Zlatan continues to amaze! Ibrahimovic hat-trick propels LA Galaxy to 7-2 victory

Ibrahimovic is now within two goals of Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela in pursuit of the MLS Golden Boot award.

LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates a goal against Sporting Kansas City at StubHub Center.(USA TODAY Sports)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat-trick as Los Angeles Galaxy pummelled Sporting Kansas City 7-2 on Sunday to put themselves in the thick of the Major League Soccer playoff race.

After giving up an early goal to Sporting’s Felipe Gutierrez, the Galaxy stormed back to climb from eighth place and outside the MLS Cup playoff positions in the Western Conference and into fifth.

Former Sweden and Manchester United striker Ibrahimovic launched the comeback in the 32nd minute, after Los Angeles were awarded a penalty because of Matt Besler’s handball in the area.

Ibrahimovic’s effort from the spot was deflected by Tim Melia, but the Sporting goalkeeper couldn’t hang onto the ball and as he slid helplessly to the ground Ibrahimovic stepped forward to slot the ball into the net.

The floodgates opened for the Galaxy in the second half. After Joe Corona’s header made it 2-1, Ibrahimovic bagged his second, controlling a cross from Rolf Feltscher and beating Melia with a left-footed blast.

After a goal from Uriel Antuna and a brace from Sebastien Lletget, Ibrahimovic completed his third MLS hat-trick before Gutierrez rounded out the scoring with Sporting’s second.

“We said at half-time we need to keep going,” said Ibrahimovic, who set a Galaxy club record with 26 goals for the season, surpassing the 24 scored by Carlos Ruiz in 2002.

Ibrahimovic is now within two goals of Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela in pursuit of the MLS Golden Boot award.

The goal-fest — it was the most goals scored in a match by the Galaxy since 1998 — came after an eight-match stretch in which they had only earned five points.

“The result says it was easy but it was not easy,” Ibrahimovic said. “The second half we were much stronger. When we had the opportunities we scored, that was the key thing.

“Like I said before the game we need to get a good result to win and get the confidence,” he added. “So we bring the confidence to the next game. Today was a good game but it’s not over yet.

“Four games left and hopefully we can do the same job like we did today.”

Cristiano Ronaldo breaks down in tears during interview with Piers Morgan – Watch

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed that he had never seen the video featuring his father Jose Dinis Aveiro and became extremely emotional while taking about Aveiro who died in 2005.

A file photo of Cristiano Ronaldo.(Getty Images)

Portugal and Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo broke down in tears during a recent interview with English journalist Piers Morgan while taking about his father Jose Dinis Aveiro. Morgan showed Ronaldo a video of his father where he talked about how proud he was because of his son’s achievements. Ronaldo claimed that he had never seen the video and became extremely emotional while taking about Aveiro who died in 2005.

“I never saw the video. I never saw that video. Unbelievable. To be the number one and he doesn’t see anything. He doesn’t see me receive awards,” Ronaldo said during the interview. When Morgan said that Aveiro was never able to see how great Ronaldo became, the footballer responded – “Never. My family see, my mum, my brothers, even my old son, but my father, he didn’t see nothing, and it was… he died young.”

Aveiro passed away on the eve of Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League encounter against Villarreal in 2005 and manager Alex Ferguson allowed him to miss the match in order to be with his father in the hospital.

In a recent interview, Ronaldo also admitted that his long-time rivalry with Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has made him “a better player” and that he enjoys a “healthy” rivalry with the Argentine great. During the UEFA awards ceremony which took place earlier this month, Ronaldo was once again all praise for Messi and even said that he is open to having dinner with the Argentine – something that they have not done till now.

“I really admire the career he has had and from his side, he has already talked of the disappointment when I left Spain because it was a rivalry that he appreciated,” Ronaldo told TVI in Portugal.

“I have no doubt that Messi has made me a better player and vice-versa. When I am winning trophies it must sting him and it’s the same for me when he wins,” he said. “I have an excellent professional relationship because we have been sharing the same moments for 15 years.

