Category Archives: SPORTS

Έκκληση της Κοινότητας να γίνει στη Μελβούρνη ο αγώνας Αυστραλίας-Ελλάδας

Έκκληση προς την κυβέρνηση της Βικτώριας και την Ποδοσφαιρική Ομοσπονδία Αυστραλίας, απευθύνει η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης, ζητώντας να επαναρχίσουν άμεσα οι συνομιλίες για τους πολυαναμενόμενους αγώνες της Εθνικής Αυστραλίας με την Εθνική Ελλάδας, στα μέσα του 2016.

Η Κοινότητα κατανοεί ότι οι διαπραγματεύσεις μεταξύ της κυβέρνησης της Βικτώριας και της Ποδοσφαιρικής Ομοσπονδίας για τη διεξαγωγή ενός αγώνα στη Μελβούρνη στο γήπεδο Έτιχαντ, βρίσκονται σε αδιέξοδο, με το Νιουκάστλ να θεωρείται τώρα ως η εναλλακτική πόλη διεξαγωγής του δεύτερου παιχνιδιού (το πρώτο έχει αποφασιστεί να γίνει στο Σίδνεϊ).

Η Κοινότητα είναι κορυφαία οργάνωση της ελληνικής παροικίας της Μελβούρνης που αριθμεί 300.000 άτομα με ελληνική πολιτιστική κληρονομιά.

Ο πρόεδρος της Ελληνικής Κοινότητας Μελβούρνης, κ. Βασίλης Παπαστεργιάδης, εξέφρασε την έντονη ανησυχία του για την επικείμενη ανακοίνωση, λέγοντας:

«Η Ελληνική Κοινότητα Μελβούρνης πληροφορήθηκε με έκπληξη, ότι συζητείται ένας προγραμματισμένος αγώνας μεταξύ των ομάδων των δύο χωρών να μετακινηθεί από τη Μελβούρνη στο Νιουκάστλ. Είναι εύλογο για πολλούς λόγους ο αγώνας να πραγματοποιηθεί στη Μελβούρνη. Κατ’ αρχάς, η Μελβούρνη έχει μια πλούσια ιστορία στην προώθηση των μεγαλύτερων αγώνων στον κόσμο. Δεύτερον, την τελευταία φορά που οι εθνικές ομάδες των δύο χωρών αναμετρήθηκαν στη Μελβούρνη, το 2005, πάνω από 95.000 άτομα παρακολούθησαν τον αγώνα στο MCG. Τρίτον, το τελευταίο παιχνίδι στη Μελβούρνη πριν από το Κύπελλο Ασίας ήταν το 2013. Στο μεσοδιάστημα για τους Μελβουρνιώτες είναι έντονη η απουσία αγώνων με τους Σοκερούς».

Κατά τη διάρκεια της συνάντησης των δύο ομάδων το 2005, διοργανώθηκαν μεγάλες εκδηλώσεις για να εορτασθεί το γεγονός – σε συγκέντρωση στην παραδοσιακή ελληνική περιοχή, στο κέντρο της πόλης, συμμετείχαν πάνω από 60.000 άτομα.

«Η Ελλάδα είναι πρώην πρωταθλήτρια Ευρώπης στο ποδόσφαιρο και κατατάσσεται τακτικά μεταξύ των 15 κορυφαίων χωρών στον κόσμο. Είναι απίστευτο ότι η Μελβούρνη δεν θα περιληφθεί στο πρόγραμμα» λέει ο κ. Παπαστεργιάδης. «Η ευρύτερη ελληνική παροικία στη Μελβούρνη δεν είναι μόνο υπερήφανη για τις ευρωπαϊκές ρίζες της. Πάνω από 15 παίκτες της ελληνικής καταγωγής έχουν περήφανα φορέσει τη φανέλα των Σοκερούς και ο σημερινός προπονητής, Άγγελος Ποστέκογλου, γεννήθηκε στην Ελλάδα. Θα ήταν αστείο για τη Μελβούρνη να χάσει αυτόν τον αγώνα από το Νιουκάστλ ή οποιαδήποτε άλλη πόλη. Καλούμε την κυβέρνηση της Βικτώριας και την Ποδοσφαιρική Ομοσπονδία Ποδοσφαίρου Αυστραλίας να εξασφαλίσουν ότι αυτό δεν θα συμβεί».

