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Pardew restoring his reputation

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As a manager sacked three times in four years, Alan Pardew has had plenty to do in restoring his reputation.

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London - As a manager sacked three times in four years and then regularly abused by his next club's supporters, Alan Pardew has had plenty to do in restoring his reputation.

He has achieved that in a matter of months since returning to his first professional club, Crystal Palace, lifting them from the Premier League's bottom three on his arrival in January to a mid-table finish last season and now the top six.

Clean sheets have been rare but by fielding a team blessed with pace Palace have been particularly effective on the counter-attack, which has led to an outstanding away record.

Sunday's 1-0 success at Watford meant that in 12 matches on the road in this calendar year they have won nine times.

It was a first clean sheet of the season, which particularly pleased Pardew.

“The back four were terrific and the goalie,” he told Sky Sports. “They didn't really give Watford much daylight at all.

“It wasn't a classic but sometimes as a manager you want a performance that lifts you and that really lifted me, because the concentration levels were really, really high.”

Pundits agreed that the manager had got his tactics and team selection just right, picking Dwight Gayle as the main striker after a hat-trick in a midweek League Cup tie and using all three of his speedy wingers at some stage to attack Watford's vulnerable fullbacks.

One of those wide players, Wilfried Zaha, won the crucial penalty that Yohan Cabaye converted to win the game.

In a difficult period for Pardew between 2006-10, West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Southampton all dismissed the former Palace midfielder.

He was therefore an unpopular choice to take charge at Newcastle United, with only five percent voting for him in a poll of the club's supporters.

But after steering them to 12th place, he earned European football as they finished fifth in his first full season.

An eight-year contract followed but spending restrictions imposed by owner Mike Ashley meant the team failed to live up to the raised expectations of demanding fans.

By the end of the 2013-14 season he was receiving regular abuse at matches and a “Sack Pardew” website was set up.

Although Ashley would not dismiss him, it was a convenient opportunity for both men when Palace approached Pardew to take their vacant manager's job at the start of this year.

Delighted to return to the club where he became a hero by scoring the winner in an FA Cup semi-final against Liverpool, Pardew led an immediate revival, winning 10 of the remaining 18 league games. He has built on that improvement this term.

One more remarkable statistic from Pardew's return to Selhurst Park is that of 30 league and cup matches, only one - at home to Newcastle in February - has been drawn.

A healthy proportion of wins from the rest has ensured the rehabilitation of a man now proving his qualities again in one of sport's most demanding professions. – Reuters

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Aces show Maritzburg no mercy

Black Aces showed the struggling Maritzburg United no mercy, thrashing them 4-1 on Sunday.

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Nelspruit – Mpumalanga Black Aces showed no mercy when they demolished the struggling Maritzburg United 4-1 on Sunday afternoon at Kanyamazane Stadium to move to second spot on the Absa Premiership log standings.

A brace by Collins Mbesuma and two goals by Bhongolethu Jayiya and Dennis Masina made life difficult for the visitors who came into the match with a new coach in Clive Barker who was formerly with AmaZayoni.

Coach Muhsin Ertugral’s men were motivated by their 2-1 victory over Lamontville Golden Arrows and their confidence was high as they took the match to their visitors, but couldn’t create chances to trouble the Namibian goalkeeper, Virgil Vries.

However, in the 29th minute Jayiya broke the deadlock and handed the hosts the lead when he received a pass from Tshidiso Tukane finishing with his right foot.

A few minutes later, Ashley Hartog cancelled out Jayiya’s strike when he equalised in the 31st minute following a supply by Deolin Mekoa. But their celebration was short-lived as the in-form Mbesuma took matters to his hands and bagged the second goal for the Witbank-based side in the 34th minute, through a header and once again he was assisted by Tukane.

At half-time, Aces were up 2-1 and the return from the tunnel meant the hosts had to continue with their target of collecting the full three points.

AmaZayoni were awarded a penalty in the 59th minute when Thamsanqa Mkhize unfairly challenged Tukane ,and the Zambian-born forward stepped up to convert from the spot making it 3-1.

In the dying minutes of the encounter, Dennis Masina made it four for the hosts after an assist from the captain Zamuxolo Ngalo to seal their second consecutive league victory.

The loss means Barker’s men will have to go back to the drawing board and they remain placed at position 16 on the log with one point next to their name from six league matches. – Africa News Agency (ANA).

