Premier League round-up: A review of this afternoon’s action
1 Chelsea’s miserable start to the season continued as they lost their fifth game in ten matches when they were reduced to ten men and beaten 2-1 at West Ham.The Hammers took a 17th-minute lead through Mauro Zarate, when Diego Costa’s failed clearance set up nicely for the Argentinean to cleanly strike a low, powerful half-volley past Asmir Begovic.Chelsea tried to grow into the game and they nearly had a leveller when Kurt Zouma’s header was cleared off the line by a combination of Adrian and Manuel Lanzini. It was a close call and Blues players were appealing for a goal, but technology ruled the ball had not crossed the line and replays showed there were fractions in it.Lanzini nearly doubled West Ham’s tally as he was through on goal, on the left-hand side of the box, and his dinked shot beat Begovic, sailing over the bar by a small margin.Cesc Fabregas had a goal ruled out as he was shown to be a yard offside, as Ramires led a Chelsea counter.Chelsea’s tough task became a whole lot tougher before the break, as Nemanja Matic was shown a second yellow card, for a rugby-like challenge on Diafra Sakho. Chelsea protested and Diego Costa and Fabregas were booked for dissent, while a member of the Blues’ coaching staff was sent to the stands, soon followed by Mourinho after he was dismissed in the interval.The Blues had a good start to the second period as Gary Cahil fired Mourinho’s men level, reacting quickest to a knock-down after the corner, powering a shot past Adrian.With 11 minutes remaining, substitute Andy Carroll scored a trademark goal, rising highest to head the Hammers a second.Elsewhere, the pressure piled on Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood when they slumped to another defeat, losing 2-1 against Swansea at Villa Park.It was a much needed win for Swansea boss Garry Monk, while it was a tale of two brothers as Jordan and Andre Ayew both got on the score sheet.Summer signing Jordan [Ayew] opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark as he headed home at the far post, before Gylfi Sigurdsson put the visitors level with a delightful free-kick just six minutes later.Swansea won it late on, Andre [Ayew] stabbing the ball home after Kyle Naughton’s dangerous low cross.Jamie Vardy’s goal-scoring form continued as Leicester ran out 1-0 winners at home to Crystal Palace.After a goalless first half at the King Power Stadium, Vardy netted his tenth goal in as many games for the Foxes this season. What a well-taken goal it was too, the 28-year-old England international latching onto Riyad Mahrez’s through-ball. He was set through on goal and, with goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey closing him down, he dinked the ball over the Eagles stopper before calmly slotting home after 59 minutes.Elsewhere, Watford won their third match of the season, shocking Stoke City with a 2-0 win at the Britannia.After twice hitting the bar, the Hornets eventually found the breakthrough minutes before the interval when Odion Ighalo’s sublime flick on the edge of the box found Troy Deeney, who turned his marker before firing home his first Premier League goal.Almen Abdi then doubled the visitors’ lead after 69 minutes, finishing brilliantly to beat England’s Jack Butland.And finally it was a tight affair at Carrow Road, with West Brom leaving Norfolk three points better off thanks to record signing Salomon Rondon, who scored his second goal for the Baggies by netting after 46 minutes in the 1-0 win.Full-time scoresWest Ham United 2-1 ChelseaStoke City 0-2 WatfordAston Villa 1-2 Swansea CityLeicester City 1-0 Crystal PalaceNorwich City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion Another frustrating afternoon for Jose Mourinho 
1 Manchester City’s owners have sold a 13 per cent stake in the club’s parent company to Chinese investors.The City Football Group (CFG), parent company of the former Barclays Premier League champions, has sold the stake to a consortium of CMC (China Media Capital) and investment company CITIC Capital.The investment of 400 million US dollars (£265million), which is subject to regulatory approval in some territories, follows six months of talks and is aimed at expanding CFG’s interests in the Chinese football industry.The deal sees new shares issued in CFG in addition to those owned by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), the investment and development company privately owned by Sheikh Mansour of the Abu Dhabi royal family.Prior to the investment ADUG was the sole shareholder of CFG which owns Manchester City, New York City FC, Melbourne City FC and is a minority shareholder in Yokohama F. Marinos.CMC chairman Ruigang Li will represent the consortium at CFG by becoming its seventh board member.Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of CFG, said: “Football is the most loved, played and watched sport in the world and in China, the exponential growth pathway for the game is both unique and hugely exciting.“We have therefore worked hard to find the right partners and to create the right deal structure to leverage the incredible potential that exists in China, both for CFG and for football at large.”Li said: “With its unique business model and distinct successes, City Football Group, whom we have come to know well, represents a differentiated systematic approach to building a global platform for football know-how, player development, academy programmes and commercial partnerships that will benefit China’s football industry on multiple levels.“We and our consortium partner CITIC Capital also see this investment as a prime opportunity for furthering the contribution of China to the global football family.” Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour 
Red Star Belgrade have accepted a £5.1million offer from Liverpool for Marko Grujic – but the move has been plunged into doubt by the teenager’s father.The Serbian club announced the deal on Wednesday, revealing the 19-year-old midfielder will remain with them for the remainder of the season before heading to Merseyside to link up with Jurgen Klopp’s side.A Red Star statement said: “The board considered the offer and unanimously accepted the offer of the English giants. Liverpool will pay the money immediately, and the player would stay in Red Star until 01/07/2016.”However, confusion reigns over whether Liverpool will complete a deal for Grujic after an angry outburst by his father on Wednesday.Goran Grujic claims his son has been forced out of Red Star for monetary reasons and has vowed to block the move to Merseyside.According to the Daily Mail, he was quoted as saying: “I won’t allow them to destroy my boy!“I’m speaking about people who are in charge of the club [Red Star Belgrade]. Everyone turned their back on them, as they’ve spent all the money the club has had, and they see a solution in Marko’s transfer. That’s why there’s so much pressure on him. Ten times per day they are calling him by phone, urging him to sign a contract.“There are (their) stories in Serbian media, like ”Gerrard’s No 8 is waiting for him”, or ”Klopp called him by phone”, ”millions here, millions there”. “I mean, which club is willing to pay six million euros, and then to say ”Look, kid, come when you want”? Nope, if Liverpool FC is seriously counting on him, they’ll tell him ”Start of training camp in January on this day, at that hour, we’re expecting you”. And, what kind of combination is that? “‘The club is paying for him seven million euros, but then leave him on loan and that loan costs one million!? Really, I’m starting to think I should call the police to tell them everything about this pressure.”Asked directly whether his son has spoken to Liverpool, Goran said: “Did we speak with Liverpool? Look, we had chat with people from Udinese, and then guys from Anderlecht also came. But, there was no conversation about transfer, they just wanted to see what kind of kid Marko is, what’s his way of thinking. And, that was all, just chat. “Then, suddenly came that story about Liverpool… All I can say is that the passports are with me, and I can guarantee that Marko is not leaving, he’s not going anywhere.“He became world champion, he’s on his way to win a title with Red Star, it’s logical that his price will be bigger in summer 2016. But, there are so many people that want this transfer to go earlier, to get money. All of this is packaged as a beautiful strawberries and cream for Marko because he was still a child. But the reality is different.“I know that coach Miodrag Bozovic has respect for my son, but I told director Zvezdan Terzic openly – leave my kid alone. And, as of Liverpool’s offer, I’m sure there will be bigger than this one. Let him win the title with Red Star first.” 1 Marko Grujic 
Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce was left cursing his luck after his side slipped to a slim 1-0 defeat on his return to West Ham.Michail Antonio’s first-half strike secured all three points for the Hammers and left their former boss empty-handed in his final trip back to Upton Park.It was a cruel result for the basement battling Black Cats, who missed a host of chances to equalise in the second half.Jermain Defoe spurned two glorious opportunities against his old club, who was perhaps booed more by Hammers fans than Allardyce, while substitute Jack Rodwell fired straight at Adrian when it looked easier to score.And Allardyce admitted: “You can’t create that many chances and not come away with a result.“We are kicking ourselves, which is worrying, when you play that well and don’t get any points. We are making life extremely difficult for ourselves.