Liverpool's Title Bid Hit by Spurs Draw, Man Utd Thrashed at Brighton

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita look dejected after the match Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita look dejected after the match Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble
TT

Liverpool's Title Bid Hit by Spurs Draw, Man Utd Thrashed at Brighton

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita look dejected after the match Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble
Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita look dejected after the match Credit: REUTERS/Phil Noble

Liverpool's Premier League title bid suffered a blow as Tottenham earned a 1-1 draw against the quadruple chasers, while Manchester United crashed to a "humiliating" 4-0 defeat at Brighton on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp's side fell behind to Son Heung-min's second-half goal at Anfield before Luis Diaz equalized in the closing stages, AFP said.

Son tapped in Ryan Sessegnon's cross in the 56th minute after good work from Harry Kane in the build-up.

Diaz bagged Liverpool's fortuitous equalizer when his 20-yard drive went in off Rodrigo Bentancur.

Liverpool, who have already won the League Cup and have Champions League and FA Cup finals to come, moved to the top of the table above Manchester City on goal difference.

But champions City will go three points clear of Liverpool if they beat Newcastle in their game in hand at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

That would be a massive boost to City's hopes of retaining the title with just three games left for both teams after this weekend.

"It is incredibly difficult to play against an opponent with world-class players and a world-class manager when they have had a week to prepare and we play every three days," Klopp said.

"The dressing room is not flying, come on, but there are other games to play. We just have to keep going."

The draw was also not enough for Tottenham in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League via a top-four finish.

Tottenham remain fifth and will fall four points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal if the Gunners beat Leeds on Sunday.

- United fall to new low -
Manchester United have endured a host of humiliations in one of their most embarrassing seasons for decades and their lackluster loss at Brighton was among the very worst.

Ralf Rangnick's side were routed by goals from Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella, Pascal Gross and Leandro Trossard at the Amex Stadium.

Sixth-placed United are certain to miss the Champions League for only the fifth time in 30 seasons.

With 58 points and only one game left, United's fifth successive away defeat means they will finish with their lowest points total in the Premier League era.

"It was a terrible performance. From the first until the last minute it was not enough, we can only apologize for this performance and a humiliating defeat," Rangnick said.

It was a day of mixed emotions at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea blew a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Wolves in front of prospective owner Todd Boehly.

Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Boehly and his consortium have won the battle to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich in a £4.25 billion ($5.2 billion) deal.

Boehly's consortium still need to satisfy the Premier League's owners' and directors' test and gain approval from the UK government, but Chelsea expect the sale to be completed by the end of the month.

After the protracted sale sparked fears for Chelsea's future, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel welcomed the takeover, saying: "It gives us an outlook, if terms are agreed and hopefully the process will be streamlined and go forward as soon as possible. Good news."

But Tuchel's third-placed team were unable to celebrate the deal with a victory as they squandered an opportunity to move closer to qualifying for the Champions League.

- Watford go down -
Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku scored his first Premier League goals since December 29 in the 56th and 58th minutes, the first from the penalty spot and the second a long-range effort.

But Francisco Trincao hammered home in the 79th minute and Conor Coady nodded a close-range equalizer in stoppage-time to leave Boehly shaking his head in frustration.

Watford needed a win at Crystal Palace to keep alive their faint hopes of avoiding the drop, but Wilfried Zaha's 31st-minute penalty clinched a 1-0 victory that condemned them to relegation.

"I have never given a press conference in charge of a top-flight team that has been relegated. It is a first I wasn't looking forward to claiming," Watford manager Roy Hodgson said.

Burnley wasted a chance to boost their survival chances as Aston Villa cruised to a 3-1 victory at Turf Moor.

Brentford crushed Southampton 3-0 at their Community Stadium, with the goals coming from Pontus Jansson, Yoane Wissa and Kristoffer Ajer.



African Players in Europe: Salah Hailed after Liverpool FA Cup Win 

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - February 14, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - February 14, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)
TT

African Players in Europe: Salah Hailed after Liverpool FA Cup Win 

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - February 14, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Liverpool v Brighton & Hove Albion - Anfield, Liverpool, Britain - February 14, 2026 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal. (Reuters)

Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised Egypt captain Mohamed Salah after his penalty sealed a 3-0 FA Cup victory over Brighton at the weekend.

