Arsenal beat Leicester, Bale stars for Spurs
LONDON: Arsenal delivered a hammer blow to Leicester’s faint hopes of winning the Premier League with an impressive 3-1 win, while the revitalised Gareth Bale struck twice in Tottenham’s 4-0 rout of Burnley on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s side fell behind to Youri Tielemans’ early goal at the King Power Stadium, but David Luiz equalised and Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty gave Arsenal the lead.
Nicolas Pepe’s second half goal sealed the Gunners’ second win in their last six league games and their first success at a team in the Premier League’s top three since 2015.
Leicester remain in third place and trail leaders Manchester City by 13 points with 12 games remaining.
After Thursday’s shock Europa League exit against Slavia Prague, it was a week to forget for Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers.
After five defeats in their previous six league games, Tottenham eased the pressure on Jose Mourinho with a significant contribution from Bale, who made just his third league start of the season.
The Wales forward’s most impressive display since his season-long loan move from Real Madrid gave him four goals in his last four appearances.
Bale, who had clashed with Tottenham boss Mourinho over his fitness earlier in February, took just 68 seconds to showcase his quality.
The 31-year-old met Son Heung-min’s cross with a clinical close-range finish.
In the 15th minute, Bale’s superb long pass picked out Harry Kane’s run and the England captain’s shot deflected off James Tarkowski for his 22nd goal of the season.
Lucas Moura netted with a predatory finish after Sergio Reguillon’s cross was deflected into the Brazilian’s path by Tarkowski in the 31st minute.
Bale was finally giving a glimpse of the talent that once made him the world’s most expensive player.
The four-time Champions league winner, in his second spell with Tottenham after leaving for Madrid in 2013, scored again with a cool strike from Son’s 55th minute pass.
Tottenham are up to eighth as they try to climb back into the battle for a top four finish.
Inter extend Serie A lead as Juve stumble
MILAN: Inter Milan moved seven points clear at the top of Serie A on Sunday as Romelu Lukaku scored after 32 seconds and bagged an assist in a 3-0 win over midtable Genoa.
The Belgian striker drove through the heart of the visiting defence and fired in his 18th league goal of the season to register his club’s second fastest Serie A strike since Opta started taking records in 2004.
Lukaku teed up Matteo Darmian for Inter’s second after 69 minutes and was again involved for their third, when his shot was saved but headed in on the rebound by substitute Alexis Sanchez. The result leaves league leaders Inter seven points ahead of second-placed AC Milan, who play AS Roma later on Sunday, and 10 points clear of Juventus in third.
On Saturday, Juventus had been held 1-1 by Hellas Verona despite Cristiano Ronaldo being again on the scoresheet.
Ronaldo broke the deadlock early in the second half but Antonín Barák leveled for Verona, which also hit the woodwork twice.
Messi scores and assists in Barca win
BARCELONA: Messi’s quick feet and vision, Ousmane Dembele’s speed and finishing touch, and a defensive performance that Ronald Koeman called his team’s best of this Spanish league marked the 2-0 win in Seville. The victory lifted Barcelona past Real Madrid into second place, two points behind leader Atlético Madrid, which has two matches in hand.
Barcelona also halted Sevilla’s climb up the standings by ending their six-round winning streak, keeping Julen Lopetegui’s side in fourth place at eight points off the lead. Equally as important, the victory boosted Barcelona’s hopes of coming back from a 2-0 deficit when it hosts Sevilla next week in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.
“If we can overturn the tie on Wednesday, our entire season turns around,” Barcelona’s Gerard Pique said. “After playing like this at Sevilla, not giving them a single scoring chance, we are confident that we can do good things this season.”
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE }
ARSENAL STRIKER
It’s really important now we finish (season) well. Comeback wins in two successive games will be a massive confidence boost.
Leipzig rally as Bayern thrash Cologne
LEIPZIG: A last-gasp Alexander Sorloth goal sealed RB Leipzig’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday and kept them in the thick of the Bundesliga title race. Leipzig fought back with second-half goals by Christopher Nkunku and Yussuf Poulsen before Sorloth’s winning header in the 93rd minute after Gladbach had led 2-0 at half-time. The victory keeps second-placed Leipzig two points behind leaders Bayern Munich, who earlier romped to a 5-1 home win over Cologne.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting headed Bayern into an early lead before Robert Lewandowski, the league’s top scorer, struck twice to increase his league tally to 28 goals this season.
Serge Gnabry came off the bench to claim two late goals behind closed doors at the Allianz Arena.