Category sport-news

Chelsea boosted their bid to qualify for the Champions League as Marc Cucurella’s rocket sealed a 1-0 win over Leicester, while Tottenham fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth on Sunday.

Cucurella struck in the second half at Stamford Bridge to lift Chelsea above Manchester City into fourth in the Premier League.

The Blues are two points ahead of City in the race for the top four finish that guarantees a Champions League berth.

It was only Chelsea’s fourth victory in their last 12 league games as they responded to boss Enzo Maresca’s challenge to win all their remaining home matches.

Maresca believes that should be enough to ensure Champions League action, but Chelsea will have to improve on a spluttering performance against second-bottom Leicester.

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Cole Palmer missed a penalty for Chelsea and was later substituted, making it seven league games without a goal or assist amid criticism of the England forward’s frustrated body language.

Maresca left Leicester at the end of last season after leading them to promotion and the Foxes look destined to return to the Championship without him.

Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side have lost five successive league games and sit six points from safety.

Chelsea legends Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dennis Wise, Kerry Dixon and Ron Harris were on the pitch before kick-off to celebrate the club’s 120th anniversary.

This was far from a highlight moment in Chelsea’s illustrious history however.

Victor Kristiansen’s clumsy challenge pole-axed Jadon Sancho, earning Chelsea a first half spot-kick.

Usually such a ruthless penalty taker, Palmer seized the ball as he looked to end his drought, only for Mads Hermansen to deny him with a superb save.

It was the first penalty miss of Palmer’s career and Leicester almost made him pay immediately.

Error-prone Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez completely missed James Justin’s cross and Tosin Adarabioyo’s miscued headed clearance thudded off the woodwork.

Chelsea finally took the lead in spectacular fashion on the hour when Spanish defender Cucurella drilled into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

&nbsp, Spurs escape

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Bournemouth missed a chance to climb into the top four race as the hosts saved boss Ange Postecoglou from another embarrassing defeat.

Tottenham lost 1-0 at AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League last 16 first leg on Thursday.

That competition represents Tottenham’s last chance of fulfilling Postecoglou’s boast that he always win a trophy in his second season.

Languishing in 13th in the Premier League, Postecoglou’s side have gone three games without a win in all competitions.

Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke shook off a back injury for his first league appearance since January, while Cristian Romero returned to the Tottenham defence for the first time since December after a thigh injury.

Despite those reinforcements, Tottenham conceded in the 42nd minute, when Marcus Tavernier applied the finishing touch to Milos Kerkez’s pin-point cross after Pedro Porro carelessly conceded possession.

Postecoglou sent on Son Heung-min at half-time in a bid to spark Tottenham and the South Korean was inches away from equalising as his deflected strike whistled wide.

Bournemouth struck again in the 65th minute as Evanilson raced onto Justin Kluivert’s pass and lifted a composed finish over Guglielmo Vicario.

But Pape Sarr reduced the deficit two minutes later, the Tottenham midfielder catching out Bournemouth keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga with a misjudged cross that somehow dipped in at the far post.

Tottenham completed their escape in the 84th minute as Kepa conceded a penalty with a desperate lunge on Son.

Son calmly slotted home from the spot for his first goal in 10 games, taking him to 11 in all competitions this season.

Later on Sunday, second-placed Arsenal face Manchester United at Old Trafford looking to close the gap on runaway leaders Liverpool to 13 points.

Arsenal are 16 points behind Liverpool as they travel to Manchester United on Sunday in a Premier League game. &nbsp,

But with their title chances realistically over, Mikel Arteta’s side will use the trip to Old Trafford as a chance to prove they have rediscovered their attacking verve.

After scoring just two goals in their previous four games in all competitions, the Gunners ‘ attack finally exploded in the Netherlands this week as they virtually ensured progress to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Arsenal, who still lack a recognised striker in the absence of injured pair Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus and are missing wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, hit seven goals for the first time in 13 years.

Adding to their goal glut against misfiring United would be a welcome sign that they can muster the firepower required to apply a little pressure to Liverpool while challenging for European glory.

Stuck down in 14th place in the Premier League and beset by defensive issues, the troubled Red Devils could be ideal opponents for Arteta’s men to fine-tune their makeshift attack.

What the Managers Said

‘ A Difficult Match ‘

Ahead of the game, Arsenal manager&nbsp, Mikel Arteta said the 7-1 hammering of PSV Eindhoven had given the club a huge lift but urged caution ahead of the trip to misfiring Manchester United.

