pablo Mari was slow to react to the danger, allowing the Belgian midfielder to advance unchecked before drilling a low strike into the far corner. Arteta’s men thought they had earned a penalty when referee Paul Tierney pointed to the spot after Pepe’s run was ended by a combined challenge from Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi. But VAR checked the incident and changed the decision to a free-kick as Ndidi made the first contact with Pepe just outside the area. – Willian redemption – Willian has endured a difficult first season at Arsenal after his move from Chelsea. The Brazilian winger finally enjoyed a moment to savour as Arsenal drew level in the 39th minute. Willian’s out-swinging free-kick arrowed towards Luiz and the defender stooped to direct a powerful header past Kasper Schmeichel from 10 yards. Arsenal had barely finished celebrating when promising midfielder Emile Smith Rowe limped off injured. They ignored that setback to take the lead in first half stoppage-time. Pepe’s cross hit Ndidi’s out-stretched arm and VAR ruled the block had taken place just inside the area. Lacazette stepped up to slam the penalty past Schmeichel for his 11th goal of the season. There was another blow for Leicester — already without the injured James Maddison — when Harvey Barnes was stretchered off with his left knee heavily wrapped early in the second half. Leicester were on the ropes and Arsenal landed the knockout punch in the 52nd minute with a superb counter-attack. Xhaka found Pepe wide on the right and the Ivorian picked out Martin Odegaard on the edge of the area. Odegaard clipped a deft pass to Willian and his cutback was perfectly placed for Pepe to tap into the empty net. It was Pepe’s fourth goal in his last seven league starts, underlining a long-awaited improvement from the winger. In Sunday’s other early match, Fulham had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace. Third bottom Fulham are three points behind fourth bottom Newcastle in the fight to avoid relegation. Later, Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start as Chelsea boss will be under threat against second placed Manchester United. Troubled Liverpool travel to bottom of the table Sheffield United and Tottenham host Burnley.

London (AFP) – Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester’s faint hopes of winning the Premier League with an impressive fightback to win 3-1 on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Youri Tielemans’ early goal at the King Power Stadium. They had lost nine of 11 league games when they conceded the opening goal this term. But David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave the Gunners the lead just before half-time. Nicolas Pepe’s second half goal sealed Arsenal’s second win in their last six league games. The north Londoners’ stirring escape act left Leicester in third place, trailing leaders Manchester City by 13 points with 12 games remaining. After Thursday’s shock Europa League exit against Slavia Prague, it was a week to forget for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers. Arsenal have virtually no chance of finishing in the top four, but this was still a significant result as it underlined the potential in Arteta’s team. With Arsenal languishing in mid-table,

Crisis-hit Schalke sack Gross in major clear out Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga crisis club Schalke sacked almost their entire sporting leadership Sunday, including coach Christian Gross, after an alleged player revolt and a 16th league defeat plunged their nightmare season deeper into crisis. “The decision had become unavoidable after results against Dortmund and Stuttgart,” said Schalke chairman Jens Buchta in a statement following Schalke’s 5-1 loss to Stuttgart on Saturday, a week after defeat to local rivals Borussia Dortmund. “The team now owe it to the club and the fans to be as successful as possible in the last third of the season.” Coach Gross, sporting director Jochen Schneider and team coordinator Sascha Riether were all relieved of their duties in Sunday’s mass clear out. Gross’ assistant Rainer Widmayer and fitness coach Werner Leuthard were also fired. The move comes with one-time giants Schalke bottom of the league and nine points adrift of safety, having won just one of their 23 league games this season. Having been in the Champions League two seasons ago, Schalke are now hurtling towards their first relegation since 1988. – Player revolt – Veteran Swiss Gross, 66, had been in the job for only two months, having taken over from interim boss Huub Stevens at the end of December to become Schalke’s fourth coach this season. Victory in his second game in charge saw Schalke narrowly avoid equalling a 54-year-old Bundesliga record of 31 games without a win, but Gross was ultimately unable to stop the rot. The 4-0 victory over Hoffenheim remained his only win in 10 league games in charge, as Schalke remained rooted to the bottom of the table. Reports of a player revolt against Gross’ leadership surfaced in the German media last week in the build-up to Saturday’s defeat. Team coordinator Riether sought to play down the rumours, saying it was “normal that players are disappointed” but denying there was a “revolution” in the dressing room. Yet on Sunday, both Gross and Riether were shown the door as Schalke made one last desperate bid to save their season. The club have already begun to rebuild for the second division, handing over squad planning duties to loan director Mike Bueskens and youth director Peter Knaebel. Two weeks ago, they announced that sporting director Schneider would leave at the end of the season, a decision which has now been brought forward. Knaebel will now take on “overall responsibility”, with support from Bueskens, Norbert Elgert and Gerald Asamoah, the club said. A replacement for Gross as head coach is yet to be announced.