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Pelembe brace puts Celtic in charge

A Helder Pelembe brace helped Celtic beat Tuks 2-0 in Pretoria on Sunday.

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Pretoria – A Helder Pelembe brace helped Bloemfontein Celtic to a 2-0 win over the University of Pretoria in their Premiership match at Tuks Stadium, in Pretoria, on Sunday.

Pelembe was lethal either side of half-time to notch up the two-goal advantage for the visitors, and a stranglehold on the contest they would not relinquish.

Though the hosts eclipsed the number of chances on goal from the visitors by more than double, they could not find the elusive strike in their effort to salvage something from their home fixture.

With the result, Celtic moved up to 13 points from six matches and third place on the log. Tuks, meanwhile, remained on four points from their six outings as they languish in 14th place on the table.

Lyle Lakay took the first corner for Celtic in the 12th minute which found a teammate in a menacing position just inside the area, but the Tuks defence were quick to snuff out the danger as they dispossessed the opposition player.

In the 41st minute, Tuks had a decent chance from range when Getaneh Kebede tried his luck but Patrick Tignyemb in the Celtic goal made a confident save as he smothered the ball.

Less than a minute later, Celtic would score the opener. The Tuks defence were caught ball-watching as Pelembe made un-marked run onto the ball in the area and made no mistake in depositing the ball into an open net and a 1-0 lead.

The opening period saw the home side dominate with 10 shots at goal, but with only five on target. The visitors, in contrast, mustered just two efforts and scored from their only on target attempt.

Pelembe struck again to make it 2-0 and complete his brace with the second half less than 60 seconds old. The Tuks defence failed to clear an attempt in the area, and Pelembe was on hand to out-fox three defenders before finding the back of the net from a tight angle to double his side’s lead.

There would be no further change in score, and Celtic would be well-pleased with their full quota of points away from home.

– ANA

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Sundowns desmolish Cosmos

Sundowns turned in a clinical performance to dispatch Jomo Cosmos 2-0 on Sunday.

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Potchefstroom – Mamelodi Sundowns turned in a clinical performance to dispatch Jomo Cosmos 2-0 in their Premiership match at Olen Park, in Potchefstroom, on Sunday.

With genuine chances during the encounter far from plentiful, it was The Brazilians who dominated possession and territory and ultimately converted two of their few opportunities to wrestle the win.

Keagan Dolly struck midway through the first period, and then completed his brace deep in second-half injury time to wrap up the contest.

The first shot on target for either side fell to Jomo Cosmos in the 17th minute. Running into the area at pace Brice Aka reeled off a sharp strike, but Sundowns keeper Dennis Onyango was alert to the danger as he made the save.

With their first real chance of the encounter, Sundowns were ruthless in taking the lead in the 22nd minute. Themba Zwane whipped in a cross for Dolly whose header had the beating of Cosmos keeper Sherwyn Naicker to make it 1-0 to the visitors.

On the whole, Sundowns would have been pleased to head to break with the advantage as their chances on goal were few in number.

Three minutes after half-time, Sundowns began tearing apart the Cosmos defence as a goalmouth scuffle saw Naicker forced into a double save with the second attempt coming from close range from Katlego Mashego.

Cosmos, had a rare chance of their own in the 58th minute. Without much happening in the midfield, Thabang Monare tried his luck from range and Onyango made a neat save diving to his right.

In the 67th minute, Zwane picked out Anthony Laffor in the Cosmos box but the winger’s fiery attempt was blasted narrowly wide of goal.

Cosmos did have one excellent chance on goal in the 87th minute, but substitute Charlton Mashumba could not find the target with his powerful effort from close range.

With regulation time up, Sundowns carved up the Cosmos back four and Dolly was able to tap the ball into an open net for a 2-0 scoreline. – African News Agency (ANA).

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Pellegrini turns focus to Europe

Manuel Pellegrini switched his focus to Europe on Sunday after his City’s latest Premier League blow.

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London – Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini switched his focus to conquering Europe on Sunday after his side’s Premier League ambitions took another dent at the weekend.

City’s barnstorming start to the English soccer season, producing five straight wins, is in danger of becoming a fading memory after consecutive defeats by West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur allowed Manchester United to knock them off the top of the table.

