Unhappy New Year for Man United
Serena Williams has lost on her return to competitive tennis after giving birth, going down to French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in an exhibition in the United Arab Emirates yesterday.
Williams struggled with her serve and Ostapenko won 6-2, 3-6 and then 10-5 in a super tiebreaker, but the American still impressed by taking a set off the No 7-ranked Ostapenko after nearly a year away from tennis.
Williams said after the 67-minute match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship that she was still undecided on her title defence of the Australian Open, which starts on January 15, but delivered a warning to rivals.
‘‘I don’t know if I am totally ready to come back on the tour yet. I know that when I come back I definitely want to be competing for championships,’’ Williams said. Manchester United’s dismal run of results in December has continued as they were held 0-0 at home to Southampton yesterday, dropping to third in the Premier League standings below Chelsea
United had top scorer Romelu Lukaku carried off on a stretcher early in the game and looked stricken of any thrust or creativity in attack, ending the month with four wins from nine games in all competitions and without a victory in their last four.
Jose Mourinho’s side began brightly and Lukaku came close to giving them the lead in the third minute when he headed a Juan Mata cross over the bar while Jesse Lingard also narrowly missed the target before the interval with a flicked header.
Paul Pogba had a late strike ruled out as he knocked Anthony Martial’s rolling shot in from an offside position when the ball looked destined to hit the post, with a chance of going in.
Southampton were not far from nicking a first win in eight games when Shane Long saw his shot turned over the crossbar by the toe of David de Gea.
Liverpool loomed ominously in fourth as Mohamed Salah continued to exceed all expectations in his first season at Anfield, scoring another two goals to help Liverpool come from behind to beat Leicester 2-1.
That’s 23 goals in all competitions by the turn of the year - matching the 56-year club record held by Roger Hunt - of which 17 have come in the league. ‘‘He is still a young player,’’ Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said of the 25-year-old Salah. ‘‘He can improve.’’
It is looking like 42 million euros ($NZ71 million) well spent following Salah’s move from Roma. Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk - recently signed from Southampton - was in the directors’ box to watch his new employers after agreeing this week to a move for double that fee.
Liverpool, in fourth place, are only three points behind United. Chelsea beat Stoke 5-0 to climb to second place, 13 points behind Manchester City, who played Crystal Palace overnight.
Salah responded to Jamie Vardy’s third-minute opener at Anfield to score in the 52nd and 76th minutes, and move onto 23 goals by the turn of the year, the same as Hunt had in the 1961-62 campaign.
An errant pass by Joel Matip led to Vardy’s goal that was set up by Riyad Mahrez.
Salah had four decent chances before equalising eight minutes into the second half, running onto Sadio Mane’s back-heel and holding off Christian Fuchs and Daniel Amartey to pick his spot beyond goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
He grabbed the winner in the 76th after another back-heel, this time from James Milner. Salah is one goal behind the league’s top scorer, Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
A big Chelsea win was predicted as soon as the team sheets came out an hour before kickoff.
Stoke rested a number of key players for their tough trip to Stamford Bridge in view of an important match with fellow struggler Newcastle tomorrow, and were made to pay.
Antonio Rudiger, Danny Drinkwater and Pedro Rodriguez scored in the opening 23 minutes, before further goals by Willian - from the penalty spot - and substitute Davide Zappacosta.
Carlos Carvalhal made the perfect start as Swansea manager, winning his first game in charge and seeing the team climb off the bottom of the standings.
Jordan Ayew scored an 86thminute equaliser and Luciano Narsingh grabbed the winner in the 90th minute in Swansea’s 2-1 victory at Watford.
Carvalhal was hired on Friday as the replacement for Paul Clement, just four days after parting company with under-performing second-tier team Sheffield Wednesday.
It was only Swansea’s fourth league win this season. West Brom are now in last place.
Sam Allardyce’s unbeaten start as Everton manager ended when he saw his team fall 2-1 at Bournemouth thanks to Ryan Fraser’s 88th-minute winner.
Fraser had scored the opening goal at Vitality Stadium, with Idrissa Gueye equalising in the 57th.
It was the first time ninth-place Everton have conceded more than a goal in a game under Allardyce, who made it his first task to shore up the defence.
Excitement was in short supply as Huddersfield drew 0-0 at Burnley, while there was also a goalless draw between Newcastle and visiting Brighton.