Chelsea cemented their position on top of the Premier League with a 3-1 victory at title rivals Manchester City, while Alexis Sanchez’s hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing of West Ham took Arsenal into second place on Saturday (Dec 3).

Chelsea’s Brazilian defender David Luiz (C) vies with Manchester City’s Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on Dec 3, 2016. (AFP/Paul Ellis)

Gary Cahill’s own goal from a Jesus Navas cross gifted City the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Diego Costa equalised with a clinical finish in the 60th minute.

Costa capped a dominant display by setting up substitute Willian for Chelsea’s second goal in the 70th minute before Eden Hazard struck to send Antonio Conte’s men four points clear of City at the top.

City’s frustration boiled over in stoppage time with red cards for Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, the former for an ugly lunge on David Luiz, the latter for pushing Cesc Fabregas over an advertising board.

“It was very tough and the game was open until the end. There were lots of chances for both teams to score,” Conte said. “I saw lots of character from my team and that’s very important to grow. But we must continue to work and improve.”

City striker Aguero faces a four-match ban and boss Pep Guardiola said: “It’s a pity it finished like this. I don’t like that. I apologise for what happened.”

Chelsea’s eighth successive league victory condemned Guardiola to a first defeat at Eastlands, where his side have now gone four home games without a win.

City were left to rue some profligate finishing as Kevin de Bruyne hit the crossbar from close-range before Chelsea’s equaliser.

While City spluttered, Arsenal stepped up their title challenge with a ruthless performance that kept them within three points of Chelsea.

Arsene Wenger’s side struck in the 24th minute when Angelo Ogbonna was caught in possession and Alexis Sanchez seized on the loose ball to set up Mesut Ozil, who tapped into the empty net.

Chile forward Sanchez got the second in the 72nd minute with a clinical finish and netted again eight minutes later.

West Ham substitute Andy Carroll struck in the 81st minute, only for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to smash in Arsenal’s fourth moments later.

Sanchez completed his treble with a deft 86th-minute effort as Arsenal extended their unbeaten league run to 13 matches.

“Sanchez can always give you something special. He’s a fighter and a classy player. You don’t find many like him,” Wenger said. “I believe we are on a strong run and it’s down to us to be mentally ready to maintain that run.”

PARDEW RELIEVED

Sunderland climbed off the bottom with a 2-1 win over Leicester.

David Moyes’ side took the lead in the 64th minute when Leicester defender Robert Huth deflected a Jan Kirchhoff header into his own net.

Jermain Defoe grabbed Sunderland’s second goal in the 77th minute and although Japan striker Shinji Okazaki reduced the deficit three minutes later, the hosts held on for a third win in their last four league games.

Struggling champions Leicester remain just two points above the relegation zone after a fifth successive league game without a win.

Harry Kane’s double and a brilliant strike from Son Heung-Min inspired Tottenham as they got back on track with a 5-0 demolition of Swansea.

Mauricio Pochettino’s fifth-placed team suffered their first league defeat of the season at Chelsea last weekend, but they won for just the second time in their last seven league games after opening the scoring in the 39th minute.

England forward Kane drilled in the penalty after Kyle Naughton was harshly ruled to have fouled Dele Alli.

A superb volley from Son doubled Tottenham’s lead just before half-time and ended the South Korean’s 10-match goal drought.

Kane struck again four minutes after the interval and Christian Eriksen claimed Tottenham’s final two goals in the 70th and 90th minutes to leave Swansea bottom of the table.

Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke eased the pressure on boss Alan Pardew with a brace in a 3-0 win over Southampton at Selhurst Park.

After six successive defeats, including an astonishing late meltdown in a 5-4 loss at Swansea last weekend, Pardew finally got a lucky break when Palace went ahead in the 33rd minute.

Southampton keeper Fraser Forster miskicked Jose Fonte’s backpass to gift the simplest of tap-ins to former Liverpool forward Benteke.

James Tomkins netted for Palace in the 36th minute and Benteke marked his 26th birthday with his second goal in the 85th minute.

Stoke eased to a 2-0 win against Burnley, while West Bromwich Albion beat Watford 3-1.

Collated English Premier League results on Saturday:

Crystal Palace 3 Southampton 0

Manchester City 1 Chelsea 3

Stoke 2 Burnley 0

Sunderland 2 Leicester 1

Tottenham 5 Swansea 0

West Brom 3 Watford 1

West Ham 1 Arsenal 5

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho could have been involved in a multimillion-euro system of “tax evasion”, according to leaked documents obtained by a number of media outlets.

A group of 12 European newspapers said it intends to disclose over the next three weeks the results of investigations into widespread alleged corruption at the heart of football under the banner “Football Leaks”.

Both Ronaldo and Mourinho say that they have fully complied with British and Spanish fiscal requirements.

