Diego Costa scored his 50th and 51st Premier League goals as Chelsea overcame spirited Southampton 4-2 on Tuesday (Apr 25) to establish a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

Costa set up Eden Hazard’s early opener, which was cancelled out by Oriol Romeu, before Gary Cahill restored the hosts’ lead at an unseasonably cold Stamford Bridge.

Costa sealed victory with a second-half brace, ending a seven-game goal drought and heaping the pressure on second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who visit in-form Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

“Today I have to be pleased with the effort of my players. It wasn’t easy after a tough game against Tottenham,” said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. “We must be confident for the future. It’s important to look at ourselves and not the other (Spurs).”

Having beaten Spurs in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, Chelsea’s latest win reaffirmed the status of Antonio Conte’s side as England’s team to beat.

Hazard, Costa and Cesc Fabregas returned to the Chelsea XI after starting Saturday’s 4-2 win over Tottenham on the bench and they combined for the fifth-minute opener.

Fabregas’ pass from halfway sent Costa scampering away down the inside-right channel and his cut-back was swept into the bottom-left corner by Hazard.

The Belgian forward has now scored 15 goals in a Premier League season for the first time, his highest tally since netting 20 times for Lille in 2011-12.

The trio were at it again shortly after, Costa deftly cushioning Fabregas’s pass into the path of Hazard, who curled well wide.

But there had already been nervy moments in the hosts’ penalty area – an unmarked Jack Stephens volleying tamely at Thibaut Courtois – and before long Southampton were level.

TERRY OVATION

James Ward-Prowse’s corner from the left was inadvertently flicked on by Cesar Azpilicueta and reached the unattended Manolo Gabbiadini at the back post.

The Italian’s cross-shot flicked off Courtois and was tapped in by Chelsea old boy Romeu, who had last scored in January 2016.

Set-pieces continued to prove the home side’s Achilles heel, with Courtois obliged to swat away a dangerous Ward-Prowse free-kick before Sofiane Boufal thrashed into the side-netting at a corner.

A storming run by N’Golo Kante forced Stephens into a desperate headed clearance and Costa had a penalty appeal turned down, but Chelsea were on the ropes until Cahill struck in first-half stoppage time.

Kante’s deep cross was helped on by Marcos Alonso and with Costa launching himself into a mid-air scissors kick, the England captain charged in bravely to head home.

Costa would not be denied the next time he got a sight of goal in the 53rd minute as he brought up a half-century of league goals on his 85th appearance since signing from Atletico Madrid in 2014.

After a short corner with Hazard, Fabregas lofted a cross to the far post and Costa held off Bertrand to plant a header past Fraser Forster.

Dusan Tadic worked Courtois with a skidding effort and Gabbiadini hit the side-netting after again being left unmarked at a corner, moving Conte to angrily kick a bag beside the dug-out.

Chelsea club captain John Terry came on for the final five minutes and was afforded a standing ovation in his first appearance since announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Costa made it 4-1 with a delightful goal in the 89th minute, swapping passes with first Hazard and then substitute Pedro before drilling a low shot past Forster.

“We played a good team, but it’s a harsh result,” said Southampton manager Claude Puel, whose side added a stoppage-time consolation through another Bridge old boy, Ryan Bertrand. “Eden Hazard and Diego Costa made the difference today.”

Source AFP

German star Bastian Schweinsteiger said he is ready to make an immediate start to his Major League Soccer career with Chicago Fire at a formal presentation before journalists on Wednesday (Mar 29).

Chicago Fire introduce Bastian Schweinsteiger during a press conference on Mar 29, 2017 at the The PrivateBank Fire Pitch in Chicago, Illinois. (AFP/DAVID BANKS)

The 32-year-old former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder told reporters he was available to make his debut in Chicago’s clash with Montreal Impact this Saturday if selected.

“I am 32 years old. I am ready, but of course I need more training sessions to have the right rhythm, to be where I want to see myself,” Schweinsteiger said.

“My head is more than 100 per cent. I feel quite comfortable. The session was pretty intense today and I could do it, so that was good.

“I was preparing before I came here and, of course, I need some days more training but I feel I am ready whenever the coach needs me.”

Schweinsteiger, a key member of Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning team, confirmed his move to MLS last week after struggling to find a role at Manchester United.

Schweinsteiger said his swift departure from the Premier League giants after just under two years with the club meant he was unable to say a proper goodbye to his Old Trafford teammates.

“It was not so easy because the decision was a bit late so I couldn’t say a proper goodbye to the team,” Schweinsteiger said.