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Melbourne Cricket Ground during a friendly international football game between Australia and Greece on 25 May 2006.

Melbourne’s Greek community is angry as the city looks likely to miss out on a blockbuster Socceroos-Greece international in June.

Melbourne’s Greek community is angry as the city looks likely to miss out on a blockbuster Socceroos-Greece international in June.

Many soccer fans have contacted Neos Kosmos to express their anger following reports that the mooted clash is set to be played interstate.

Greece has agreed on a double-header in Australia, with Sydney and Melbourne originally pencilled in as hosts.

However, according to a Herald-Sun report, a stoush over funding between Football Federation Australia and the Victorian government extraordinarily leaves Newcastle in the box seat to host the second game.

“I can’t believe that the Victorian government and FFA are unable to reach an agreement. If the match is not played in Melbourne this will be a huge disappointment for the Greek community and a loss for both the state and soccer,” Vasilis Gentis, a soccer fan, told Neos Kosmos.

According to media reports, 4 and 7 June were set down as the dates, after the Socceroos’ likely 27 May friendly away to England.

More than 95,000 packed the MCG for the last meeting between the pair in May 2005, when Josip Skoko’s stellar strike secured a 1-nil win for the Socceroos.

This time the match was planned to be played at Etihad Stadium.

Melbourne has almost half of Australia’s Greek community while popular Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou was born in Athens before moving here at age five.

It’s understood that Postecoglou was recently approached by the Greek FA about the national coaching position, before they appointed former Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen coach Michael Skibbe.

Neos Kosmos approached FFA for comment but until yesterday did not receive a response.

A spokesperson for Minister for Tourism and Major Events, John Eren, refused to talk specifically about the Greece game but said that they were interested in hosting the Socceroos.

The Herald Sun reported that the FFA pitched a financial model to the Victorian government, who made a counter-offer that was rejected. Talks have since broken down.

It’s also understood that the Victorian Government was looking for assurances that the first game would be played in Melbourne, as their decisions are largely based on interstate visitors.

source:neos kosmos.com

London: Danny Welbeck, making his first appearance of the season as a late substitute, headed a stoppage-time winner as Arsenal boosted their hopes of winning the Premier League title with a 2-1 home win over league leaders Leicester City.

Meanwhile, title rivals Tottenham beat Manchester City 2-1 away at the Etihad Stadium. At Villa Park, Liverpool crushed Aston Villa 6-0, pushing the league strugglers even closer to relegation.

Welbeck, who had not played since last April after a series of injuries, came on after 83 minutes and scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time when he glanced home a Mesut Ozil free kick to secure the victory.

The win lifted Arsenal to 51 points, two behind Leicester, who played most of the second half with 10 men after defender Danny Simpson was sent off in the 54th minute.

“It was a pivotal moment today because the mathematics meant it could be eight points or it could be two points. That is a great change,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports.

“There’s a long way to go, we play a lot of big teams. But we had a bad spell where we couldn’t win for four games and have now won two on the bounce. We have come out of that bad spell and still have a good chance.”

Leicester, seeking a first ever top-flight title, had not beaten Arsenal in their last 18 league matches but after surviving some early pressure, took the lead in the 45th minute when Jamie Vardy scored with a penalty after referee Martin Atkinson ruled that he had been fouled by Nacho Monreal.

Vardy smashed home his 19th league goal of the season giving Petr Cech no chance of saving but the balance of power swung heavily in Arsenal’s favour after Simpson’s dismissal.

He was booked twice in five minutes, the second time for a clumsy challenge on Olivier Giroud and most of the second half was played out in Leicester’s half of the field.

Arsenal’s dominance paid off after 70 minutes when substitute Theo Walcott equalised from close range after Giroud’s header found him in space.

However they could find no way past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel – who made a series of excellent stops – until the dying seconds when Welbeck, rose above the defence to seal a hugely significant victory.

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri told Sky: “We are still top of the table – we must carry on and smile. We lost to our opponents – we must say well done.”

In Manchester, Christian Eriksen celebrated his 24th birthday with the winning goal for Tottenham when they beat Manchester City to stay second in the Premier League table.