Based on leaked documents obtained by German weekly Der Spiegel, the outlets claim that Real Madrid and Portuguese star Ronaldo could have “hidden €150 million in tax havens in Switzerland and the British Virgin Islands”.

“On this amount, the striker paid only €5.6 million in taxes, or barely four per cent,” added the report.

Ronaldo, it is claimed, benefits from “a system developed by his agent Jorge Mendes”.

They cite two operations related to advertising revenue of the Portuguese star.

The first, between 2009 and 2014, could represent “€74.8 million via an offshore company called Tollin, registered in the British Virgin Islands”, said the report released Friday.

“He would have eventually declared a part of it,” added the report sent to AFP by the Mediapart organisation. “The lawyers of the player told the (media) consortium that a Spanish tax audit aimed at Cristiano Ronaldo was still in progress,” the newspapers said.

In the second operation, Ronaldo could have “avoided €31 million of taxes” according to these newspapers, making the most of “12 days of an ultra-advantageous tax regime” on his marketing rights for the period 2015-2020.

According to the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) consortium, Manchester United manager Mourinho is said – again via Mendes – to have “concealed €12 million in a Swiss account owned by a British Virgin Islands company”.

It was “subject to a tax audit in Spain … which resulted in a recovery of €4.4 million, penalties included”.

Friday’s first batch of leaks centred on “a system” put in place, according to the newspapers, by Mendes, the super-agent of Ronaldo and Mourinho.

The system overall would have accounted for a loss of “at least €185 million of sponsorship income from the tax administrations through a network of offshore accounts and offshore companies in Ireland, the British Virgin Islands, Panama and Switzerland”.

STRENUOUS DENIAL

In response, Mendes’s company Gestifute said Friday that Ronaldo and Mourinho had “fully respected their obligations vis-a-vis the Spanish and British authorities”.

The company accused the media consortium of operating in an “insidious” way concerning the stars’ tax obligations.

It said that neither Ronaldo nor Mourinho “have been implicated in legal proceedings of the tax evasion commission in Spain”.

Earlier Friday, Gestifute said that last March “a number of societies linked to the world of football were the victims of cyber-attacks” which saw the leaking of documents published by Football Leaks “in several countries in Europe, notably Spain”.

The company noted they had taken legal redress against claims of tax evasion and stressed it had always acted with “the highest degree of professionalism in relations with (its) clients and authorities”.

More than 18 million leaked documents have been examined in the expose.

In weeks to come, the media organisations, which include Der Spiegel, The Sunday Times in Britain and Spain’s El Mundo, say they will also publish allegations of prostitution and exploitation of minors in football.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Antoine Griezmann both appeared among the 55 nominees for the FIFPro 2016 World 11 released on Thursday (Dec 1) but Wayne Rooney failed to make the shortlist for the first time.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, led his country to victory at Euro 2016. (Photo: AFP/Francisco Leong)

Portugal captain Ronaldo, led his country to victory at Euro 2016, while France forward Griezmann was the top player at the tournament.

It is the first time that 25-year-old Griezmann has made the cut, but England captain Rooney is absent for the first time in the competition’s 12-year history, after England crashed out of Euro 2016 to lowly Iceland.

That leaves Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo as the only ever-presents for an award based on votes from professional players from 75 countries.

Also absent from the list is Algerian international Riyad Mahrez, the top Premier League player last season with surprise champions Leicester.

The eight newcomers also include France’s N’Golo Kanté and Dimitri Payet, Ivorian Serge Aurier, Spaniard Hector Bellerin, Italian Leonardo Bonucci, Belgian Kevin De Bruyne, Argentina’s Paulo Dybala and England’s Jamie Vardy.

Barcelona lead the way with 12 players, two more than rivals Real Madrid, whose selected players include Welsh winger Gareth Bale.

Other big names overlooked are Manchester City pair Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure, Chelsea’s John Terry, Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, Porto’s Iker Casillas and Real Madrid’s James Rodriguez.

The list compiled by the FIFPro players’ union is based upon votes from 25,000 professional footballers with the World XI announced on Jan 9.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial scored twice as Manchester United crushed West Ham United 4-1 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday (Nov 30), while Arsenal were humbled by Southampton

United manager Jose Mourinho served a one-game touchline ban after his dismissal for kicking a water bottle during Sunday’s 1-1 Premier League draw against West Ham, but his absence had no ill-effects.

Ibrahimovic put United ahead in the second minute and although Ashley Fletcher equalised, Martial’s second-half brace restored the hosts’ control before the Swede added a fourth goal in added time.

“After the West Ham goal we had 10 minutes where we felt it deeply. West Ham’s first shot, they equalise,” said Mourinho, who has overseen United’s worst start to a top-flight season since 1989.

“But in the second half we got the confidence to play and play beautiful, attacking football. Goals plus performance means the real happiness.”

