SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2019 16 Liverpool back on top in Dorset, southwest England, Mohamed Salah on Thursday, a day after it was • recovered from underwater and Liverpool sweep wreckage in the English Chan- aside Bournemouth The top four is a big thing. There are so nel. to reclaim top spot The plane carrying Sala from many games left, but the French city of Nantes to Car- Martial gem lifts we hope to stay in the diff, his new club, disappeared • top four. We can’t worry near the British island of Guern- resurgent United about what other teams sey on January 21. into fourth place do Cardiff had been given per- mission by the Premier League Arsanel’s Alex Iwobi OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER to wear shirts embroidered with and• Alexandre Lacazette a yellow daffodil, the national emblem of Wales and the team put Huddersfield colour of Nantes. further in mire Bluebirds manager Neil War- nock and his team bowed their AFP | London heads as a minute’s silence was observed prior to kick-off. Sol Bamba’s second-half volley iverpool returned to win- appeared to have sealed victory ning ways and the top of for Cardiff before Jack Stephens Lthe Premier League ta- Elsewhere Everton manager equalised in the first minute of ble while Manchester United Marco Silva’s return to Watford stoppage-time. climbed into fourth place on Sat- ended in a 1-0 defeat. But there was still time for urday as English football paid Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (C) shoots to score their third goal during the English Premier League Watford striker Troy Deeney Kenneth Zohore to score a tribute to the late Emiliano Sala. football match between Liverpool and Bournemouth at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England had scorned Silva in the build-up 93rd-minute winner for Cardiff First-half goals from Sadio by saying “the people at Everton at St Mary’s Stadium. Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum are fantastic, not the manager” Meanwhile London rivals and Mohamed Salah’s 48th-min- in successive 1-1 draws against a curling effort. back in the hunt now. and Andre Gray’s first goal since Crystal Palace and West Ham ute effort gave Liverpool a 3-0 Leicester and West Ham, spark- In London, Paul Pogba scored “The top four is a big thing. September meant Deeney did drew 1-1. win over Bournemouth at An- ing questions over the resolve of two goals -- including a sec - There are so many games left, not have to eat his words. Hammers captain Mark No- field. Jurgen Klopp’s side as they bid ond-half penalty -- either side but we hope to stay in the top ble’s first-half penalty gave the Victory meant Liverpool, who to end a 29-year wait to once of an emphatic Anthony Martial four. We can’t worry about what Cardiff win as they mourn Sala visitors the lead at Selhurst Park had been second on goal dif - again be crowned champions of strike, as United made it 10 wins other teams do,” said Solskjaer. An emotional week for Cardiff before Palace striker Wilfried ference, leapfrog Manchester England. in 11 game since former striker Arsenal inflicted more misery ended with a dramatic 2-1 win Zaha marked his return from City by three points ahead of Mane, however, settled ear- Solskjaer was put in temporary on Huddersfield with a 2-1 win away to Southampton that saw suspension with an equaliser 14 the reigning champions’ match ly nerves among home fans at command. away to the bottom-of-the-table them climb out of the relegation minutes from time. at home to Chelsea on Sunday. Anfield when he headed in a Chelsea could regain a spot club. zone just days after the death of Brighton face a Burnley side Meanwhile United’s revival James Milner cross to score for among the Champions League Alex Iwobi volleyed the Gun- transfer-window signing Sala hovering above the relegation under caretaker manager Ole the fourth game in a row. qualifying places against Man- ners into an early lead and Al- was confirmed without him hav- zone in Saturday’s late kick-off. Gunnar Solskjaer continued Liverpool doubled their lead chester City on Sunday. exandre Lacazette made it 2-0 ing played a game for the Welsh Third-placed Tottenham wel- with an equally comfortable 3-0 in through Wijnaldum’s delight- But United, 11 points adrift of before half-time, with Sead Ko- club. come Leicester to Wembley on win away to Fulham. ful 34th-minute lob before Egypt the top four when Jose Mourin- lasinac’s late own-goal no conso- The Argentinian’s body was Sunday, with in-form Wolves at Liverpool had dropped points striker Salah sealed victory with ho was sacked in December, are