"It is very nice to have Mo on the scoresheet again, but what I like the most is he also helps the team a lot defensively," said the Dutch tactician.

The other African scorer in the fourth round, Senegal striker Habib Diarra, also netted from a penalty, giving Sunderland a 1-0 win at Oxford United.

AFP Sport highlights African headline-makers in the FA Cup and major European leagues:

ENGLAND

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The two-time African player of the year won the penalty after being dragged back by Pascal Gross, then slammed the ball over Jason Steele to complete the scoring. Salah also produced an assist, his fourth since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco last month.

HABIB DIARRA (Sunderland)

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations winner with Senegal converted a first-half penalty to give Sunderland victory at second-tier Oxford. A foul by defender Christ Makosso from Congo Brazzaville on Dennis Cirkin led to the spot-kick.

SPAIN

ILYAS CHAIRA (Real Oviedo)

Moroccan winger Chaira continued his fine run of scoring form even as Oviedo fell to a 2-1 defeat by Athletic Bilbao in La Liga. The 25-year-old put the hosts ahead in the 30th minute with his third goal in his last five league games, bursting in behind the defense and holding his nerve to finish with aplomb.

UMAR SADIQ (Valencia)

The Nigeria striker came off the bench to score his first La Liga goal of the season and seal a 2-0 local derby victory for Valencia at Levante. With six minutes of regular time remaining, he dispossessed an opponent, surged forward and coolly fired the ball into the net.

GERMANY

SERHOU GUIRASSY (Borussia Dortmund)

Guirassy continued his return to form in Dortmund's 4-0 thumping of Mainz, which kept them six points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich. Just 10 minutes in, the Guinea international was in the perfect spot to head in a Julian Ryerson cross. Just before half-time, Ryerson picked out Guirassy again and the big striker headed Dortmund's third goal. After a run of just one goal in 10 league games, Guirassy has five in three.

EDMOND TAPSOBA (Bayer Leverkusen)

Leverkusen defender Tapsoba continued his impressive scoring form this campaign, heading a goal in a 4-0 home victory over St Pauli. With Leverkusen leading by two early in the second half, the Burkina Faso defender rose to head in an Aleix Garcia cross.

RANSFORD KOENIGSDOERFFER (Hamburg)

Hamburg striker Koenigsdoerffer started and finished his side's comeback in a 3-2 home win over Union Berlin. The Germany-born Ghana international equalized from close range after 35 minutes. With Hamburg leading 2-1 and Union pushing for an equaliser, Koenigsdoerffer controlled a long ball on the counter and slid the ball home from a tight angle to seal victory with his first Bundesliga brace.


Crunch Time for Real Madrid’s Mbappe-Vinicius Partnership 

Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 1, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal with Vinicius Junior. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 1, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal with Vinicius Junior. (Reuters)
TT

Crunch Time for Real Madrid’s Mbappe-Vinicius Partnership 

Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 1, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal with Vinicius Junior. (Reuters)
Football - LaLiga - Real Madrid v Rayo Vallecano - Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain - February 1, 2026 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal with Vinicius Junior. (Reuters)

French superstar Kylian Mbappe is poised to return for Real Madrid's Champions League play-off clash at Benfica on Tuesday after resting at the weekend.

The availability of the team's top scorer and best player this season is excellent news for coach Alvaro Arbeloa, but it raises the question of whether Los Blancos lose too much balance when both he and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior line up in attack together.

That problem is further exacerbated when Jude Bellingham is available too, but the England international is injured and will not feature against Jose Mourinho's side in Lisbon.

All three stars lined up for Madrid in the league phase against Benfica in late January, as Los Blancos fell to a damaging 4-2 defeat that left them facing a play-off round tie against the same opponents.

Mbappe struck twice for Madrid in that match and is the Champions League top marksman with 13 goals.

However Madrid were outplayed and unpicked by Mourinho's side, who secured their own play-off round spot thanks to Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin's stunning 98th-minute header.

With Mbappe an unused substitute against Real Sociedad on Saturday because of knee discomfort, Vinicius shone as Arbeloa's team ran out comfortable 4-1 winners at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Brazilian won and converted two penalties in one of his best displays of a mixed campaign.

