Man U climb above Tottenham, Sheff United into fifth

Arsenal beat Everton to continue good run

MANCHESTER, England, Feb 23, (AP): Bruno Fernandes coolly rolled in a penalty for his first goal for Manchester United to set his new team on its way to a 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Watford in the Premier League on Sunday.

Anthony Martial also netted, for the third straight game, and teenager Mason Greenwood added a brilliant third goal as United climbed above Tottenham and Sheffield United into fifth in the standings. That is currently a Champions League qualification place following Manchester City’s recent twoseason ban from European competitions by UEFA.

Fernandes has slotted seamlessly into the United team since his January move from Sporting Lisbon. After grabbing his first assist in the 2-0 win over Chelsea on Monday, the Portugal playmaker got on the scoresheet for the first time against Watford.

He was brought down by Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster – a former United player – as he surged through into the area, and got himself up to impudently roll home the 42nd-minute spotkick, sending Foster the wrong way.

It was no surprise to see Fernandes taking penalty duties, having scored 12 out of 12 from the spot when at Sporting.

Watford striker Troy Deeney thought he had equalized in the

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is brought down in the penalty area by Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster during their English Premier League soccer match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on Feb 23. Fernandes went on to score from the penalty spot. (AP)

52nd when he bundled in following a corner, but the goal was disallowed by VAR because the ball struck the arm of teammate Craig Dawson as the defender went for a header off the cross.

Watford, which stayed in the relegation zone with 11 games left, was further punished when Martial made it 2-0 with a cheeky finish after his initial shot was saved by Foster. The French forward collected the loose ball, beat Etienne Capoue with a lovely drag-back, and chipped Foster from an acute angle.

Watford winger Gerard Deulofeu curled a shot onto the crossbar before Greenwood made the points safe, collecting Fernandes’ inside pass and rifling a fierce shot into the roof of the net from just inside the area.

Odion Ighalo, the former Watford striker signed by United from the Chinese Super League on transfer deadline day last month, came off the bench for his home debut and struck the post with a shot in

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the 84th after rounding Foster.

Having kept things relatively tight in the first games under new manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal starting to show some more attacking menace .

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored two goals - leaving him tied on a league-leading 17 with Leicester’s Jamie Vardy - in a 3-2 home win over Everton, which followed a 4-0 victory over Newcastle at Emirates Stadium last weekend.

Arsenal are ninth but only four points behind fifth-place United.

Youngster Eddie Nketiah was again preferred up front to the more experienced Alexandre Lacazette and repaid the faith of Arteta by making it 1-1, canceling out Dominic CalvertLewin’s goal that was scored inside the first minute.

Richarlison scored on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-2, only for Aubameyang to regain the lead for Arsenal in the first minute of the second half, having already made it 2-1 in the 33rd.

Diogo Jota added two more goals to the midweek hat trick he scored in the Europa League as Wolverhampton beat last-place Norwich 3-0 to keep in touch with the Champions League qualification positions.

The Portugal forward scored in the 19th and 30th minutes, then drove in a shot that struck the post before Raul Jimenez bundled home the loose ball for the third goal in the second half at Molineux.

Jota has had an injury-interrupted season but is in a rich vein of form, having netted three goals in Wolves’ 4-0 win over Espanyol in the first leg of the Europa League last 32 on Thursday.

He appeared to benefit from Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s decision to switch from his usual 3-4-3 formation to a 3-5-2 favored at the end of last season, which saw Jota playing as a central striker alongside Jimenez rather than a wide forward. That meant right winger Adama Traore, one of Wolves’ best players this season, was dropped to the bench.

Wolves are managing to juggle their domestic and European commitments impressively and moved up to eighth place in the league, just two points behind Manchester United.

It looks increasingly like Norwich will be returning to the second-tier League Championship after just one season in the top flight. Daniel Farke’s side, which have earned praise for their positive football, are seven points from safety with 11 games remaining.

One negative for Wolves was the sight of left wing back Jonny Otto coming off injured late in the game after falling awkwardly under Ben Godfrey as the Norwich defender attempted a cross.