Spurs broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute after referee Mark Clattenburg ruled that City’s Raheem Sterling had handled in the area even though he turned his back as Danny Rose crossed and the ball hardly seemed to hit his arm.

But that did not worry Kane who fired his spot kick down the centre of the goal and past his England team mate Joe Hart into the net.

Yaya Toure almost equalised for the home side when he hit the bar with a 57th minute free kick, but they were soon level when Kelechi Iheanacho swept a cross from Gael Clichy into the roof of the Spurs net.

Eriksen though gave Spurs all three points when he scored in the 83rd minute after a surging run from Erik Lamela.

In Birmingham, Liverpool crushed Aston Villa, leading to a mass exodus of home fans long before the final whistle at Villa Park.

Liverpool went ahead when Daniel Sturridge, who has been injured for most of the season, headed in after 16 minutes before former Villa winger James Milner doubled their lead with an inswinging free kick eight minutes later.

Villa collapsed midway through the second half conceding four goals in 13 minutes with Emre Can starting the blitz with a 25-metre shot that beat keeper Mark Bunn after 57 minutes.

Divock Origi burst through to make it 4-0 a minute after coming on as a substitute before England defender Nathaniel Clyne made it 5-0 with a tap-in and Kolo Toure headed a sixth in the 70th.

The victory ended Liverpool’s run of five matches without a win in all competitions.
source:smh.com.au

NEWCASTLE is on the “first level of options” to host a friendly international between the Socceroos and Greece as the NSW government battles Victoria for the right to host a two-game tour in early June.

The game would be played at Hunter Stadium, most likely on Tuesday, June 7, after a match in Sydney three days earlier.

The games were originally set down for Sydney’s ANZ Stadium and Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium, but Football Federation Australia has struggled to agree on a funding deal with the Victorian government.

A source told the Herald that Newcastle’s proximity to Sydney and its successful hosting of Asian Cup games last year gave the Hunter the inside running to secure the second game if NSW wins the rights to both.

The source said other cities had shown some late interest but Newcastle remained a viable option.

Bicci Henderson, the general manager of Hunter Venues, which controls the stadium, confirmed Newcastle was in the mix to host the Greeks.

“I think it would work really well,” Henderson said on Sunday.

“I’m not sure how far down the track they are, but if they are looking at doing it regionally in NSW, then we are the only option.

“There’s rumours going around and there’s a chance for it to come to Newcastle, but there’s competition from Melbourne and maybe Perth.”

It is understood government body Destination NSW is aggressively pursuing sporting events to promote the state’s tourist attractions overseas.

Newcastle and Sydney hosted last year’s Asian Cup semi-finals, but Melbourne has not hosted a Socceroos match for more than a year.

It is not scheduled for any games in the current round of World Cup qualifying.

Newcastle hosted four games in the Asian Cup, including Australia’s 2-0 win over the United Arab Emirates in the semi-finals.

The Socceroos’ double-header in June will follow an away friendly against England on May 27, the first between the two countries in 13 years.

Greece have not played in Australia since a warm-up game for the 2006 World Cup when the Socceroos won 1-0 in front of 95,103 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Greece did not qualify for Euro 2016 and finished bottom of their group, below the Faroe Islands.

But the Greeks have a huge following in Australia, and especially in Melbourne, due to the large expatriate population.

source:theherald.com.au

Claudio Ranieri, the Italian manager of Premier League surprise package Leicester City, has spoken of his short-lived tenure at the helm of Greece’s national squad.

“Unfortunately in our world we get given labels very quickly,” Ranieri said after the Foxes’ sensational 3-1 win at Manchester City on Saturday.

“I wanted to try a national team job and I chose Greece. Everything needed to be changed, I only had four matches – how could I have done something in those conditions?” he said without giving more details.

“The coach who came after me didn’t do any better,” he said in a reference to Uruguayan Sergio Markarian.

Ranieri was sacked as Greece coach following four successive defeats, including a shock 1-0 loss to the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2016 qualifier in November 2014.