Premier League: Arsenal captain Granit Xhaka says they were scared at Watford

Arsenal lost control of the game in the second half as they gifted a goal to Tom Cleverley by trying to play out from the back before a rash challenge by Brazilian David Luiz allowed Roberto Pereyra to score from the spot.

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Arsenal’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos, center, shouts at his teammates during their English Premier League match against Watford.(AP)

Arsenal skipper Granit Xhaka accused his team mates of being scared after the Gunners threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Watford in the Premier League on Sunday. Victory would have put Arsenal in third place and they looked comfortable when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice in the first half at Vicarage Road.

But Arsenal lost control of the game in the second half as they gifted a goal to Tom Cleverley by trying to play out from the back before a rash challenge by Brazilian David Luiz allowed Roberto Pereyra to score from the spot.

Watford then spurned two golden late chances to seal a remarkable comeback victory.

Arsenal have conceded nine goals in their last four Premier League games after opening the season with a 1-0 win at Newcastle United. They have also allowed 96 shots at their goal this season, more than any other team in Europe’s top leagues.

Watford alone had 31 goal attempts, the most Arsenal have faced since Premier League stats partner Opta began collecting data in 2003-04.

Swiss international Xhaka did not hold back in his analysis.

“What went wrong? That’s a good question,” he told the BBC. “At half-time we went to the dressing room and everything was good. Everyone was happy but we came out and played such a bad second half. You have to say we are happy to take a point.

“We were scared in the second half. We knew they would come at us and push us hard but we have to show more character and not be scared. We have spoken about it. We cannot give a performance like this in the second half.

“We knew they had nothing to lose and they would come for us but we didn’t show our game, we were too scared, nobody wanted the ball,” he added. “You have to stay calm, be mentally strong and we weren’t today.”

Klopp expects daunting ride as Liverpool eye Istanbul return

The Reds have reached the last two Champions League finals, beating Tottenham in the Spanish capital in June after losing to Real Madrid 12 months earlier.

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Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp — Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp(AP)

Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool that retaining the Champions League will be even harder than their incredible march to victory in Madrid last season. Klopp’s side start their bid to win a seventh European Cup with a trip to Napoli for their Group E opener on Tuesday.

The Reds have reached the last two Champions League finals, beating Tottenham in the Spanish capital in June after losing to Real Madrid 12 months earlier.

But Klopp believes Liverpool face a daunting task to make it to the final in Istanbul’s Ataturk Stadium — a venue which carries extra resonance for the club after they won the 2005 Champions League with an astonishing comeback against AC Milan in the same stadium.

Before Liverpool can dream of emulating Steven Gerrard and company’s triumph by the banks of the Bosphorus, Klopp knows they will have to run the gauntlet in what he expects to be a fiercely contested tournament.

Napoli are expected to pose the sternest test to Liverpool in a group which also includes unfancied Salzburg and Genk.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team came within a whisker of ending Liverpool’s European campaign in the group stage last season when Alisson Becker’s superb late save denied Arkadiusz Milik to preserve a 1-0 win at Anfield that sent the Reds into the last 16 at the expense of Napoli.

Even if Liverpool should advance to the knockout rounds without so much drama this season, Klopp is wary of the restocked superpowers certain to be lying in wait in the latter stages.

“I will have no problem with it (reaching the final) if it happens again, but at this moment I am not too sure it will,” he said when the draw was made in August.

“We have the same chance like everyone else, but that is all, and I don’t see us, the English teams, dominating. I really think a lot of teams have a good chance.

“Look at the squad Borussia Dortmund has and tell me we are stronger than them. That is incredible. They can make five changes and you think: ‘Really, they didn’t play last week? Why?’ There are a lot of quality teams.

“Juventus will be there, PSG will be there. Real Madrid? Do you think they gave up already? Bayern Munich now finally brought in Perisic and Coutinho which is a big boost.”

While Liverpool will always have a special relationship with the Champions League after the club’s dominance of the competition in the 1970s and 1980s, it is not hard to believe that some die-hard Kopites would happily exchange their continental supremacy for a season of domestic bliss.

