Rodgers gets the boot as Everton draw with Reds
KAIZER Chiefs subjected Platinum Stars a scathing annihilation yesterday.
The MTN8 final loss to Ajax Cape Town and the Absa Premiership draws against Ajax and the University of Pretoria, had added pressure on Steve Komphela and his men but yesterday they had a sigh of relief courtesy of goals by Eric Mathoho and substitutes Siphelele Mthembu and George Maluleka as they advanced to the next round of the Telkom Knockout.
Though Stars started the brightest, it was Chiefs who emerged on top at half-time.
After struggling for the better part of the opening stanza, Chiefs were finally rewarded with a goal from an unlikely source. Vuyo Mere conceded a free-kick on the left. From it Simphew Tshabalala swung in a wicked ball and lanky defender Mathoho rose the highest to head past Stars’ ‘keeper Mbongeni Mzimela.
Late in the game with Stars committing men forward as they searched for an equaliser Chiefs caught them on the break with Mthembu making the game safe in the final minute.
To add insult to injury the visitors added a flattering third in injury-time when Maluleka scored in emphatic fashion to send the Chiefs fans home happy and the team into the quarter-finals.
In the other game, goalkeeper Jackson Mabokgwane helped Mpumalanga Black Aces to qualify for the quarter-finals with a 3-2 win after a couple of brilliant saves in the penalty shoot-out against Bloemfontein Celtic at the Free State Stadium.
Mabokgwane saved the home side’s last two penalty attempts by captain Bevan Fransman and Geoffrey Massa after the match ended goalless after extra-time.
But it wasn’t only those saves that made the difference, as Mabokgwane also made some crucial stops during the match.
Burly Aces striker Collins Mbesuma had the first real chance of the match in the 30th minute, but his strike went wide of the target. Seven minutes later it was Celtic midfielder Keagan Buchanan’s turn to have a crack, but Mabokgwane managed to hold on to his shot.
Mbesuma was a real menace throughout the match. While the Zambian is lacking the sharpness that made him one of most feared strikers in South African football, he still gets into great positions in and around the penalty area.
Both teams converted their first two penalties, but then Aces’ Lebogang Manyama and Celtic’s Musa Bilankulu steered their efforts wide.
Mabokgwane would then make two saves diving to his left to deny Fransman and Massa. –ANA LONDON: Liverpool surprisingly sacked manager Brendan Rodgers yesterday after his side drew 1-1 with Merseyside rivals Everton in one of the quieter derbies in recent years.
Liverpool, who have not lost to their neighbours for five years, went ahead in the 42nd minute when Danny Ings was left unmarked to head in a corner.
But in added time at the end of the first half, Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku drove in the equaliser which led to Rodgers being fired.
Meanwhile, Arsenal scored twice in the opening seven minutes and ended the match as a contest with a third in the 19th as they crushed Manchester United 3-0 to move above them into sec- ond place in the Premier League at the Emirates yesterday.
The Gunners demolished United with some brilliant passing football, taking the lead when Alexis Sanchez scored with a clever near-post flick after six minutes.
They doubled their lead a minute later when Mesut Özil rifled in from 12 metres and completed the rout when Sanchez blasted in an unstoppable shot for his sixth goal in his last three games after 19 minutes.
United, who were top of the table at the start of the weekend, rarely got going against the home side who were always in control and never looked like slipping up with Petr Cech only seriously troubled once.
The victory was Arsenal’s biggest against United for 17 years and lifted them to 16 points, two behind new leaders Manchester City, and just ahead of United on goal difference.
Arsenal came into the match under something of a cloud following their 3-2 home defeat to Olympiakos Piraeus in the Champions League on Tuesday, but they put that disappointment behind them almost from the kick-off.
United, with Ashley Young handed an unfamiliar start at leftback and Italian defender Matteo Darmian on the right, were totally bamboozled.
Aaron Ramsey and Özil combined to set up Sanchez for the first, with the Chilean flicking in at the near post to score, and a minute later Özil carved up the United defence after a one-two with Theo Walcott.
With United’s midfield lacking any invention, pace or authority, Arsenal poured forwards and Sanchez powered into a shooting position to launch an unstoppable rocket past David de Gea in the United goal and effectively seal all three points.
United’s only real chance in the game came just before the break when Anthony Martial turned and shot but saw his effort cleared by the boot of Cech who was virtually a spectator for most of the match.
Darmian was hauled off at half-time after being tormented by Sanchez and the second half was more evenly balanced.
But Arsenal were never seriously troubled, ending United’s four match winning domestic run and at the same time beating them in the league for only the second time in their last 14 meetings.
In the other late match played yesterday, Tottenham Hostpur’s Christian Eriksen scored with two stunning free-kicks to earn his side a 2-2 draw at Swansea City.
Andre Ayew and an own goal by Harry Kane had twice put the Welsh side in front.
Spurs stay eighth, level on 13 points with Everton and still three ahead of Swansea. – Reuters