Guyana secured first place in Group A of League B as the Road to W Gold Cup tournament began its final matchday on Sunday. Guyana won 3-0 against Antigua and Barbuda at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Annalisa Vincent struck with a back-heel in the 39th minute to put Guyana in front. The play developed quickly from a Otesha Charles cross to the left side to a pass in the box by Shanice Alferd before Vincent got the final hit.

Charles put her name on the scoresheet with a header in the 63rd after connecting with a cross from Brianne Desa and Neema Liverpool put the finishing touch on a Guyana corner kick in the 85' on a second assist from Desa.

Meanwhile,  Grenada topped United States Virgin Islands 2-0 to finish Group C of League C of the Road to W Gold Cup with a perfect record at the Bethlehem Soccer Stadium in St. Croix, USVI.

Grenada finished the group with four wins in four matches, while USVI are second with four points, followed by Bahamas with one point.

The first half did not see a goal, but there were ample chances for both sides, including five shots on target for the home side. USVI was getting most of their activity from Ariel Stoltz and Josie Couch, while Grenada’s top scorer, Nia Thompson, accounted for the two best looks at goal for the visitors.

Grenada came out much more aggressive to start the second half and a driving run into the area from Melania Fullerton resulted in a foul from the USVI defense and a penalty kick. Fullerton was tasked with taking the spot kick and she coolly converted, firing in a powerful right-footed attempt for a 1-0 Grenada lead.

Grenada were flying and came within a whisker of doubling the lead in the 71st minute when Roneisha Frank hammered a shot toward goal that USVI keeper Kinda Lambert managed to tip to the crossbar and out of play.

Frank would get her goal in the 78th when miscommunication between Lambert and her defense led to spill in front of goal and Frank was there to clean it up to double the lead, 2-0, which held until the final whistle.

Jamaica's Reggae Girls fell short of their goal to qualify for the preliminary round of the Concacaf Women Gold Cup following their 1-1 draw against Guatemala in the final match of Group B of League A of the Road to W Gold Cup on Sunday night at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The result also means that Panama have finished in first-place in the group and have qualified for the W Gold Cup group stage. Guatemala will progress to the Prelims, while Jamaica finish in third.

Jamaica came out strong early and almost snuck in a goal through Davia Richards, but instead it was Guatemala breaking the deadlock in the 10^th minute.  Ana Martinez was taken down in the Jamaica penalty area and it was Martinez who converted from the spot to hand the home side a 1-0 lead.

That was followed later in the half by a buzzing chance from Andrea Alvarez from 40 yards out that forced Jamaica’s goalkeeper Serena Mensah to make a leaping save with her fingertipping the ball to safety.

 Jamaica were keen to get back on even footing and a long ball played up to the Guatemalan half led to a mix-up between a pair of defenders, allowing Davia Richards to swoop in and score to level things at 1-1 in minute 66.

 But the Guatemalan defense would hold firm the rest of the way to secure the necessary result to earn their prelims place.

Bernardo Silva feels Manchester City suffered a “very, very bad” decision against Tottenham but admits the team also need to do their own job better.

City’s players, and particularly Erling Haaland, reacted furiously when they were denied the chance to play advantage in the closing moments of a thrilling 3-3 draw on Sunday after the Norwegian striker had been fouled.

Haaland had shrugged off the challenge from Emerson Royal to play Jack Grealish through on goal, but referee Simon Hooper pulled play back to award the hosts at the Etihad Stadium a free-kick.

Haaland continued to voice his anger as he left the field after the final whistle and he later went even further by posting a remark criticising Hooper on social media.

Team-mate Silva was less emotional in his verdict.

“It is a bad decision and everyone saw it,” said the Portuguese midfielder. “But at the end we are all humans.

“The referee probably is the first one to know it was a very, very bad decision because he (Grealish) was one on one with the keeper and it could have given us the three points.

“It is a tough one to take, but in the end it is what it is, it’s football, and sometimes people make mistakes.”

City, however, also had themselves to blame after spurning a hatful of chances to claim what could have been a comfortable victory, with Haaland among the guilty parties.

City led 2-1 at the break thanks to a Phil Foden goal after Son Heung-min had scored at both ends in the opening nine minutes.