Those two defeats were preceded by a jolting home loss to Juventus in City’s Champions League opener, but Pellegrini is convinced the club will recover and soon triumph in Europe’s blue riband competition.

“I am sure that Manchester City will win the Champions League in the future because the whole club works well,” the Chilean was quoted as saying in the Manchester Evening News.

“We are younger than the teams who normally win the Champions League over the last 10 years. Our team has only arrived in the last few years and we are improving every season.”

City’s huge transfer spending to become established as one of the Premier League powerhouses has not translated into any great impact on the European stage. They reached the last 16 of the Champions League in the past two seasons and failed to progress beyond the group stage in the previous two attempts.

While focused on improving that record, Pellegrini says the Champions League should not be prioritised at the expense of getting their domestic form back on track.

“Being champions of Europe must not be an obsession here. Manchester United, in the whole period of Alex Ferguson, when he was the best manager in the club’s history, only won the Champions League twice in 27 years,” Pellegrini said.

– REUTERS

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Messi blow a relief for Leverkusen

Barca’s loss of Lionel Messi will bring relief to Bayer Leverkusen ahead of their Champions tie on Tuesday.

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With Barcelona’s squad already stretched, the loss of talisman Lionel Messi is a major blow but for the Bayer Leverkusen players there will no doubt be sighs of relief ahead of their Champions League tie on Tuesday.

Among the Argentine’s vast list of exploits he became the first player to score five goals in a Champions League match when Barca hammered Leverkusen 7-1 at the Camp Nou in 2012, but the treble winners will have to cope without him for the next two months.

Messi suffered knee ligament damage in Barca’s La Liga victory over Las Palmas on Saturday and they take on Leverkusen in their Champions League Group E clash with limited options to replace him in attack.

The Fifa transfer ban for signing underage players that prevented Barca bringing in reinforcements over the last two transfer windows along with the sale of Pedro to Chelsea and the long term injury for Rafinha has left them with mainly youth players as back-up.

“It is always sad when a player is injured. In the case of Messi it is not necessary for me to say what we all know that he is very important to the team,” Barca coach Luis Enrique told reporters.

“Without Messi we lose a lot of things from our style of play that we will now have to rearrange collectively but I have no doubt that we will overcome this.”

Leverkusen still have to deal with Neymar and Luis Suarez, the other components of an attacking trident that bagged 122 goals last season and Luis Enrique feels the absence can even be an opportunity for the team as a whole to show its value.

“This team will cope fine and will deal with this,” he said. “It is capable of doing so well because it has personality and courage. It can be seen as a test and a stimulus.”

Leverkusen lead Group E having won their first game against BATE Borisov and face Barca on the back of two straight wins in the Bundesliga having overcome Werder Bremen 3-0 on Saturday.

Even without Messi, the Leverkusen players are not underestimating the size of their challenge.

“Barcelona have a lot of top players in their team,” said midfielder Lars Bender.

“Every player dreams of a match like this and although we know the opponents are strong we will still come with our own game plan.” – Reuters

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Bucs have one foot in Cup final

While the Al Ahly win ensures the Bucs have a foot in the Caf final, they know the next one will to take some doing.

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Johannesburg – The celebrations were somewhat muted, Eric Tinkler merely shaking hands with the bench and a few of the players going down on their knees and giving thanks to the one above – and with good reason, too.

For while this victory ensures Pirates have one foot in the Caf Confederation final, they know only too well that getting the second one over the line is going to take some doing.

Keeping a clean sheet in Egypt next weekend will require much more than the good saves Filipe Ovono pulled off here, and the last-ditch tackles that saw the likes of Rooi Mahamutsa and Ayanda Gcaba stop Ahly attacks in their tracks.

In their own backyard, Ahly are unlikely to be as flat as they were in the first half here but will rather force Pirates on to the back-foot as they did in the second stanza – and they will probably do so from the onset.

But having kept the defending champions at bay, Pirates can approach the second leg with some confidence and belief they can overcome the Red Devils in Suez next Sunday.

To do that they need only play with the ferocity and swagger that saw them dominate the first half, but they must add to that a killer instinct in the final third. A little of that here last night and the scoreline could have been much more convincing than the solitary goal advantage they will take to north Africa.

South African teams and ruthlessness, though, are like railway lines – destined never to meet.

At the beginning of the match, you got the impression Pirates totally understood the need to render this semifinal tie a no-contest by the end of the 90 minutes as they began with purposeful attacks.

