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Jose Mourinho has claimed that he was delighted to see Tottenham concede against Crystal Palace on the stroke of half-time as it gave them the impetus to deliver a subsequently resounding victory in the Premier League.

Braces for Gareth Bale and Harry Kane ensured that Christian Benteke's equaliser in injury-time just before the break was for nought as Spurs delivered another resounding riposte amid their return to form.

With a crucial two-legged Europa League last-16 tie looming, such an emphatic peformance only pleased their manager, who admitted that he was pleased to let a goal in as it gave his side the urge to reclaim momentum.

What has Mourinho said?

"When you concede in the last minute of the first half, the tendency is to go into the dressing room with bad feelings and start the second half moaning about the goal," the Portuguese told Sky Sports .

"I told them at half-time I was very happy with the goal we conceded. They think I was crazy! It was proof to the players if you lose control and start dropping, it’s difficult to keep a clean sheet.

"That 1-1 put us in a position where we had to go forward. I think I passed the feeling to the players. They were relaxed and optimistic."

Mourinho hails Bale impact

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss also had positive words to say about his oft-maligned loanee striker, stating that the pair are working closely to ensure his availability while adding that he remains crucial for Spurs' plans.

"Gareth and Harry scored some incredible goals," he noted. "Son [Heung-min] works so hard for the team. Even the guys coming from the bench - I love when a player comes off bench and improves the team.

"All [the] credit is for Gareth Bale. I trust him and his judgement in his body and feelings. We never want him to go into high levels of fatigue. Even after 55 and 60 minutes we’re in contact.

"The plan is to take him off when the first feelings of fatigue arrive. Players can normally cope with it and can finish a match exhausted. In his case we need to take care because we need him. In this moment he’s giving so much for the team."

The bigger picture

Having led the Premier League at the start of the 2020-21 campaign, Tottenham's serious slip in form across the early part of the year looked to have dashed their top four hopes.

Now however, they sit only two points behind fourth-place Chelsea, though they remain in a tough battle with both Thomas Tuchel's side and Everton and West Ham, both of whom have games in hand.

The resurgence of Bale - who has netted six goals in his last games - has proven a major boon for Mourinho, helping to silence doubters about his return to the club where he made his name.

The Lilywhites will train their attention now on their Europa League commitments, with Slavia Prague set to visit on Thursday before a return visit to Croatia a week later.

Further reading

Paul Onuachu was on the scoresheet as Genk secured a 2-0 win over Cercle Brugge in Sunday’s Belgian First Division A game.

The 26-year-old has been in blistering form for the Blue and White this season and increased his tally against Yves Vanderhaeghe’s men.

The lanky forward was handed his 27th league start and helped the Blue and White continue in the winning ways.

Onuachu put John van den Brom’s men in front with a superb finish after receiving a fine assist from Theo Bongonda in the ninth minute.

Junya Ito doubled Genk’s lead in the 24th minute, firing his effort beyond the reach of goalkeeper Thomas Didillon after he was set up by Bryan Heynen.

The action-packed first-half also saw Hannes van der Bruggen receiving a red card in the 39th minute, having previously been cautioned earlier in the game, to leave Cercle Brugge with a one-man shot.

Both sides failed to find the back of the net in the second half as the Green and Black frustrated every effort from the Luminus Arena outfit to try and increase their lead, despite their numerical disadvantage.

With the result, Genk are now on a three-game winning streak, having last tasted defeat against Beerschot on February 21.

The Blue and White have moved to the third of the First Division A table after gathering 49 points from 30 games.

Onuachu featured for 65 minutes before making way for his compatriot Cyriel Dessers while Ike Ugbo was on parade for Cercle Brugge for 65 minutes.

The Super Eagles attacker teamed up with the Belgian club in the summer of 2019 from Danish side FC Midtjylland and has now scored 34 league goals in as many appearances.

In the current campaign, the centre-forward has bagged 26 goals across all competitions, including 25 in the Belgian top-flight.

Onuachu will hope to continue his impressive performances in front of goal when Genk take on Anderlecht in a Cup tie on March 14.

The attacker will be expected to be part of Nigeria’s team for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Republic of Benin and Lesotho later this month.

