MANCHESTER: Juan Mata's second-half strike earned Manchester United a 1-0 win over holders Manchester City on Wednesday as Jose Mourinho's resurgent side reached the English Football League Cup quarter-finals. Humiliated 4-0 by Mourinho's former club Chelsea at the weekend, United got back to winning ways and claimed a measure of revenge for their 2-1 loss to Pep Guardiola's City in last month's league derby. The result at Old Trafford gave Mourinho only his third victory in 13 encounters with Guardiola, who has gone six games without victory for the first time in his glittering managerial career. "The players did everything and deserved to win. We are happy," Mourinho said. "In the last week everything went against us, but we are professionals. The fans felt deeply such a negative result and today was a good chance to clear that feeling, because a derby knockout and to win gives everyone a better feeling." United will now entertain West Ham United, who claimed a 2-1 upset win over … [Read more...] about Mata sinks City, West Ham stun Chelsea in League Cup
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Milner sends Liverpool second, Chelsea back on track
LONDON: James Milner's 84th-minute penalty earned Liverpool a gritty 2-1 victory at Swansea City on Saturday (Oct 1) that saw Jurgen Klopp's side climb to second place in the Premier League table. Leroy Fer gave struggling Swansea an eighth-minute lead, but Roberto Firmino equalised early in the second half before Milner claimed the winner following a foul on Firmino by Angel Rangel. Chelsea ended a three-game winless run with a 2-0 win at Hull City that provisionally lifted Antonio Conte's men to sixth, while a memorable Dimitri Payet goal earned West Ham United a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough. Despite Liverpool's fourth straight league success, manager Klopp said: "I was very angry. I have lost a lot of football games, but today makes no sense. We were not ready and it is my responsibility. It was not good. The build-up was too static, no movement. "We were never compact enough and we lost a lot of balls. We got better in the second half and when we let the ball roll it became … [Read more...] about Milner sends Liverpool second, Chelsea back on track
Liverpool cruise, Chelsea squeeze in League Cup
LONDON: Daniel Sturridge scored twice as Liverpool strolled into the League Cup third round with a 5-0 win at Burton Albion on Tuesday, while Chelsea edged third-tier Bristol Rovers 3-2. Divock Origi, Roberto Firmino and Sturridge all scored as Liverpool, last season's beaten finalists, crushed Championship side Burton, who are managed by ex-Liverpool midfielder Nigel Clough. Michy Batshuayi marked his full Chelsea debut with a brace against Bristol Rovers, while Victor Moses was also on target as manager Antonio Conte enjoyed a third straight competitive win. "This was a very serious, professional display from our side," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. "There were nice goals - nothing to criticise. It was humid today - not easy for either team. We gave a few players match-time because that's important. Some only got minutes in pre-season." Premier League teams Crystal Palace, Everton, Hull City, Swansea City and Stoke City also went through, Peter Crouch scoring a … [Read more...] about Liverpool cruise, Chelsea squeeze in League Cup
Costa late show gets Conte’s Chelsea off mark
LONDON: Diego Costa thrust himself back into the headlines with an 89th-minute winner as Chelsea edged West Ham United 2-1 in Antonio Conte's first Premier League game as manager on Monday (Aug 15). Eden Hazard, symbol of Chelsea's slump from champions to a 10th-place finish last season, opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge with a penalty early in the second half, before James Collins equalised in the 77th minute. Costa arguably should have been shown a second yellow card after catching West Ham goalkeeper Adrian with a late challenge, but he stayed on to steer a dramatic winner into the bottom-left corner from 20 yards. The bruising Spain striker's goal capped a positive night for Conte, who handed a full debut to former Leicester City man N'Golo Kante and saw another debutant, substitute Michy Batshuayi, set up the winning strike. But it was a bitter defeat for West Ham manager Slaven Bilic, who lost debutant Andre Ayew to an apparent right thigh injury in the 34th minute. With … [Read more...] about Costa late show gets Conte’s Chelsea off mark
Conte hopes to banish sleepless nights with Chelsea
Antonio Conte took charge of his first training session at Chelsea. — Photo sports-news.com Viet Nam News LONDON – Antonio Conte hopes his first taste of the Premier League doesn’t end in another sleepless night as Chelsea’s new manager starts a new era at Stamford Bridge today. Conte is eagerly awaiting his introduction to the English game after spells as Juventus and Italy coach, but the renowned perfectionist knows he is in for a long night of soul searching if the Blues come unstuck against London rivals West Ham United. Revealing he rarely sleeps more than a few hours before a match as he finds himself mulling over tactical decisions, Conte says the frustration of defeat lingers so long that he will hardly sleep following a loss. "Usually I don’t sleep a lot before the games, two, three, four hours, then when I wake up I start to think about the game. By the morning I have the tactical ideas," Conte said. "After the game when I win I sleep … [Read more...] about Conte hopes to banish sleepless nights with Chelsea