HALF-TIME REPORT: Chelsea 1-0 Man City… (WATCH Video clip of Christian Pulisic’s goal)

Christian Pulisic’s goal is separating Chelsea from Manchester City at the break in a Premier League cracker at Stamford Bridge.

The United States international capitalised on a Benjamin Mendy mistake to give Chelsea the lead at the break.
Manchester City have not played badly, but will need to step it up in the second half.

Mendy gave the ball away on the half-way line to Pulisic. The American then beat Mendy and rolled the ball past Ederson into the dar corner.

Chelsea would have recorded their first goal in the 34th minutes when Ross Barkley crossed a low shot trying to find Pulisic at the near post, but Ederson got there. The ball then came back to Ross Barkley who aimed for the near post but it went behind for a corner.

From that corner Andreas Christensen jumped highest and headed on target but again Ederson was there to save.

If the scoreline remains like this, the Premier League trophy is then making it’s way to Anfield.

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Frank Lampard provides update on Fikayo Tomori, Callum Hudson-Odoi

Frank Lampard has confirmed that Chelsea are set to be without Fikayo Tomori and Callum Hudson-Odoi for the clash against Manchester City.

The Blues need a win in the match against the Pep Guardiola side at Stamford Bridge as Manchester United and Wolves breathe down their neck in the battle for top four slot

He said: “We’re all the same as we were for Aston Villa.

“Fikayo Tomori is still probably about a week away from training properly with us.

“Callum Hudson-Odoi is still searching for fitness. He’s fit but not match fit yet.”

Liverpool urged to sign Chelsea outcast

Liverpool legend star John Barnes appears to have told his former team to target Chelsea outcast Danny Drinkwater.

Drinkwater, 30, won the Premier League with Leicester City in 2015-16 but has since seen his career go downhill.

The Chelsea outcast is presently on loan at Aston Villa having become surplus to Frank Lampard squad.

The former England international, who has been in the headlines lately for the wrong reasons, has only played 23 times since moving to Chelsea in 2017.

But Barnes is suggesting to Liverpool to sign a midfielder in the mould of the Chelsea loanee.

“You look at a player who can come and fit into our midfield where Man City would go, ‘no, he’s not for us because of his ‘technical’ ability’ but he can fit into what Liverpool want,” Barnes said.

“If Jurgen Klopp stays, and he has this template, there are lots of players (like that) out there.

“I’m looking at Leicester when they had Danny Drinkwater, players who people might not think are great players, they could fit into what Liverpool want and still make Liverpool be one of the best teams.”

Anthony Martial’s hat-trick sinks Sheffield United as Solskjaer is excited by Pogba-Fernandes partnership

Anthony Martial scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Manchester United eased to a 3-0 win over Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

The home side took the lead in the seventh minute as Martial met Marcus Rashford’s low cross and fired past goalkeeper Simon Moore.

Martial then doubled Man Utd’s lead a minute before the break, sweeping the ball into the bottom corner after a cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

The Frenchman completed his treble on 74 minutes, completing a fine team move to become the first Man Utd player to net a top-flight hat-trick since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remain fifth but are now just two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits he is excited by the partnership Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.

The pair started together for the first time as United eased to a 3-0 win against Sheffield United, and Solskjaer believes this is just the start.

“Paul is still a bit away from his best form,” Solskjaer said after the match.

“That’s natural because it’s his first start since September. He’s been working hard.

“I thought we controlled the game. Paul and Bruno showed some quality and it’s exciting for us to be working with talent like this.

“Now, it’s keep on working, onto the next one.”

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Inter Milan surrender two points at the death as Sassuolo battle Antonio Conte’s team to 3-3 draw

Inter Milan were stunned by an 89th minute equalizer by an unmarked Giangiacomo Magnani, with the Nerrazurri coasting home to victory, ended the match 3-3.

It took all of four minutes for Sassuolo to break the deadlock thanks to some awful collective defending, as Filip Djuricic was given time and space to thread through the pass, Ciccio Caputo was kept onside and beat the on-rushing Samir Handanovic one-on-one.

Alexis Sanchez nodded a Biraghi cross wide, then Andrea Consigli palmed a dangerous Biraghi free kick over the bar, but the visitors were constantly dangerous on the counter and Djuricic should’ve gone for goal rather than tried to pull it back.

Jeremie Boga rolled across the face of goal for Domenico Berardi, intercepted at the last second by Biraghi, and the captain also curled off target from a promising position.

Inter managed to draw level thanks to a Boga error, as he was going to clear the Eriksen pass, not realising Milan Skriniar had snuck up behind him and caught the defender’s ankle instead. Romelu Lukaku converted by sending Consigli the wrong way to equalise.

Biraghi had been the most impressive Inter player of the half and he managed to turn the game around completely in stoppages. He burst into the box down the left, completed a give and go with Alexis Sanchez and blasted into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

After the restart, Consigli palmed a Biraghi free kick and Roberto Gagliardini scorcher over the bar, but Sassuolo started pinning Inter back as the game wore on.