lation for Huddersfield. formally identified by a coroner home to Newcastle on Monday. Dortmund surrender three- goal lead in Hoffenheim Real jump above Atletico AFP | Berlin goals by Sancho, Mario Goetze and Raphael Guerreiro, Hof- AFP | Madrid espite a dazzling dis - fenheim came off the ropes Dplay from Jadon Sancho, with Algeria forward Ishak hibaut Courtois overcame Bundesliga leaders Borussia Belfodil netting twice. Tthe jeers and Gareth Bale Dortmund threw away a three- Despite the draw, Dortmund delivered a timely reminder of goal lead at home on Satur- are eight points clear at the top his talents as Real Madrid beat KNOW WHAT day as Hoffenheim’s stun - of the table. Atletico Madrid 3-1 in a feisty ning late fightback forced a The result will give Mauricio city derby yesterday. 3-3 draw. Pochettino food for thought Real’s fifth league win in a Real’s fifth league win Dortmund could have gone before his Tottenham team row means they sit second for in a row means they 10 points clear of Bayern Mu- host Dortmund on Wednesday the first time since September, nich, who host Schalke later on at Wembley in the Champions above Atletico, and just five sit second for the first Saturday, with victory. League, last 16, first leg. points behind Barcelona. time since September, Sancho opened the scoring, In the absence of top-scorer Barca could restore that gap above Atletico set up two goals and hit the and playmaker Marco Reus, to eight by overcoming Athletic post as the hosts dazzled over sidelined with a thigh injury, Bilbao on Sunday but another 70 minutes at Signal Iduna Sancho stepped up with one impressive performance at the Real Madrid’s Welsh forward Gareth Bale (C-L) heads the ball with Atletico Park. of his best performances since Wanda Metropolitano, aided Madrid’s Spanish midfielder Saul Niguez (C-R) during the Spanish league However, with the leaders joining Dortmund from Man- by some fortunate decisions, football match between Club Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid CF at the cruising at 3-0 up thanks to chester City in August 2017. puts Real back in the thick of Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid the title race. but VAR disagreed, and Ramos Bale had been left out of the the white of Real for the first Saul Niguez in midfield ahead whipped the penalty into the starting line-up for the second time at the home of his former of the more defensive Rodrigo. corner. time in four days, after he was club. His team were fired up and Morata had barely featured also a substitute against Barca in He was whistled when he first to everything early on, as in the first half but he was cel- the Copa del Rey on Wednesday. came out alone to warm-up, Griezmann and Thomas un - ebrating a goal early in the sec- The Welshman’s goal, his when he emerged again with leashed shots while Dani Car- ond, only for his superb lob over 100th for Real Madrid, will not his team-mates and then before vajal and Sergio Reguilon were Courtois to be ruled out by VAR have been lost on coach Santi- kick-off too, as the Atletico ul- rushed into panicked clearanc- for offside. ago Solari and ended Atletico’s tras behind the goal hurled doz- es. Bale came on for Vinicius hopes of a comeback after Ser- ens of toy rats towards his head. First, though, Griezmann but Atletico were on top and gio Ramos’ penalty put Real in A sign read, ‘Thibaut - Rata’, just equalised, sent through by An- again, felt aggrieved, after Mo- front at half-time, with Antoine to underline the point. gel Correa, who was fortunate rata fell over a clumsy Casemiro Griezmann earlier cancelling Alvaro Morata had gone the not to be penalised for a robust challenge in the box. Referee out Casemiro’s acrobatic open- opposite way, also via Chelsea, challenge on Vinicius. Griez- Estrada Fernandez gave Real a er. now for Atleti after starting out mann, just onside, poked the free-kick. By the time Thomas Partey at Real Madrid. He was cheered ball through Courtois’ legs. The push subsided and Bale was sent off with 10 minutes and, despite a quiet game, would Vinicius’ pace had been a con- delivered a sucker-punch. left, the game was up, and Cour- have scored but for VAR ruling stant thorn in Atleti’s side but Benzema made the space and tois could have been forgiven for out an impressive lob in the Gimenez refused to be beaten, Modric the pass but Bale had Hoffenheim’s German defender Benjamin Huebner and Dortmund’s English breathing a sigh of relief at the second half. Isco was left out diving in from behind when a lot to do from the angle on midfielder Jadon Sancho vie for the ball during the German first division final whistle.