Jeremy Doku and Julian Alvarez also hit the woodwork in the first half, while Haaland missed an open goal after one of numerous Spurs errors.

Spurs recovered to level through Giovani Lo Celso, but it seemed Grealish had won it in the 81st minute, only for Dejan Kulusevski to equalise again in the 90th minute.

It was City’s third successive draw and saw them slip to third in the Premier League.

Silva said: “We have been conceding late goals against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and now Tottenham.

“At the end it is seven points. We could be four points ahead on top of the league if we did our job properly, which is kill the game, or at least don’t concede in the last minute. At this level those little details matter.

“We need to demand more from ourselves, each one of us.”

Spurs’ late equaliser ended their run of three successive defeats.

Kulusevski, who powered in the crucial goal off his shoulder, revealed the visitors’ stronger second-half showing came after some stern words from manager Ange Postecoglou during the break.

The Sweden international told the club’s website: “The coach was very angry at half-time. It was the first time I have seen him like that but he did the right thing.

“What we did was special in the second half. It is an unbelievable feeling. These moments in life are small. We have to enjoy them and just be thankful and be proud of the team.”

What the papers say

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has been linked with a move to Manchester United. According to The Sun – which cites German outlet Bild – the Red Devils are in the market to exploit the veteran Germany international’s lack of playing time since the arrival of Harry Kane, with a 2024 bid.

United are also reportedly interested in Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo. Metro, via Sky Germany, says Todibo is on the Old Trafford club’s radar for a January move, but they may need to compete with Tottenham for his services.

And The Sun, via ESPN and Corriere Dello Sport, reports Red Devils duo Jadon Sancho and Donny Van De Beek could both be sold to Juventus for as little as £26million.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Mason Greenwood: The Manchester United forward, who is currently on loan at Getafe, may yet play again at Old Trafford, according to Metro.

Matias Soule: Newcastle are leading a host of Premier League clubs in pursuit of the Juventus forward, reports Gazetta dello Sport.

The Government has given its backing to the recommendations in ex-England midfielder Karen Carney’s review of domestic women’s football, stressing the need to “collectively seize the moment and deliver sustained commercial success”.

After the independent review, titled ‘Raising The Bar: Reframing the opportunity in women’s football’, was commissioned in September 2022 and published in July, the Government has issued its official response, in which it agrees that all 10 of the strategic recommendations should be actioned.

In its efforts to help drive things forward, it is to convene an “implementation group” of the Football Association, NewCo – the new independent body set to run the Women’s Super League and Championship from 2024-25 – and other stakeholders, which will assemble in March and July next year.

The review was commissioned shortly after England won the Women’s Euros on home soil, and the Lionesses subsequently finished as runners-up at this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “I’d like to thank Karen for her detailed review which has delivered a clear blueprint for the future of women’s football from the grassroots up to the elite level.

“We must collectively seize the moment and deliver sustained commercial success for the women’s game, and fully support the FA and NewCo to drive forward the full professionalisation of the game.”

Carney said: “I’m encouraged that the Government is providing their full backing to my review and renewing their commitment to develop women’s football in the UK and fulfil its potential to be a world-beating sport. The real work begins now.”

The creation of a fully professional environment in the top two tiers is one of the key recommendations in Carney’s report.

Within it’s backing in this area, the Government says it supports the introduction of a minimum ‘salary floor’ in the WSL from 2025-26 and in the Championship once revenues allow, the phasing in of increased contact time as part of licence criteria for second-tier clubs, formal union representation across both tiers, and a centrally-funded unit focusing on research for issues affecting female players.

With regard to the review’s call in this recommendation for the provision of “gold standard physical and mental health provision”, the Government said it felt the FA could have gone further in terms of changes made to medical licence criteria this season, and that it was “disappointed that the FA has not mandated clubs to recruit sport and exercise psychologists”.

It added that it had “had discussions with the FA, and have set out our expectation for them to fully consider the recommendation around medical licensing uplifts for the 2024-25 season.”

The review called for a dedicated broadcast slot, and the Government’s response on this included its view that “revoking Article 48 (the Saturday 3pm blackout) for women’s football alone is one viable option.”

