Maurizio Sarri admitted tired Chelsea got “lucky” as they moved to the brink of Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over Watford, yesterday.
Sarri’s side was booed off after a sloppy first half, but two goals in three minutes from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and David Luiz lifted the mood at Stamford Bridge.
Gonzalo Higuain sealed the victory and third-placed Chelsea are now one point clear of fourth-placed Tottenham after their first win in four games in all competitions.
If the Blues win their last league game of the season at Leicester next Sunday they will be certain to qualify for next season’s Champions League via a top-four finish.
Sarri conceded he was relieved to survive such a poor opening.
“In the first half we were in trouble because we were tired physically and mentally. But Watford lowered their level after that. We were lucky of course,” Sarri said.
“After the first goal probably we improved mentally and were able to play very well for 35 minutes. It’s not easy to play again after a Europa League away match.
“We were not able to think in a simple way. When you are tired you have to move the ball quickly, the ball is not tired, the man is!”
Before heading to Leicester, Chelsea host Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League semifinals on Thursday, with the tie poised at 1-1 after the first leg.
Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted some his squads have made their last appearance for Manchester United while insisting the Europa League is the “right place” for his team after a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield ended any hope of a top-four finish.
The result at the John Smith’s Stadium means United will not play in the Champions League next season and could even have a Europa League second qualifying round first leg on July 25 if they finish sixth and Watford beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
“There is the chance you have seen the last of players but I wouldn’t say that about any individual,” Solskjaer, who is set to embark on an overhaul of his squad in the summer.
“We gave ourselves a chance to be in the Champions League, something we didn’t think was possible.
“We had so many opportunities to grab third or fourth. We didn’t and it is probably the right place for us to be next year, the Europa League.”
United are scheduled to play a pre-season friendly against Tottenham in Shanghai on July 25 but there remains a possibility their Europa League campaign could now start on the same date.
It would complicate Solskjaer’s summer plans and the Norwegian admitted he will cheering on City at Wembley if they finish sixth.
“It is not what we want,” said Solskjaer. “Let’s see what happens next week and with Arsenal and in the final with City. That is the reality. The kids will get chances to play games.”
Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City swept Huddersfield aside with an emphatic 6-1 victory on Super Sunday.
City’s all-time leading goalscorer was on target twice in the first half (25, 35), either side of a low finish from Gabriel Jesus, as the champions took total control of their first home game of the new Premier League season.
Jon Stankovic tapped in a lifeline for Huddersfield two minutes before half-time, but David Silva’s sublime free-kick re-established City’s three-goal cushion on 47 minutes.
Aguero sealed the 13th hat-trick of his Manchester City career 14 minutes from the end, before Terence Kongolo’s own goal six minutes from time completed the rout as Pep Guardiola’s side laid down an early marker in the title race.
Goalkeeper Ederson was the architect of the opening goal in the 25th minute, hitting a goal-kick long into the path of Aguero who evaded the attention of Christopher Schindler and chipped the onrushing Ben Hamer from the edge of the penalty area.
The second came six minutes later when Mendy cut in from the left and exchanged passes with Jesus before the ball ricocheted back into the path of the striker and he shot low with his left foot past Hamer’s near post.
The Huddersfield goalkeeper was slow getting down, but Aguero’s second four minutes later was even more embarrassing. Hamer palmed Mendy’s left-wing cross back out into play and the Argentine was alert to tap into an empty net.
Pep Guardiola raised eyebrows with his team selection, leaving out Kyle Walker, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez. They were replaced by Gabriel Jesus, Vincent Kompany and David Silva with Kevin De Bruyne injured and Leroy Sane on the bench. Jon Stankovic made his first Huddersfield appearance since March 2017.
Huddersfield somehow found a way into the game on 43 minutes when Philip Billing’s throw-in was flicked on by Steve Mounie for Stankovic to prod in from close range, but the respite was only temporary as David Silva stepped up to curl a brilliant free-kick past Hamer two minutes after half-time.
With the result beyond doubt, Aguero chased his hat-trick and went close when his left-footed long-ranger fizzed back off the post in the 57th minute and he lashed over two minutes later after a one-two with Jesus.
But his third goal arrived with his last touch of the game in the 76th minute as he expertly back-heeled Mendy’s cross across Hamer before his replacement Leroy Sane engineered a sixth goal when his close-range effort was blocked by Hamer and bounced in off the unfortunate Kongolo.
The result puts City top of the fledgling Premier League table and will leave many wondering if they can possibly be stopped in their pursuit of back-to-back titles.
City have now scored 104 goals in 39 games at home under Pep Guardiola in the Premier League.
David Silva’s strike was his first ever direct free-kick goal in a league match in the top five European Leagues, in what was also his 250th Premier League appearance.
With his assist to Aguero for the opening goal, Ederson became the first goalkeeper to assist a Premier League goal for Manchester City.