But that attitude only lasted a quarter of an hour.

Early on, Kermit Erasmus harassed Hany Eldemerdash and quickly Pirates appeared to spot a weakness on the visitors’ right side. And with Thabo Matlaba pushing up, Pirates always looked dangerous when they attacked on the left.

The two then combined for Erasmus to deliver a dangerous ball across the face of goal, but Thamsanqa Gabuza could not connect.

There was no such escape for the visitors on nine minutes, a replica of the earlier move seeing Gabuza simply tap the ball past Ahmed Ekramy into the net for the opening goal.

Ten minutes later, Pirates almost went 2-0 up but Ekramy did well to parry over an Mpho Makola free-kick from the edge of the box after Gabuza was hacked down.

Yet, instead of piling on the pressure in search of a second goal, Pirates went into their shell and this allowed Ahly to dominate from the 20th minute.

While they had initially looked to be a shadow of the side renowned as the continent’s best, Ahly showed some neat touches during this period as they knocked the ball about purposely and punched holes through the Bucs rearguard. They looked particularly dangerous attacking from the wings, the high balls they knocked into the box troubling Pirates.

One of those, on 25 minutes, gave the home side a mighty scare as Abbas Eldawy bumped into Ovono, leaving the Bucs keeper sprawled on the pitch in pain.

Without a natural reserve keeper on the bench, coach Tinkler and everyone associated with the Buccaneers held their collective breath as the medical team treated Ovono for two and a half minutes.

The Equatorial Guinea number one was not badly hurt, though, and was quickly doing a great job keeping Pirates in the lead.

An excellent build-up by Ahly saw Matlaba skinned before Sobhi Ahmed hit a shot that Ovono could only tip on to the upright. The ball ricocheted into play and Ntsikelelo Nyauza did excellently to clear just in time to deny Eldawy a header into the open net.

Expectedly, Ahly returned from the break full of fire and forced Pirates onto the back foot for most of the 45 minutes but failed to make their dominance count.

Abd El Moneim was allowed a free shot on the edge of the box but sent the ball way over without troubling Ovono.

Then Duku Antwi worked his magic to get into the box, but Pirates did well to clear, with Mahamutsa livid at his teammates for allowing the opposition to put the defence under pressure.

Bucs will have to deal with similar pressure in the second leg, but most importantly though, they will need to score to be sure of progression to the final.

Orlando Stadium

Orlando Pirates: (1) 1

Gabuza 9

Al Ahly: 0

– THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

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Blatter probe misery for Safa

News that the Swiss are probing Fifa president Sepp Blatter is set to give Safa bosses sleepless nights.

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Johannesburg – News that Swiss prosecutors have opened proceedings against outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter after searching his office and seizing data on Friday is expected to give Safa bigwigs Danny Jordaan and Molefi Oliphant sleepless nights.

Swiss prosecutors opened the investigation on suspicion of criminal mismanagement or misappropriation relating to a contract Blatter signed with Caribbean football chief Jack Warner in 2005. The Swiss attorney-general’s office said Blatter was suspected of having signed a contract that was “unfavourable to Fifa” and of having “violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of Fifa”.

He is also suspected to have made a “disloyal payment” to European football chief Michel Platini.

The 79-year-old Blatter, who has led Fifa since 1998, has consistently denied wrongdoing. Fifa says it is co-operating with the investigation.

The Sunday Independent investigation links the contract the prosecutors mention to a deal in which Blatter proposed that Fifa withhold US$10 million from the Jack Warner-headed Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) between 1999 and 2002. Blatter proposed this after establishing that the multimillion-rand João Havelange Centre of Excellence in Macoya, Trinidad, was registered in Warner’s name. This was after an integrity committee had established that US$26m in Concacaf funds had gone to the centre.

Former Fifa president Havelange had promised to fund the centre, just a month before Blatter replaced him as president in June 1998.

This was the period immediately after South Africa lost to Germany in bidding to host the 2006 World Cup.

South Africa submitted its bid document on August 9, 1999 and controversially lost to Germany on July 6, 2000. On August 4 and 5, 2000, the Fifa congress in Zurich adopted the rotation policy, making the 2010 campaign an all-Africa bid. South Africa decided to bid for the 2010 event.