The response also emphasised the importance of the FA and Newco appointing a new strategic partner “committed to fully investing in building a sustainable talent pathway for girls”.

It said on the topic of diversity in the women’s game that it “fully supports the sector as it moves to become more inclusive”, and welcomed the recent news of the Women’s FA Cup’s prize fund doubling for 2023-24 to £6million.

It also said it would continue to drive forward equal access for girls and increase transparency on funding following its announcement in March of a £600m package to boost school sport, and highlighted last week’s announcement of a new £30m fund to deliver artificial pitches at grassroots sites designed to prioritise women’s and girls’ teams.

As well as the implementation group, the Government will also establish a Board of Women’s Sports in the new year in a bid to accelerate growth beyond women’s football.

Joao Felix undid his parent club as a first-half finish from the Portugal international earned Barcelona a 1-0 victory over Atletico Madrid at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium.

Felix lifted the ball over goalkeeper Jan Oblak in deft fashion in the 28th minute as Xavi’s men replaced Atletico in third in the LaLiga table, with a four-point gap to leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Girona

Sevilla were held 1-1 at home by Villarreal, Hector Bellerin was shown a red card in the 27th minute of Real Betis’ goalless draw at Almeria, and Mallorca and Alaves also drew a blank.

Kylian Mbappe inspired 10-man Paris St Germain to a 2-0 victory over Le Havre to send them four points clear of Nice at the top of Ligue 1.

PSG found themselves down to 10 men after just 10 minutes when goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was sent off for a high challenge on Josue Casimir.

The visitors went in front in the 23rd minute through Mbappe and while the hosts did their best to find an equaliser, Vitinha scored against the run of play in the 89th minute to seal three points.

Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved two penalties as Lille claimed a 2-0 win at home to Metz. The 22-year-old denied Simon Elisor before two goals in first-half stoppage time from Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan David put Lille in control.

More heroics from Chevalier 10 minutes into the second half to keep out Lamine Camara’s penalty helped preserve victory for the home side.

Third-placed Monaco are two points behind Nice following a 2-0 win over 10-man Montpellier, who saw Boubakar Kouyate sent off in the second half, while Brest beat Clermont 3-0 and Toulouse played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient.

Both sides were reduced to 10 as Marseille beat Rennes 2-0 at home, Christopher Wooh being dismissed for the visitors just past the hour mark and Iliman Ndiaye going soon after.

Marseille’s goals came via an early Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty and Azzedine Ounahi effort between the red cards.

Inter Milan moved back above Juventus to the top of Serie A with a 3-0 win at defending champions Napoli, with Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella and Marcus Thuram on the scoresheet.

Rasmus Kristensen scored the winner for Roma as they came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1.

Matheus Henrique fired in a first-half opener for Sassuolo, but it all came undone after the break when Daniel Boloca was dismissed and Paulo Dybala scored from the spot, before Kristensen fired home a second.

A Lucas Beltran spot-kick and further goals from Riccardo Sottil and Giacomo Bonaventura earned Fiorentina a 3-0 victory over Salernitana, while Udinese and Verona drew 3-3.

Bologna looked poised for victory at Lecce but had to settle for a point after Roberto Piccoli’s penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time cancelled out Charalampos Lykogiannis’ 68th-minute opener.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund were on course to leapfrog fourth-placed Leipzig with a vital victory at leaders Bayer Leverkusen after Julian Ryerson fired the visitors ahead after five minutes, but Victor Boniface salvaged a point when he levelled late in the second half.

Elsewhere, Augsburg beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 and Freiburg won 1-0 at Mainz.

Inter Milan moved back to the top of Serie A in convincing style with a 3-0 win at defending champions Napoli.

Simone Inzaghi’s side had been knocked off the summit by Juventus’ victory at Monza on Friday, but emphasised their title credentials after being set on their way by a stunning goal from Hakan Calhanoglu.

Nicolo Barella doubled Inter’s lead just after the hour mark and Marcus Thuram made certain of all three points five minutes from time.

The win takes Inter two points clear of Juventus and 11 in front of Napoli, who have now taken just seven points from a possible 21 at home.

The home side in fact made a bright start and could have gone ahead in the third minute, only for Yann Sommer to produce a brilliant save from a shot from Eljif Elmas which looked destined for the top corner.