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga crisis club Schalke sacked almost their entire sporting leadership Sunday, including coach Christian Gross, after an alleged player revolt and a 16th league defeat plunged their nightmare season deeper into crisis. “The decision had become unavoidable after results against Dortmund and Stuttgart,” said Schalke chairman Jens Buchta in a statement following Schalke’s 5-1 loss to Stuttgart on Saturday, a week after defeat to local rivals Borussia Dortmund. “The team now owe it to the club and the fans to be as successful as possible in the last third of the season.” Coach Gross, sporting director Jochen Schneider and team coordinator Sascha Riether were all relieved of their duties in Sunday’s mass clear out. Gross’ assistant Rainer Widmayer and fitness coach Werner Leuthard were also fired. The move comes with one-time giants Schalke bottom of the league and nine points adrift of safety, having won just one of their 23 league games this season. Having be

Where to find Sheffield United vs. Liverpool on US TV and streaming If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Sheffield United vs. Liverpool in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Premier League match. The match won’t be shown live on US television, but you can cast the game to your big TV using Roku, Chromecast or one of the other devices mentioned below. League: Premier League Genre: Sports Looking to watch Premier League matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action. We Recommend: US Only. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming: Who: Sheffield United vs. Liverpool What: Premier League When: Game kicks off at 2:15pm ET / 11:15am PT; Sunday, February 28, 2021 Where: Live on Peacock Premium With Peacock Premium, you can watch Sheffield United vs. Liverpool and tons more Premier League games. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, smart TVs, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 Pro and XBOX One. Now with Peacock Premium, you can stream 175 Premier League matches per season that are exclusive to Peacock. Plus, you get access to the Premier League TV channel, which features Premier League reviews, previews, interview shows, daily news programs and classic Premier League games. Peacock Premium is only $4.99/month (or free for Xfinity and COX customers). Replays of all 380 games for the 2020/21 season will be available to Peacock Premium subscribers. Matches will be available on replay after 9PM ET on the matchday and then for 30 days after they air. Peacock is widely available across Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD; Google platforms and devices including Android, Android TV devices, Roku, Chromecast and Chromecast built-in devices; Microsoft’s Xbox One family of devices, including Xbox One S and Xbox One X; and VIZIO SmartCast TVs and LG Smart TVs; as well as Sony PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro. In addition to all of the soccer coverage, Peacock Premium offers more than 20,000 hours of programming from NBC Universal including movies, TV shows, original programming and live TV channels. Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming.

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Sheffield United vs. Liverpool in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Premier League match. The match won’t be shown live on US television, but you can cast the game to your big TV using Roku, Chromecast or one of the other devices mentioned below. League: Premier League Genre: Sports Looking to watch Premier League matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action. We Recommend: US Only. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming: Who: Sheffield United vs. Liverpool What: Premier League When: Game kicks off at 2:15pm ET / 11:15am PT; Sunday, February 28, 2021 Where: Live on Peacock Premium With Peacock Premium , you can watch Sheffield United vs. Liverpool and tons more Premier League games. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your

