Guardiola: Barca taught a lesson

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola admitted his side had been taught a lesson in their 2-1 defeat to Real Sociedad.

Despite taking the lead through Thiago Alcantara, the defending champions looked jaded from their midweek European exhaustions - and were duly punished by Sociedad - the visitors hitting back with goal from Diego Irfan and Xabi Prieto.
The defeat was Barca's first at the Nou Camp this season.
Speaking after the game, Guardiola told the gathered media: "It is an important lesson that we were taught today [Saturday]. We have to play with our heads. We need four points and we must find where we can get them.
"We are a team capable of winning or losing. We have come from a difficult situation with many players out. We competed well in the second half but we lacked sustained spells of possession. We did not have control of the ball."
Before they resume their quest for a third successive title next weekend, the Catalans have to meet Real Madrid in the second-leg of the Champions League semi-final - a tie in which they hold a commanding 2-0 lead from the first-leg at the Bernabeu.
"It is the semi-final of the Champions League. It is always better to be winning but we will analyse this defeat. We must now prepare for Tuesday's game," said Guardiola.
"We have a good advantage in this semi-final but we need to ensure that our players recover. It will be a hard game in every way and should we overcome these difficulties, we will have more options when we reach the final."

Mourinho takes blame for defeat

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has accepted the blame for his side's shock home defeat to lowly Real Zaragoza.

Mourinho said a lack of motivation amongst his players at the start as the cause for their downfall.
Three days after their Champions League dreams suffered a huge blow with their semi-final first leg defeat to Barcelona, Madrid saw their already slim hopes of winning the La Liga title all but snuffed out after going down 3-2 to Zaragoza at the Bernabeu.
Mourinho made wholesale changes to the side that lost to Barca, but selected a similar team to the one that had beaten Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at San Mames and Valencia 6-3 at the Mestalla in recent weeks.
Mourinho admitted his side, which included the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Karim Benzema, Kaka, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Pepe, should have been good enough to win the match, and accepted responsibility for their failure to do so.
The Portuguese also praised Zaragoza for their battling display, which saw Javier Aguirre's men claim an important victory that provisionally lifts them four points clear of the relegation zone.
"Our opponents have fought a lot, for them the points were practically decisive for La Liga survival. In football the difference in mental preparation is important, when one team goes out full of concentration and motivation and the other doesn't, the blame is the coach's, obviously," he said.
Zaragoza had the better of a low-key first half and led 1-0 at the break thanks to Angel Lafita's goal just before the break, and the visitors then went 2-0 up in the 55th minute when Gabi scored from the penalty spot.
Madrid pulled a goal back through Sergio Ramos soon after but a rapid Zaragoza counter-attack in the 77th minute saw Lafita make it 3-1.
Benzema, who also hit the crossbar in the second half, made it 3-2 in the 84th minute but Madrid, who lost Ricardo Carvalho to a second yellow card late on, could not find an equaliser.
Mourinho added: "The team was basically the same that played in difficult games in Bilbao and Valencia, where we won easily and by playing well. But today the coach hasn't been able to sufficiently motivate his players. In the first half we didn't play well.
"The second half was completely different, the second half was good but we gifted three goals to our opponents. They beat us and congratulations to them."
Mourinho also insisted his conscious was "clear" with regards the team he picked, even though he concedes Zaragoza's relegation rivals will not be happy that Madrid lost.
Mourinho, who criticised Sporting Gijon earlier this season for playing a supposedly weakened team against Madrid's title rivals Barcelona, said: "I would understand (the other coaches) even though this team won in Valencia and Bilbao, two very difficult stadiums. The team had more than enough quality to win.
"I have a clear conscience and I've not wanted to gift anything to Zaragoza nor to the rest of the teams that are fighting for survival. When we were losing I sent on first-choice players who were tired, Mesut Ozil, Angel Di Maria and Marcelo.
"I don't feel that we've gifted anything to Zaragoza but I accept that coaches of other teams could to be very disappointed (with this result). Madrid have tried everything possible to win and you also have to give credit to your opponents."
Mourinho was also asked about his decision to leave top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo out of his squad for tonight's match, which has been viewed by some as a reaction to the critical comments the £80million man made about Madrid's defensive approach to Wednesday's Champions League game with Barca.
Mourinho said: "It was my decision because I had Higuain and Benzema to play. They were both motivated and eager to play 90 minutes. Also, Higuain needs playing time to recover his top form. I also had (Emmanuel) Adebayor and Di Maria on the bench, I had options."