"Since I've arrived he's had games at a really high level... he's a player who goes beyond the statistics, how he can change a game, condition opponents, the number of players he can attract," enthused Arbeloa.

"He is one of the best in the world, and it is a privilege to coach him."

As Madrid's key attacker against La Real and operating in plenty of space, Vinicius put his stamp on the game.

However, he will have to share the star billing with Mbappe at Benfica's Estadio da Luz.

"(Mbappe) is doing very well. Obviously, he has been dealing with these minor issues for quite some time this season," said Arbeloa.

"He is making a great effort every time he steps onto the field, and we have decided not to take risks so that he will be ready to start the match on Tuesday. That will be the case."

- Key question -

Arbeloa has made it clear since replacing Xabi Alonso at the helm in January that he intends to lean on Madrid's star players when they are available.

Alonso's rotation policy and attempt at a meritocracy did not suit some of Madrid's stars and Arbeloa's strategy of keeping them content, from former Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti's playbook, seems to be working reasonably well so far.

Vinicius's form has risen sharply since Arbeloa's arrival, after a long goal drought impacted Alonso's stint at the helm.

However, Ancelotti could not solve the problem either and while the immense quality of Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham and co can help Madrid overpower most teams, they can also come undone easily against well-prepared opponents.

Madrid's Galactico gamble between 2000-2006 ended badly, with superstars including Luis Figo, David Beckham and Ronaldo winning limited silverware with the club.

Mbappe and Vinicius have at least said they enjoy playing with each other, and they mesh better now than during the first months after the Frenchman's arrival last season, when they often occupied similar spaces.

Yet with neither particularly fond of pressing or fulfilling defensive duties, it makes life hard for the rest of the team behind them.

After beating Real Sociedad, midfielder Fede Valverde praised the team's grit.

"Everyone worked hard... you could tell that we were defending as a team during the whole game," said Valverde.

Whether they can repeat that against Benfica on Tuesday, and other top opposition down the line, with both Vinicius and Mbappe in the team is the key question yet to be answered.


Alcaraz Says he Still Has 'Weaknesses' Ahead of Return in Doha

FILE PHOTO: File Photo: Formula One F1 - Pre Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 12, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the pre season testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: File Photo: Formula One F1 - Pre Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 12, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the pre season testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo/File Photo
TT

Alcaraz Says he Still Has 'Weaknesses' Ahead of Return in Doha

FILE PHOTO: File Photo: Formula One F1 - Pre Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 12, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the pre season testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: File Photo: Formula One F1 - Pre Season Testing - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - February 12, 2026 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz during the pre season testing REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo/File Photo

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz ‌said he is still ironing out weaknesses in his game even after capturing all four Grand Slam titles by the age of 22, as he returns to action at the Qatar Open this week.

The Spaniard became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam when he beat 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic 2-6 6-2 6-3 7-5 in the Australian Open final this month, the latest step in what is now one of the sport's fastest-rising careers.

Ahead of ‌his campaign in ‌Doha, where his great rival Jannik ‌Sinner ⁠and a host ⁠of other challengers are in the field, Alcaraz said he was only focused on improvement as he seeks to hit the ground running after an extended break.

"Obviously I can see that (I have had) a lot of success so far, winning the biggest tournaments in the world," Reuters quoted Alcaraz as saying on ⁠Sunday.

"But I see myself with weaknesses. A ‌lot of players, I know they're ‌trying to catch up with me in terms of studying ‌my game, how I play and trying to beat me, ‌trying to challenge me.

"I have to be ready for that and see where my level is, where my tennis is. I have to try to put myself in their minds and think ‌what they could do when playing against me.

"So that's what I mean about saying ⁠I have ⁠to improve some things. Obviously, you cannot be lagging in the level, you just have to keep it going."

Alcaraz opens his campaign against Arthur Rinderknech, a player he has beaten in all four of their previous meetings, but the top seed said he is not taking anyone lightly.

"I know how difficult every match is," Alcaraz said.

"Every match is different, our play is totally different. I think this draw is a really tough one for an ATP 500 tournament.

"So I'm thinking about one match at a time, and let's see how far I can go."