Leicester Beats West Brom 3-0 to Strengthen Hold on 3rd

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes celebrate. (Reuters)
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes celebrate. (Reuters)
TT

Leicester Beats West Brom 3-0 to Strengthen Hold on 3rd

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes celebrate. (Reuters)
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Harvey Barnes celebrate. (Reuters)

Jamie Vardy ended his two-month goal drought as Leicester tightened its grip on a Champions League spot with a 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Thursday that pushed the visitors closer to relegation.

Vardy had not netted in his previous 11 games but opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, with Jonny Evans and Kelechi Iheanacho adding goals before the break.

The win strengthened Leicester's hold on third place, putting the Foxes four points clear of Chelsea and West Ham.

West Brom remained nine points from safety in 19th place with six games left.

Leicester reached the FA Cup final for the first time in 52 years on Sunday, and Brendan Rodgers' team started in buoyant mood and could have gone ahead after three minutes.

Conor Townsend’s mistake allowed Iheanacho to run clean through but the forward -- with 12 goals in his previous 12 games — took a heavy touch which allowed Sam Johnstone to force him wide.

But Leicester took charge with two quick strikes as Vardy ended his long wait for a goal after 23 minutes.

Youri Tielemans’ pass split the Albion defense for Timothy Castagne to run clear and find Vardy to finish for his 15th goal of the season, but just a second in 20 games.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 when Callum Robinson deflected Tielemans’ corner perfectly for Evans to hammer home a header from six yards.

The Baggies were remarkably open, reminiscent of when they conceded 19 goals in Sam Allardyce’s first five home games, and Leicester wrapped the game up nine minutes before the break.

Vardy glided past Townsend to tee up Iheanacho, who continued his hot streak by firing into the roof of the net.

It came seconds after Pereira’s corner hit the top of Leicester’s bar but there was no way back for West Brom.



Van Dijk Wants 'Leader' Salah to Stay at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah has scored just four Premier League goals this season © Paul ELLIS / AFP
Mohamed Salah has scored just four Premier League goals this season © Paul ELLIS / AFP
TT

Van Dijk Wants 'Leader' Salah to Stay at Liverpool

Mohamed Salah has scored just four Premier League goals this season © Paul ELLIS / AFP
Mohamed Salah has scored just four Premier League goals this season © Paul ELLIS / AFP

Virgil van Dijk wants Mohamed Salah to stay at Liverpool despite the Egyptian star's incendiary rant about the club, but the Reds captain admits he does not know what will happen over the next few weeks, AFP reported.

Salah came off the bench against Brighton on Saturday for his first appearance since claiming he had been "thrown under the bus" by the club following last weekend's 3-3 draw with Leeds.

The forward also said in the same interview at Elland Road that he had no relationship with Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who had named him as a substitute for three straight games.

Salah was then omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, a 1-0 win for Liverpool, but he was back in action as a first-half substitute against Brighton.

The 33-year-old provided an assist for Hugo Ekitike's second goal in a much-needed 2-0 win, but will now jet to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and could be absent for five weeks.

After the match, Slot said there was "no issue to resolve" with his star forward, but speculation continues to rumble over the player's future.

Van Dijk is adamant that he wants Salah to stay and said he had told him so.

"I would love to have him around because he is one of the leaders, but the fact is he is going to AFCON. We will be in contact over the next days and weeks like we always are and let's see," the Dutch defender said.

"I wish him absolutely all the best -- and (to) come back, hopefully. I have no control over that.

"We hope he will be absolutely successful there and we all hope he will be coming back to be important for the rest of the season.

"But, on the other side of it, we all know football and have no idea what is going to happen."

Premier League champions Liverpool ended a tumultuous week by extending their unbeaten run to five matches in all competitions.

Van Dijk said it proved the dressing room had not been distracted by the Salah situation.

"As a captain I have to deal with how the boys react to it and they reacted perfectly fine. Mo, in the end, reacted perfectly fine as well," he added.

Van Dijk also praised Slot for dealing with a tumultuous period at Liverpool, whose Premier League title defense has collapsed in recent weeks.

"There is a lot of noise, pressure from the outside world and rightly so as we've not been close to the standard we were showing last season," he said.

"But personally looking at it, and from the conversations we have on a daily basis, I think he has handled it very well.

"This moment of time is a very good moment to see how everyone responds. I think the manager has done perfectly."