Victor Osimhen scored on his return from injury to help Napoli secure a 3-1 victory over Bologna in Sunday’s Serie A game.

The 22-year-old has been out of action since February 21 when he suffered a head trauma against Atalanta in a league game.

The Nigeria international landed awkwardly and hit his head on the turf following a collision with Cristian Romero in the encounter.

The forward was subsequently rushed to the hospital, where he spent the night but after undergoing several tests, he was cleared of any head damage and advised to rest before playing again.

Osimhen missed the Parthenopeans’ last seven games due to the head problems, including last Wednesday’s draw against Sassuolo.

The Super Eagles forward made his much-awaited return in style at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium, scoring his third goal of the season.

Napoli started the game impressively and with only eight minutes into the encounter, opened the scoring through Lorenzo Insigne.

Osimhen was introduced for Dries Mertens in the 53rd minute and wasted no time to announce himself in the encounter.

The Super Eagles centre-forward hit the back of the net after receiving a timely assist from Piotr Zielinski to double his side’s lead.

Roberto Soriano reduced the deficit for Bologna in the 73rd minute after benefitting from Andreas Skov Olsen’s assist.

Three minutes later, Insigne sealed the victory for Gennaro Gattuso’s men to complete his brace in the encounter.

Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly played for the duration of the game and was cautioned in the 52nd minute.

Algeria’s Faouzi Ghoulam featured for 22 minutes before he was forced off due to an injury while Gambia forward Musa Barrow was a second-half substitute for Bologna.

Osimhen has now scored three goals and provided one assist in 17 appearances since joining the Serie A side from Lille last summer.

The return of the forward will delight Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr, who is set to name the forward in his squad for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March.

Osimhen suffered a shoulder injury in his last international duty with the West African side and also suffered coronavirus-related problems during his visit to the country in December which forced him out of action for more than 90 days.

Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min are now officially the greatest partnership in a single season of Premier League football.

The pair have assisted one another on 14 occasions, breaking the previous record set by Blackburn duo Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton back in the 1994/95 campaign.

The only pair to get close to them in the 21st century had previously been Bournemouth duo Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson, who combined for 12 in 2018/19

History makers

The record was broken on Sunday when Spurs lined up against Crystal Palace. It was a game that they ran out 4-1 winners in, with Gareth Bale grabbing the headlines as his double spearheaded them to victory.

However, the final goal, which arrived after 76 minutes, proved to be the most historic one. Son set up Kane to score his 16th of the season with a head, and it meant that the pair had created 14 goals for each other this season – a new Premier League record.

Remarkably, the pair had equalled the record as early as January 4 and had been waiting for more than two months the break it.

Bale on Kane

Bale told the BBC: "He’s fantastic, an incredible striker. He showed that again tonight and he has been so consistent. It was a fantastic performance again from him and we are lucky to have him here."

Further reading

Mumbai City and FC Goa are set to lock horns in the second leg of their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) semi-finals at the GMC Stadium in Bambolim, on Monday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

TEAM NEWS

Mumbai City Possible XI:

Injured - None
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Hugo Boumous, Bartholomew Ogbeche

FC Goa Possible XI: 

Injured - Brandon Fernandes, Seriton Fernandes
Doubtful - None
Suspended - None

Key Players - Igor Angulo, Edu Bedia

Argentine football begins its program for 2021 with the playing of the Copa Liga Profesional.

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

Boca was crowned 2019-20 league champions in March after coming out on top during the 23-game season, and also triumphed in the following Copa Diego Armando Maradona, which ended in January. 

In lieu of beginning a new league season, the Argentine footballing authorities have instead sanctioned another cup competition, which will run from February to May.

The 26 Primera Division clubs have been split into two groups, with each side playing each other once. 

In addition there will be one inter-zonal game every week, where Boca and River, Racing Club and Independiente and the rest of Argentina's Clasico rivals will face off in a series of clashes. 

The top four teams from each group then advance to a play-off stage, which will take place in a straight knock-out format in order to yield a single winner.

Fanatiz has the rights to the Copa de la Liga Profesional worldwide, excluding Argentina, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Israel, Russia, Sweden and the Balkans.

How to watch Velez vs Boca

Velez have started the 2020 Copa in impeccable fashion, winning all three of their opening games to fly to the top of Group B. 