“We did enough to win, never mind draw. It must be that black cat we ran over.”The build-up to the game centred around Allardyce, whose relationship with the West Ham supporters was strained to say the least during his four years in charge.He may have anticipated a hot reception yet nothing more sinister than a polite smattering of applause greeted the 61-year-old as he took his seat in the opposition dug-out.“Jermain Defoe got more stick than me I think,” he added. “But I had four very good years at this club. I’ve been a part of the history and part of them going to a new stadium as a Premier League club.“To come here for the last time, it would have been nice to get a result.”Both sides had hit the woodwork – Mark Noble saw a drive tipped onto the crossbar by Vito Mannone and Wahbi Khazri clipped the frame of West Ham’s goal – before Antonio struck after half an hour.The there was no doubt from Hammers boss Slaven Bilic that his side fully warranted the three points.“We deserved to win,” said the Croatian.“We scored the goal, we hit the post twice and we could have had a penalty for a foul on Dimitri Payet.“But more than a few times there were situations where we tried to be too cute. This is the Premier League. Until you score the second one there is always the danger you will concede.“But did they deserve to win more than us? No way.” 1 Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce 
Arsenal fans are growing increasingly frustrated with their boss 1 Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal’s fans did not make a “major statement” with their angry reaction to Wednesday’s defeat to Swansea and believes his players are ready to bounce back against title rivals Tottenham.The Gunners succumbed to a potentially damaging 2-1 loss to the Swans, which saw them miss out on a chance to close in on Barclays Premier League leaders Leicester.Wenger saw his decision to replace Joel Campbell jeered by the discontent home faithful inside the Emirates Stadium, with more boos heard at the final whistle.Ahead of Saturday’s crunch north London derby at Spurs, former Arsenal striker and record goalscorer Thierry Henry, who works as an academy coach at the club, said on Friday morning the Arsenal fans were as angry as he had ever seen during the game.Wenger would not be drawn on what he thought of Henry’s comments and stated no supporters would be happy to see their team lose at home, with their furious reaction a normal act of frustration.“I would like not to comment on that and I say to people what I think face-to-face,” he said when asked if Henry’s comments would make matters worse with restless fans.“I don’t want to comment on that, it doesn’t help us to win tomorrow (at Spurs). Thierry Henry will not play tomorrow for Arsenal. His comments are like any other comments, they cannot help us to win, nor be an excuse to lose. We have to focus on ourselves.“You cannot say they were never as angry as that. Who can measure that, who can compare that? Do you want your fans to be happy to lose a game? Where do you see that?“So, it doesn’t look to me (like) a major statement. Our fans are unhappy, I am unhappy, we’re all unhappy and if you were in our dressing room after the game you would see that we are absolutely devastated to lose the game.“The players, nobody moved for minutes and minutes. It’s normal. Why do you want people to be happy when you lose? It’s quite remarkable that you are shocked by statements like that.”Wenger knows a victory over Spurs, not only their neighbours but now their title rivals, would help silence the boo-boys as he heads for the cauldron of noise the home fans at White Hart Lane are likely to produce on Saturday.“We have to be immune to that,” he said of the expected hostile atmosphere of Wednesday.“We are professional people. You cannot always say that we focus on our job and it’s then reverse. We have to provoke the positive reaction from the fans and that’s our job.“It (the derby) will be passionate for sure because there is a lot at stake and it has always been like that.“I think as well at White Hart Lane the fans are very close, the pitch is not too big. We have maybe more duels than usual in the game on the pitch and the pitch is quick as well so that makes for a very quick game.”Asked if he liked the atmosphere at Spurs, Wenger simply replied: “I love it.”He will love it even more if his side, without injured goalkeeper Petr Cech for up to a month and with defender Laurent Koscielny also ruled out, can get just their fourth win in 12 games to reignite their title tilt.But Arsenal come up against a Spurs side who had put together a fine run of results until their own midweek stutter as they lost at West Ham to pass up an opportunity to go top of the table.Wenger, though, believes the real test of their mettle starts now and reckons his own players are prepared.“Look, I feel we are ready,” he said.“They have made progress, yes. Now this is crunch time in the last 10 games and we will see. That’s why maybe everybody has a big interest in the game tomorrow.”