Champions ‘cease operations’ as money problems dog Chinese football Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC have “ceased operations”, the club said on Sunday, underlining the financial problems roiling football in the country. Jiangsu, who won the domestic title for the first time just three months ago, are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italian giants Inter Milan. The demise of Jiangsu, until recently known as Jiangsu Suning, could be followed in the coming days by the closure of fellow CSL side Tianjin Teda. Chinese football has in recent years gained a reputation for lavish spending on foreign players and coaches, as the country pushed to become a world leader in the sport. Jiangsu brought in ex-England coach Fabio Capello and signed Brazilians Alex Teixeira and Ramires for 50 million euros and 28 million euros respectively. In the summer of 2019 they came close to capturing Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale. But, even prior to the coronavirus pandemic, money had begun to dry up across Chinese football. “Even though we are reluctant to part with the players who have won us the highest honours, and fans who have shared solidarity with the club, we have to regretfully make an announcement,” Jiangsu FC said in a statement. “From today, Jiangsu Football Club ceases the operation of its teams.” The club from the eastern city of Nanjing blamed an “overlap of various uncontrollable elements”. “In the past six months the club has been looking around to seek a takeover, trying with utmost sincerity to transfer the club’s equity, not giving up a single opportunity to pass on the club,” it said. Amid reports of financial difficulties, Suning’s chairman Zhang Jindong earlier this month hinted at a pivot away from sport, in comments which also did not go unnoticed in Italy, where Inter are battling rivals AC Milan for the Serie A title. “We will focus on retail business resolutely and without hesitation will close and cut down our business irrelevant to retail,” he said.

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC have “ceased operations”, the club said on Sunday, underlining the financial problems roiling football in the country. Jiangsu, who won the domestic title for the first time just three months ago, are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italian giants Inter Milan. The demise of Jiangsu, until recently known as Jiangsu Suning, could be followed in the coming days by the closure of fellow CSL side Tianjin Teda. Chinese football has in recent years gained a reputation for lavish spending on foreign players and coaches, as the country pushed to become a world leader in the sport. Jiangsu brought in ex-England coach Fabio Capello and signed Brazilians Alex Teixeira and Ramires for 50 million euros and 28 million euros respectively. In the summer of 2019 they came close to capturing Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale. But, even prior to the coronavirus pandemic, money had begun to dry up across Chinese football.

Where to find Chelsea vs. Man United on US TV and streaming If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Chelsea vs. Man United on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place. For viewers in the US, Chelsea vs. Man United will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below). Match: Chelsea vs. Man United Kickoff: Sunday, 11:30am ET Looking to watch Chelsea vs. Man United online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action. We Recommend: US Only. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming: Who: Chelsea vs. Man United What: Premier League When: Game kicks off at 11:30am ET / 9:30am PT; Sunday, February 28, 2021 Where: Live on NBCSN, Telemundo, fuboTV, Hulu Live and Sling Blue (free trial) With fuboTV, you can watch Chelsea vs. Man United and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast. Now with fuboTV, you can stream NBCSN, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2 as well as beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, NBC (in select cities), CNBC, USA, FOX (in select cities), FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports Net, RAI Italia, Telemundo, Univision, Univision Deportes, UniMas, Eleven Sports, CBS, CSN, RAI Italia and YES. Plus fuboTV, the legal streaming service, also streams Euro 2020, Serie A (in Italian via RAI), La Liga, Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League (in Spanish), Europa League (in Spanish), Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and more. The fuboTV app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones, Android tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kindle. Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming. SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Chelsea vs. Man United on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place. For viewers in the US, Chelsea vs. Man United will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below). Match: Chelsea vs. Man United Kickoff: Sunday, 11:30am ET Looking to watch Chelsea vs. Man United online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action. We Recommend: US Only. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming: Who: Chelsea vs. Man United What: Premier League When: Game kicks off at 11:30am ET / 9:30am PT; Sunday, February 28, 2021 Where: Live on NBCSN, Telemundo, fuboTV , Hulu Live and Sling Blue (free trial) With fuboTV , you can watch Chelsea vs. Man United and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, s