Having erased the pain of that 2018 final defeat against Real, Liverpool’s main goal this term is to end the club’s long wait to win the English title.

Pipped to the Premier League trophy by Manchester City on the final day of last season, Liverpool are desperate to win the title for the first time since 1990.

That desire has been clear to see in a blistering five-game winning streak which has already taken them to the top of the table this season.

Even an injury to Alisson has failed to interrupt their flow and the Brazilian keeper’s replacement Adrian admits Liverpool’s rock-solid defence — marshalled by the imperious Virgil van Dijk — has made his life much easier as the former West Ham player adapts to his new club.

“It’s easy to play with them; you have some of the best players in the world, the best defenders, midfielders and attackers. From the back, I need to help on the occasions when I have to,” Adrian said.

“I’m really proud to have won the last few games. We are in a good moment, we are like a rock – all together, the manager, the staff, players and fans. The club is living a great moment.”

Chelsea’s new project bearing fruit as Valencia self-destruct

There have been a few early bumps in the road for Lampard, a returning hero for the fans after scoring a club record 211 goals and winning 13 trophies, including Chelsea’s only Champions League crown, as a player.

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It is a sign of the changed days at Stamford Bridge that Chelsea go into a Champions League clash with Valencia on Tuesday as the example of stability and long-term planning. The Europa League winners return to European football’s top tier under new management in Frank Lampard and having ushered in a new era where youth will be given its chance to shine rather than depending on the deep pockets of Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

There have been a few early bumps in the road for Lampard, a returning hero for the fans after scoring a club record 211 goals and winning 13 trophies, including Chelsea’s only Champions League crown, as a player.

A 4-0 opening day defeat to Manchester United and blowing a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at home to newly-promoted Sheffield United exposed the frailties in relying on an inexperienced core of players.

But Lampard’s faith in youth has largely been justified.

Led by a hat-trick from Tammy Abraham, Chelsea thrashed Wolves 5-2 on Saturday to move level with United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Leicester in the early race for Champions League football again next season.

Fikayo Tomori also struck his first goal for the club at Molineux, while Mason Mount continued the form that earned him an England call-up with his third goal in five games.

All 11 league goals scored by Chelsea so far this season have now come from that trio, all of whom have graduated through the club’s academy but were shipped out on loan under previous managers.

“They should aspire and feel the opportunity is there if they deserve it, and they should see their team-mates doing really well and want to get in there,” said Lampard.

“They are there because they deserve it. It’s important we also respect the experienced players have played a huge part.

“If we are going to be successful this season we can’t rely on the young boys, although at the minute they are doing a good job!”

In contrast to Chelsea’s bright hope for the future, Valencia travel to England mired in an institutional and sporting crisis.

After guiding Los Che back to the Champions League in his two full seasons in charge and winning the club’s first trophy for 11 years by beating Barcelona to lift the Copa del Rey in May, Marcelino García Toral was sacked as coach last week by Valencia’s Singaporean owner Peter Lim.

Players, fans and the media reacted with fury amid calls for Lim to sell the club.

“Whoever took this decision not only trampled over you (Marcelino), but over a whole squad and fanbase,” said defender Ezequiel Garay.

Worse was to come when Albert Celades’s first game in charge on Saturday ended in a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Barca.

“We can’t hide what has happened in the past few days and how traumatic it has been for some,” admitted Celades.

That was the first time Valencia had conceded five goals or more since Gary Neville saw his side thrashed 7-0 at the Camp Nou in 2016.

Neville’s ill-fated four months at the Mestalla was another controversial call by Lim that backfired.

Celades is now the seventh Valencia coach in the five years since Lim’s takeover of the club.

Chelsea fans know how that revolving door of managers feels. Abramovich has been just as trigger happy with Lampard the 12th man to take charge under the Russian.

Time will tell if the former England midfielder’s hero status at the club will ensure Abramovich is more patient with his project to build for the long-term.

But for now, Chelsea are just happy to not be the ones cast in the role of a club in crisis.