Sports
El Clasico: Bellingham hits brace as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1
El Clasico: Bellingham hits brace as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1
Jude Bellingham scored an incredible equaliser and a 92nd minute winner to help Real Madrid come from behind to beat rivals Barcelona on his first El Clasico appearance.
Ilkay Gundogan’s first Barca goal had put the hosts ahead after six minutes.
But Bellingham smashed a sensational leveller in the 68th minute, finding the top corner from 30 yards out.
The England midfielder then netted an injury-time volley to continue his fairytale start to his Real career.
Bellingham, 20, now has 14 goals in 16 matches for club and country this season.
Los Blancos’ win meant they moved above Girona on goal difference at the top of La Liga, and four points clear of third-placed Barcelona.
The former Birmingham City midfielder arrived from Borussia Dortmund for 103m euros (£88.5m) this summer – and has proved his worth with crucial contributions.
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Bellingham has scored 13 goals in 13 appearances for the club, only failing to find the net in three matches.
But Real and Bellingham had started slowly, as a lapse in concentration saw Gundogan pick up a loose ball in the box before sliding a calm finish for the opener.
Barcelona almost grabbed a second straight after the restart when defender Inigo Martinez headed against the post and Real Madrid keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga kept out Ronald Araujo’s effort from the rebound.
Fermin Lopez also fired against the post as Xavi’s side posed the greater attacking threat.
But Real survived and equalised against the run of play when Bellingham collected the ball and drove an effort beyond Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
And in the closing stages the visitors were a level above in pursuit of the winner.
It came when Dani Carvajal swung in a hopeful cross that was flicked on by Luka Modric and met by the onrushing Bellingham, who hooked in to decide a thrilling encounter.
El Clasico: Bellingham hits brace as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1
Sports
Haaland scores as Man City beat Leicester 2-0
Haaland scores as Man City beat Leicester 2-0
Savinho and Erling Haaland scored to give Manchester City, Man City a much-needed 2-0 victory, in manager Pep Guardiola’s 500th game in charge, over Leicester City at King Power Stadium on Sunday, the champions’ first win in five Premier League games.
Man City’s second win in 14 games across all competitions meant they climbed two spots to fifth place in the standings with 31 points, 11 behind leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand. Leicester remain in the danger zone in 18th place.
Savinho netted his first goal for City in the 21st minute when he pounced on a rebound from Phil Foden’s long shot after Leicester goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk pushed the ball into his path. The Brazilian fired into the roof of the net from a tight angle.
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Haaland, who has just two goals in eight league games in his worst stretch of his Premier League career, doubled City’s lead in the 74th minute when he headed home a looping cross from Savinho, who latched onto a pass from Kevin de Bruyne.
Their victory was far from a walkover, however.
Leicester fans screamed for a penalty early on when Jamie Vardy found himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from a counter-attack. Ortega brought Vardy down in the box but Man City were saved by the offside flag.
Josko Gvardiol nearly cost Guardiola’s team a first-half goal with a disastrous header back to Ortega that was intercepted. City’s disorganised back line saw Facundo Buonanotte clatter a shot off the bar minutes later.
Leicester had another glorious chance early in the second half when Vardy headed into the box and James Justin got a touch on it that looked headed into the back of the net before Manuel Akanji cleared it off the line.
Haaland scores as Man City beat Leicester 2-0
Sports
Nottingham Forest rise to second after 2-0 win at Everton
Nottingham Forest rise to second after 2-0 win at Everton
Nottingham Forest ended the year on a high by beating toothless Everton to move up to second in the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s high-flying side are quickly turning into the story of the season with stellar showings that are threatening to disrupt the top-flight’s elite.
With Arsenal not in action until Wednesday, victory at Goodison Park guaranteed finishing the day just a place behind leaders Liverpool, who travel to West Ham later on Sunday (kick-off 17:15 GMT).
Striker Chris Wood was involved in both of his side’s goals, netting a delightful finish for his 11th league goal of a fruitful campaign, before feeding Morgan Gibbs-White for the captain to coolly convert in the second half.
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New Zealander Wood had given the Everton defence a couple of warning signs when he fired a long-range volley wide and flicked a header over, but made no mistake when exchanging headers with Anthony Elanga before producing a lofted finish over the stranded Jordan Pickford.
At the other end, Armando Broja was given his first Toffees start and showed quick feet on the edge of the area but drilled wide, while Ramon Sosa should have doubled Nottingham’s lead before half-time when played through, but the Paraguayan sent his shot the wrong side of the post.
Gibbs-White made sure of the points just after the hour mark, cutting inside and firing home to lift Nottingham up to being Liverpool’s closest title challengers at the halfway stage.
Nottingham Forest rise to second after 2-0 win at Everton
Sports
Salah strikes as Liverpool hammer West Ham 5-0
Salah strikes as Liverpool hammer West Ham 5-0
Liverpool stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points as they thrashed an abject West Ham United at the London Stadium.
It was another capital goal-fest for Arne Slot’s irresistible side after the 6-3 win at Tottenham seven days previously, the outcome never in doubt as a first-half masterclass left a desperately passive Hammers well beaten.
Liverpool had already missed several chances before Luis Diaz gave them the lead with a powerful finish on the half-hour mark. Cody Gakpo was then the beneficiary of Mohamed Salah’s brilliant footwork to add a second after 40 minutes, before the Egyptian inevitably got in on the act himself with a low drive on the stroke of half-time for his 20th goal of a superb season.
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Julen Lopetegui’s side could not even manage damage limitation as Trent Alexander-Arnold added the fourth after 54 minutes when his long-range effort took a deflection off Max Kilman’s head past Alphonse Areola.
Only Mohammed Kudus offered anything resembling hope for the hosts, hitting the woodwork in each half while Luis Guilherme did the same just before the end, but this was no consolation as they were utterly outclassed by this rampant Liverpool outfit.
The gap in quality was emphasised six minutes from time when Salah bamboozled several West Ham defenders with a brilliant run from inside his own half before setting up substitute Diogo Jota for a typically clinical finish
Salah strikes as Liverpool hammer West Ham 5-0
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