Both sides were happy to shoot from distance and Calhanoglu went close at the other end with a left-footed effort from outside the area before the visitors briefly thought they had broken the deadlock.

Thuram played a delightful one-two with Lautaro Martinez before firing a shot across Alex Meret and into the far corner, only to see the flag correctly go up for offside.

Inter were forced into an early change when Stefan de Vrij suffered a thigh injury and had to be replaced by Carlos Augusto, the reshuffle possibly allowing Elmas to get free in the area moments later to bring a good save from Sommer at his near post.

There was nothing Sommer could do about Matteo Politano’s long-range effort after 36 minutes however, and the Switzerland international was relieved to see the ball cannon back off the crossbar.

When the opening goal finally arrived it proved well worth the wait, Denzel Dumfries heading a deep cross back to Barella to flick the ball into the path of Calhanoglu, who struck a sumptuous low volley which swerved away from Meret and nestled in the corner of the net.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen appealed in vain for a penalty early in the second half after tangling with Francesco Acerbi just inside the area, the ball then breaking for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to bring a good save from Sommer.

But it was the visitors who found the all-important second goal shortly after the hour mark as Barella collected a firmly-struck pass from Martinez and slalomed past two defenders before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Osimhen flashed a header narrowly wide as Napoli tried to get back into the game but Thuram settled matters five minutes from time as he turned in a low, driven cross from substitute Juan Cuadrado.

Erling Haaland faces possible disciplinary action after complaining about referee Simon Hooper on social media following Manchester City’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Tottenham.

The City striker was incensed after being denied the opportunity to play advantage in the closing moments of a thrilling Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland was fouled but quickly got up and played Jack Grealish through on goal only for Hooper to pull play back and award a free-kick.

Haaland was one of several City players to angrily remonstrate with the official and he continued his protests after the game by reposting a clip of the incident on X, formerly Twitter, with the comment “Wtf”.

The PA news agency has contacted the Football Association over the matter.

Manager Pep Guardiola was not aware of Haaland’s social media post when he spoke to reporters after the game but, speaking about Haaland’s on-field reaction, admitted he could understand the player’s anger.

Guardiola said: “It’s normal. His reaction was the same for 10 players. The rules are you cannot talk with the referees or fourth officials, so we should have had 10 players sent off today.

“He’s a little bit disappointed. Even the referee – if he played for Man City today he would be disappointed for that action, that’s for sure.”

Guardiola had tried to temper his criticism, saying in a TV interview he did not want to make a “Mikel Arteta comment”, in reference to the Arsenal manager’s controversial remarks after a game against Newcastle last month.

He added in a press conference: “I make mistakes, the players make mistakes.

“It surprised me because in the moment Erling went down (and) if you whistle in that moment it’s fine.

“But when he stands up and continues and the referee makes that gesture to play on, and after he (Haaland) makes the pass he then stops the game – I don’t want to criticise him.

“On the touchline sometimes I lose my mind and my gestures are not proper but for many years as a manager I’m not a guy, when I’m refreshed, to comment.”

City led 2-1 at half-time thanks to a Phil Foden goal after Son Heung-min had scored at both ends.

Giovani Lo Celso levelled for Spurs and Dejan Kulusevski did likewise in the 90th minute after Jack Grealish looked to have won it for City.

It was the champions’ third successive draw.

Guardiola said: “It’s not the first time we have faced this situation where we are playing good but results don’t come. Always we find a solution but lately the results don’t come and we are struggling.”

For Spurs, the result ended a run of three successive defeats.

Manager Ange Postecoglou said: “City could have blown us away, they certainly had enough chances.

“We were giving the ball away a lot but hung in there.

“The effort the boys put in there in the second half was outstanding. City never got total control of the game and we scored three quality goals, which you have to against a team like that.”

Postecoglou was asked in his press conference if he thought his side may have “got away with one” over the Haaland incident at the end.

“Yes, I guess so mate,” the Australian said.

Kylian Mbappe inspired 10-man Paris St Germain to a 2-0 victory over Le Havre to send them four points clear of Nice at the top of Ligue 1.

PSG found themselves down to 10 men after just 10 minutes when goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was sent off for a high challenge on Josue Casimir.