“It is with pleasure that I now inform you that I have found an external solution to convert the loan into a donation,” Havelange wrote to Warner.

Blatter later wrote a letter to Warner that said: “We mutually agreed that US$10m of this would be reimbursable by means of Fifa’s annual contribution to Concacaf of US$2.5m over the four years 1999 to 2002.”

Coincidentally, South Africa made a US$10m donation to support football among the “African diaspora” in the Caribbean two years before it hosted the first Fifa World Cup in Africa.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula said the $10m had been to fund the João Havelange Centre of Excellence.

The Sunday Independent has established the $10m could not have been used in 2008 for the building of the centre as it had been in existence for 10 years. The SA Football Association and the Sports Ministry have insisted that the payment was an honest donation.

The Sports Ministry could not be reached for comment. Fifa spokeswoman Delia Fischer said: “We will have no further comment on the matter as it is an active investigation.”

– THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

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Ajax, Chiefs in stalemate

Kaizer Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town had to settle for a 1-1 draw in a pulsating Premiership fixture at Cape Town Stadium.

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Cape Town - Kaizer Chiefs and Ajax Cape Town had to settle for a 1-1 draw in a pulsating Premiership fixture at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday evening.

The match began at a frenetic pace and maintained that energy throughout the 90 minutes, with Ajax keeper Anssi Jaakkola the standout player on the pitch as he pulled off a number of crucial saves.

Chiefs took the lead just after the hour mark through an Edward Manqele strike, but their celebrations were short-lived as Ajax levelled matters five minutes later as Nathan Paulse produced a clinical header to restore parity.

The first chance of the match came for Chiefs on the quarter hour mark.

Camaldine Abraw made a bustling run towards goal before crossing for Manqele whose fiercely struck attempt was well-saved by Jaakkola in the Ajax goal.

Riyaad Norodien had a chance from the right hand side in the 35th minute, but his shot from a tight angle did not have enough dip as the ball landed narrowly over the crossbar with Chiefs keeper Reyaad Pieterse a more than interested observer.

Chiefs put together a flowing move in the 41st minute with Siphiwe Tshabalala running towards goal before offloading for Manqele who managed a first-time shot, but his attempt was blocked by an Ajax defender to bring an end to the dangerous passage of play. On the stroke of half-time Tsepo Masilela produced a screamer of a shot from just inside the area, only to see Jaakkola pull off a stunning save to keep his side level.

Chiefs were rewarded for their persistence in attack with the opener in the 65th minute.

After more swift interplay by the AmaKhosi, Tshabalala came up with the initial shot which was saved by Jaakkola, but Manqele was on hand to bury the rebound to take a 1-0 lead for the visitors.

Ajax, however, were quick to respond with the equaliser in the 70th minute through a Paulse header. Cecil Lolo whipped the ball in from a corner, and Paulse rose above two defenders to find the corner of the net to make it 1-1. There would be no further change in the scoreline, as both teams were forced to share the points from the encounter. - ANA

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United go top after City’s slip

Wayne Rooney's first Premier League goal of the season helped Manchester United comfortably beat bottom club Sunderland 3-0.

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Wayne Rooney's first Premier League goal of the season helped Manchester United comfortably beat bottom club Sunderland 3-0 on Saturday and move to the top of the table.

Manchester City's 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day had paved the way for United to lead in the title race for the first time since Louis van Gaal took over as manager last year.

And while the performance did not bear the hallmark of champions, it was good enough to beat a Sunderland side who are yet to win this season.

The visitors held out almost until half-time, but once Memphis Depay had opened the scoring, the result was never in doubt.

Rooney ended his drought less than a minute into the second half, taking him level with Denis Law as United's third-highest league goal-scorer with 171 goals, and Juan Mata added the final goal in the last minute.

Sunderland had won just one of their previous 28 league games against United -- a 1-0 victory in May 2014 that helped them complete a remarkable escape from relegation.

That success has been their only win at Old Trafford since 1968 and if they are not careful they are going to need another big effort to beat the drop after another desperate start to the season.

Visiting manager Dick Advocaat boasts a decent record against fellow Dutchman and former Sparta Rotterdam team-mate Van Gaal, with just one defeat from their previous nine managerial meetings.

But the pair no longer manage clubs of a similar standing and right from the start this was a rearguard action from Sunderland.

