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Napoli down Sampdoria 2-0 to stretch Serie A lead as Milan draw

MILAN: Despite missing an early penalty, Napoli bounced back from their first league defeat of the season to beat 10-man Sampdoria 2-0 and extend their lead at the top of Serie A on Sunday.

Dembele earns Barca La Liga advantage in tense Atletico triumph

MADRID: Ousmane Dembele’s strike sent Barcelona three points clear at the top of La Liga with a tense 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Capitalising on champions Real Madrid’s defeat by Villarreal, Barcelona set out to make a statement victory at the Metropolitano. Shorn of suspended top scorer Robert Lewandowski, Xavi selected Ansu Fati up front in his place, but it was Dembele who made the difference, finishing a slick move in the 22nd minute.

Green Falcons ready for crunch Arabian Gulf Cup clash with Iraq

BASRA: Saudi Arabia concluded on Sunday preparations for their match against Iraq in the second round of matches at the Arabian Gulf Cup on Monday.

Pep Guardiola tells Chelsea to back under-fire Graham Potter after 4-0 FA Cup rout

MANCHESTER: Pep Guardiola told Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly to back under-fire boss Graham Potter after Manchester City thrashed the Blues 4-0 in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.Potter’s troubled side were beaten by City for the second time in four days as their hopes of winning a domestic cup this season came to a painful end.Already knocked out of the League Cup by City in November and defeated 1-0 by the Premier League champions on Thursday, Chelsea’s turbulent season was pushed deeper into crisis as Guardiola’s men ran riot at the Etihad Stadium.Riyad Mahrez started the demolition with a fine free-kick before Julian Alvarez’s penalty and a Phil Foden strike made it 3-0 before half-time.Mahrez’s late spot-kick capped Chelsea’s first FA Cup third round exit since 1998 after they had finished runners-up in the competition for the last three years.With Chelsea languishing in 10th place in the Premier League — 10 points adrift of the top four — Potter is already beginning to feel the heat just four months after replacing the sacked Thomas Tuchel.The former Brighton manager will hardly have been comforted by the sound of Chelsea fans chanting Tuchel’s name and sarcastically shouting “shoot” whenever they embarked on a rare attack during their latest abject defeat.Chelsea have won only three of their last 12 games in all competitions, but Guardiola came to Potter’s aid as he urged the Blues hierarchy to give him time to make his methods work.“I would say to Todd Boehly, give him time. I know in big clubs, results are important but I’d say give him time,” Guardiola said.“What he’s done at Brighton is outstanding, but we need time in the first season.