Chelsea's Morata deals blow to United title bid
Alvaro Morata’s second-half header secured Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester United in an entertaining Premier League clash on Sunday as Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge ended in defeat.
Morata’s brilliantly-taken header in the 55th minute was the difference on another frustrating trip to London for United, with six of their last seven away defeats coming in the capital.
United pressed for an equaliser, with Mourinho throwing all his attacking options on from the bench, but they did not test Thibaut Courtois enough in the Chelsea goal, mustering just two shot on target in the whole match.
Chelsea stay fourth on 22 points, the win breathing life into their hopes of retaining the title. Antonio Conte’s men are within a point of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur and second-placed United, who trail Manchester City by eight points.
The gap at the top of the table is the biggest after 11 games in Premier League history.
United started well, but Chelsea had the ball in the net first, only for referee Anthony Taylor to rule it out, with Morata adjudged to have fouled defender Phil Jones.
Both goalkeepers were kept busy. Courtois was forced to make his first stop after 16 minutes, beating away Romelu Lukaku’s strike, before United counterpart David De Gea spectacularly kept out Tiemoue Bakayoko’s fierce effort from distance.
After an entertaining first half that produced 15 shots at goal, the second period began sluggishly. However, just moments after Eden Hazard had missed a glorious chance, Morata stepped up to net what proved to be the winning goal.
Cesar Azpilicueta sent over a perfect cross for Morata who was afforded far too much space by the United defence, with the Spaniard guiding his header superbly past De Gea.
“The team that scores first probably wins because both teams are very good defensively, Mourinho said.
“We had the chances to equalise, which would have been a fair result. One goal, three points, congratulations.”
Mourinho shuffled his pack, and made unusually adventurous substitutions, but Chelsea remained largely untroubled.
Bakayoko could have doubled Chelsea’s advantage with 15 minutes left, but drilled the ball wide.
United’s best spell came in the dying embers of the match, with Marcus Rashford fizzing an effort past the post and Marouane Fellaini denied by a fine save from Courtois.
But Chelsea saw out the match to claim a victory that means Mourinho has not beaten any of the big six sides away from home in 11 attempts a run stretching back almost three years.
Love-all as Wozniacki announces engagement
LOS ANGELES: World number three Caroline Wozniacki announced her engagement to American basketball player David Lee on Friday.
The Danish star, who won the season-ending WTA Finals last weekend, posted a picture of her diamond engagement ring on Twitter alongside a caption which read: "Happiest day of my life yesterday saying yes to my soulmate."
Lee, a 34-year-old NBA free agent who spent the bulk of his career with the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors, also posted about the engagement.
"She said yes! So thrilled to be engaged to my soulmate," Lee wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of himself embracing Wozniacki in Bora Bora, French Polynesia.
News of 27-year-old Wozniacki's engagement comes three years after her split with golf superstar Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy and Wozniacki were together for three years between 2011 and 2014 and had been engaged before splitting shortly after sending out wedding invitations.
McIlroy, who has since married, later explained that the split was his decision.
Monstrous' Messi to enter Barca's 600 club
BARCELONA: Lionel Messi will celebrate his 600th start for Barcelona on Saturday in what his manager Ernesto Valverde hails as "a monstrous" achievement.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner becomes only the third player to reach the milestone for the Catalan club after ex-playmaker Xavi Hernandez (767 appearances) and the current captain Andres Iniesta (642).
In his 599 games since 2004, the 30-year-old Argentine legend has scored 523 goals all competitions to be the club's all-time top scorer and the top scorer in La Liga with 360.
"It's monstrous, 600 matches for the same club, with all the goals he's scored, and all those assists, with all his vivacity," marvelled Valverde at the eve-of-match press conference on Friday.
"You run out of adjectives to describe Messi's journey. It shows his importance to this club.
"To reach 600 games, that's an awful lot of games! It's extraordinary, like everything he does.
"It's not only that he's appearing for the 600th time, it's the way he's played in these 600 matches."
Against Sevilla at the Camp Nou, Messi has the opportunity to add to his Liga season-leading 12 goal haul which has lifted Barcelona to a four-point lead at the top of the table.
In contrast, his fellow striker Luis Suarez has endured a fallow period this term with only three league goals.
"Luis is a goalscorer, it's only a question of perseverance," said Valverde.
"If there is one thing that sums him up it's this: he's obstinate, aggressive, committed in his work and we know that he's always got the chance to score goals...I don't think Luis Suarez is going to down tools."
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