Mourinho moans, Kane soars in EPL
LONDON (AP): pending is the reason Manchester City are speeding clear of Manchester United in the English Premier League race, according to Jose Mourinho.
After salvaging a 2-2 draw against Burnley yesterday, second-placed United trail City by 12 points, and Pep Guardiola’s side can extend that advantage when they face Newcastle today.
“Manchester City buy the full backs for the price of the strikers,” United manager Mourinho said, referring to the summer purchases of Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy for a combined figure of more than 100 million pounds.
“Is not enough, is not enough,” Mourinho said of his own expenditure at United, about 300 million pounds in the last 19 months.
“And the price for the big clubs, the price for the big clubs is different from the other clubs, so the big, historical clubs are normally punished in the market for that history.”
It could have been worse for United. Jesse Lingard came off the bench at half-time to score twice and cancel out first-half strikes from Burnley’s Ashley Barnes and Steven Defour.
SUnited were at least on the right side of a stoppage-time equaliser this time, having conceded in the final moments last Saturday to give up the lead at Leicester. United were just one point ahead of third-placed Chelsea, which continued their strong home form by beating Brighton 2-0.
Harry Kane scored successive hat tricks to break the record for the most league goals in a calendar year as Tottenham thrashed Southampton 5-2.
ANOTHER TREBLE
After netting three times at Burnley on Saturday, Kane delivered another treble at Wembley Stadium to take his league tally for 2017 to 39. Each goal broke new ground for Kane; his first took him clear of Alan Shearer’s 36 Premier League goals in 1995; the second saw him overtake Lionel Messi as the player from Europe’s five major leagues to have the most goals (56) for club and country in 2017; and the third gave him a record sixth Premier League hat trick in a calendar year. “It’s been amazing, it’s been a fantastic year – one I’m very proud of,” Kane said. “When you get compared to them players, the Messis, the Shearers, that’s what it’s all about.”