Toby Alderweireld on Sunday gave Tottenham Hotspur a late 2-1 win over Arsenal as Jose Mourinho’s men climbed above their north London rivals, while AFC Bournemouth kept their survival hopes alive with a chaotic 4-1 victory against Leicester City.
Mourinho had endured a barrage of criticism as Tottenham slipped out of the race to qualify for the UEFA Champions League with just one win in three games, but thanks to Alderweireld’s winner with nine minutes left, Tottenham took the local bragging rights and got back in contention for a place in next season’s UEFA Europa League.
Spurs are eighth, two points above ninth-placed Arsenal and two behind Sheffield United as they try to avoid missing out on European action for the first time since 2009-2010.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“We are happy because we made the fans happy, we are happy because we are still in the fight to win a Europa League position,” Mourinho said. “To be honest, Mikel [Arteta] found a way for them to play, to be stable and to improve. We felt that we should adapt slightly to them and we did it very well.”
In the first north London derby at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Alexandre Lacazette put Arsenal ahead in the 16th minute with a stunning long-range strike.
Arsenal’s lead lasted just three minutes as Sead Kolasinac’s sloppy pass was intercepted by Son Heung-min, who eluded David Luiz before chipping over Emiliano Martinez.
In the 82nd minute, defender Alderweireld rose above a cluster of Arsenal players to meet Son’s corner and plant his header past Martinez.
“We give them a goal again and we concede a set-piece, and at this level you cannot do it,” Arsenal manager Arteta said.
On the south coast, Leicester scored after 23 minutes as Jamie Vardy bagged his 23rd league goal of the season to extend his lead in the race for the Golden Boot, but Bournemouth were handed a lifeline when Leicester imploded during two minutes of mayhem.
In the 66th minute, Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel booted a goal-kick into Wilfred Ndidi’s back, forcing his teammate to trip Callum Wilson.
Junior Stanislas stepped up to score the resulting penalty and 101 seconds later Dominic Solanke’s weak shot trickled under Schmeichel’s woeful attempt to save.
Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu was sent off for kicking Wilson as he attempted to retrieve the ball from the net after Solanke’s goal.
Bournemouth’s luck was in and a Stanislas strike went in off Leicester defender Jonny Evans for an 83rd-minute own-goal, before Solanke’s composed finish made it four in the 87th minute.
Bournemouth’s first win in 10 games, a drought stretching back to Feb. 1, moved them to within three points of 17th-placed Watford, with three games left.
“The situation was as bleak as it could be at halftime, but goals always change games,” Cherries manager Eddie Howe said. “It was probably the first time in a long time where we’ve had some luck. We can still survive.”
The defeat left fourth-placed Leicester’s hopes of Champions League qualification in danger.
“I didn’t see that coming, but we are not good enough to get too comfortable. We will finish where we deserve to,” Foxes manager Brendan Rodgers said.
Second-bottom Aston Villa also boosted their survival bid with a vital 2-0 win against Crystal Palace.
Dean Smith’s side kicked off at Villa Park languishing seven points from safety, but Egypt winger Mahmoud Trezeguet scored twice to keep them in with a chance of staying up.
Palace striker Christian Benteke was sent off for violent conduct after the final whistle.
Villa’s first win in 11 league games left them four points behind Watford.
Wolverhampton Wanderers stayed in the Champions League hunt, climbing to sixth place after a 3-0 win against Everton.
Raul Jimenez’s penalty and Leander Dendoncker’s header put Wolves two up, before Diogo Jota was gifted the third by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s blunder.
Meanwhile, Manchester City yesterday successfully overturned their two-year ban from the Champions League.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld City’s appeal against the UEFA ban, but imposed a 10 million euros (US$11.3 million) fine for failing to cooperate with investigators.
The verdict by three judges clears the team coached by Pep Guardiola to play in the group stage of the Champions League next season.
UEFA had in February punished City for “serious breaches” of rules monitoring club finances and failing to cooperate with investigators.
Additional reporting by AP
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she sustained an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just
CLASH OF MANAGERS: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler and Russell Martin of Southampton accused each other of disrespect, while both were booked Southampton on Friday were denied a priceless victory by a controversial decision as they drew with hosts Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 in the Premier League. Kaoru Mitoma spectacularly headed Brighton into a first-half lead and Flynn Downes hammered home an equalizer an hour in. Minutes later teammate Cameron Archer converted a cross from Saints substitute Ryan Fraser. A video assistant referee check of more than four minutes eventually decided that Archer was onside, but then penalized Adam Armstrong, who was offside, but did not touch the ball, for interfering with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. “I find it hard to accept,” Southampton manager Russell Martin
HISTORIC VICTORY: Botafogo are the last of the four big Rio clubs to win the Copa Libertadores and they earned a spot in next year’s FIFA Club World Cup Botafogo on Saturday overcame playing with 10 men to win their first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental. After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo’s best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card. “It was so hard to have one less so early in a final. It was an unfortunate move,” Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza said. “But Gregore deserves this title as much as we do. We made history and that won’t ever be erased.” Winger Luiz
RSS