United will play Hull City in the two-legged semi-finals, while Southampton’s reward for winning 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium was a last-four encounter with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

The game at Old Trafford notably saw Bastian Schweinsteiger make his first appearance of the season for United as a late substitute.

The former Germany captain has only recently returned to the first-team squad after being frozen out by Mourinho and received a huge ovation as he came on.

West Ham had needed less than two minutes to take the lead in Sunday’s game, but on this occasion United were the early birds.

Wayne Rooney’s clever reverse pass picked out the advancing Henrikh Mkhitaryan and the Armenian’s alert back-heel freed Ibrahimovic to lift the ball past West Ham goalkeeper Adrian.

West Ham levelled in the 35th minute with a bolt from the blue as David de Gea spilled Dimitri Payet’s shot and former United youngster Fletcher tucked in his first senior goal in front of the Stretford End.

Fortunately for United, they started the second half as sharply as they had attacked the first, a move down the right culminating in Mkhitaryan squaring for Martial to sweep home.

ROONEY BAN

West Ham’s cause was not helped by the fact they lost both wing-backs, Aaron Cresswell and Michail Antonio to injury, and in the 62nd minute they found themselves 3-1 down.

Ibrahimovic was the architect with a fine pass down the inside-right channel for Antonio Valencia, whose cross was tapped in by Martial.

Ibrahimovic doubled his tally in the 93rd minute, slotting in Ander Herrera’s low cross from the left.

The only source of regret for United was a booking for Rooney that rules him out of Sunday’s trip to Everton, nixing his hopes of scoring a club record-equalling 249th goal against his old side.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been hoping to win the competition for the first time, but instead his decision to make 10 changes backfired as Southampton ended his side’s 19-game unbeaten run.

Dutch midfielder Jordy Clasie’s blistering drive put Southampton ahead in the 13th minute.

England left-back Ryan Bertrand added a second seven minutes before half-time, gathering Sofiane Boufal’s pass and rifling a shot into the bottom corner.

“I enjoy this win for all of the squad and for the fans, because it’s a good answer to keep all of our possibilities in every competition,” said Southampton manager Claude Puel. “We played a very good game and to qualify for the next round is very important. We now get to play in a semi-final and that’s great for the players.”

Mohamed Elneny was the only player to have kept his place from Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday, but he succumbed to illness before half-time and was replaced by Granit Xhaka.

It was Arsenal’s first defeat since a 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend of the Premier League season. “We didn’t have enough urgency in the first half,” said Wenger. “We were weak in some departments and we paid for that.”

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Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane’s son, Enzo, scored on his senior debut as the European champions brushed aside third tier Cultural Leonesa 6-1 to progress into the last 16 of the Copa del Rey 13-2 on aggregate on Wednesday (Nov 30).

Real Madrid’s French midfielder Enzo Zidane Fernandez (R) and Real Madrid’s forward Mariano celebrate after scoring a goal against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa at Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Nov 30, 2016. (Photo: AFP/Javier Soriano)

By contrast, Barcelona still have work to do to reach the next round after being held 1-1 at Hercules in the first leg of their last 32 tie.

Enzo, the oldest of Zidane’s four sons, all of whom play at different levels in Real’s youth teams, was introduced by his father, a legendary former player for Real and France, at half-time.

The 21-year-old, who was previously coached by Zinedine at Real’s youth side Castilla before he took the top job at the Santiago Bernabeu in January, showed a glimpse of his father’s talent with a fine low finish from the edge of the area just after the hour mark.

“If I take off my hat as a coach then I am happy for him as a father (too),” said Zidane. “But, in saying that, I watch what he does on the field as a coach and I am happy with how they all played.”

With the tie over as a contest following Real’s 7-1 first leg win and El Clasico away to Barcelona to come on Saturday, Zidane made nine changes from the side that started the 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon last weekend.

Norwegian starlet Martin Odegaard, 17, was also handed his full debut, but it was Dominican international Mariano Diaz who got Real off to a flying start as he slotted home the first of his hat-trick after just 23 seconds.

James Rodriguez headed home the hosts’ second before Mariano smashed in a third, but Leonesa did have a moment to savour when Yeray Gonzalez fired into the top corner from long range in first-half stoppage time.

Enzo was then handed his long-awaited bow by his father, but ensured there was to be no claims of nepotism when he finished off a flowing team move with a classy right-footed finish.

Mariano completed his hat-trick two minutes from time before a Cesar Morgado own goal.

Barcelona also fielded a side with 11 changes ahead of the Clasico, but were made to pay by third tier Hercules.

David Mainz bundled home at the back post seven minutes into the second-half to give the side form Alicante a shock lead.

However, Manchester United target Carles Alena capped his debut with a wonderful strike from 25 yards to spare Barca’s blushes.

