Tuesday 7 February 2017

Arsenal skipper, Laurent Koscielny, questions boss, Arsene Wenger's team selection in Chelsea thrashing

The French defender also believes that a title challenge "will be difficult now" after falling like a pack of cards at Stamford Bridge
Laurent Koscielny has appeared to question Arsene Wenger’s team selection as the inquest into Arsenal’s title collapse continues.
The French defender was part of the

Sunday 5 February 2017

Chelsea playmaker, Eden Hazard, says Chelsea eased up on Arsenal at Stamford Bridge - and could have scored three more

The Belgian forward delivered a final insult after the Blues' 3-1 win which effectively ended the Gunners' title hopes
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Hazard netted a superb goal in the 3-1 win (Photo: Darren Walsh)
Eden Hazard last night claimed Chelsea eased up on Arsenal and could have scored three more.
It was the final insult for

Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte, warns his side against carelessness as he reminds table-toppers of his previous slip-ups

The Blues are nine points clear and huge favourites to land the title in the Italian's first season in the Premier League
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Conte has a warning for his side (Photo: Darren Walsh)
Antonio Conte has warned his players against complacency in the title race after using his own stories of last gasp slip-ups.
Conte’s runaway leaders are nine points clear at the top and Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino purrs "Tottenham are ready to win the title", after victory over Middlesbrough

Spurs are nine points off the pace in the title push but Poch acknowledges his side are still in with a shout of sealing glory
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Pochettino has talked up his side's title chances (Photo: Ian Walton / Getty)Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham are ready to win the Premier League after they reduced the gap behind Chelsea back to nine points with victory over Middlesbrough.
Harry Kane's second-half penalty snatched a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane to keep Spurs within touching distance of Chelsea, who had earlier stretched their advantage to 12 points by beating Arsenal 3-1.
It left little room for error for Pochettino's men, who dominated Middlesbrough but still needed Kane's spot-kick in the 63rd minute after Son Heung-min had been brought down in the box by Espinosa Bernardo.
Tottenham, who have moved three points clear of Arsenal, are emerging as Chelsea's most likely challengers and Pochettino insists they remain very much in the hunt.
"Nine points is okay, it's three games, but it's up to Chelsea now," said Pochettino, who was overseeing his 100th Premier League game at Spurs.
"It's up to us to keep pushing, to keep the pressure and to win games. That's important for us and the Premier League too.
"We are second in the table. Okay, it's good to put the standard higher. I am happy with that, to put the pressure on us.
"Yes, we are a real contender and we are a team ready to win a title. At that level it's good pressure."
Tottenham should have been more comfortable against a stubborn Boro side, with Kane, Son and Dele Alli all squandering chances to make the scoreline more emphatic.
Their wastefulness was almost punished late on when first Alvaro Negredo went close with an acrobatic volley before Marten de Roon fired wide of the far post.
"I'm always optimistic," Pochettino said.
"When you have the chance to score and play well and dominate the game - we didn't concede one shot on target.
"When you leave the game open at 1-0, always something can happen and you can concede. It's true that in the last few minutes, we were a little bit on the touchline and the pitch too.
"But I think we played much better and in the end, deserved the three points. If they had scored, because it's football okay, maybe we dropped two points, but we deserved the three points. You can say nothing about that."
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, stay 15th and one point above the relegation zone, having failed to win any of their last seven league matches.
Their situation appears also to have become more urgent after Hull and Sunderland both registered impressive wins over Liverpool and Crystal Palace respectively earlier on Saturday.
"We have to think about ourselves," Boro boss, Aitor Karanka said.
"We need to know that we are good enough to stay in the division, we have to forget the opponents and we have to be confident because the attitude and commitment the players put on the pitch every single day is amazing."

Gabriel Jesus has given Manchester City new impetus as young side show signs of promise against Swansea

Jesus found the back of the net twice as City stuttered but still got the job done against a resilient Swansea team at the Etihad
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Jesus has given City fans hope of what is to come (Photo: PA)
It was a bit early for a bout of badge-thumping but you could not blame him.
Gabriel Jesus, as nailed-on a local and global

Red Devil midfielder, Juan Mata, admits he was lucky not to be sent off for foul on Jamie Vardy

The Spaniard flew in on the Leicester striker with his studs up in United's 3-0 win at the King Power Stadium
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Juan Mata celebrates scoring (Photo: PA)
Juan Mata admitted he was lucky to remain on the pitch in Manchester United's 3-0 Premier League victory at the King Power Stadium, reports the Manchester