And in the 64th minute, Gagliardini had an incredible chance to make it 3-1: just a couple of yards out and with an empty net in front of him, he smashed the ball against the woodwork, keeping Sassuolo in it.

Young did give away a penalty moments later, clumsily clattering into Muldur, and Berardi converted with a daisy-cutter finish that Handanovic could not reach.

Inter needed the victory, so poured forward in the final minutes. Lautaro Martinez’s shot was only parried into the path of Lukaku, who was offside when turning into the net.

It still wasn’t over, as Antonio Candreva floated a free kick to the back post, where Borja Valero was totally unmarked to tap in from a yard and restore Inter’s lead.

The madness continued, because Lukaku went on a strong run and set up Candreva, who just prodded it straight at the on-rushing Consigli.

Sassuolo then hit back, Muldur’s strike brilliantly palmed away at the near post by Handanovic. On the resulting corner, Berardi pulled the ball across the face of goal and Magnani was totally unmarked to tap in, just like Borja Valero.

Chelsea loanee Victor Moses explains why he joined Inter Milan, reveals his experience at Crystal Palace aged 16

Victor Moses has revealed that he chose to join Inter Milan to continue working under former Blues boss Antonio Conte.

The wingback’s loan move to the Nerazzurri in January saw him link up with Antonio Conte.

The Nigerian told the Nerazzurri’s Matchday programme: “He’s a great man and coach, I know his methods well.

“He wants the best from his players and that’s the main reason I’m here because I’ve worked with him and I know what he wants: he just wants us to go out there, work hard and have fun while putting our idea of ​​football into practice.

“Obviously that’s what I want to do, to win with him, this team and fantastic club. I already knew Lukaku, Young and Eriksen. They’re all fantastic guys and we’re all rowing in the same direction.

“Inter is a huge club with incredible fans.”

Moses recalls how he felt when he featured for Crystal Palace at the age of 16.

“I love football, it’s been my passion since I was a child,” he explained.

“It’s in my blood and what I love doing. The turning point of my career came when I made my debut with Crystal Palace when I was 16.

“I entered the pitch and the atmosphere was incredible. It made me think that football was my reason for living, something where I could give everything with 100 percent commitment.”

Mikel Arteta responds to fears sensational Arsenal starlet could reject club’s new contract

Mikel Arteta insists he is “very positive” that Bukayo Saka will sign a new contract with Arsenal.

There had been fears the 18-year-old could leave Arsenal, with just one year left on his contract.

Arteta said: “I am very positive that everything is going to be done with Bukayo very shortly.

“The communications between the club, agents and the family has been going on for months and is very fluent.

“The player and family knows how much trust I have in him. I think he is just showing that every week and his consistency level is getting better and better.

“I’m so excited with the young players that we have. They just need the right environment around them to explode and Bukayo is doing that even in difficult circumstances, which is even more merit for him.”

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Liverpool run riot, spank Crystal Palace (Match Report)

Fabinho scored a sensational goal as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 4-0 to move within two points of securing the Premier League title.

It was the hosts who created all the early pressure – and Wijnaldum was left clutching his head in his hands when he skewed wide inside the area from Andros Townsend’s wayward attempted clearance.

Jordan Henderson then scooped high into the Anfield Road end from a decent opening before Roberto Firmino’s exchange with Mane resulted in the former having a low drive saved by Wayne Hennessey.

Palace were dealt an early blow, too, when Wilfried Zaha hobbled from the field with 16 minutes on the clock.

And the Reds’ pressure finally told midway through the first half. Alexander-Arnold delightfully curved a free-kick over the wall and into the corner of the goal from 25 yards to reward the early dominance.

Liverpool went close to furthering their advantage on 28 minutes, but Henderson’s instant return from a half-cleared free-kick cannoned against the base of the post.

Wijnaldum swiped wide of the upright soon after and Salah couldn’t direct an intercepted clearance by Hennessey into the unguarded goal, while Max Meyer drilled wide at the other end for Palace.

However, the Eagles’ resistance was broken for a second time just before the interval. Fabinho lofted a ball into the path of Salah’s dart into the area from the right. The Egyptian used his chest to control and knock it into space before steering in.

The Brazil midfielder went from creator to scorer 10 minutes after the restart. He took aim from distance and rasped a cleanly-struck effort into the corner to make it 3-0 to Liverpool.

After Wijnaldum and Salah had gone close, Liverpool did grab a fourth through Mane.

Firmino and Salah exchanged passes on halfway before the latter sent his fellow forward through on goal, with the No.10 finding the corner with an unerring finish.

Liverpool move to 86 points, 23 above Manchester City with eight matches left for their nearest rivals.

The Reds will be confirmed as Premier League champions if Pep Guardiola’s side fail to win at Chelsea on Thursday.

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