European football round-up

Sport360 staff 21:52 06/11/2016

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PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool swept to the top of the Premier League as Sadio Mane’s double inspired a 6-1 rout of Watford, while Tottenham rescued a 1-1 draw at north London rivals Arsenal on Sunday.

Liverpool have emerged as genuine title contenders and Jurgen Klopp’s side moved one point clear of second placed Chelsea thanks to a scintillating goal spree at Anfield.

The Reds took the lead in the 27th minute when Senegal winger Mane met Philippe Coutinho’s corner with a header that looped past Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Just three minutes later, Roberto Firmino picked out Coutinho on the edge of the penalty area and the Liverpool forward fired home with a fine low strike.

Klopp’s team were three up two minutes before half-time as Emre Can arrived unmarked at the far post to head in Adam Lallana’s cross.

The goals kept coming and Firmino added the fourth in the 57th minute, the Brazilian finishing off Lallana’s cross, before Mane got his second in the 60th minute with a clinical close-range effort from Firmino’s pass.

At the Emirates Stadium, Harry Kane marked his return from injury with the equaliser as Tottenham kept their hated neighbours from the Premier League summit.

Arsenal took the lead in the 42nd minute when Tottenham defender Kevin Wimmer headed a free-kick into his own net.

But England striker Kane, who had been sidelined for seven weeks due to ankle ligament damage, equalised for Tottenham from the penalty spot early in the 51st minute after a foul on Mousa Dembele by Laurent Koscielny.

The result prevented Arsenal from climbing above Chelsea and Manchester City and opening up a six-point gap over

After a difficult period for Pogba and Ibrahimovic, United’s star duo were back on song at the Liberty Stadium.

France midfielder Pogba put United ahead in the 15th minute with a sumptuous volley and Swedish striker Ibrahimovic bagged the second six minutes later with a shot that Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski might feel he should have saved.

Ibrahimovic followed his first league goal since September with another one in the 33rd minute as he lashed in from Wayne Rooney’s pass.

Swansea defender Mike van der Hoorn reduced the deficit in the 69th minute and there was late frustration for Ibrahimovic when he picked up a booking that rules him out of United’s next match against Arsenal.

Elsewhere, Hull staged a second half fightback to end their barren run with a 2-1 victory over Southampton at the KCOM Stadium.

Hull remain in the relegation zone, but their first win in nine league games, ending a run of six successive league defeats, at least offered hope they could avoid the drop.

Later on Sunday, champions Leicester host West Bromwich Albion.

LA LIGA

Gareth Bale scored twice as Real Madrid extended their La Liga lead to five points with a 3-0 win over Leganes on Sunday.

Bale signed one of the most lucrative deals in football history on Monday to keep him at the European champions until 2021.

The Welshman earned his bumper new wage as he struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Alvaro Morata added a third 14 minutes from time.

Morata rounded off a comfortable afternoon for Zidane’s men when he collected Kroos’s pass before firing home at the near post.

And Madrid even kept their first clean sheet in 11 matches as victory stretches their unbeaten run in all competitions to 28 games

LIGUE 1

Table-toppers Nice suffered their first Ligue 1 defeat of the season on Sunday when they went down 1-0 after a hotly disputed penalty at Caen.

The southern side still top Ligue 1 with 29 points ahead of Monaco on 26 points while champions Paris Saint Germain are third on 23 ahead of their Sunday night game at home to Rennes.

Nice have surprisingly set the pace in France this season under new coach Lucien Favre and with added zest in front of goal inspired by Italian centre forward Mario Balotelli.

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