Along with Colon, Mauricio Pellegrino's charges are one of only two clubs to have maintained a 100 per cent record so far. 

Boca performed a clean sweep in domestic competition over 2020 with league and cup wins, and once more start out as one of the favourites in this new tournament. 

That success, though, was overshadowed by a disappointing exit from the Copa Libertadores at the hands of Santos, extending the club's drought to 14 years. 

The Xeneize have made a muted start in 2021, winning once and drawing twice to heighten the pressure on coach Miguel Angel Russo and his players.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

Velez vs Boca team news

Pellegrino could field an unchanged side from that which overcame Argentinos Juniors 2-0 in the last round of the Copa.

Boca were rocked by the loss of Eduardo Salvio last weekend against Sarmiento, the winger sustaining a torn cruciate ligament which is likely to keep him out for the rest of the year.

Watch all this weekend's Copa Liga Profesional matches on Fanatiz  with a 7-day free trial.

What other Copa Liga Profesional matches are available on Fanatiz?

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

Gareth Bale paid tribute to Tottenham's attacking prowess after the Welshman continued his improved run of form with a brace against Crystal Palace in Sunday's 4-1 victory.

The veteran striker has faced struggles this season since his return to north London on loan from Real Madrid, struggling to make an impression under Jose Mourinho.

But with a Premier League double this weekend to post some of his best figures in eight years, the 31-year-old has highlighted Spurs' quality up front as key to helping him rediscover top gear.

What has Bale said?

“I think that is why I came here, [because] the attacking players we have are amazing," the attacker told Sky Sports. [It's] not just the ones who played tonight but on the bench [too.].

"We are all pushing each other and it’s good to get the three points. There is a lot of fighting for places so you have to stay on your toes and have to keep working hard.

"We are in a good moment now [and] getting the confidence back so hopefully we can keep it going. I feel good; it takes a bit of time sometimes but I'm experienced enough to be patient.

Bale reserved further praise for fellow forward Harry Kane, who assisted both goals before nabbing two himself to help down Roy Hodgson's visitors at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

"He’s fantastic, an incredible striker," he added. "He showed that again tonight and he has been so consistent. It was a fantastic performance again from him and we are lucky to have him here."

Bale’s goal scoring run

Bale has now scored six times in his last six games, having struck only four times in his first 16 matches upon his much-hyped return to the club.

His first against Palace was a close-range finish after good work from Lucas Moura and Kane to spring open the defence.

The second was an even more impressive strike, involving a set-up combination from ex-Madrid colleague Sergio Reguilon and a penultimate touch from Kane again.

Bale's brace means that he has now scored in three successive home matches for the first time since September 2013, when he netted in four in a row for Madrid.

Bale’s run includes home goals against Wolfsberger in the Europa League, as well as Burnley and now Crystal Palace in the Premier League. He grabbed doubles in the latter two games.

His effort against the former away from home in the first leg of their Europa league tie, very much looks to have been the catalyst for his improvement.

What’s next?

Tottenham have a Europa League double header against Dinamo Zagreb to play over the next 11 days, with that sandwiching a North London derby against Arsenal.

Mourinho's side will also host Aston Villa before the international break, as they look to ensure a finish in the top six, in order to boost their own European prospects.

Further Reading

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed that goal scoring hero Luke Shaw nearly didn’t play in the Manchester derby and Alex Telles was prepared to take his place.

The left-back scored his second goal of the season as Manchester United earned a 2-0 win over the league-leaders.

Man Utd's win ended City’s 21-game unbeaten run but Solskjaer revealed Shaw nearly didn’t make it into the starting XI.

What was said?

Solskjaer revealed it was touch and go for Shaw up until kick-off and Telles was prepared to step up if the England international didn’t make it through the warm- up.

The United boss said: “Absolutely incredible, he was a massive doubt until after the warm-up he had to wait until after the warm-up to be cleared to play, so Alex was ready. Luke’s performance was top, he’s aggressive hard to play against one against one. When he goes forward on those runs he’s unstoppable. He’s improved so much and is improving all the time and I’m delighted for him.”

How many times has Telles played before?