Tyson Fury, of England, celebrates after defeating Deontay Wilder during a WBC heavyweight championship boxing match on Feb 22 in Las Vegas.

(Inset): Fury (right), of England punches Wilder. (AP)

LAS VEGAS, Feb 23, (AP): Tyson Fury reinvented himself once again, and once again he’s a heavyweight champion.

Fury dropped Deontay Wilder twice Saturday night in their heavyweight title rematch, turning from boxer to puncher to win the title when Wilder’s corner threw in the towel as he was taking a beating in the seventh round.

It was a stunning turnaround for a fighter who came back from drug and alcohol abuse to win the title for a second time, made even more surprising because Wilder was the devastating puncher in their first fight 14 months ago.

“The king has returned to his throne,” proclaimed Fury, who fought to a draw with Wilder in their first fight.

Fury dropped Wilder in the third round with a right hand that seemed to take the legs out of the champion. He put him down again in the fifth round, this time with a left hand to the body.

He also bloodied Wilder’s ear, and seemed to lick the blood off his shoulder in a bizarre scene in the sixth round. If that wasn’t enough fun for the night, he tried to lead the crowd in a singalong of “American Pie” after the fight. Fury knew all the words.

The end came at 1:39 of the seventh round when referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight after Wilder’s corner threw in the towel as he was getting pummeled in a neutral corner. Blood was pouring out of Wilder’s ear for several rounds before Fury went in for the shoulder lick.

It was the first loss for Wilder in 44 fights, and it came in the 11th defense of the title he won in 2015.

“Even the greatest have lost and come back,” Wilder said. “I make no excuses. This is what big-time boxing is all about.”

The two fighters are under contract for a third fight, though Wilder could opt out of it as the loser. If the fight happens, Fury would get the better part of a 6040 purse bid.

Fury stalked Wilder almost from the opening bell, using his jab to control the early rounds. He won every round on the scorecard of the Associated Press and was in total command of the fight when it ended.

Ringside punch stats demonstrated Fury’s dominance, showing him out landing Wilder 82-34 in total punches. Fury landed 58 power punches in less than seven rounds of the rematch after landing just 38 in the first fight Wilder landed just 34 punches all fight and just 18 power shots.

Wilder briefly protested the stoppage, as a pro-Fury crowd of 15,816 at the MGM Grand hotel roared in delight. The highly anticipated fight drew a heavyweight record $16.9 million gate and promoters believe it sold well on pay-per-view, too.

“I wish my corner would have let me go out on my shield,” Wilder said. “He did what he did.

Lazio’s Ciro Immobile (left), scores his side’s 2nd goal during the Serie A soccer match between Genoa and Lazio at the Luigi Ferrari Stadium in

Genoa, Italy on Feb 23. Lazio won 3-2. (AP)

There’s no excuses.”

Wilder, who at 6-foot-7 and 231 pounds was the smaller man in the ring to the 6-foot-9 British giant, was backpedaling the entire fight, trying to catch Fury coming in with a right hand. But he was never able to throw it effectively, and unable to deal with Fury’s jab either.

Two judges had Fury winning every round, while the third gave Wilder one round. Fury had a point deducted for grabbing and pushing in the fifth round.

“He manned up and he really did show the heart of a champion,” Fury said. “He’s a warrior, he will be back, he will be a champion again. But the king has returned.”

Fury had bulked up to 273 pounds for the rematch, vowing to change tactics and become the big puncher. He was true to his word, dominating early with a jab that stopped Wilder in his tracks and then landing combinations to the head and body.

Fury (30-0-1, 21 KO) came into the ring carried aloft on a throne with a crown on his head. He made it an easy night against a fighter who had gone 12 years without losing as a pro.

For Wilder it was a stunning end to an unbeaten mark that had seen him knock out 41 of his previous 43 opponents. But his devastating right hand was never a factor, and Fury seemed to walk through it. That was unlike the first fight 14 months ago when Wilder knocked Fury down twice on his way to a draw.

Both fighters were guaranteed $5 million in the rematch but could make $40 million apiece.