Yannick Carrasco scored twice as Atletico Madrid also hit Guijelo for six in the first leg of their last 32 tie.

A Saul Niguez penalty and Sime Vrsaljko’s first Atletico goal gave the visitors a 2-0 half-time lead before the Belgian struck twice in five second-half minutes.

Angel Correa and Roberto Nunez rounded off the scoring.

Sevilla and Villarreal took huge strides towards the last 16 with comprehensive first leg wins over Formentera (5-1) and Toledo (3-0) respectively.

Second division Cordoba were the only victorious lower league side of the evening with a 2-0 win over Malaga.

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England shrugged aside the potential ramifications of sanctions over poppy emblems on Friday (Nov 11) with a 3-0 Wembley win over Scotland to bring a 2018 World Cup berth a step closer.

A trio of headers from Liverpool pair Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana and Chelsea’s Gary Cahill saw interim coach Gareth Southgate’s side cruise home, the win consolidating England’s leadership of Group F as they made it 10 points from four games.

For Southgate, who replaced newspaper sting victim Sam Allardyce following an opening away success in Slovakia, the three points were a welcome boost after a nervous draw in their previous outing in Slovenia, aiding his chances of taking the post full time.

Slovenia stayed in touch just two points behind the leaders after edging Malta 1-0 away while Slovakia are two points further back after whipping Lithuania 4-0.

The Scots meanwhile now trail England by six points, their hopes of snatching a place in the finals in Russia seemingly at an end as coach Gordon Strachan hangs on to his job by his fingernails.

While England and Scotland defied FIFA’s opposition to symbols which might be seen as political by wearing armbands featuring poppies to mark Armistice Day, emotions ran high in Paris as France hosted Sweden a year on from terror attacks in the French capital.

A capacity crowd of 80,000 at the Stade de France held a minute’s silence to mark Sunday’s first anniversary of the attacks which left 130 people dead prior to the hosts’ come-from-behind 2-1 win over Sweden.

On the night of the coordinated attacks across Paris, France were playing Germany at the same stadium in a friendly when three suicide bombers blew themselves up immediately outside the ground, killing one man.

French president Francois Hollande attended the Sweden game, as he had the Germany match, Friday’s encounter held on a public holiday marking the day that saw the guns fall silent at the end of World War I in 1918.

France’s win – courtesy of goals from Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet after Emil Forsberg had put the Swedes ahead – lifted them atop Group A with seven points from three games as their visitors slid three points off the pace.

GERMANY HIT EIGHT

Holland have a chance to join Sweden on seven points if they win at makeweights Luxembourg on Sunday.

Reigning world champions Germany gave no quarter to Group C minnows San Marino with debutant Serge Gnabry of Werder Bremen helping himself to a hat-trick in an 8-0 rout in Serravalle.

Sami Khedira bagged the first on seven minutes and then Gnabry added a quickfire second before Jonas Hector bagged a brace, his second coming in between Gnabry’s second and third strikes.

A Mattia Stefanelli own goal made it seven and Kevin Volland put the icing on the cake as Germany made it four wins in four.

In the same group Northern Ireland swamped previously unbeaten Azerbaijan 4-0 in Belfast with Kyle Lafferty, Gareth McAuley, Conor McClaughlin and Chris Brunt on target.

The win moved the hosts joint second with the Azeris but five points behind the Germans, who have yet to concede a goal.

Also in the Germans’ group, the Czech Republic edged out Norway 2-1 in Prague with Jaromir Zmrhal’s winner giving his countrymen a first win.

Elsewhere, the Group E match between Romania and Poland in Bucharest was briefly halted after a firecracker thrown from the stands went off near visiting forward Robert Lewandowski.

The second half incident could see a stiff UEFA punishment for the Romanians, who slumped to a 3-0 loss which saw the Poles go top of the pool.

Kamil Grosicki had notched an early opener before Bayern Munich’s Lewandowski had the last laugh with two late goals.

In the same group, Denmark beat Kazakhstan 4-1 helped by two goals from Christian Eriksen to vault into third spot ahead of the Romanians.

Also in Group E, previously pointless Armenia did Poland a favour by coming back from two goals down to edge previous leaders Montenegro 3-2.

A piledriver in the final seconds from Gevorg Ghazaryan gave Armenia their first competitive win for three years.

Group A:

At Paris, France
France 2 Sweden 1

Group C:

At Prague, Czech Rep
Czech Republic 2 Norway 1

At Belfast, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland 4 Azerbaijan 0

At Serravalle
San Marino 0 Germany 8

Group E:

At Yerevan
Armenia 3 Montenegro 2

At Bucharest
Romania 0 Poland 3

At Copenhagen
Denmark 4 Kazakhstan 1

Group F:

At London
England 3 Scotland 0

At Trnava
Slovakia 4 Lithuania 0

At Ta’Qali
Malta 0 Slovenia 1

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