The full-back arrived in the summer window to give Shaw competition and it has made the 25-year-old thrive. Shaw’s form has seen opportunity for Telles limited and he has made just 15 starts across all competitions this season.

What else was said?

Solskjaer hailed the performance of his Manchester United players after they recorded an impressive 2-0 victory against City and extended their unbeaten run on the road in the Premier League to 22 games.

Solskjaer said: “It’s a marathon it’s been a relentless season it’s been a relentless year for everyone and a challenging year for everyone and the footballers as well but we’re lucky enough that we can play football and I think we enjoy playing.

“Milan on Thursday we can’t prioritise one game in front of the other, we just have to count the numbers, who’s fit, who’s not fit for Thursday and go again. I feel we’re a better team than what we were 12, 16, 18 months ago we have improved massively, more robust and resilient and there’s more personality in the team that’s what I like.

“We have to draw on previous good experience and how did that feel out there we knew we had to suffer, we suffered a lot, they worked their nuts off.”

Futher reading

Rachel Nachula was on target as Zaragoza were held to a 2-2 draw against Osasuna in a Spanish Reto Iberdrola tie on Sunday.

Zambia's Nachula was handed her 10th start of the season by coach Nacho Bracero and made a huge contribution in their side's draw.

With their promotion dreams dashed, Zaragoza were seeking to end their regular campaign on a high at Osasuna and the Zambia international got the visitors in front after just 13 minutes of action.

Osasuna, however, fought their way back into the match when Marina Massanet netted the vital equaliser three minutes from half-time.

After the resumption of the match, the visitors recovered the driving seat in the game when Annelie Leitner struck in the 53rd minute.

The hosts, again bounced back in the 70th minute when Iara Sanchez netted the important leveller to ensure a share of the spoils.

Nachula was in action from the start to finish for Zaragoza, securing her fourth goal in 10 matches. Her teammate and compatriot Hellen Mubanga featured in the last 10 minutes.

The result means Zaragoza ended their regular season in the seventh position with 22 points from 16 matches, while Osasuna finished second with 34 points from the same number of games.

The development will see Zaragoza compete in the Reto Iberdrola relegation playoff, while Osasuna will battle in the promotion playoff.

Mario Lemina has assured that Fulham will “fight until the end" to avoid relegation after the Cottagers snatched a 1-0 victory at Liverpool.

The Gabon international’s effort on the stroke of half-time, following Mohamed Salah's mistake, ensured Scott Parker’s men left Anfield with all points at stake.

For Lemina, that effort was his first for Fulham as well as his third strike ever since making his debut in the English top flight.

The result leaves Fulham still in the relegation zone but tied on points with 17th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion, who lead them with a superior goal difference.

Be that as it may, the former Juventus and Southampton man says his team will continue fighting against the drop all through to the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

“We are going to fight until the end because we know where we are and we want to get out of the bottom three,” Lemina told the club website during a post-match interview.

“From the beginning we have been together, and we will stay together until the end.”

The 27-year-old expressed his delight with the away triumph against the reigning English champions, claiming his team took advantage of the out-of-form Reds.

“Honestly, we are so happy,” he continued. “We were like we must concentrate because it’s gonna be a tough game.

“We did well in the first half and we scored a goal after which we didn’t concede a goal. We could have it two, but I am very happy for the team for getting the three points.

“In my last game I missed a big chance and I was like I must score in this one [against Liverpool]  and I was really focused on my shooting and when the ball went in, its good for the team.

“Of course, I know that Liverpool are not in their best form, we took our chance and we won. It was like the first leg at Cottage.

"Honestly, we knew what we had to do, we knew they were going to put pressure on us, and we defended so well.”

Next up for Parker’s men is a tough test against the league leaders, Manchester City, at home.

Manchester United saw Marcus Rashford limp out of their 2-0 derby victory over Manchester City on Sunday.

The forward was replaced by Mason Greenwood midway through the second half, having turned in an industrious performance at the Etihad Stadium.

His absence, however, did not prevent the visiting side springing a shock victory over their neighbours.

What happened?

With 69 minutes on the clock, Rashford went down in the Manchester City half and quickly signalled his need for assistance.

After some brief attention from the physio on his left ankle, he was forced to be replaced.

