Manchester City are clearly on course for their seventh English football championship. At Arsenal FC, Pep Guardiola’s team celebrated a 1-0 (1-0) win on Sunday, expanding their streak to 18 competitive wins and leading the Premier League table by ten points. Raheem Sterling scored in the second minute, international Ilkay Gündogan returned to the starting line-up after the groin complaints had subsided and played again conspicuously. The Citizens’ first pursuer is – before Manchester United’s game against Newcastle United in the evening – Leicester City after the 2-1 (2-0) at Aston Villa.
The negative streak from Tottenham Hotspur and star coach Jose Mourinho, however, continues. The Spurs lost 1: 2 (0: 1) in the London derby at West Ham United. It was the fifth league defeat in the past six games for Tottenham. West Ham ousted Thomas Tuchel’s FC Chelsea (43) from fourth with 45 points. Michail Antonio (5th) and Jesse Lingard (49th) led the Hammers to their seventh win in their last nine games with their goals. Lucas Moura (64th) could only shorten for the Spurs after a corner from substitute Gareth Bale. The strong Bale also hit the crossbar (79th), Heung-Min Son hit the post (90th + 2).
Inter extend their lead
Inter Milan have come a big step closer to their first championship title since 2010 with a convincing derby win. The Nerazzurri won 3-0 (1-0) at AC Milan on Sunday, extending their lead over their second-placed city rivals in the Italian Serie A soccer league to four points.
Lautaro Martinez scored the first two goals (5th and 57th minute), Romelu Lukaku made everything clear with his 17th goal of the season in the 174th Serie A city duel (66th). Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had a fierce verbal exchange of blows with Lukaku in the Italian Cup at the end of January, was mostly ineffective and was replaced.
Before the derby, thousands of fans met in front of the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium. Like on live images in the newspaper Corriere della Sera was seen, the AC supporters were waiting for the team bus on Sunday before kick-off. Despite the applicable corona and distance rules, the fans stood tightly together and started loud chants. At the entrance of the Rossoneri bus some Bengali fires and smoke bombs set off.
Gotze hits twice after being substituted on
Mario Götze gave PSV Eindhoven an important victory in the title race in the Netherlands. The 2014 world champion scored twice on the Sunday after being substituted on, leading his team to a 3-1 (0-1) victory in the chase duel with Vitesse Arnheim. The gap to Ajax Amsterdam is now three points, but the front runner can still improve on Sunday evening.
Götze was substituted on in the 64th minute by coach Roger Schmidt, two minutes later Donyell Malen (66th) scored to equalize. Götzes later double strike (86./88.) Then secured the victory. Armando Broja (4th) scored early for Arnhem. Timo Baumgartl and Adrian Fein were in the PSV starting eleven, the German international Philipp Max was substituted on at half time.
Götze, however, was spared for a long time. After the turn of the year, the 28-year-old had to sit out for a few weeks due to a groin injury. He only made his comeback last Thursday in the second round of the Europa League at Olympiacos (2-4).
Barcelona only play 1-1 against Cadiz
Lionel Messi has become FC Barcelona’s record player with his 506th appearance in the Primera Division in the disappointing 1: 1 (1: 0) against FC Cadiz. The Argentine, who scored his 460th league goal (32nd, penalty kick) for the Catalans, surpassed his former colleague Xavi.
Messi moved up to ninth place in the league. At the top of the record player list is the former Spanish national goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, who played 622 times in the first division for Athletic Bilbao, Barca and Valencia CF.
The fact that, despite oppressive superiority and Messi’s 16th goal of the season, it was not enough to make an important three against the newly promoted team, was due to a superfluous foul by Clement Lenglet. Alex Fernandez overcame the previously unemployed national goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from the point (89th). Pedri was fouled before Messi’s penalty kick.
Third-placed Barcelona (23 games / 47 points), which had already failed in the first leg in Cadiz (1: 2), lost important points in the championship again. Arch-rivals Real Madrid are second (24/52), Atletico Madrid (23/55) lead the table.
Setback for Özil and Fenerbahce
Ex-national player Mesut Özil suffered a setback with his new club Fenerbahce Istanbul in the title race of the Turkish Süper Lig. The traditional club lost against Göztepe Izmir 0: 1 (0: 1) on Sunday. Fenerbahce is now third in the table, three points behind leaders Galatasaray Istanbul. Özil was in the starting line-up at Fener. Halil Akbunar scored the winning goal for the guests in the ninth minute.
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