The visitors went in front in the 23rd minute through Mbappe and while the hosts did their best to find an equaliser, Vitinha scored against the run of play in the 89th minute to seal three points.

Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved two penalties as Lille claimed a 2-0 win at home to Metz.

The 22-year-old denied Simon Elisor before two goals in first-half stoppage time from Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan David put Lille in front.

More heroics from Chevalier 10 minutes into the second half to keep out Lamine Camara’s penalty helped preserve victory for the home side.

Monaco kept pace with PSG with a 2-0 win over 10-man Montpellier, who saw Boubakar Kouyate sent off in the second half, while Brest beat Clermont 3-0 and Toulouse played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient.

In LaLiga, Hector Bellerin was shown a red card in the 27th minute of Real Betis’ goalless draw at Almeria, while Mallorca and Alaves also drew a blank.

Rasmus Kristensen scored the winner for Roma as they came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1 in Serie A.

Matheus Henrique fired in a first-half opener for Sassuolo, but it all came undone after the break when Daniel Boloca was dismissed and Paulo Dybala scored from the spot, before Kristensen fired home a second.

A Lucas Beltran spot-kick and further goals from Riccardo Sottil and Giacomo Bonaventura earned Fiorentina a 3-0 victory over Salernitana, while Udinese and Verona drew 3-3.

Sixth-placed Bologna looked poised for victory at Lecce but had to settle for a point after Roberto Piccoli’s penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time cancelled out Charalampos Lykogiannis’ 68th-minute opener.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund were on course to leapfrog fourth-placed Leipzig with a vital victory at leaders Bayer Leverkusen after Julian Ryerson fired the visitors ahead after five minutes.

But Victor Boniface salvaged a point when he levelled late in the second half.

Celtic, Rangers, Hearts and Hibernian all enjoyed victories, while Motherwell and Dundee shared the points in a Fir Park thriller.

Here the PA news agency looks back on the highlights from the cinch Premiership action over the weekend.

Brendan Rodgers loses his rag

The Celtic boss claimed he had never been angrier as a manager after watching his side’s “soft” first-half display against St Johnstone. The champions conceded another goal from a corner to trail at half-time before strikes from Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and James Forrest earned a 3-1 win. But Rodgers said: “I’m still angry, if I’m honest. The first half was nowhere near what you expect from a Celtic player and team. We got bullied for the goal and we were soft in everything, with and without the ball. Half-time was the angriest I’ve ever been as a manager. I said to the players afterwards, don’t make me be like that again.”

Abdallah Sima back on the scoresheet

Sima scored a double in Philippe Clement’s first game as Rangers boss, a 4-0 home win over Hibernian in October. The 22-year-old attacker, on loan from Brighton, then went the next eight matches without finding the net and Clement put some tiredness down to becoming a father recently for the first time. Sima got back on track against St Mirren at Ibrox on Sunday with a fine strike before the break and a clinching second after 70 minutes to take his tally to the season to 11 in the 2-0 win, with the promise of more to come.

Motherwell strike early but still need a late show

Mika Biereth smashed Motherwell’s first league goal in front of the away fans at Fir Park this season and only their third first-half strike in all. It was the first time the Steelmen had taken the lead for three months but it failed to be the catalyst they were looking for and they twice came from behind to force a 3-3 draw against Dundee. Conor Wilkinson’s equaliser was Motherwell’s sixth 90th-minute goal of the Premiership campaign.

Hearts find consistency

The Jambos last week secured a hat-trick of Premiership wins for the first time since December 2021 and Saturday’s 1-0 success over Kilmarnock made it four league victories on the trot for the first time since they won their first five games of the 2018-19 campaign. Manager Steven Naismith, who scored five goals in those five matches, said: “If I’m honest, for a club like Hearts and a few other clubs will say the same – it should be normal that you go on a run like that, it shouldn’t take five years.”

David Marshall rolls back the years

Hibernian made it three league wins in a row for the first time this season with a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen, but their manager Nick Montgomery admitted afterwards they were indebted to veteran goalkeeper David Marshall. The 38-year-old produced a string of stunning saves to deny the Dons as they chased an equaliser at 1-0 down and the former Scotland international continued to frustrate Barry Robson’s team with further blocks in the closing stages, including from a Bojan Miovski penalty. Many more displays like Sunday’s and there will be a clamour for Marshall to bring himself out of international retirement and make himself available to Steve Clarke for the Euros next summer.