Lampard concedes goal was lucky

Chelsea's controversial goalscorer Frank Lampard admits his side were lucky to escape with a 2-1 win over Tottenham.

Lampard cancelled out Sandro's spectacular opener with an effort that squirmed under Spurs' keeper Heurelho Gomes.
Although the Brazilian goalkeeper appeared to prevent the whole of the ball crossing the line, the assistant referee awarded the goal amid howls of protest from Spurs' players.
Salomon Kalou then poked home a late winner for the hosts from a borderline offside position to leave Spurs' coach Harry Redknapp with a sense of an injustice about the result.
Asked if they had been lucky, Lampard told Sky Sports: "In those two instances, maybe yes.
"The one that didn't go over the line, I was due one of those - I had a big one [at the World Cup] in the summer! So I'm pleased with that. But it's unlucky on them.
"You get what you deserve and, that's not rubbing it in on Tottenham, we deserved that, we created enough, we were bright enough to win the game."
Chelsea are now three points behind leaders Manchester United, who have that game in hand against Arsenal to come, and Lampard hailed the spirit of his side.
He said: "We're fighting to the end. We had a couple of months where we let ourselves down a bit and let it slip, but you saw the character. We deserved it.
"They're in the driving seat and it's theirs to lose, but if they do slip up we're in a position now where we'll have a real go to try and do it.
"We've kept ourselves alive and we can sit back and watch and hope."
Chelsea skipper John Terry felt the result said a lot about the character of the team following their mid-season slump.
"We said a few weeks ago when we were nine, 12 points behind that the one thing about Chelsea is we never give up," Terry said. "That's what we're all about.
"Man United have said in the week that we're their biggest challengers and they've got a massive game that they must win to open up that gap again."

Liverpool 3-0 NewcastleLiverpool 3-0 Newcastle

Goals continue to flow at Anfield under Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool strengthened their claim for European football next season with a 3-0 win over Newcastle.

