RUNAWAY LEADER LIVERPOOL HAS SOUNDTRACK OF CHAMPIONS
Liverpool fans ended 2019 by chanting “Champions of the world” for the first time at Anfield. “Champions of England” will surely be sung by the Kop in 2020.
Sadio Mane ensured Liverpool reached the halfway point with a 13-point lead — with a game in hand — that seems unassailable after clinching a 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton on Sunday.
And all Wolverhampton fans could forlornly chant was: “Is this football anymore?”
That reflected more frustration with the application of VAR in the technology’s first Premier League campaign, of course. Even if the calls were ultimately correct by on-field referee Anthony Taylor.
Mane’s goal was initially ruled out by Taylor for handball but it was actually helped on by teammate Adam
Lallana’s shoulder. There was a handball by Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk in the buildup but that didn’t appear to be factored into the decision.
Liverpool has built a lead more than double the sixpoint advantage surrendered at this point last season before being overhauled by Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s side is certainly less of a threat this season, still 14 points back after beating Sheffield United 2-0. Leicester is a point better off to sit as Liverpool’s closest but very distant challenger.
Chelsea was the other English side to lift a European trophy this year, and there was a rematch of the Europa League final at Arsenal with a very different complexion. Both teams have brought in former players as managers and neither club is in title contention. In his first home game in charge, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal threw away the lead to lose 2-1 to Frank Lampard’s Chelsea.
More soccer
David Moyes is back for a second spell as West Ham manager following the firing of Manuel Pellegrini. Moyes had helped the east London club avoid relegation from the Premier League during a six-month spell that ended in May 2018. However, West Ham decided against Moyes remaining in charge and hired Pellegrini instead. But Pellegrini lost his job on Saturday, with West Ham a place and a point above the relegation zone after a loss to Leicester.
• Monterrey on the Liga MX title on penalty kicks. Club America won the match 2-1 and the teams were tied at 3-3 on aggregate score to force penalties, which Monterrey won 4-2.
• The Scottish title race opened up further when Nikola Katic’s header gave Rangers a 2-1 victory over leader Celtic in the derby between the Glasgow rivals.
• Borussia Dortmund signed 19-year-old forward Erling Braut Haaland from Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg, beating out a number of clubs interested in the Norwegian teeanager.
Winter sports
Arthur Kaliyev scored twice to lift the United States to a hard-fought 3-1 win over Russia at the world junior hockey championship in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The U.S. leads the tightly contested Group B with six points and next plays its Czech hosts today to complete the group stage.
• Alexis Pinturault used his slalom skills to come from behind and win a men’s World Cup Alpine combined event at Bormio, Italy. The world champion was only in 12th place and 0.97 seconds behind leader Aleksander Aamodt Kilde of Norway following the super-g portion of the event, but the Frenchman had the fastest time in the slalom part.
• Mikaela Shiffrin keeps closing in on the many Alpine skiing records held by retired standout Lindsey Vonn. Shiffrin earned her 43rd career World Cup slalom win with another dominant performance at Lienz, Austria, posting the fastest times in both runs to beat her Slovakian rival Petra Vlhova by 0.61 seconds.
Also
Andy Murray has put his Grand Slam comeback on hold after announcing he will not be playing at the Australian Open next month. Tennis Australia issued a statement saying Murray had withdrawn from the seasonopening major at Melbourne Park and from the ATP Cup, a new international men’s team event which starts next week and will be played in Sydney, Perth and Brisbane.
• The Baltimore Orioles signed free agent righthander Kohl Stewart to a major league contract. Stewart pitched the past two seasons with the Minnesota Twins. To make room for Stewart on the 40-man roster, Baltimore designed right-hander Marcos Diplan for assignment.
• Gary Sherlock, who trained Intangaroo and Lost Bus to graded stakes wins, died of cancer, the Daily Racing Form reported. Sherlock was 72.