Leicester are top of the Premier League, five points clear with 13 matches remaining.

source:ekathimerini.com

Λόγω προβλημάτων που προέκυψαν με την “χρηματοδότηση” του αγώνα της Μελβούρνης από την Πολιτειακή κυβέρνηση… το παιχνίδι πάει στο Νιούκαστλ

Το Σίδνεϊ και η Μελβούρνη, ήταν οι δύο πόλεις που θα φιλοξενούσαν τα δύο φιλικά που θα δώσει τον προσεχή Ιούνιο (4 και 7) στην Αυστραλία, η Εθνική Ελλάδας, αλλά προβλήματα που προέκυψαν με την “χρηματοδότηση” του αγώνα της Μελβούρνης από την Πολιτειακή κυβέρνηση… στέλνουν το παιχνίδι στο Νιούκαστλ!

Σύμφωνα με χθεσινές δημοσιογραφικές πληροφορίες, το FFA πρότεινε στην κυβέρνηση της Βικτώριας, ένα οικονομικό πλάνο οικονομικής βοήθειας-συμμετοχής στον μεγάλο διεθνή αγώνα, το οποίο, όμως, απορρίφθηκε, με αποτέλεσμα να διακοπούν οι συζητήσεις μεταξύ των δύο πλευρών.

Να θυμίσουμε ότι τον Μάη του 2006 και πριν οι Σοκκερούς ταξιδεύσουν στη Γερμανία για τη συμμετοχή τους στο Μουντιάλ, είχαν κερδίσει στο MCG με 1-0 την εθνική Ελλάδας, μπροστά σε 95.000 θεατές!

Εκπρόσωπος του υπουργού Τουρισμού και Μεγάλων Εκδηλώσεων (Major Events), Τζον Έρεν, απέφυγε να τοποθετηθεί λεπτομερειακά στο θέμα που προέκυψε, τονίζοντας ότι “την κυβέρνηση ενδιαφέρει η φιλοξενία των Σοκκερούς στην Μελβούρνη”.

Πηγή:Νέος  Κόσμος

FC Barcelona lead La Liga with second-placed Atletico Madrid three points behind while Real Madrid are a further one point back. However, the Catalan club have a game in hand on both the Madrid teams.

Madrid: FC Barcelona equalled a club record of 28 games unbeaten to move three points clear at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Levante on Sunday while Real Madrid snatched a 2-1 win at Granada to stay in the title hunt.

Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid remain four points behind the leaders in third thanks to Luka Modric’s stunning strike five minutes from time to snatch a 2-1 win at Granada.

Meanwhile, the pressure continues to build on Valencia boss Gary Neville after his winless La Liga streak stretched to nine games with a 1-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Real Betis.

Barca were far from their best in coach Luis Enrique’s 100th game in charge, but David Navarro’s first-half own goal and Luis Suarez’s strike in stoppage time was enough to secure a 10th consecutive win in all competitions.

The European champions now lead Atletico Madrid by three points and have a game in hand on both Atletico and Real.

“More than statistics, I am interested in the collective objectives that we have and we can only reach them at the end of the season,” said Enrique.

“We are very well-positioned in all competitions, but there is a long way to go.”

Barca needed a slice of luck to open the scoring on 21 minutes as Jordi Alba burst down the left and his ball into the box was deflected into his own net by Navarro.

Levante remain rooted to the foot of the table, but deserved to be at least level at the break as they outplayed the Catalans in the latter stages of the first-half.

Jose Luis Morales came closest to equalising when his low effort came back off the post eight minutes before the break.

However, Barca took the sting out of the game in the second-half and sealed the points with the last move of the match as Lionel Messi picked out an unmarked Suarez to fire home his 36th goal of the season.

Modric Keeps Real Madrid in Title Hunt

Real were also very fortunate to remain in the title hunt as they were dominated in large spells by Granada and were rescued by Modric’s fantastic late strike into the top corner from 20 yards.

“Modric scored a great goal that has given us life and, above all, three points,” said Zidane.

“You have to fight until the end and I’m happy that is what we did.”

Karim Benzema continued his fine form since French compatriot Zidane took charge last month as he converted Dani Carvajal’s cross for his seventh goal in five games after half an hour.

Granada’s fine build-up play lacked a cutting edge before half-time, but they got a break to level on the hour mark as Modric crashed into the referee, sparking a counter-attack which ended with Youssef El Arabi slotting home the equaliser.

Real looked jaded and off-form throughout, with Cristiano Ronaldo particularly anonymous, but their best player on the night, Modric, salvaged the three points when he fired home his first goal of the season five minutes from time.