Real Sociedad Sack Coach Francisco Amid Slump

Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025.  EPA/Javier Etxezarreta
Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025. EPA/Javier Etxezarreta
TT

Real Sociedad Sack Coach Francisco Amid Slump

Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025.  EPA/Javier Etxezarreta
Real Sociedad's head coach Sergio Francisco sits on the bench before their Spanish LaLiga soccer match between Real Sociedad and Girona CF, played at the Reale Arena in Girona, Spain, 12 December 2025. EPA/Javier Etxezarreta

Real Sociedad sacked coach Sergio Francisco on Sunday with the team down in 15th in La Liga, just one point above the relegation zone.

The Basque side reached the Europa League last 16 last season and finished in mid-table in the Spanish top flight, with Imanol Alguacil departing at the end of the campaign.

Real Sociedad promoted Francisco from the reserve team Sanse to take his place, but La Real have won only four of 16 league matches during his time at the helm. On Friday they lost 2-1 at home against Girona, 18th, which sealed his fate.

"Current Sanse coach Jon Ansotegi will be in charge of leading, provisionally, the team into the two matches they have before the Christmas break," said Real Sociedad in a statement, according to AFP.

They visit Eldense on Tuesday in the Copa del Rey before a crunch league clash with Levante, 20th, on Saturday.


Salah Sets up Goal on Return to Liverpool Action

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
TT

Salah Sets up Goal on Return to Liverpool Action

Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)
Liverpool's Egyptian striker #11 Mohamed Salah applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 13, 2025. (AFP)

Mohamed Salah set up a goal in Liverpool's 2-0 win against Brighton on Saturday as he returned to action after an explosive outburst cast doubt over his future at the Premier League champions.

The Egypt forward, the subject of intense scrutiny in the build-up to the game at Anfield, came off the substitutes' bench to huge cheers in the 26th minute, replacing injured defender Joe Gomez.

The home team, whose title defense has collapsed after a shocking run of results, were leading 1-0 at the time, with France forward Hugo Ekitike on the scoresheet after just 46 seconds.

Brighton squandered a number of opportunities to level and Ekitike scored his second with half an hour to go, heading home Salah's corner.

The Egyptian superstar now has 277 goal involvements for Liverpool in the Premier League -- 188 goals and 89 assists -- a new record by a player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney's mark for Manchester United.

"Mohamed is a great, great professional," Ekitike told the BBC. "I look to him as an example. You can see how much he is involved in goals and assists.

"He is a legend here. To share the pitch is a blessing. That's the kind of player who makes us like to watch football."

Saturday marked a dramatic change of mood for Salah, who last week accused Liverpool of throwing him "under the bus" after he was left on the bench for the 3-3 draw at Leeds -- the third match in a row that he had been named among the replacements.

The 33-year-old winger also said he had no relationship with manager Arne Slot in his extraordinary outburst and was omitted from the midweek Champions League trip to Inter Milan, which Liverpool won 1-0.

Slot said at his pre-match press conference that he would hold talks with Salah and there was feverish speculation in the build-up to Saturday's match about what role the Egyptian would play.

Liverpool made a lightning start, taking the lead in the first minute when Joe Gomez set up Ekitike, who thumped the ball past Bart Verbruggen.

Brighton's Diego Gomez squandered a good chance and Brajan Gruda went close as the home crowd chanted Salah's name.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the 60th minute when Ekitike headed home Salah's corner.

The Egyptian himself went close in stoppage time after he was set up by Federico Chiesa but he blazed over.

He was embraced by teammates at the final whistle and was applauded by fans.

The win -- Liverpool's first at Anfield since November 4 -- lifts Slot's men to sixth in the table, easing the pressure on the beleaguered coach.

- Salah departure -

Salah, who signed a new two-year contract at Liverpool in April, will now depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The length of his absence depends on how far Egypt go in the competition in Morocco, with the final on January 18.

The forward had invited his family to the Brighton game as speculation swirled over his future.

"I will be in Anfield to say goodbye to the fans and go to the Africa Cup," he told reporters last week. "I don't know what is going to happen when I am there."

Salah, third in Liverpool's all-time scoring charts with 250 goals, has won two Premier League titles and one Champions League crown during his spell on Merseyside.

He scored 29 Premier League goals last season as Liverpool romped to a 20th English league title, but has managed just four league goals this season.