Although he was able to make his own way off the field, he was visibly limping and United will fear that he faces the prospect of missing several matches.

What matches may Rashford miss?

With the nature of Rashford’s injury yet to be assessed or discussed, it is unclear how many fixtures he will miss.

He must, however, be classed as a major doubt to play Milan in the Europa League on Thursday and also West Ham at Old Trafford in the Premier League next weekend.

Before the end of the month, Man Utd also have the return leg against the Rossoneri to play as well as an FA Cup quarter-final against Leicester.

The international break, however, means that they only have one Premier League match to play before they tackle Brighton at Old Trafford on April 3, limiting the impact his problem is likely to have on their quest to finish second in the top flight.

Zinedine Zidane has vowed that Real Madrid will "fight until the end" against Atletico Madrid after they snatched a late point against the leaders in La Liga to keep the title race ticking over.

Karim Benzema struck late in the second half to cancel out Luis Suarez's early opener, ensuring the spoils were shared in El Derbi at Wanda Metropolitano.

The result leaves Los Blancos five points shy of their cross-city rivals at the summit, albeit with one more game under their belt, and Zidane says that the champions will contest their crown all the way through to the end of the season.

What has Zidane said?

"The objective is this, to continue," the Frenchman said when asked if Madrid still have a title shot. "We know there is a lot left [but] we are going to fight until the end.

"Everything can always change. We are doing things well, we can improve. It is what we are going to do.

"I am very proud of all my players. We are in the same boat and we are going to fight to the end."

Zidane refuses to be drawn on penalty call

Madrid were perhaps unlucky to not pull level earlier after they were turned down for a penalty call against Felipe, with the Atletico man appearing to handle the ball with his forearm and elbow.

Zidane however declined to criticise the decision in his post-match press conference, stating: "I don't mess around [with the referee], his job is difficult.

"He made that decision to watch the play and not whistle, and we respect him. That's it. We know it's complicated . We can't get into that. We have to respect that. It will not change."

The bigger picture

Madrid's late point further compounds problems for Zidane's opposite number Diego Simeone, who has seen his Atletico side slip to one win in their last four league games.

Those diminishing returns have allowed both Madrid and Barcelona to reposition themselves in the title race, having closed the gap on what had once seemed a definitive margin.

Zidane will take his side to face Elche next time out, while Atletico face off with Supercopa de Espana holders Athletic Club.

Further reading

Ajara Nchout scored and provided an assist to help Atletico Madrid secure a 4-0 victory over Real Betis in Sunday’s Spanish Primera Iberdrola game.

Having missed out in the 2-0 defeat at Chelsea, the Cameroon international was handed her sixth league start and profited from the opportunity to grab her second goal of the season in the game.

The forward’s effort also helped Atletico return to winning ways and remain in the frame for a Women's Champions League spot.

Atletico raced into the lead in the 16th minute of the encounter when Nchout set up Leicy Santos to hand the visitors a slim first-half lead.

Amanda Sampedro played Deyna Castellanos through to double the lead 13 minutes after the interval of the match against Betis.

Toni Duggan teed up Sampedro to extend the Atletico lead in the 74th minute before Turid Knaak assisted Nchout to get on the scoresheet, wrapping up the triumph three minutes from full-time.

Cameroon's Nchout featured for the entire match and grabbed her second league goal in seven games and fourth overall in eight appearances in all competitions for Atletico this season.

Her teammate and the Nigeria international Rasheedat Ajibade hopped in as a 78th-minute replacement for Ludmila.

The victory propelled Atletico to the fourth spot on the Iberdrola table after gathering 41 points from 21 games this term so far.

Besides Chelsea's second leg tie at home on Wednesday, Nchout will hope to continue her superb displays in front of goal when Atletico host city rivals Real Madrid on March 14.

Simy Nwankwo scored a brace and Algeria international Adam Ounas sealed Crotone's 4-2 victory over Torino in a Serie A fixture on Sunday.

The triumph at the Stadio Ezio Scida was Crotone's first win since January 17 - when they beat Benevento - and it ended a run of seven consecutive defeats in the Italian top-flight.

Simy opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, but his effort was cancelled out by Rolando Mandragora's equaliser on the stroke of half-time.