Where to find Leicester vs. Arsenal on US TV and streaming If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Leicester vs. Arsenal on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place. For viewers in the US, Leicester vs. Arsenal will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below). Match: Leicester vs. Arsenal Kickoff: Sunday, 7am ET Looking to watch Leicester vs. Arsenal online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action. We Recommend: US Only. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming: Who: Leicester vs. Arsenal What: Premier League When: Game kicks off at 7am ET / 4am PT; Sunday, February 28, 2021 Where: Live on NBCSN, fuboTV, Hulu Live and Sling Blue (free trial) With fuboTV, you can watch Leicester vs. Arsenal and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, Apple TV or hook it up to your TV with Google Chromecast. Now with fuboTV, you can stream NBCSN, ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2 as well as beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, beIN SPORTS Connect, NBC (in select cities), CNBC, USA, FOX (in select cities), FOX Soccer Plus, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports Net, RAI Italia, Telemundo, Univision, Univision Deportes, UniMas, Eleven Sports, CBS, CSN, RAI Italia and YES. Plus fuboTV, the legal streaming service, also streams Euro 2020, Serie A (in Italian via RAI), La Liga, Liga MX, World Cup, Women’s World Cup, MLS, UEFA Champions League (in Spanish), Europa League (in Spanish), Primeira Liga, Ligue Un, World Cup qualifiers, select USMNT games, select USWNT games, select Mexico games, select England games and more. The fuboTV app is available for Windows PC, Mac, Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, Apple TV, Android smartphones, Android tablets, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Kindle. Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming. SEE MORE: Schedule of Premier League games on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Leicester vs. Arsenal on US TV in the Premier League, you’ve come to the right place. For viewers in the US, Leicester vs. Arsenal will be shown on TV and streaming (more details below). Match: Leicester vs. Arsenal Kickoff: Sunday, 7am ET Looking to watch Leicester vs. Arsenal online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action. We Recommend: US Only. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it on television and via legal streaming: Who: Leicester vs. Arsenal What: Premier League When: Game kicks off at 7am ET / 4am PT; Sunday, February 28, 2021 Where: Live on NBCSN, fuboTV , Hulu Live and Sling Blue (free trial) With fuboTV , you can watch Leicester vs. Arsenal and tons more Premier League games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, App

Porto, Sporting battle to goalless draw in Portugal Lisbon (AFP) – Portuguese league leaders Sporting Lisbon extended their unbeaten run this season after grinding out a scrappy 0-0 draw at defending champions Porto on Saturday. Iran striker Mehdi Taremi, the joint-leading scorer in Portugal’s top-flight last season, missed the best chance for Porto early in the second half at the Estadio do Dragao when he fluffed an attempted tap-in. A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in tribute to Alfredo Quintana, goalkeeper of the Portuguese men’s national handball team, who died on Friday aged 32 following a heart attack. It was just the fourth time in 21 games Sporting have dropped points this season while Porto have now drawn four of their past five outings and remain 10 points off the pace. For Sporting the prospect of a first league title since 2002 is real, even if they have won just once at Porto in 14 years. Ruben Amorim’s team also overcame Braga in the Portuguese League Cup final last month. Braga could cut the gap to nine points and climb to second on Sunday with victory away to Nacional.

Lisbon (AFP) – Portuguese league leaders Sporting Lisbon extended their unbeaten run this season after grinding out a scrappy 0-0 draw at defending champions Porto on Saturday. Iran striker Mehdi Taremi, the joint-leading scorer in Portugal’s top-flight last season, missed the best chance for Porto early in the second half at the Estadio do Dragao when he fluffed an attempted tap-in. A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in tribute to Alfredo Quintana, goalkeeper of the Portuguese men’s national handball team, who died on Friday aged 32 following a heart attack. It was just the fourth time in 21 games Sporting have dropped points this season while Porto have now drawn four of their past five outings and remain 10 points off the pace. For Sporting the prospect of a first league title since 2002 is real, even if they have won just once at Porto in 14 years. Ruben Amorim’s team also overcame Braga in the Portuguese League Cup final last month. Braga could cut the gap to

