PSG’s World Cup-bound ‘stars’ all unscathed, leaders maintain lead Villa rally past Brighton as Arsenal take 5-point lead
Mbappe scores league-leading 12th goal
PARIS, Nov 13, (AP): Paris SaintGermain’s stars came through their final game before the World Cup unscathed, with France forward Kylian Mbappe opening the scoring in the unbeaten league leader’s 5-0 home win against Auxerre on Sunday.
Argentina star Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Neymar and Mbappe all started against Auxerre as PSG maintained its five-point lead over second-place Lens.
Messi and Neymar came off with about 15 minutes left but Mbappe played the full match, despite coming off near the end last weekend with muscle fatigue. Mbappe joins up with defending champion France’s squad on Monday before flying out to Qatar on Wednesday.
“As soon as my players had made the difference, I focused on managing them,” PSG coach Christophe Galthie said. “I quickly made changes to protect them.”
PSG rested Brazil defender Marquinhos because of some muscle discomfort.
PSG’s players didn’t hold back against Auxerre, despite the fear of a late injury, as the opening goal came after 10 minutes.
“I ask the people I work with to be demanding, not to fall into a comfort zone ... We had to win, Lens has been on an incredible run,” Galthie said. “I wanted to pick the most competitive team possible. The players responded very well today, we were serious and diligent.”
Messi lofted a clever pass over the defense for Portugal defender Nuno
SOCCER
Mendes sprinting down the left, and his pass was volleyed in by Mbappe for his league-leading 12th goal.
The goal was awarded following a video review after Neymar handled the ball moments earlier in Auxerre’s penalty area.
PSG’s defense was caught napping when M’Baye Niang profited from a long ball and hit a powerful shot that goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma parried well.
Neymar was bundled over in the 30th after a heavy challenge but got straight back up to continue playing.
The World Cup-bound Mendes broke free again down the left and his cross was deftly turned in by forward Carlos Soler in the 51st. Right back Achraf Hakimi made it 3-0 soon after.
Hakimi, one of the main players in
BRIGHTON, England, Nov 13, (AP): Aston Villa recovered from a goal conceded in the opening minute to earn their first away victory of the season, beating Brighton 2-1 on Sunday to hand new manager Unai Emery a second straight Premier League win.
Danny Ings scored both goals for Villa, equalizing with a first-half penalty and then netting the winner in the 54th minute with a low deflected shot
Morocco’s World Cup squad, latched onto Soler’s pass and sprinted clear from halfway to beat goalkeeper Benoit Costil with a neat side-footed shot.
Soler, who is in Spain’s World Cup squad, was replaced after one hour. Messi hit the post with a curling shot soon after.
Central defender Presnel Kimpembe, who has played only one hour of football since sustaining a hamstring injury on Sept. 18, was on the bench and came on for the last 15 minutes.
Kimpembe, who helped Les Bleus win the 2018 World Cup, is in France’s injury-hit squad.
“I had it in mind for him to play today,” Galthie said. “I didn’t want to start him because it’s a long time since he played.” that snuck inside the near post.
Emery has now overseen league wins over Manchester United and Brighton since taking over from the fired Steven Gerrard, although the Spaniard’s insistence on playing out from the back nearly cost his team dearly. With Brighton putting goalkeeper Emi Martinez under pressure, the Argentine’s short pass to Douglas Luiz was won by Alexis Mac Allister, who rifled home after just 49 seconds for his fifth goal of the season.
It was the fastest goal ever scored by Brighton in the Premier League.
But Villa responded well and drew level in the 20th.
Emi Buendia found space and produced a perfectly weighted pass for John McGinn to race onto, with Lewis Dunk bringing down the Scotland captain inside the area.
Ings converted the penalty, even though Robert Sanchez got a hand to his spot kick.
Villa climbed to 12th place, while Brighton remained in seventh.
As the Premier League gets ready to pause for the World Cup, some unlikely storylines are in place for the second half of the season.
Arsenal have a five-point lead and are undoubtedly Manchester City’s biggest challenger for their title.
Newcastle are increasingly looking like a team with enough quality to get into the Champions League after their 1-0 win over crisis-hit Chelsea..
Graham Potter might do well to finish the season at Chelsea.
Martin Odegaard’s goals in the 55th and 75th minutes earned Arsenal a 12th win in 14 games. The only points Mikel Arteta’s team will have dropped before Christmas came in a loss at Manchester United and a draw at Southampton, a brilliant run of results that few could have seen coming.
Newcastle have now won five straight games to boost their improbable - at least this season - bid to qualify for the Champions League in their first full season under Saudi ownership.