The Reds, who have scored 14 in their last three home matches, moved above Tottenham into fifth place having rarely been troubled by the Magpies.
Dirk Kuyt's eighth in his last seven Barclays Premier League matches was sandwiched between another for Maxi Rodriguez, who hit a hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Birmingham last week, and one for the impressive Luis Suarez.
Only a goal for Andy Carroll, the subject of incessant abuse from the travelling fans, against his former club would have capped off the performance.
The £35million striker came on for the final 20 minutes but made little impact save for increasing the vitriol from the large away contingent.
Their anger at the way Carroll left them in January, with the club claiming he handed in a transfer request when made aware of Liverpool's interest, was understandable but he was never going to be a major player in this game having missed last week's victory with a knee injury.
The man who was the main reason Newcastle's record of just two wins at Anfield in their last 39 visits was not improved was Suarez.
Carroll's fellow deadline day signing has made a much greater impression and his inventiveness and workrate were a constant problem to the Magpies.
But it took even him a long while to get things going as, having played their best football of the season in demolishing Birmingham, the first half failed to reach anywhere near those heights despite taking a 10th-minute lead.
Raul Meireles had already bundled a shot wide from a cross by Glen Johnson, returning at left-back after a three-match absence with a hamstring injury, before the hosts went ahead.
Even then they required a slice of luck. Teenager John Flanagan's deep cross was only half headed clear by Mike Williamson and Rodriguez's follow-up volley took a big deflection off Danny Simpson.
It went downhill from there for Dalglish's side as they conceded too much territory to their opponents, who enjoyed a sustained period of possession without really threatening.
It was briefly broken by Jay Spearing's dipping shot, which Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul claimed at the second attempt with Meireles bearing down on him.
The home side were fortunate, however, that for all their time on the ball Newcastle struggled to carve out a decent opportunity.
Liverpool-born midfielder Joey Barton was the Magpies' main culprit as his delivery from set-pieces was poor.
The one time he did put a free-kick into a dangerous area Johnson headed behind for a corner, from which Kevin Nolan subsequently ballooned a shot over.
Liverpool's only other chance of the half saw Lucas Leiva's looping header easily caught by Krul, while Newcastle left-back Jose Enrique, a summer target for the Reds, had the final opportunity with a free-kick deflected behind off the wall.
For the second half Liverpool's full-backs switched sides, with Flanagan having been given a difficult time by Jonas Gutierrez.
But the youngster was almost caught napping within seconds of the restart as Nolan's low cross was side-footed wide by Barton at the far post.
Luck was certainly on Liverpool's side as Suarez almost scored with a deflected shot which hit the side netting and Rodriguez hit the crossbar as he tried to centre from the left.
There was a hint of fortune about Liverpool's 59th-minute second when Suarez isolated Williamson wide on the left from Jose Reina's kick and was sent tumbling by the defender right on the edge of the penalty area close to the byline.
Referee Peter Walton, who had frustrated the home crowd with a number of decisions, had no hesitation in pointing to the spot to allow Kuyt to score.
The Holland international should have doubled his tally with a free header seven yards out minutes later but missed the target.
Suarez made no such mistake in the 65th minute when he exchanged passes with Kuyt to sidefoot under Krul from 10 yards.
With the game safe Dalglish sent on Carroll for Rodriguez with 20 minutes to go, just before Meireles' diving header was deflected behind by Fabricio Coloccini.
Carroll barely touched the ball as his side ran out comfortable winners and, despite having played one match more than Tottenham, Liverpool are strong contenders to take the Europa League berth.

Arsenal win blows open title race

Premier League title race wide open after finally finding the character of champions to beat Manchester United 1-0 at the Emirates.

Aaron Ramsey's second-half goal - his first in the Premier League since January 2010 - saw United's lead remain at just three points from Chelsea, whom they face next week at Old Trafford.
The Gunners may have seen their own title ambitions extinguished following a run of costly draws before defeat at Bolton last Sunday, but at least gave their frustrated fans renewed hope next season might just be different for Arsene Wenger's young side.
Ramsey had only been in the team because of a thigh injury to captain Cesc Fabregas, but his well-taken strike on 56 minutes was just reward for a high-tempo performance and meant the officials' miss of a penalty for handball by United skipper Nemanja Vidic in the first half did not eventually prove decisive.
But United, too, had a justifiable penalty appeal turned down when Gael Clichy appeared to foul Michael Owen late on.
Manchester City took a stranglehold on fourth place with a 2-1 win over West Ham.
City took a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes through Nigel de Jong's first goal for the club and a Pablo Zabaleta effort which Lars Jacobsen was unable to keep out on the line, but Demba Ba pulled one back before half-time.
Mario Balotelli hit the bar for City before having a goalbound effort cleared by James Tomkins, while Ba was just unable to reach Thomas Hitzlsperger's free-kick as City held on to give themselves a seven-point cushion for the final Champions League qualifying spot.
Goals continued to flow at Anfield under Kenny Dalglish as Liverpool strengthened their claim for European football next season with a 3-0 victory over Newcastle.
The Reds, who have scored 14 in their last three home matches, moved above Tottenham into fifth place having rarely been troubled by the Magpies.
Dirk Kuyt's eighth in his last seven Barclays Premier League matches was sandwiched between another for Maxi Rodriguez, who hit a hat-trick in the 5-0 win over Birmingham last week, and one for the impressive Luis Suarez.
Wolves failed to capitalise on the sending-off of Birmingham midfielder Craig Gardner and remained in the bottom three after sharing the spoils at St Andrew's.
Gardner was sent off after only 29 minutes for two bookable offences but Blues held on for a point in their own battle for survival, with Sebastian Larsson cancelling out Steven Fletcher's early penalty.
Alex McLeish's side are now four points clear of the relegation zone with three matches to play.