Phil Parkinson is relishing Wrexham’s derby clash against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup third round after putting in “a professional performance” to see off non-league Yeovil.

First-half goals from Ollie Palmer and Andy Cannon and substitute Sam Dalby’s stoppage-time strike dumped the National League South leaders out, with the Red Dragons facing League One Shrewsbury away in January.

Parkinson is excited by the prospect of taking on the Shrews, but was happy with what he saw as they ground out a win against the Glovers.

Parkinson said: “I thought it was a professional performance from us. These games are never easy.

“We had to work for it, we were patient with the ball in the first half and the moments came with two good goals. The intention was to go and kill the game off early in the second period, but credit to Yeovil.

“It didn’t surprise me because when you’re top of the division in your respective league, you’ve got good strong characteristics and you could see that.

“They didn’t give in, they kept playing and we couldn’t quite find that final pass to set a chance up to kill the game off until the very last minute when Dalby scored a really good goal.

“I’m just pleased to get through.

“When the draw comes out before the game, everyone starts looking one eye on Shrewsbury, which I think is a great draw for us and an exciting one for the club, but the job had to be done here first and we’ve done it.”

Yeovil boss Mark Cooper could not praise his side highly enough as fine margins went against them, but was frustrated with some decisions by the officials.

He said: “I thought we were brilliant, absolutely magnificent, all of them. I thought we were bang in the game.

“The goal on half-time is a killer for us, it’s a poor header and we didn’t pick up on the edge of the box, but I thought we were brilliant, to a man.

“I thought we played lovely football, we kept the ball, we created some chances, the keeper has pulled off an unbelievable save in the top corner from Charlie Cooper in the first half.

“We’ve had chances in the second half, so it’s just tiny details. There’s a difference between the two teams and you know that when you come here, the ref’s not going to do you any favours.

“It was some really questionable bits and pieces that went against us.

“They’re a top team, let’s have that right. They’ve got a top manager, everything, and they scored at good times, but I can’t give our players enough credit.”

Dejan Kulusevski scored a 90th-minute equaliser as Tottenham snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at champions Manchester City.

Substitute Jack Grealish looked to have secured City’s first Premier League win in three games when he struck nine minutes from time.

Pep Guardiola’s side had led 2-1 at the break thanks to a Phil Foden goal after Son Heung-min had scored at both ends, but Giovani Lo Celso’s superb strike made it 2-2.

With Spurs committing numerous errors, City had the chances to win convincingly but paid the price for their wastefulness.

It was their third successive draw and there was further frustration as Rodri was booked, ruling him out of the midweek trip to Aston Villa. Grealish will also be suspended against his former club.

For Spurs, after three successive defeats and a multitude of injuries, it was a highly creditable point.

City made a positive start and threatened early on when the dangerous Jeremy Doku forced a save from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Yet from the resulting corner the hosts were punished as Vicario palmed the ball away and it was launched long out of defence towards Son.

The Korean was quickly into his stride and could not be caught as he raced into the area and rifled a shot past Ederson to give the visitors a sixth-minute lead.

It seemed the perfect start for Spurs but the celebrations quickly turned sour for the goalscorer.

Son was wrong-footed as Julian Alvarez’s free-kick into the area was glanced by Erling Haaland and could not prevent the ball ricocheting off his knee into his own net.

Spurs should have conceded again moments later but were spared by an extraordinary and uncharacteristic miss by Haaland.

The prolific Norwegian looked certain to score after Bernardo Silva seized on a loose pass and squared across the area but he somehow screwed his effort wide.

City also had some sloppy moments at the back.

Ruben Dias got back to clear after Brennan Johnson got behind the defence following another long ball and Rodri tidied up after Silva gave the ball away in a dangerous position.

Spurs survived again after Doku cut inside and smashed a shot against the crossbar but City broke through after 31 minutes.

Tottenham contributed to their own downfall after giving away position and City passed their way through, with Foden finishing off following a neat turn and lay-off by Alvarez.