At the other end of the table, Valencia remain just four points above the relegation zone as Neville failed to produce the reaction he hoped for following a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona in the Copa del Rey in midweek.

“What matters are results. We knew this would be about one or two moments and they have not gone our way,” said Neville.

“It’s just not going for us at the moment. That was a pretty solid away performance. I continue to work, I continue to have belief and any conversations with the owners are between me and the owners.”

Betis hadn’t won for nine league games either, but eased their relegation worries as Ruben Castro took advantage of some statuesque Valencia defending to tap home his 10th goal of the season four minutes after half-time.

Alvaro Negredo had a great chance to equalise moments later, but Juan Manuel Vargas got back to clear his effort off the line before Valencia were reduced to 10 men late on as Jose Luis Gaya saw a second booking.

source:ndtv.com

Leicester City have been installed as joint favourites to claim the Premier League crown following their sensational 3-1 victory over Manchester City at Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes moved five points clear at the top of the table by beating Manuel Pellegrini’s side at the weekend and Leicester – who were rated as a 5000/1 chance with the odds compilers to take the title at the start of the season – can now be backed at just 19/10 (2.90) with NetBet to be crowned as champions.

Next up for the league leaders is a trip to north London where they will take on fellow joint favourites Arsenal.

The Gunners moved within five points of the Foxes with a comfortable 2-0 win over Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon and those who fancy Wenger’s men to claim the Premier League crown should move quickly, for the 19/10 (2.90) quote offered up by NetBet for Arsenal to win the title is sure to contract should the north Londoners get the better of Leicester City in Sunday’s crunch clash at Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s bitter rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, also find themselves within five points of the Premier League summit after claiming a hard-fought 1-0 win over Watford at White Hart Lane last weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team are chalked up as a 5/1 (6.00) chance with NetBet to top the Premier League this term and, with Spurs having won six matches in succession in all competitions, there is no doubt that the price will attract some support from punters.

Tottenham go head-to-head with fourth-placed Manchester City this weekend and Pochettino’s men will be determined to heap yet more misery upon Pellegrini’s side.

City suffered a 4-1 thumping when the two teams met at White Hart Lane earlier in the campaign but, with Argentine striker Sergio Aguero in fine form, the men from Manchester will fancy their chances of bouncing back on home soil.

Pellegrini’s charges are a 13/4 (4.25) chance with NetBet to claim their third Premier League title in five years and that price, too, is likely to shorten considerably, should City see off Spurs on Sunday.

There is no doubt that Claudio Ranieri’s Foxes are in the driving seat, given that they hold a five point lead over their title rivals with just 13 matches to go, while Leicester have lost just two of their 25 league fixtures this term.

However, there are sure to be plenty of twists and turns between now and the conclusion of what has been a remarkable season in the top flight.

source:goal.com

LUIS Suarez scored four goals and Lionel Messi a hat trick as Barcelona defeated 10-man Valencia 7-0 on Wednesday to move into position to reach the Copa del Rey final for the third straight season.

Suarez scored in the seventh and 12th minutes, and Messi got on the board in the 29th, 58th and 74th before Suarez closed the scoring in the 83rd and 88th minutes.

Messi also hit the post once, and Neymar missed a penalty kick just before halftime of the semifinal at the Camp Nou. The second leg is next week at Mestalla Stadium in Valencia.

“It was one of the more complete games we’ve played,” said Suarez, who has 35 goals in 33 games this season. “We know we have a good advantage now, but in football you never know.”

Valencia, struggling since coach Gary Neville took over less than two months ago, played the entire second half a man down after defender Shkodran Mustafi was sent off for fouling Messi in the play that prompted the penalty wasted by Neymar with a shot into the post.

“Valencia fans didn’t deserve a result like this one,” Neville said. “This is one of the worst experiences I’ve been through in football. We made bad mistakes during the entire match.”

Barcelona’s ninth win in a row kept alive the team’s 27-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, one shy of its all-time record. It hasn’t lost a game since a 2-1 result at Sevilla in October in the Spanish league. The Catalan club went 28 games without a loss in the 2010-11 season.

Barcelona has outscored opponents 30-3 in its last seven games at the Camp Nou.