LA HABRA HEIGHTS — The black duffel bag found Sept. 12, 2000 at the bottom of a hill contained a grisly mystery.Stuffed inside was the decomposing body of a man. He’d been shot in the head.The corpse was discovered 75 feet down the hillside in the 2500 block of Casalero Drive by firefighters. Residents complained about a foul smell in the area.Who the man was, where he met his demise and how he ended up dumped in this suburban community remain a mystery seven years later. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGame Center: Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, 10 a.m.He is still “John Doe No. 175” to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.“We still don’t know who he is. There’s been no leads,” said coroner’s spokesman Capt. Ed Winter.He said samples from the body were sent to the state’s DNA Lab in Richmond but there have been no hits thus far.Fingerprints could not be lifted from the body. Neither could coroner’s officials determine hair and eye color.But the Coroner’s Office has learned some things about John Doe No. 175. He died of a gunshot wound to the head, he had dental work done and his body bore a distinctive marking. On his upper back, near the left shoulder, was a tattoo of a snarling red-and-black tiger with unsheathed long claws. Behind the animal was an orange moon with white clouds.Authorities hoped the tattoo would be the key to unlocking the man’s identity. But no one has come forward.The man also had his wisdom teeth removed and had a crown and root canal on his upper teeth, according to coroner’s investigator Dan Machian.Machian said no alcohol or drugs were found in the body.John Doe No. 175 was either white or Latino, between 21 and 30 and stood about 5-feet, 6-inches tall.He was well-dressed. He wore “Polo” brand jeans and a white or beige short-sleeved shirt. On his right foot was a size 8 “Bass” brand sandal and on his head a white baseball cap emblazoned with “Jaguars.”The other sandal was missing.Machian said a bone sample from the body was sent to the state lab on May 28, 2003 and later some teeth on April 1, 2004. No matches have been made. “We haven’t heard anything from them. So no match at this point,” he said.The county cremated the unknown man in 2001 and buried his ashes in a common grave three years later.Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.ruby.gonzales@sgvn.com(562) 698-0955, Ext. 3026160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
1 Everton and England centre-back John Stones remains a top summer target for Chelsea, despite his struggle for form this season.It is understood incoming Blues boss Antonio Conte wants to make Stones, whose performance in Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to Liverpool intensified the unwanted spotlight on the youngster , his first signing when he arrives at Stamford Bridge.The 21-year-old was pursued by ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho last summer, but the Premier League giants had three bids – with the third and final offer in excess of £30million – but the Toffees rejected their advances.And Chelsea, who considered signing Stones from Barnsley before his move to Goodison Park in early 2013, may revive their interest when the summer window opens.Stones was targeted by the club as a long-term successor to captain John Terry, who is out of contract at the end of the season.And now Conte appears set to continue the pursuit, which could put Terry’s long-term future at the club in jeopardy.The 35-year-old is out of contract this summer and revealed in January he would be leaving the Blues, though the London side maintain the offer of a new one-year deal could be on the table before the end of the season and Conte will have a major say.Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has also been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge following his impressive form since moving to the Toffees.The Blues sold the Belgium striker for £28m in July 2014 and it has been reported double that fee might be required to prise him from Goodison Park.And reports on Friday claim owner Roman Abramovich has sanctioned a £90m double move to land both Everton stars in the summer transfer window. Everton defender John Stones has struggled for form this season 
Crawley boss Mark Yates and assistant manager Jimmy Dack have left their roles with immediate effect.The Reds are currently 18th in League Two, 14 points above the relegation zone, and have already secured their Football League status for next season.Yates, 46, took over at Broadfield Stadium in May 2015 following the club’s relegation from League One and has been in charge for just under a year.However, Crawley have lost six successive league games, including Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Carlisle, and have won only four of their 20 matches in 2016.Crawley also have the third-worst goal difference in the fourth tier, behind already-relegated Dagenham and York, and the club felt the need for a change.A statement on the club website said: “Firstly, we would like to thank Mark and Jimmy for the job they have done this season. Mark and Jimmy have worked hard for the club. However, the recent form and performance of the team suggests change is needed.“We wish Mark and Jimmy the best of luck in their future challenges.“The board will be interviewing potential candidates in the next few days to make the right appointment to move the club forward. The days and weeks ahead will determine the right path for the club.“There will be no further comment from the club at this time.” Crawley Town boss Mark Yates on the touchline 1