Alvarez struck the base of a post with another effort and Haaland was again wasteful, this time shooting over, when Spurs once more lost possession.

Tottenham continued to live dangerously and when their attempts to play out from the back faltered again early in the second half, it took a fine save from Vicario to deny Silva.

City were to rue their profligacy as Lo Celso pulled his side level 21 minutes from time.

An Alvarez pass was intercepted on halfway and Spurs pushed forward with Son finding Lo Celso on the edge of the area. The Argentinian cut inside onto his left foot and sent a low curling shot beyond Ederson’s fingertips and in off the far post.

City were jolted into action and Rodri sent a shot whistling wide before Grealish turned in from a Haaland cutback.

It seemed victory was secured but Spurs had other ideas with Kulusevski rising to power in, with what seemed to be his shoulder, from a Johnson cross.

The game ended in controversy, and with Haaland fuming, after play was initially allowed to go on after the forward was fouled as he played Grealish in on goal before it was then called back.

Todd Cantwell gave Rangers boss Philippe Clement the post-European response he was looking for with two assists in a 2-0 win over St Mirren at Ibrox.

The former Norwich player was replaced after just 35 minutes of the 1-1 Europa League draw against Aris Limassol on Thursday night after not playing the wide-right position to his manager’s satisfaction.

After a pep-talk from the Belgian, Cantwell was moved into the middle for the visit of the Buddies and helped set up Abdallah Sima for his two goals, which took the Light Blues to within eight points of leaders Celtic having played a game fewer.

“We talked about the game on Thursday and he agreed that he was not doing what he should do,” said Clement,  who revealed that absent midfielder Nico Raskin has a “really small” chance of being back for the Viaplay Cup final against Aberdeen at Hampden Park on December 17.

“He was frustrated himself about that. So this was the reaction I wanted to see.

“It’s a team sport. Otherwise we need to become a tennis player or something.

“You’re part of a team, Todd is part of a team and we talked about that. We know it’s a better position for him but we also have to look at the other circumstances with all the injurie on the right side.

“We didn’t have many players available and he did a good job there also.

“Don’t forget this. Against Sparta Prague he was one of the best players. And he knows that.

“He stays available to play on the right side or the left side. About that we also had a really clear talk.”

Raskin has been out since injuring his ankle against Hearts on October 29 and it was not positive news that Clement delivered, albeit fellow midfielder Ryan Jack could return soon.

He said: “Ryan Jack will not be so long. Nicolas Raskin will have a new assessment in the beginning of the week because his rehab is not going well.

“So I’m not so happy about that but it’s the way it is. We need to find other solutions.

“I think the chance is really small for the moment (to make final). But I’m not a doctor and I’m for sure not a specialist in these things.

“We will go to the best people to find the best and fastest solution.”

St Mirren ended the weekend in fourth place and now have won only two of their last 10 matches in all competitions.

However, manager Stephen Robinson did not criticise his players.

He said: “I’m not sure what people expect when you look at the resources. We had a loss of £1.6 million when I arrived and now we’re sitting fourth with no debt.

“The only people that deserve credit for that are the players.

“They are the ones that have turned it round, they have made the crowds come back and they are the ones selling merchandise.

“They are putting performances in on the pitch so they won’t get any criticism from me.

“They are brilliant, brilliant boys with 100 per cent commitment and enthusiasm.

“They play for the badge every single week and I’ve got nothing but praise for this group of players.”

Mauricio Pochettino spoke of his pride after watching Chelsea cling on with 10 men to earn a battling 3-2 win against Brighton at Stamford Bridge.

Captain Conor Gallagher was sent off late in the first half with the hosts leading 2-1, leaving them facing an uphill battle to hold off a fightback from Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

Chelsea had looked to be heading in at half-time two goals to the good, Enzo Fernandez and Levi Colwill each heading in their first Premier League goals three minutes apart to open up a commanding lead but Brighton halved the deficit through Facundo Buonanotte before Gallagher was shown a second yellow card.

The visitors’ fightback was curtailed midway through the second half when Mykhailo Mudryk, in for Cole Palmer who had picked up a knock in training, raced through on goal and drew a foul from James Milner, a penalty awarded following a pitchside review and a second goal for Fernandez clipped home from 12 yards.