The hosts opened the scoring after Neymar helped steal a ball near midfield and set up Suarez’s low cross shot from inside the area. Suarez added his second from near the penalty spot after assists by Sergio Busquets and Aleix Vidal.

Neymar’s superb back-flick pass left Messi in great position to score the third from close range.

It was Suarez who set up Messi with a back-flick pass for the fourth goal, and Messi cleared two defenders inside the area before finding the net. He got his hat trick with a left-footed shot after Valencia defenders failed to clear a ball in front of the goal.

Suarez capped his spectacular night with a right-footed shot from inside the box, and a late header.

Suarez and Messi spent the final part of the match trying to set up Neymar, but he wasn’t able to find the target.

“We kept looking for him after he missed the penalty,” Suarez said. “We know that in the end he is happy for the team.”

Valencia complained about the penalty kick call, claiming Mustafi caught the ball before touching Messi’s leg inside the area.

Newly signed Valencia striker Denis Cheryshev had a goal disallowed for offside after coming off the bench in the second half. Cheryshev was ineligible when he played for Real Madrid earlier in the competition, leading to the team’s disqualification.

Valencia players said before the match that their main goal coming into the Camp Nou was to avoid a rout and stay alive for the second leg at Mestalla. The Copa del Rey is the only competition Valencia has a chance of winning in what has been a dismal season. The team hasn’t won in 11 league games, eight of them under the command of former England player Neville.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid left-back Filipe Luis has been handed a three-game ban for his dangerous challenge on Messi on the weekend.

ITALY

Racist chanting halted play at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday as hosts Lazio suffered a 2-0 defeat that kept visitors’ Napoli’s sterling Serie A season on track.

Goals by Gonzalo Higuain, the Argentine’s 23rd in as many league games, and Jose Callejon combined to keep Maurizio Sarri’s men top of the table with a two-point lead on champions Juventus.

But the game was marred by a three-minute suspension in the second half on the orders of match officials for racist and insulting chanting aimed at Napoli’s Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

“I’m glad they stopped the game, it was beginning to become embarrassing,” said Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri.

Higuain is bidding to beat Gunnar Nordahl’s all-time Serie A record of 35 goals in a single, 20-team season (1950) and after spurning an early chance was soon into his stride, thanks to a slice of fortune.

The Argentine ran on to Callejon’s through ball on 24 minutes only to see Federico Marchetti come out to block, but as the ball bounced up Higuain chested it home.

Callejon, who hit a brace in a 5-1 thumping of Empoli last weekend, doubled Napoli’s lead three minutes later.

Napoli’s seventh consecutive win equalled a club record from 1988.

Juventus had a Sebastian De Maio own-goal, from Juan Cuadrado’s angled strike, to thank for a 1-0 win over Genoa and a 16th win of the campaign amid what is set to be a tough month of competition on three fronts.

But despite setting a new club record of 13 consecutive wins, coach Massimiliano Allegri looked furious when second-half substitute Simone Zaza saw red for a rash, studs-up challenge that left the Turin giants exposed for the final minutes.

Inter Milan looked to be heading up to third place after hanging on to Mauro Icardi’s strike early after the restart to secure a 1-0 San Siro win over Chievo.

But Fiorentina striker Mauro Zarate, who joined the club last week from West Ham, came off the bench to hit an injury-time winner and secure a last-gasp 2-1 win for Paulo Sousa’s men over Carpi after Kevin Lasagna had levelled Borja Valero’s early opener for the hosts.

AC Milan’s recent revival continued three days after their spectacular 3-0 derby win over Inter with a precious 2-0 win at Palermo thanks to Carlos Bacca’s strike and a 33rd minute penalty from M’Baye Niang.

Roma, 2-0 winners at Sassuolo on Tuesday, are fifth at 12 points behind with Milan just two points adrift in sixth.

FRANCE

Paris Saint-Germain established a new Ligue 1 record on Wednesday as they stretched their unbeaten streak to 33 matches by easing past Lorient 3-1 at the Parc des Princes.

Edinson Cavani was given a rare start by Laurent Blanc and justified his manager’s decision by opening the scoring in only the sixth minute.

Lorient struck back midway through the first half with a well-worked equaliser from Raphael Guerreiro.

The defending champions forged ahead again though with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal 10 minutes after half-time.

PSG were not at their fluent best, but Layvin Kurzawa made it three with an excellent strike.