The Black Cats have the worst defensive record in the division, but they stood firm until the fourth minute of added time at the end of the first half with a deep back line that United struggled to penetrate.

Anthony Martial, bidding to become the first United player since Ian Storey-Moore in 1972 to score on his first three league appearances for the club, was kept quiet.

Rooney, meanwhile, who had not scored a league goal in 11 matches stretching back to early April, again looked short of his best.

It was left to the midfielders to try and unlock Sunderland's defence, with Mata sending a deflected shot just wide and Depay forcing former City goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon to palm a long-range shot over the bar.

Pantilimon was earlier penalised for handling outside the penalty area, but Mata wasted the free-kick.

For all United's dominance, Sunderland did manage periods of relief on the break, Jeremain Lens forcing David de Gea to save an angled drive with his feet from the visitors' best chance of the first half.

But just as it looked as though they would get to half-time unscathed, Sunderland fell behind with almost the final touch of the first half.

Daley Blind floated an angled ball over the visitors' defence for Mata to square to Depay, who tapped in from close range to claim his first domestic goal since joining United from PSV Eindhoven.

If that was bad news for Sunderland, what happened 30 seconds into the second half was a disaster as the game was taken beyond them.

Again Mata was involved with a pass to Martial, who showed great strength to reach the byline and drive in a low cross that Rooney forced into the net from close range with his knee.

After Sunderland had seen chances of an unlikely comeback snuffed out as De Gea saved from Ola Toivonen and Patrick van Aanholt, Depay should have made it 3-0 from Martial's pass, but failed to beat Pantilimon.

Pantilimon also saved well from Mata 10 minutes from the end, but he was powerless to prevent the Spaniard firing past him from an Ashley Young cross to cap a red-letter day for United. – AFP

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Chelsea snatch graw against Magpies

Chelsea came from two goals down against Newcastle to rescue a 2-2 draw at St James Park.

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Jose Mourinho is still to win a Premier League game at Newcastle, but the Chelsea boss must have felt like he was celebrating a victory after his side came from two goals down to rescue a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Trailing to goals from Ayoze Perez and Georginio Wijnaldum, the reigning champions looked like suffering a fourth defeat in the space of seven Premier League matches when they were still 2-0 behind with 11 minutes left at St James' Park.

But after Brazilian midfielder Ramires clawed a goal back with a sensational long-range finish, his compatriot Willian's floated free-kick found its way beyond Tim Krul in the 86th minute to complete a gritty comeback from the visitors.

Chelsea might even have claimed a winner with Ramires forcing a fantastic last-minute save from Krul, but their comeback still provided a timely riposte to those who were questioning their character after a stuttering start to the season.

Newcastle's spirited showing was also a welcome tonic after a difficult few weeks on Tyneside, but Steve McClaren's side are still searching for their first league victory and remain in the bottom three.

The Magpies went into the game reeling from their humiliating midweek League Cup defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, but hardly looked a team devoid of confidence as they tore into Chelsea from the outset.

With Perez outstanding at the apex of the midfield, and Aleksandar Mitrovic providing a much-needed physical presence as the striker returned from a three-match suspension, the hosts were more threatening than they had been in any of their games since the opening day of the season.

Mitrovic went close with a 16th minute header that whistled wide, before Moussa Sissoko also narrowly failed to find the target with a low shot from the edge of the area.

Asmir Begovic was called into action shortly after, saving from both Perez and Daryl Janmaat as Newcastle continued to press.

But the Chelsea goalkeeper was powerless to prevent his side falling behind three minutes before the interval.

Vurnon Anita crossed from the right, and after pulling between Branislav Ivanovic and a dawdling Kurt Zouma, Perez took a superb first touch, then dispatched a clinical half-volley via the left-hand post.

Chelsea could have no complaints about being behind at that stage as their own first-half efforts were fitful at best.

Loic Remy endured a frustrating return to Tyneside as he found himself isolated for long spells, while neither Pedro nor Eden Hazard were able to exert much of an attacking influence as they were closed down by some disciplined Newcastle defending.

Having watched his side get their season back on track with a win over Arsenal seven days earlier, Mourinho will have been furious at his players' lack of impetus before the break, and his half-time words had an effect as Chelsea briefly improved at the start of the second half.

Remy headed Oscar's cross wide, but with Mourinho poised to introduce Radamel Falcao and Willian on the touchline, Newcastle struck for a second time in the 60th minute.