Nine minutes after the restart, the Nigeria international fired the hosts ahead again, after which Ounas assisted Arkadiusz Reca to make it 3-1 in the 80th minute, and the Algeria midfielder sealed the victory with a stoppage-time goal.

Simy was on parade for 75 minutes before he was replaced by Samuel Di Carmine while Ounas played for the duration of the match.

The Super Eagles forward is still the highest-scoring player for Crotone this season with eight goals to his name after 26 Serie A appearances.

Despite Sunday's win against their fellow strugglers, Crotone remain at the bottom of the league table with 15 points from 26 matches while Torino are 18th after gathering 20 points, although they have two games in hand.

The Pythagoreans have won just four matches in the Italian top-flight so far this term, the third-lowest after Torino (three wins) and 19th-placed Parma (two wins).

After scoring three goals in his last two games, Simy will be hoping to earn an invitation to Gernot Rohr's team for Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures against Benin and Lesotho, which are scheduled for March 27 and March 30, respectively.

Next up for Crotone in their Serie A relegation battle is a trip to Lazio on March 12, with the target of securing their first away victory in the 2020-21 season.

Joe Aribo, Bongani Zungu and Leon Balogun have won the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers after Celtic played out a 0-0 draw against Dundee United on Sunday.

After the draw at Tannadice, Steven Gerrard’s men, who are unbeaten in the Scottish top-flight this season opened an unassailable 20 point lead at the top of the table.

The impressive performances ensured the Ibrox Stadium outfit ended their 10-year wait for the Premiership title, having last clinched the trophy in 2011.

Nigeria internationals Aribo and Balogun, in particular,  played pivotal roles in the success with their impressive performances.

Zungu is on loan from French side Amiens and has made 12 league appearances for the Ibrox Stadium outfit.

Aribo made 24 appearances in the elite division for the Gers this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists.

The midfielder has been with Rangers since the summer of 2019 when he teamed up with the side after turning down a chance to extend his contract with Charlton Athletic.

Last season, the Super Eagles midfielder helped the Gers finish as runner-up behind Celtic and won the club’s Young Player of the Year for his efforts.

The midfielder has now won his first title with the Ibrox Stadium outfit and his second career diadem after also winning the EFL League One play-offs with Charlton in 2019.

The 24-year-old has taken to social media to express his delight after helping Rangers secure their 55th league title.

Balogun, meanwhile, joined Rangers last summer after leaving Wigan Athletic and has been delivering solid defensive performances.

The versatile defender has featured in 17 Premiership games and provided two assists as part of his contribution to help the Gers clinch the league title.

Nigeria national team coach Gernot Rohr had previously expressed his optimism that the Super Eagles stars will win the league diadem with Rangers.

“It would be great for our players - Balogun and Aribo - if Rangers won the title,” Rohr told Record Sport.

“There is no difference for Leon Balogun playing at right-back for Rangers just now because he’s played there before, for Nigeria and in Germany sometimes.

“He’s quick and intelligent and can change his position very quickly. For me, he’s strong enough to play either position. In the 2018 World Cup, he played at the right of a three-man central defence so is not quite a right back.”

Mario Lemina’s three Premier League goals ever have been scored away from home, following his latest strike against Liverpool.

Ivan Cavaleiro's free-kick was headed away by Andrew Robertson, albeit, Mohamed Salad failed to clear his lines when the balled dropped to him on the edge of the box.

Lemina outmuscled him before drilling his shot across Alisson Becker’s goal and into the far bottom corner.

With that, the 27-year-old midfielder ended his 23-month wait an English elite division strike, while each of his goals have come in different seasons - in 2017-18 vs West Brom, 2018-19 vs Newcastle and this season vs Liverpool.

Both teams came into Sunday’s fixture having recorded defeats last time out. While Scott Parker’s Cottagers bowed 1-0 at home against Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur, the Reds were pegged down by the same scoreline by Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea.

Despite dominating ball possession, Klopp’s team were unable to break down the visitors who are fighting against relegation.

“I’m immensely proud,” Parker told the Fulham website. “It was a big performance today. First half I thought we were fantastic really, both halves actually.

“In the first half we were the front foot, attacking team I want us to be, we created numerous chances and got our noses in front through some great skill from Mario.