Miami ready for big-name signings – Beckham Miami (AFP) – David Beckham says Inter Miami are ready to make big-name signings as they prepare for their second season in Major League Soccer under new coach Phil Neville. Speaking Saturday at an event to launch Miami’s new jersey, Inter co-owner Beckham said the club saw home-grown talent as the cornerstone of the franchise’s long-term success. However he acknowledged that Inter remained in the hunt for big-name players, citing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have both previously indicated interest in playing in MLS. “I have said from day one that our academy system is a massive part of this club and if we can bring players through here that have lived and breathed Inter Miami then that is the goal,” Beckham told AFP. “But we also know that being in Miami, our fans want to see the big stars. “We already have players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi who add to the glitz and glamour but also going forward we want to have the opportunity to bring some great names in.” Asked about Messi and Ronaldo, Beckham refused to rule out a move for either player. “The player has to be right for the team, still have ambition and want to win,” Beckham said. “So whatever player we talk to, we have to make sure that is a priority. “Of course, we always want to bring in great players. Miami is a great pull for anyone and those kinds of players (Messi and Ronaldo) are the kind we aspire to bring here.” Beckham said Miami’s recruitment policy took inspiration from his former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson. “Sir Alex Ferguson was the master at choosing the right player, he didn’t always bring the best player in the world, he brought the right player for the club and that is one of the things that I have taken into this place,” he said. Miami boss Neville has already added former Stoke City defender Ryan Shawcross to his squad as well as Brazilian midfielder Gregore while talks with West Bromwich Albion full-back Kieran Gibbs continue.

Miami (AFP) – David Beckham says Inter Miami are ready to make big-name signings as they prepare for their second season in Major League Soccer under new coach Phil Neville. Speaking Saturday at an event to launch Miami’s new jersey, Inter co-owner Beckham said the club saw home-grown talent as the cornerstone of the franchise’s long-term success. However he acknowledged that Inter remained in the hunt for big-name players, citing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have both previously indicated interest in playing in MLS. “I have said from day one that our academy system is a massive part of this club and if we can bring players through here that have lived and breathed Inter Miami then that is the goal,” Beckham told AFP. “But we also know that being in Miami, our fans want to see the big stars. “We already have players like Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi who add to the glitz and glamour but also going forward we want to have the opportunity to bring some

Ronaldo scores as Juventus held in Verona Rome (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus settled for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday. Juventus are third and three points adrift of second-placed AC Milan who travel to Roma, two points behind the champions in fourth, on Sunday. Ronaldo broke through four minutes after the break connecting with a perfect cross from Federico Chiesa. But Andrea Pirlo’s side paid for their many absences including defensive duo Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Antonin Barak headed in an equaliser with quarter of an hour to go to grab a point for his ninth-placed team. Lazio’s European ambitions took a knock with a 2-0 loss at Bologna, days after a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Ciro Immobile missed a penalty with goals in either half from Ibrahima Mbaye and Nicola Sansone sealing all three points for Bologna who snapped their 15-match winless league run against the Romans. “The missed penalty set the tone for the game,” said Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi. Inzaghi’s side showed signs of fatigue as they came off a 4-1 Champions League last 16, first leg loss to holders Bayern Munich. “We must forget about these two defeats which hurt. An ambitious team like ours needs to roll up our sleeves and do better.” Lazio have lost momentum since losing to Inter Milan in the league two weeks ago, and next host Torino before travelling to Juventus. Last season’s European golden shoe winner Immobile had a chance to score from the spot after Joaquin Correa was tripped in the box with goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski easily holding the striker’s weak effort. And 11th-placed Bologna got the breakthrough two minutes later when Mbaye tapped in a rebound after Pepe Reina parried a Riccardo Orsolini volley. Musa Barrow set up Sansone for the second after 64 minutes as Lazio’s 19-game league scoring streak ended, two short of their record run in 1956. Lazio stay sixth on 43 points and could also be overtaken by Napoli on Sunday, while European rivals Atalanta travel to Sampdoria.

Rome (AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 19th goal this campaign but champions Juventus settled for a 1-1 draw at Hellas Verona in Serie A on Saturday. The draw gives leaders Inter Milan the chance to pull 10 points clear of Juventus when they play mid-table Genoa at the San Siro on Sunday. Juventus are third and three points adrift of second-placed AC Milan who travel to Roma, two points behind the champions in fourth, on Sunday. Ronaldo broke through four minutes after the break connecting with a perfect cross from Federico Chiesa. But Andrea Pirlo’s side paid for their many absences including defensive duo Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Antonin Barak headed in an equaliser with quarter of an hour to go to grab a point for his ninth-placed team. Lazio’s European ambitions took a knock with a 2-0 loss at Bologna, days after a heavy defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Ciro Immobile missed a penalty with goals in either half from Ibrahima Mbaye and Nicola