Perez swung over a corner from the right, and Wijnaldum escaped Fabregas' clutches to glance an excellent header into the bottom left-hand corner.

Chelsea reduced the deficit with 11 minutes remaining, with substitute Ramires rifling a brilliant long-range strike into the top left-hand corner.

Suitably inspired, Mourinho's men poured forward and struck again to claim an equaliser four minutes from time.

Willian whipped over an inswinging free-kick from the left-hand side, and while Ramires failed to make contact on the edge of the six-yard box, he did enough to distract Krul, who could only watch as the ball flew past him into the net. – AFP

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Pirates sink Al Ahly

Orlando Pirates defeated Egyptian giants Al Ahly 1-0 in their first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi final at the Orlando Stadium.

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Johannesburg - Orlando Pirates defeated Egyptian giants Al Ahly 1-0 in their first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup semi final on Saturday night at Orlando Stadium.

A first half goal by Thamsanqa Gabuza was enough to hand Eric Tinkler's men a deserved victory and a glimmer of hope going to the second leg to be staged in Cairo next weekend.

In a fast-paced football match, it was Gabuza who found an early goal as in the ninth minute when he connected with a beautiful cross from Kermit Erasmus to give the South Africans the lead.

The Buccaneers were awarded a set piece in the 18th minute and Mpho Makola unleashed a powerful shot which forced a brilliant save out of Ahly keeper Sherif Ekrami who was alert between the sticks and parried the ball out for a corner.

The Egyptians made attempts to trouble the hosts' defence when they pushed goalkeeper Felipe Ovono to make a superb block in the 31st minute, which hit the upright but defender Ntsikelelo Nyauza was nearby to clear to ball to safety.

The Sea Robbers went to the tunnel ahead with Gabuza's strike, and they began the second stanza in similar fashion.

Shortly after the restart left back Thabo Matlaba failed to keep his volley on target, following a brilliant move by the midfielders on a counter attack.

In the 61st minute, the Egyptians nearly equalised when they put pressure on the Buccaneers' defence but their long range attempt went across the face of goal.

With the visitors controlling the proceedings, it was Matlaba who was in space to net the second for the hosts in the 76th minute but his shot went straight to goalkeeper Ekrami.

Moemen Zakareya managed to get the best out of Rooi Mahamutsa with 10 minutes to go but once again the busy Ovono was in an uncompromising mood as the visitors continued to probe for an equaliser.

Coach Fathi Mabrouk's men tried all they could in an aim to go back home with a goal, but the Buccaneers' defence was solid to deny them as they succumbed to Gabuza's solitary strike. - ANA

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Sturridge scores in Liverpool win

Daniel Sturridge scored his first goals since March as Liverpool edged Aston Villa in their five goal thriller at Anfield.

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Daniel Sturridge scored his first goals since March as Liverpool edged Aston Villa 3-2 in the Premier League on Saturday to ease the pressure on manager Brendan Rodgers.

James Milner opened the scoring with an early goal, but there was no hint of the second-half drama to follow, which saw Sturridge and Villa's Rudy Gestede score two goals each inside 12 minutes.

After 59 minutes, Sturridge exchanged passes with Milner before unleashing a magnificent 16-yard volley past Brad Guzan to double the home team's lead.

That quality of finishing has been sadly lacking from the Liverpool line-up during Sturridge's absence with a hip injury, but it took just seven minutes for them to demonstrate that even if that area of their game has improved, they are still defensively weak.

Alan Hutton's right-wing cross exposed an absence of defenders in the home area and Gestede was able to scramble the ball in from close range.

Within a minute, Sturridge had restored the two-goal cushion, this time exchanging passes with Philippe Coutinho, whose back-heel allowed him the time and space to choose his spot and steer in another expert finish.

Again, Liverpool were found wanting in defence, Gestede leaping to convert Jordan Amavi's left-wing cross with a fantastic header, but the home side held on for a first league win in five matches.

Given the build-up to the fixture, and the growing pressure upon Rodgers following Wednesday's penalty shootout win over fourth-tier Carlisle United in the League Cup, it was hardly the most convincing of performances.

But Milner had given them a perfect start with just 66 seconds on the clock.

Coutinho found the England midfielder in a central position, 20 yards from goal, and with the visitors inexplicably backing off, Milner sent an excellent left-foot shot skidding past the dive of Guzan.