10 OUT: Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) – De Bruyne was as poor as the rest of the Belgium side and picked up an injury during the defeat to Italy. At 10.0m De Bruyne takes up a large chunk of your budget considering he is a doubt, it would be wiser to use your money elsewhere. 10 10 OUT: Anthony Martial (France) – A lot of people picked Martial as he is listed as a midfielder in the game rather than as a striker but his place in the side is currently being filled by Payet. At 9.0m, he is too expensive to have a place in your team and not be playing. IN: Luka Modric (Croatia) – Modric was stunning in Croatias opener and he scored what could be the goal of the tournament already. Expect the 7.0m priced midfielder to pick up more goals and assists as the championship progresses, especially against Czech Republic in the next game. OUT: Lorik Cana (Albania) – Another player to see red in his opening game. Cana was the first sending off at Euro 2016 and will miss the France game as a result. OUT: Aleksandar Dragovic (Austria) – click the arrow, right, to see all of talkSPORT’s Euro 2016 fantasy football tips – Dragovic was sent off in Austrias shock 2-0 defeat to Hungary and will miss the clash with Portugal as a result. At 5.0m it will be better to replace him now, rather than use your substitutes and wait for him to return against Iceland. IN: Julian Draxler (Germany) – Draxler started the game against Ukraine and played well, meaning you would expect to see him play again in the next two games. He is also only 6.5m and considering the way Germany started the tournament he could be a fixture in your team for a long time. 10 IN: Eric Dier (England) – Dier is listed as a defender on the Euro Fantasy website so take full advantage and bring him in at only 5.0m. After his success against Russia, he will surely stay on free kicks and is always a danger in the air. 10 10 IN: Leonardo Bonucci (Italy) – Bonucci was fantastic against Belgium and picked up a clean sheet as well as a fantastic assist. He is only 5.5m and given the organisation of the Italian defence, you can expect him to pick up a few more points. 10 IN: Dimitri Payet (France) – Payet was phenomenal in the opening fixture against Romania and topped off his performance with a stunning winner. The West Ham man will certainly start the next game which is against minnows Albania so he should pick up plenty more points. 10 10 10 OUT: Darijo Srna (Croatia) – Srna unfortunately lost his father following the win over Turkey on Sunday and is therefore a doubt for the Czech Republic game. If he were to return for the final group game against Spain, it is unlikely he would score many points so it is wisest to take out the right back now. The first round of fixtures at Euro 2016 has been completed and people are checking their fantasy football to see how they got on.A lot of the big players failed to pick up points with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Thomas Muller all failing to find the net.So with all players guaranteed at least another two games in the group stages, who should you be bringing in and who should you be taking out of your fantasy teams?Click the arrow above, right, the see talkSPORT’s transfer tips ahead of Matchday 2 of Euro 2016 Fantasy Football.
JetBlue today announced a four-day sale for travel in January and February, with flights between California cities as low as $49 one way, and Delta will begin offering nonstop service to London’s Heathrow on flights operated by Air France. Delta customers will be able to start booking nonstop flights to London later this week, and the daily flights, operated by Air France and departing at 8:25 p.m., will begin March 30, according to the Atlanta-based airline. JetBlue’s sale runs through Friday, and flights must be booked via www.jetblue.com by 11:59 p.m. that day. All travel must take place between Jan. 8 and Feb. 13. Among the one-way sale prices are flights from Long Beach to Chicago for $119; to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for $109; to Las Vegas for $49; Oakland, $49; and Salt Lake City, $69. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWhicker: Clemson demonstrates that it’s tough to knock out the champ 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!