Brighton battled gamely against a determined Chelsea rearguard and a goal headed in by substitute Joao Pedro breathed life into the contest at the start of 10 minutes of stoppage time.

Then in the final seconds, referee Craig Pawson was called pitchside again to adjudicate on a possible handball inside the box against Colwill. This time the call was no penalty, and Chelsea saw out the win to banish memories of last weekend’s 4-1 defeat by Newcastle.

“It wasn’t a sending off,” said Pochettino. “That is my opinion. Maybe I am wrong. This type of period where you are building something, it always happens. We are a young team. I want to clarify – not we are young players, we are a young team.

“We need to improve, we need to learn. The Premier League is the best in the world. We have too many players that need to feel what it means to play in the Premier League. We were a little bit more aggressive after Newcastle where we didn’t show our real face.

“We wanted to play well, to be aggressive and show we care. I think the team was really good, I feel proud. After Newcastle it was tough, and a team like Brighton is always difficult to play.

“I am so proud of the players and the character that they showed. I told them at half-time, ‘it’s 2-1 to us, it’s a great opportunity for us – now we need to show that we are a team’.”

The win was the first in six attempts that Chelsea have managed against Brighton in the league, and was notable for a standout performance from Mudryk who has looked increasingly at home in west London this season after a difficult first six months.

Pochettino reiterated the need for young players like the Ukrainian to feel settled before they can be expected to produce on the pitch.

“It’s not only about building the way that you want to play, your philosophy on the pitch,” he said. “Before that, you need to belong to the team, you need to belong to the club, to settle yourself.

“You need to grow, need to get experience. Too many things before you can talk about playing from the back, or play with three or four offensive players, or with three or five at the back. That comes in after.”

Brighton boss De Zerbi reflected on a game he felt his team did not deserve to lose.

“It’s hard because I think we played much better than Chelsea,” he said. “We made three big mistakes, two set-pieces in the first half and we conceded the third goal in an incredible way.

“It was a clear penalty for them, but we can’t concede a counter-attack in that way (from) a corner for us. In that way we are young, but we need to be more focused in that situation and at set-pieces.”

Barry Robson claimed Aberdeen were “by far the better team” after they lost 2-0 away to Hibernian.

The Dons found home goalkeeper David Marshall in inspired form as they spurned a host of chances – including a late penalty from Bojan Miovski – on a frustrating day at Easter Road.

A goal in each half from Dylan Vente and Will Fish proved enough to make it three wins on the spin for Hibs, who tightened their grip on fifth place in the cinch Premiership and closed the gap on St Mirren above them.

“That’s probably the best we’ve played since I’ve been in the job,” insisted Reds boss Robson.

“I know people will say ‘but you lost the game’ and all that – I get that – but if we’re going to come to Hibs away and have 24 shots and dominate the whole game, I think we’re doing something right.

“I think it tells a story that their goalkeeper was given man of the match. We were all there, we all saw it, we were by far the better team.

“We know that, everybody knows that. But we’ve not come away with the points and that’s the important thing.

“We can sit and talk about all the chances we created, the missed penalty and losing two sucker-punch goals but football’s about winning matches.”

Aberdeen remain 10th with just three wins from their 13 league matches so far, but Robson is confident their situation will improve.

“We’ve not got what we deserved out of a lot of games this season,” he said. “Obviously there have been games where we need to be better but we had 24 shots here.

“I’ve got to give the players credit for that but I’ve also got to remember that we need to win games.

“We understand we need to get points and catch up. We’ve still got a couple of games in hand as well. But if they give me that type of performance, we will win games.”

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery agreed Aberdeen were unfortunate not to take anything but he was keen to point out that his team endured a similar sense of frustration when losing 1-0 to the Dons in the Viaplay Cup semi-final last month.

“I’d agree, they played really well,” said Montgomery. “I wouldn’t say they were the better team but they’ll be disappointed they didn’t get anything out of the game.

“But on the reverse, if you remember the semi-final, we were by far the better team and we lost that game 1-0. Aberdeen were good today and it probably wasn’t our prettiest performance.

“We definitely have to thank David Marshall. He’s a top-class goalkeeper and I thought he was outstanding. The penalty save summed up his performance.”