It was his first goal since joining from Manchester City during the close season.

After scoring just four goals in their opening six games, their worst such opening to a campaign in a decade, the early opener was much needed, but the remainder of the first half would see Liverpool fail to add to it.

Indeed, the better chances arguably fell to the visitors. After just six minutes, Amavi's left-wing cross found the towering Gestede, whose powerful header flew just off target.

Halfway through the half, Hutton's cross was poorly headed clear by Emre Can, directly to Gestede, who hurriedly shot wide.

Then, having shown strength and determination to win a loose ball, Hutton caused panic with a cross, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet punching meekly to Ashley Westwood, who saw his shot deflected behind.

There was more uncertainty in the home defence as Nathaniel Clyne gifted the ball to Scott Sinclair and must have been relieved when the Villa winger shot tamely at Mignolet.

For all their advantage in possession, Liverpool had struggled to create noteworthy chances, but they opened the second period with a more direct approach and soon had Villa on the defensive.

Clyne almost netted a rebound before Amavi made an important block, before the flurry of goals arrived that would decide the game.

Thereafter, a Coutinho free-kick was saved superbly by Guzan, the same Liverpool man shot directly at the goalkeeper from the edge of the area and Villa might have snatched an equaliser when Micah Richards headed over.

As Villa pressed for an equaliser, gaps began to appear in their defence and Sturridge would have had a hat-trick had it not been for a last-gasp Richards challenge and another Guzan save. – AFP

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Sanchez back to his best - Wenger

Alexis Sanchez scored a hat-trick as Arsenal moved into the top four with a 5-2 victory in an action-packed game at Leicester City.

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London - Alexis Sanchez rediscovered his spark with a hat-trick as Arsenal moved into the Premier League's top four with a 5-2 victory in an action-packed game at Leicester City on Saturday.

The Chile striker has struggled this season after scoring 25 goals in his first year after leaving Barcelona.

After a draining Copa America he has lacked his usual energy, failing to score for his club until Saturday, but he was back to his best as Arsenal rallied to inflict a first league defeat this season on Leicester.

Sanchez put the Gunners ahead from close range after Theo Walcott had equalised Jamie Vardy's early goal.

The Chilean then headed the visitors 3-1 up early in the second half and put the visitors out of reach with a long-range blast.

Vardy pulled one back before Olivier Giroud added a fifth goal for Arsenal.

It was all a reassuring sight for manager Arsene Wenger who relied so much on Sanchez last year.

“He is back to his level. He won a big competition with Chile, the Copa America,” Wenger told reporters.

“I think to adjust to the game on a mental level takes some time. I could see in training a different player in the last week or two and he has shown that today.

“I believe going forward he always looked dangerous. Overall he is a striker who is mobile and works hard for the team. When the team plays well he can score goals.”

Despite the convincing final score, Wenger said he had been worried as Leicester flew out of the blocks and dominated the early stages.

“I must say Leicester played well and to play a good football game there needs to be two teams,” Wenger said.

“They had the stronger start, they pushed us on our back foot from the start when they scored the first goal and I must say I was concerned after that as I thought they were close to scoring a second one and it would have made it difficult.

“We found the resources to equalise and after that our technical quality and the pace of our strikers gave them problems and we managed to make it 2-1 before halftime.

“In the second half we controlled the game and looked always like we could add another one,” said Wenger. – Reuters

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Messi's knee injury blow

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi is expected to be out for up to two months after suffering a knee injury in their La Liga victory over Las Palmas.

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Barcelona - Barcelona forward Lionel Messi is expected to be out for up to two months after suffering a knee injury in their La Liga victory over Las Palmas on Saturday, the club said in a statement.

The Argentine picked up the injury in a clash of legs with Daniel Castellano after three minutes and tried to continue but was substituted six minutes later.

“Tests have confirmed that Leo Messi has torn the internal collateral ligament of his left knee,” Barcelona said in a statement.

“The estimated time that he will be absent is around seven or eight weeks.”

Barca went on to win 2-1 with a double from Luis Suarez, but midfielder Sergio Busquets said losing Messi was a big blow.

“He is the best player in the world, our best player and the most dangerous so we are going to notice this,” he told reporters.

“We are having a lot of bad luck with injuries and particularly now when we cannot sign players.” – Reuters

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