“And second half we didn’t want it to pan out that way but you understand if you come to a place like Anfield, with the quality that they possess, that you’re going to have to be organised, you’re going to have to be disciplined, win some headers, be good in your box.

“I thought the defensive line second half and the organisation from that was top as well. It’s a massive result and I’m proud of them.

“The players have taken on every ounce of information they were given in the two, three days leading into this game.”

Fulham are now level on points with Brighton and Hove Albion, but they stay in 18th on goal difference. Next up for them is a test against league leaders Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

As for Liverpool – who have now lost their last six home games - they take on outfit RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Jurgen Klopp says he is going through one of his worst runs as a manager after Liverpool were beaten 1-0 by Fulham on Sunday following Mario Lemina's first-half finish.

The Reds have won just one of their last seven matches in the Premier League and are on a club-record six game losing streak at home in the English top-flight.

The title holders are in danger of missing out on a place in the Champions League with just 10 games left to play, but Klopp insists his side will fight to turn their situation around.

What has Klopp said?

Asked if this one of his lowest points as a coach, Klopp told BBC Sport: "I would wish to say no but yes it is. That’s not a problem. I don’t always have to have the best times.

"This team is an extreme team. We were extremely successful and now we have an extreme situation as well but we will fight through."

Despite his side's defeat, Klopp feels his side played well against Scott Parker's side, who are currently third-bottom of the league.

"The obvious thing [was missing], a goal and a clean sheet. It was always clear that Fulham would cause us big problems with the situation they are in and the one we are in." he said.

"It was clear we had to adapt. We started quite well, we were direct and Mo [Salah] caused them problems but we didn’t finish the situations off. Then Fulham were good.

"Our back line was completely new. We had balls in behind where we had to run a lot because we were not high enough or just not in the right position and we conceded the goal.

"That has an impact. Usually I would say 1-0 down is not a problem, it is a normal score and is one of three possible scores but of course at the moment for us it is different.

"We had to step up and the boys did. We started the second half well, created chances and we did not score again."

What next for Liverpool?

Liverpool are four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand as they take on Everton on Monday.

Klopp's team will look to end their terrible home run and ensure they remain in the Champions League on Wednesday when they face RB Leipzig in Budapest in the second leg of their last-16 tie.

The Merseyside outfit have a 2-0 lead from the first leg.

They will then turn their attention to Premier League duty when they face Wolves next Monday, followed by an away game against Arsenal on April 3.

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Former Young Africans chairman Abdallah Bin Kleb has claimed the Mainland Premier League title is within their grasp this season.

Bin Kleb said Yanga are well-positioned to win the title that has been elusive for the last three seasons.

Although they lost against Coastal Union and drew 1-1 against Polisi Tanzania, Timu ya Wananchi are still at the top after 23 games with 50 points.

"The title race, as it stands now, is not that bad and I am happy that my beloved club is leading the pack now," Bin Kleb told Mwanaspoti.

"The team is getting stronger and stronger as time goes by despite the rather unwanted run we have recently had but all in all we are progressing well.

"The changes that have been witnessed under Cedric Kaze have been able to change and stabilise the team. Such changes have been good and Yanga look stronger now.

"Yanga are possessing, creating chances and players know how to get goals. If you take a defensive perspective, Yanga are now firm and are among the teams that have conceded the fewest goals.

"There is a good chance that Yanga will be champions and we need not joke with this chance. If we continue bickering amongst ourselves, our rivals can grab the chance and run with the title.

"Yanga have the spirit and anger to win the league this season."

Bin Kleb also praised how the club carried out the business in the last two transfer windows.

"If you look at Yanga, you will realise that we decided to start anew given 80% of the players were brought and they have had a great impact at the club," he added.

"The officials and the sponsors have done a great job in rebuilding the team and I can give them a 60% approval rate for the transfer job.

"I have quite an experience in the transfer market and I know the challenges and that is why I have decided to say a good job was done.

"You know signing players sometimes is like a gamble because you can have confidence the player will be better from where you signed him only for him to flop. 

"But with Yanga, there is a different story to tell since there have been few challenges and you know even Simba SC went through a lot of challenges before building a good team."

Yanga face a tough challenge from Simba who are second on 45 points and enjoy four games in hand.