Earlier, Alexandre Lacazette struck twice as Lyon secured a welcome 3-0 win over Bordeaux for just their second victory in 11 matches.

Lacazette struck four minutes prior to half-time at Parc OL before quick-fire goals from Lacazette and Aldo Kalulu late on ensured Bruno Genesio’s side put an end to Bordeaux’s seven-game unbeaten run.

France international Mathieu Debuchy made his Bordeaux debut following his loan move from Arsenal, while Uruguayan striker Diego Rolan was twice denied by fine saves from Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Lyon climbed back into the top half of the table, above 10th-place Bordeaux on goal difference, and are six points adrift of the Champions League spots.

Nice leapfrogged Angers into third as Hatem Ben Arfa grabbed his 11th goal of the campaign in a 1-0 win over Toulouse, while 10-man Angers were beaten 2-1 at Reims.

Nantes extended their unbeaten streak to 10 matches following a 3-1 victory over Gazelec Ajaccio, Guingamp condemned lowly Troyes to a 4-0 defeat and Lille earned a 1-0 win over Caen.

source:foxsports.com.au

Leicester continue to defy the odds and, after beating Liverpool 2-0 on Tuesday night, remain top of the Premier League, three points clear of the chasing pack.

Can Manchester City, Tottenham or Arsenal catch them? There are just five points separating the top four and, with key contests between the quartet to come, plus more twists and turns yet to unfold, the title race appears tough to call.

We take a closer look at the key factors which will decide the outcome…

Premier League table

Team

Points

Goal difference
Leicester 50 18
Man City 47 23
Tottenham 45 25
Arsenal 45 15

Head-to-heads

There are some blockbuster, potentially title-deciding fixtures to come in the final stage of the season between the Premier League’s leading teams. Leicester travel to Manchester City on Saturday and then face Arsenal at the Emirates live on Sky Sports the following Sunday, in a double header which will put their title credentials to the ultimate test.

Like Leicester, Man City also follow their Etihad showdown with Claudio Ranieri’s side with a tough test against a title challenger; they host Tottenham on the same Sunday, again live on Sky Sports. Another key fixture for Manuel Pellegrini’s men will be their clash at home to Arsenal on the penultimate weekend of the season. The meeting has been earmarked as a potential title-decider since the fixture list was announced last summer. But will both teams still be in touching distance of Leicester by that point?

As well as City and Leicester, Arsenal must travel to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham on March 5. The Gunners have already won once there this season in the Capital One Cup. They may need to do so again to keep their title hopes on track.

Top four remaining fixtures

Leicester

Man City

Tottenham

Arsenal
Man City (a) Leicester (h) Watford (h) Bournemouth (a)
Arsenal (a) Tottenham (h) Man City (a) Leicester (h)
Norwich (h) Newcastle (a) Swansea (h) Man Utd (a)
West Brom (h) Liverpool (a) West Ham (a) Swansea (h)
Watford (a) Aston Villa (h) Arsenal (h) Tottenham (a)
Newcastle (h) Norwich (a) Aston Villa (a) West Brom (h)
Crystal Palace (a) Man Utd (h) Bournemouth (h) Everton (a)
Southampton (h) Bournemouth (a) Liverpool (a) Watford (h)
Sunderland (a) West Brom (h) Man Utd (h) West Ham (a)
West Ham (h) Chelsea (a) Stoke (a) Crystal Palace (h)
Swansea (h) Stoke (h) West Brom (h) Sunderland (a)
Man Utd (a) Southampton (a) Chelsea (a) Norwich (h)
Everton (h) Arsenal (h) Southampton (h) Man City (a)
Chelsea (a) Swansea (a) Newcastle (a) Aston Villa (h)

Toughest run-in

When it comes to tough run-ins, they don’t get much harder than Leicester’s. If the Foxes haven’t wrapped up the title by then, they’ll need to take points from a trip to Manchester United, a home game with Everton and a final-day visit to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

In contrast, Arsenal, as well as their trip to Man City, face home games with Norwich and Aston Villa. City’s final three games include away games at Southampton and Swansea, while Spurs also play two of their final three on the road, with trips to Chelsea and Newcastle sandwiching their home clash with Southampton.