Aguero has now scored nine hat-tricks in the Premier League (level with Robbie Fowler), only Alan Shearer (11) has managed more.
Premier League champions Manchester City will begin their title defence away to Arsenal on the weekend of August 11-12, the English Premier League announced Thursday as it unveiled the fixtures for the 2018/19 season.
The match will also be new Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s first in English football’s top flight.
The exact date of the game will be confirmed when television broadcasting schedules are drawn up.
City amassed 100 points and scored 106 goals while finishing 19 points clear of second-placed Manchester United in the 2017/18 season.
Following the Arsenal game, City do not face another top-six team until they are away to Liverpool — who beat Pep Guardiola’s men in the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season — in October.
In between those two eye-catching fixtures, City will play the newly-promoted trio of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City and Fulham, as well as last year’s promoted teams Huddersfield, Newcastle and Brighton.
Manchester United begin their league campaign at home to Leicester City and face a potentially tricky encounter in their third game when Tottenham Hotspur come to Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho’s side face Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley, Watford and Wolves in other early-season games.
Liverpool, the losing Champions League finalists, appear to have he toughest start of any of the likely title-contenders.
They begin their Premier League season at home to West Ham before facing Crystal Palace, Brighton and Leicester.
Tottenham have until Friday to decide if they will still be playing home games at Wembley this season.
Spurs made the journey across north London to the national stadium last term while their successor ground to White Hart Lane was being built.
That work has still to be completed, with Premier League chiefs giving Spurs an away start at Newcastle.
Arsenal have a tough start under new Spanish boss Emery, who has the daunting task of succeeding the long-serving Arsene Wenger, with the Gunners away to Chelsea after facing Manchester City
Chelsea begins the league campaign away to Huddersfield and, after their all-London clash against Arsenal, face Newcastle, Bournemouth, Cardiff, West Ham, Liverpool, and Southampton.
None of the promoted sides have been given a horror run of games against leading clubs at the start of the season, although they will each face at least one of the big six in their opening four fixtures.
Championship-winners Wolves begin their return to the Premier League at home to Everton before matches away to Leicester and West Ham bookend the visit of Manchester City to Molineux.
Cardiff start at Bournemouth while Fulham, who secured their place in the top flight via a Wembley play-off final win over Aston Villa start the league season at home to Crystal Palace.
The final round of Premier League fixtures, scheduled for May 12, will see Manchester City away to Brighton, while Manchester United and Liverpool are at home to Cardiff and Wolves respectively.
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Manchester City will face Liverpool in an all-English Champions League quarter-final while Juventus have a chance to gain revenge on holders Real Madrid in a repeat of last year’s final.
Surprise qualifiers Sevilla take on Bayern Munich while Barcelona were paired with AS Roma in the draw made in Nyon on Friday.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side will host Pep Guardiola’s City at Anfield for the first leg, either on April 3 or April 4 as the sides meet for the first time in Europe.
It will also be the first meeting of two English sides in the last eight of the Champions League since Chelsea played Manchester United in the 2010-2011 season.
City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain said:
“We know each other very well, they are a very offensive team, the truth is it is going to be a great couple of games and we are going to see good football.”
Cristiano Ronaldo and his Real teammates will be happy to be playing the second leg of their tie at their Santiago Bernabeu stadium against Juventus, whose experience proved lethal to English club Tottenham in the last 16.
Bayern, aiming to win Europe’s top club crown for the sixth time, face Sevilla, the surprise slayers of Manchester United in the last round, but goalkeeper Sven Ulreich said they were relieved to avoid one of their major rivals.
“There are harder draws. It’s doable, but Sevilla have shone in Europe and they have won three Europa Leagues,” Ulreich said.
“So we’ll be very focused when we go over there (for the first leg) and then we’ll do the business at home.”
Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has expressed his delight at winning his first trophy at the club.
Guardiola watched on as his team crushed Arsenal 3-0 to win the Carabao Cup at Wembley on Sunday.
However, he warned that his side must improve if they are to have any chance of competing for the Champions League.
“I am so happy but I am part of City so I have been part of the group.
“I’m so happy for Manchester City I can’t forget how they took care of me last season when it wasn’t so good.
“I always remember how all the club supported me. That’s why it’s so important,” Guardiola told reporters.
The Spaniard is most likely to win the Premier League title and is also in the hunt for the Champions League.
Manchester City and Chelsea cruised to easy wins in their respective fourth round fixtures of the English FA Cup against Cardiff and Newcastle respectively on Sunday.
De Bruyne starred as Manchester City stayed on course for an unprecedented quadruple as a 2-0 win at Cardiff put the runaway Premier League leaders into the FA Cup last 16.
Manchester City, 12 points clear at the summit of English football, are bidding to bring the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League titles to the Etihad.
They made short work of second-tier Cardiff, with Belgian star De Bruyne putting them ahead in just eight minutes.