“Also they had an away match, so I couldn’t really tell them because I didn’t want the focus on me, but on the team. I had a great time there, especially with the teammates and the staff.”

Schweinsteiger is reported to have signed a one-year deal with Chicago as a designated player, meaning he can be paid outside of MLS salary restrictions. He is set to earn US$4.5 million for his season in the Windy City.

Chicago coach Veljko Paunovic was coy about whether Schweinsteiger would play this weekend.

“Obviously, he is going to be available. We are not going to reveal our plans here,” he said.

“But we still have a talk to have and discuss how he feels and more things about the team and how we want to play. So be ready.”

Wednesday’s news conference, meanwhile, saw one awkward exchange where a reporter asked Schweinsteiger whether he felt that the “World Cup was a realistic expectation” for Chicago Fire.

Chicago general manager Nelson Rodriguez promptly stepped into clarify the question, stating: “We as a club don’t play for the World Cup, we play for the MLS Cup.”

Source AFP

All football regions will see their World Cup slots increased when the tournament expands to 48 teams in 2026, with Africa the biggest winner, according to FIFA recommendations released on Thursday (Mar 30).

FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament infuriated many in the football world, with some branding it a money grab and a blatant bid by President Gianni Infantino to win favour among developing world federations who helped elect him. (AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI)

The plan to expand the competition beyond its current 32-team format, which is subject to approval at FIFA’s May Congress in Bahrain, guarantees Africa nine places, marking an increase of four.

Asia, currently guaranteed between four and five World Cup entries, will get eight slots, while European confederation UEFA gets a boost from 13 to 16.

The confederation for North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) will have six places, above its current level of between three and four.

South America (CONMEBOL), which now has between four and five slots, will get six, according to the recommendations from FIFA’s ruling council.

Oceana, which has not been guaranteed an entry in past World Cups, will be assured one spot.

The Jan 10 decision to expand the World Cup marked a major victory for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has been on the job for just over a year.

He boasted at the time that under the new format more countries “will have the chance to dream” and that a larger tournament will reflect “the World Cup of the 21st Century”.

FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament infuriated many in the football world, with some branding it a money grab and a blatant bid by Infantino to win favour among developing world federations who helped elect him.

Source AFP

Barcelona star Lionel Messi was suspended for four Argentina matches by FIFA on Tuesday (Mar 28) for swearing at an assistant referee, a ban that will see the striker miss out on decisive qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup.

Argentina’s forward Lionel Messi (L) argues with first assistant referee Emerson Augusto de Carvalho at the end of their 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia South American qualifier football match against Chile. (JUAN MABROMATA/AFP)

Messi was found guilty of “having directed insulting words at an assistant referee” in the World Cup qualifier against Chile last Thursday which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.

Messi will be forced to sit out Argentina’s next South American qualifying game against Bolivia, scheduled for later on Tuesday, with the remainder of the suspension served over his country’s subsequent World Cup qualifiers: in Uruguay on Aug 31, at home to Venezuela on Sep 5 and against Peru on Oct 5.

He was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs (US$10,170), with FIFA saying: “This decision is in line with the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s previous rulings in similar cases.”

“We are going to appeal,” said Armando Perez, president of the Argentine FA’s interim board.

He acknowledged that Messi “made a mistake by insulting” the linesman, but argued that FIFA’s sanction was disproportionate. “This is more political than anything else,” he said.

The AFA’s national squad selection secretary Jorge Miasdoqui called the ban “a blow, and unfair”.

“There are precedents that give reason to believe the sanction could be reduced,” he told reporters at a hotel in the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, where the squad was en route to the capital La Paz for Tuesday’s game.

“They have cut the legs off Messi and the Argentine national team.”

Miasdoqui noted that Messi had not been warned or sanctioned by the referee of the Chile match at the time of the outburst, and nothing had been mentioned in the referee’s match report.

“We feel powerless, surprised,” added Miasdoqui. “I’m angry, Messi is sad, like us. He could have played, he travelled to play, he should have played.”

Argentina’s victory over Chile left them in third place overall in the 10-team South American qualifying competition for the World Cup with 22 points from 13 games, behind Brazil (30) and Uruguay (23).

The top four finishers qualify automatically for next year’s finals in Russia.

Argentina have won five of their six World Cup 2018 qualifiers with Messi but only one of seven without the Barcelona superstar.

They are only two points ahead of Ecuador and Chile in fifth and sixth, with Colombia only one point adrift in fourth.

Source AFP