Other commitments

Leicester hold a potentially crucial advantage over their title rivals: they have just 14 games left to concentrate on this season. Out of the FA Cup and League Cup and with no European commitments, Ranieri and his coaching staff are free to focus solely on Leicester’s weekly Premier League test.

In contrast, Man City have a potential 26 games remaining, with their Capital One Cup final, Champions League knockout phase and FA Cup run keeping them occupied. Tottenham have one more than that, with their potential nine Europa League ties and four FA Cup contests taking their tally to 27.

Arsenal could also have up to 25 games to consider, should their FA Cup and Champions League involvement continue. All of which, plays into the hands of Leicester.

Injury problems

When it comes to injuries, Manchester City have cause for concern. According to physioroom.com, City have the joint-highest number of injuries at present in the Premier League. Seven City players are in the treatment room: Vincent Kompany, Kevin de Bruyne, Jesus Navas, Wilfried Bony, Samir Nasri, Fabian Delph and Eliaquim Mangala.

Arsenal – who are recovering from a difficult period with key players sidelined – and Tottenham are currently in better shape, with four players out injured each. However, it is Leicester who are faring best in this category. At this point, Ranieri has virtually a full squad of players to choose from; only Matty James and Jeff Schlupp are in the treatment room.

Title-winning experience

With just five points separating the top four, title-winning experience could prove decisive. Man City have plenty of that. Champions just two seasons ago, many of the City squad have formed the foundations of a team which have won the Premier League twice in the past four seasons. Manuel Pellegrini, a title winner in his first season in England by just two points, knows what it takes to get over the line.

Arsene Wenger is of course a three-time Premier League winner, but such has been the gap since Arsenal’s 2003/04 title win, of the current squad, only Petr Cech and Danny Welbeck have experience of lifting the trophy (with Chelsea and Manchester United, respectively).

A Premier League win would be a first for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino and his squad, while Leicester will be leaning on the experience of two-time winner Robert Huth, who was a champion during his Chelsea days. Foxes boss Ranieri has never won a top flight league during his long management career.

Form

Tottenham, Leicester and Man City occupy three of the top four spots in the Premier League table – but the other place isn’t occupied by Arsenal.

The Gunners have failed to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since February 2009. In contrast, the other title chasers – and their key men – are on fire.

After netting three times in his past two games, Leicester’s Jamie Vardy has 18 league goals this season – just one fewer than Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona’s Luis Suarez.

Tottenham’s Dele Alli has had a hand in 10 goals in his last 13 Premier League games (six goals, four assists), while his team-mate Harry Kane has scored 14 goals in his last 15 Premier League appearances – after managing just three in his 17 league appearances prior to this run.

Sergio Aguero, meanwhile, remains as prolific as ever for Man City. The striker has 12 goals in his last 10 Premier League games.

Can Arsenal’s main men rediscover the scoring touch? And which of Leicester, Man City and Tottenham will be able to sustain their current streaks long enough to clinch the crown?

Conclusion

Going into the final straight Leicester – incredibly and against all the odds – are in prime position, three points clear of their challengers and with a significantly lighter workload. However, Ranieri’s side face tough consecutive away days at Man City and Arsenal and their run-in, on paper, is harder than the rest.

Man City are well-placed, though, with the experience of clinching tight title races. The fitness of Aguero will remain central to their hopes – and their other injury concerns to key figures such as Kompany and De Bruyne cannot be ignored.

As for Tottenham, could their young team – on average the youngest in the division – pull off a Premier League title win? To all those who say it is a step too far too soon for 19-year-old Alli and co, will point to their remarkable form, which has seen them defeated just three times in 24 outings this season. A goal difference of +25 – the highest of all four – is in their advantage, too.

Arsenal, though, were not so long ago top of the table and seemingly on course to end their title wait. With FA Cup and Champions League commitments resurfacing, can Wenger’s side re-find their rhythm which saw them win 10 out of 14 Premier League games from September?

Much like this Premier League season as a whole, the title race remains unpredictable.

All four teams will be in action live on Sky Sports on Sunday, February 14, when Arsenal host Leicester and Tottenham travel to Man City. Ahead of the huge weekend, Thierry Henry and Jamie Redknapp will be on Sky Sports News’ The Morning View between 10am and 12pm on Friday, February 12 to preview the games.

source:skysports.com