Second-placed Arsenal, 16 points behind leaders Liverpool, are realistically out of the Premier League title race after recent stumbles.

But they travel to Old Trafford seeking their fifth straight league win over their old rivals in Arteta’s 200th Premier League game in charge.

Arsenal, struggling with injuries in forward areas and goalless in their past two league matches, hit form in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Tuesday.

The Spaniard was asked what he expected from Ruben Amorim’s team, who have produced some surprising results this season including a win against Manchester City, a draw against Liverpool and an FA Cup win against Arsenal on penalties.

“That’s the history of that football club”, he said. “The players that they have and the coach that they have.

” Watching the game last night against Real Sociedad (a 1-1 draw in the Europa League) you come very clear that they are very capable to put a really strong performance and beat you on the day. So we know that, we know the difficulty of the match and that’s how we prepared. “

‘ We Just Need to Survive – Amorim

For Amorim, he does not believe he will get as much time at Manchester United to turn things around as Arteta was given to revive Arsenal’s fortunes.

The 40-year-old Amorim has struggled since succeeding Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford in November. The Red Devils languish 14th in the Premier League and are out of both domestic cup competitions.

The Europa League is the only remaining route to silverware and, realistically, continental qualification for a threadbare side preparing to take on an Arsenal team second in the Premier League and buoyed by a 7-1 Champions League last-16 win at PSV Eindhoven.

Arteta has made the Gunners a force again, with some eye-catching decisions as he reshaped the squad after being appointed in late 2019, including getting rid of senior players.

Arsenal, on course for a third straight second-place finish in the Premier League, are away to United on Sunday.

Asked if he saw similarities between Arteta’s position and his job at United, Amorim said:” I don’t feel that. I will not have the time that Arteta had. I feel that. It’s a different club.

“So, we just need to survive with the players on Sunday and during these games.

” I think it’s a different club. I think in that aspect, the way Arteta dealt with that is an inspiration for everybody. I will not have the time like Arteta had. “

EPL Fixtures

Sunday

Chelsea v Leicester (14: 00), Tottenham v Bournemouth (1400), Manchester United v Arsenal (16: 30)

Monday

Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool by winning 4-1 away to Rennes in Ligue 1 with a much-changed team on Saturday.

Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos had PSG 2-0 up in Brittany before Lilian Brassier pulled one back for Rennes, but Dembele netted twice in stoppage time to seal the victory for the visitors.

The result allowed the Ligue 1 leaders to maintain their unbeaten record in domestic competition this season.

The Parisians are now a huge 16 points clear at the top before closest challengers Marseille play at home to Lens later.

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Luis Enrique’s side were ultimately comfortable winners despite the coach making eight changes to his starting line-up in between the two legs of the Liverpool tie, with the return at Anfield coming up on Tuesday.

Barcola, Joao Neves and Willian Pacho were the only players to keep their places following the 1-0 home loss to Liverpool in the first leg last Wednesday.

Dembele was among the regular starters to be rested at kick-off, but he came off the bench just after the hour mark and the France forward’s double strike moves him onto 20 league goals for the campaign.

The player who began his career at Rennes has now scored 28 times in all competitions this season, including 23 goals in 18 appearances since mid-December.

Rennes came into the game on a run of four wins in five outings to climb up into mid-table after Habib Beye replaced Jorge Sampaoli as coach at the end of January.

However, PSG went in front at Roazhon Park on 27 minutes as Desire Doue, another former Rennes player, quickly took a free-kick just inside the home half and released Barcola to run through and score his 18th goal of the season.

Teenage forward Mohamed Kader Meite almost equalised for Rennes before the break, heading off the crossbar from Adrien Truffert’s cross.

Barcola then turned provider as PSG doubled their lead five minutes after half-time, squaring for Ramos — one of those brought into the starting line-up — to net his 13th this season in all competitions.

Centre-back Brassier pulled one back for Rennes shortly after, heading in from close range after a corner had been flicked on.

However, Luis Enrique then sent on the cavalry, with Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi all coming off the bench for the latter stages.

PSG made sure of the points as Hakimi ran through on goal before unselfishly squaring for Dembele to make it 3-1 in the first minute of stoppage time at the end of the game.

Dembele then fired in his second and PSG’s fourth goal from the edge of the area in the 94th minute.

Saturday’s other game sees Lille, in between the two legs of their Champions League last-16 tie against Borussia Dortmund, host bottom side Montpellier.

Lille entertain Dortmund on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 in the first leg in Germany.