Milan (AFP) – Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has played down suggestions the success-starved Serie A minnows could launch an audacious bid to qualify for the Champions League. Gasperini lasted only five, winless matches at Inter Milan when he replaced Leonardo in 2011. But the former Genoa handler's stock is flying high after Atalanta's shock […]

London (AFP) – Jamie Vardy has slammed claims a breakdown in his relationship with Claudio Ranieri played a key role in the Leicester manager's shock sacking. Ranieri was dismissed by Leicester's Thai owners on Thursday, less than a year after masterminding his team's fairytale Premier League title triumph. The Italian's exit was widely suggested to […]

Watford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Watford forward Mauro Zarate was taken to hospital for scans on a serious knee injury suffered during his side's 1-1 draw with 10-man West Ham on Saturday. Zarate had won the penalty that Troy Deeney converted to give Watford an early lead at Vicarage Road, but the former West Ham […]

Milan (AFP) – A brace from Juventus-bound Mattia Caldara torpedoed Napoli's Serie A title hopes on Saturday as 10-man Atalanta underlined their growing Euro ambitions in style with a shock 2-0 win at the San Paolo. Napoli welcomed high-flying Atalanta looking to tighten their grip on the third and last Champions League qualifying spot. But […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Moussa Dembele bagged a double to give Celtic a comfortable 2-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Hamilton at Parkhead and maintain their mammoth lead in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday. The in-form French forward — linked to a number of English Premier League clubs — opened the scoring with a superb strike seconds before […]

Paris (AFP) – Nerveless Fabinho chipped in a late penalty winner as Monaco beat Guingamp 2-1 away on Saturday to move clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table once again. Kamil Glik gave the principality side the lead in Brittany and Fabinho netted with a "Panenka" from the spot with four minutes left […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Idrissa Gueye's superb finish and a late second goal for Romelu Lukaku saw Everon to a 2-0 win over Sunderland at Goodison Park on Saturday as the visitors took another step closer to relegation from the Premier League. Everton will happily take the points and the plaudits from this occasion –- but […]

Kingston upon Hull (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Michael Keane gave away a penalty but then redeemed himself with Burnley's equaliser in a 1-1 draw at struggling Hull City in the Premier League on Saturday. Tom Huddlestone's 72nd-minute spot-kick gave Hull the lead but Keane quickly equalised for the visitors. Burnley finished the game with 10 […]

London (AFP) – Former England boss Sam Allardyce oversaw just his second Premier League win in nine games as Crystal Palace edged relegation rivals Middlesbrough 1-0 at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Injury ravaged Palace started the day level bottom with Sunderland on 19 points, but climbed clear of the drop zone by leapfrogging Hull, Leicester […]

Berlin (AFP) – Robert Lewandowski netted a hat-trick as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich handed Hamburg an 8-0 thrashing at the Allianz Arena on Saturday in Carlo Ancelotti's 1000th match as a coach. Kingsley Coman came off the bench to score twice while Arturo Vidal, David Alaba and Arjen Robben were also on target as Bayern […]

West Bromwich (United Kingdom) (AFP) – West Bromwich Albion surged back from an early goal down to pile pressure on struggling Bournemouth with a 2-1 win at the Hawthorns on Saturday. Tony Pulis's side trailed to Josh King's fifth-minute penalty, but goals from defenders Craig Dawson and Gareth McAuley turned the game on its head […]

London (AFP) – Cesc Fabregas marked his 300th Premier League appearance with the opening goal in Chelsea's 3-1 victory over Swansea as the runaway leaders moved 11 points clear at the top on Saturday. Fabregas's first half goal was cancelled out by an equaliser from Fernando Llorente on the stroke of half time at Stamford […]

London (AFP) – Cesc Fabregas marked his 300th Premier League appearance with the opening goal in Chelsea's 3-1 victory over Swansea as the runaway leaders moved 11 points clear at the top on Saturday. Fabregas's first half goal was cancelled out by an equaliser from Fernando Llorente on the stroke of half time at Stamford […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – A second-half comeback saw Sevilla take the spoils once more in the Seville derby with a 2-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday to move joint top of La Liga. Danish defender Riza Durmisi's well-struck free-kick gave Betis a deserved first-half lead. However, the hosts' porous defending at set-pieces was exposed […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea surged 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League as Pedro inspired a 3-1 win over Swansea, while Leicester's gloom deepened as the troubled champions plunged into the relegation zone on Saturday. Antonio Conte's leaders won for the 17th time in their last 20 league games to push them […]