This was after he deceived the home side with a brilliant free-kick that he struck under, rather than over, the defensive wall.
Bernardo Silva appeared to have doubled the visitors’ lead with a thunderous 26th-minute shot.
But his goal was ruled out because the officials deemed Leroy Sane to be off-side and interfering with play.
It appeared a harsh call, but there was no way of reviewing the decision.
The controversial video assistant referee system that is being tried in some English Cup ties this season was not in use for this match.
But the second goal Pep Guardiola’s men had threatened arrived in the 37th minute when Silva’s superb curling cross from the left was glanced in by Raheem Sterling.
Sane was the victim of a bad tackle by Joe Bennett in first-half stoppage time and was replaced at the break by Sergio Aguero.
Cardiff defender Bennett was sent off in injury time at the end of the match when he received a second yellow card for another poor challenge, on Brahim Diaz.
Bruyne said there had been nothing complicated regarding his goal: “The wall was not nine metres away from me and so they were very close and it was easy to put it under.”
But he was slightly bemused by the tactics employed by a Cardiff side pushing for promotion to the Premier League.
“They played man against man all over the pitch — it was a little bit weird,” De Bruyne said. “It left a lot of space.”
Earlier, Michy Batshuayi scored twice as Chelsea beat English Premier League rivals Newcastle United 3-0 to also advance into the fifth round.
Batshuayi’s goals in the 31st and 44th minutes and a Marcos Alonso free-kick 18 minutes from time were enough for Premier League champions Chelsea to see off Rafael Benitez’s struggling side.
The Belgian’s striker’s first goal was the result of a neat team move in the 31st minute.
Pedro’s superb through ball split the Newcastle defence and led to Eden Hazard slipping a pass inside to Alonso, who set up Batshuayi for a finish from eight yards out.
The Belgian forward scored his second goal shortly before half-time when his shot took a huge deflection off Newcastle’s Jamaal Lascelles.
Alonso sealed victory with a well-struck free-kick.
“When I have a chance I take the chance and I work every day to be here,” Batshuayi, who has been linked with a move away from Chelsea during the transfer window, told reporters.
Following their League Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal, the FA Cup offers Chelsea their best chance of a domestic trophy this season.
By contrast, Premier League survival is the priority for a Newcastle side that are currently just one point above the relegation zone.
Newcastle manager Benitez, asked if he would be able to bring in a new striker before the transfer window shuts on Wednesday, replied: “I don’t think so but we will see. We will try to do something.”
Source
(NAN)
Manchester City and Arsenal will be facing each other in the Premier League on Sunday. City manager, Pep Guardiola had stuck with the same team for three games in a row at the end of September and start of October.
But Guardiola left his key players, David Silver and Kyle Walker on the bench in Napoli on Wednesday and still saw his side record an impressive victory.
Defending duo, Benjamin Mendy and Vincent Kompany will miss out on the Arsenal clash with their injuries, although Mendy will arrive back in Manchester on Saturday.
Belgium’s Kompany is also close to a return to training but in some way off full fitness.
Neither Manchester City nor Arsenal has any suspensions.
David Silver and Walker could return to the line-up after being rested in Napoli on Wednesday.
Man City possible XI: Elderson, Otamendi, Stones, Delph, Walker, Silver, Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Sane, Jesus, Sterling.
For Arsenal, there’s a number of injuries to contend with.
Sead Kolasinac is doubtful with a hip injury, while centre-back Shkodran Mustafi, forward Danny Welbeck, playmaker Santi Cazorla and defender Calum Chambers are all out.
Back-up goalkeeper David Ospina and out-of-favour forward Lucas Perez will play no part, either.
Sergio Aguero was left waiting to become Manchester City’s outright all-time leading goal-scorer as his side remained five points clear at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday.
Aguero was named on the bench as City saw off West Bromwich Albion 3-2, having failed to surpass the club record of 177 goal he shares with Eric Brook during a midweek League Cup penalty shoot-out win over Championship side Wolves.
City manager Pep Guardiola blamed Aguero’s failure to score against Wolves on the different ball used in the League Cup and there were three goals in a frantic five-minute spell at The Hawthorns on Saturday.
Leroy Sane produced a stunning strike to give City a 10th-minute lead only for West Brom’s Jay Rodriguez to equalise soon afterwards.
But come the 15th minute, City were 2-1 up after Fernandinho left fly with a speculative shot that deflected off Gareth Barry and went in off the post.
City substitute Raheem Sterling gave the visitors a two-goal lead with a close-range finish in the 64th minute only for the Baggies’ to pull a goal back late on through Matt Phillips after a defensive blunder.
Second-placed Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had both started the day level on points but Jose Mourinho’s men edged ahead after substitute Anthony Martial’s goal nine minutes from time gave them a 1-0 win over a Spurs side missing injured England striker Harry Kane.
AFP
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