Sports world daily: Haaland leads Man City to big win; Jabeur into Charleston final

Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City beat Southampton to keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Manchester United and Newcastle United also won on Saturday while Chelsea lost at Wolverhampton Wanderers of Frank Lampard’s return as interim manager.

Ons Jabeur made it to the final in Charleston after beating Daria Kasatkina in straight sets. The Tunisian will have to see who she faces in the final after the second semi-final between Jessica Pegula and Belinda Bencic interrupted due to rain.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 9 April, 2023:

Man City, Man Utd win, Chelsea crash

Erling Haaland struck twice as Manchester City crushed Southampton 4-1 to close the gap on Premier League leaders Arsenal, while Frank Lampard’s first game back in charge of Chelsea ended in a 1-0 defeat at Wolves on Saturday.

Haaland took his Premier League goal tally to 30 this season, within four of the single-season record, thanks to a clinical header and a breathtaking overhead kick at St Mary’s.

The Norway forward’s goals, which gave him 44 in all competitions this term, came either side of Jack Grealish’s strike against the league’s bottom club.

Julian Alvarez netted with a late penalty as second-placed City moved within five points of Arsenal, who travel to Liverpool on Sunday.

Lampard made a surprise return to Stamford Bridge on Thursday when he was appointed until the end of the season following Graham Potter’s sacking last Sunday after just seven months in charge.

But the ex-Chelsea midfielder, who was dismissed by the club’s former owner Roman Abramovich in January 2021, could not provide an immediate lift for the Blues.

Matheus Nunes won it for Wolves in the 32nd minute with a superb half-volley into the far corner from the edge of the area.

Chelsea remain 11th after a fourth consecutive game without a win.

At Old Trafford, Manchester United beat Everton 2-0 to stay fourth and leave the fourth-bottom visitors above the relegation zone on goal difference.

Goals from Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial edged United ever closer to a return to the Champions League next season.

Despite the win, United boss Erik ten Hag took aim at his side’s congested fixture schedule after Marcus Rashford limped off nine minutes from time.

Third-placed Newcastle are above United on goal difference after a 2-1 success at Brentford made it five consecutive wins for the Magpies.

Brentford forward Ivan Toney missed from the spot for the first time since 2018, but made amends when he converted another penalty in the 45th minute.

Newcastle equalised through David Raya’s 54th-minute own goal as Joelinton’s chip went in off the Brentford goalkeeper.

And Alexander Isak won it after 61 minutes with a blistering finish from the edge of the area.

Tottenham are three points behind Newcastle after beating Brighton 2-1 in north London.

Son Heung-min put Tottenham ahead with a superb long-range curler into the top corner after 10 minutes.

It took the South Korean’s Premier League tally to 100 goals, making him the first Asian player to reach that landmark.

Lewis Dunk headed Brighton’s equaliser from Solly March’s corner in the 34th minute.

Tottenham interim manager Cristian Stellini and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi were both sent off after a touchline spat before Harry Kane lashed home the winner in the 79th minute.

Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins scored for Aston Villa, who climbed to sixth place after a 2-0 home win against third-bottom Nottingham Forest.

West Ham boosted their survival bid as Harrison Reed’s 23rd-minute own goal sealed a 1-0 win at Fulham.

Bournemouth rose out of the relegation zone thanks to a 1-0 victory at second-bottom Leicester, who were booed off after Philip Billing’s 40th-minute winner.

Jabeur through to Charleston final

Second-seeded Ons Jabeur booked a return to the WTA final in Charleston on Saturday, but she’ll have to wait to learn her opponent after rain halted the second semi-final.

Jabeur, who finished runner-up to Belinda Bencic on the green clay courts of South Carolina last year, said a rain delay of more than three hours proved advantageous in her 7-5, 7-5 victory over third-seeded Daria Kasatkina.

But the second semi-final, between top-seeded American Jessica Pegula and fourth-seeded Bencic was also interrupted, and with heavy weather expected to linger, play was halted for the night with their match in a second-set tiebreaker.

Bencic had won the first set 7-5, but the second was knotted at 6-6 with Pegula up 4-2 in the tiebreaker when the match was stopped as the light rain that had fallen through several games intensified.

Villarreal stun Real Madrid

Real Madrid suffered a 3-2 defeat by Villarreal in La Liga on Saturday in a thrilling clash ahead of their Champions League showdown against Chelsea next week.

Real Sociedad beat Getafe 2-0 to tighten their grip on fourth place, while Villarreal rose to fifth after their impressive triumph at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The champions remain 12 points behind leaders Barcelona, who face Girona on Monday, with Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze scoring twice in a sensational individual display.

Pau Torres’s own goal sent Madrid in front but Chukwueze levelled before the break.

Vinicius Junior netted a superb solo goal before Jose Luis Morales equalised again and Chukwueze curled home a superb winner, which reduced Madrid’s hopes of retaining the title to virtually nothing.

“The truth is, it was hard for us to be 100 percent motivated, that’s quite normal,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told Movistar.

“If you aren’t 100 percent, you have to be better on the pitch, we weren’t organised, they manage the ball well and it was hard for us to get it back.”

However the coach said the defeat did not allow any doubts to creep in ahead of Chelsea’s visit in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.

“No, no doubts,” added Ancelotti.

Villarreal rose to fifth, two points clear of Real Betis, who host Cadiz on Sunday.

Coach Quique Setien lavished praise on Chukwueze.

Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo struck for Real Sociedad in their comfortable win over Getafe.

Amid a run of inconsistent form after a strong start to the season, La Real suffered Europa League elimination and in recent weeks allowed teams to close in behind them in the hunt for Champions League football.

Atletico Madrid, third, overtook Real Sociedad in March after they dropped points in a draw with lowly Cadiz.

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day