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LONDON — Manchester City thrashed West Brom 5-0 to move back top of the Premier League on Tuesday as Arsenal aided their push towards the European places with a 3-1 win at Southampton.

City have now won 11 consecutive games since West Brom earned a shock 1-1 draw at the Etihad last month.

Pep Guardiola’s men have hit top form since and did not miss the presence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne in blowing away the Baggies by scoring four goals before half-time.

Ilkay Gundogan opened the floodgates by curling home from the edge of the box before Joao Cancelo’s controversial strike doubled City’s lead.

The West Brom defence was distracted by a wrongly raised offside flag before the Portuguese full-back found the net, but the goal stood after a VAR review.

Gundogan then took his tally to seven goals in his last eight league games before Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling rounded off the scoring.

West Brom have now conceded 17 goals in Sam Allardyce’s four home games in charge as they remain second bottom of the table, six points off safety.

Arsenal on the rise

Guardiola’s former assistant Mikel Arteta is also enjoying a fine run of form as Arsenal have taken 16 from the last possible 18 points.

The Gunners avenged their FA Cup to Southampton at the weekend despite falling behind after three minutes to Stuart Armstrong’s sweet strike.

Nicolas Pepe quickly levelled before Bukayo Saka rounded Alex McCarthy and slotted home to give the visitors at half-time lead.

Alexandre Lacazette sealed a vital three points 18 minutes from time as Arsenal moved up to eighth and within five points of the top four.

West Ham occupy the fourth Champions League place as Tomas Soucek scored twice in a 3-2 win at Crystal Palace.

The Hammers suffered an early setback when Wilfried Zaha put Palace in front after just three minutes.

But the stronger mentality that David Moyes has lauded in West Ham this season showed as Soucek struck twice in 16 minutes to turn the game around.

Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has scored more Premier League goals from midfield than the Czech since he joined from Slavia Prague a year ago.

Craig Dawson headed in Jarrod Bowen’s corner 25 minutes from time to make it 3-1 before Michy Batshuayi scored a late consolation for Palace.

“This is the performance that we wanted to show everyone and I hope that we can carry on,” said Soucek.

“Our dressing room is beautiful and we have so much confidence.”

A sixth consecutive win in all competitions takes Moyes’s men above Liverpool in the table and Jurgen Klopp’s struggling Reds will be wary of their trip to the London Stadium on Sunday.

At the other end of the table, Newcastle lost 2-1 at home to Leeds to stretch their winless run to 11 games

“This league is demanding and cruel at times,” said beleaguered Magpies boss Steve Bruce.

“I don’t know if I’ve been on a worse run in 20 years.”

Leeds had been on a poor run themselves, but secured their first win of 2021 to move 14 points clear of the drop zone in 12th.

Raphinha slotted home Rodrigo’s cut-back to give Marcelo Bielsa’s men a deserved half-time lead.

Miguel Almiron levelled with Newcastle’s first goal for five games early in the second half, but parity lasted only four minutes before Jack Harrison’s sensational finish with the outside of his left foot claimed all three points for the visitors.

Newcastle have a seven-point cushion over the bottom three, but have now played two games more than Fulham in 18th.

AMMAN — Hamzeh Salman was crowned with the title of the 2020 Junior Golf League, while Salem Abdullat, the youngest Arab player, ranked second and Rayan Hassan took the third place.

The league’s activities took place at Ayla Oasis’ golf courses in Aqaba with several rounds cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times.

LOS ANGELES — James Harden believes the best is yet to come after producing a late burst of scoring to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 98-85 victory over the Miami Heat on Monday.

Harden — who joined the Nets in a blockbuster trade from Houston earlier this month — produced a dazzling burst of fourth-quarter scoring as Brooklyn finally overpowered an under-strength Miami team.

The 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player poured on 16 of his 20 points in the final period to lead the Brooklyn scoring alongside Kevin Durant, who also had 20.

Harden and Durant’s contributions in the fourth quarter proved decisive, with the duo making a succession of three-pointers as Brooklyn reeled off 15 unanswered points.

Kyrie Irving had 16 points, while Joe Harris finished with 12 and DeAndre Jordan 11. The victory improved the Nets’ season record to 11-8 in the Eastern Conference.

But it was Harden who caught the eye with his game-changing late cameo that swung the contest in Brooklyn’s favour.

“I was in a role for eight years [in Houston] where I was controlling the ball, dominating the ball,” Harden said. “Now it’s a different experience for me but it’s still great.

“It’s still basketball at the end of the day. It’s fun. Once we get a rhythm and flow it will be a lot easier for us.

‘One of the greatest’

Nets coach Steve Nash showered praise on Brooklyn’s star new recruit.

“He was great,” Nash said of Harden. “We’re starting to see a glimpse of the things he can do scoring the ball.

“He’s one of the greatest offensive players to ever play the game. He’s so effective manipulating the defence that he’s a positive even when he’s not scoring.”

Brooklyn are also starting to see the best of Durant, who delivered another consistent performance in the latest chapter in his return after a year-long injury absence. Durant has now scored 20 points or more in 14 straight games.

“Man, I feel good,” Durant said. “Mentally I feel like I’m still catching up to the speed of the game, but physically I feel solid.

“I just try to come out there and produce, and rely on the work that I put in.”

Elsewhere on Monday, LeBron James conjured another virtuoso performance for the Los Angeles Lakers in a 115-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Ohio.

James finished with 46 points, eight rebounds and six assists to subdue his former club.

“It always feels great to get a win, especially in the purple and gold,” James said afterwards.

“I’m just trying to build my game where I can beat them at all facets, from the perimeter, from the mid-range, from the low posts.

“Just trying to be dominant where I can keep the defence off-balance and I was able to do that tonight.”

‘Pretty awesome’

Lakers coach Frank Vogel was left marvelling at another ageless performance from the 36-year-old James.

“Pretty awesome just to see that he can still turn it up like that,” Vogel said. “Obviously, he wanted to win against his former team here. One of those nights for the ages from him.”

Anthony Davis finished with 17 points for the Lakers, while Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 10 points apiece.

The win nudged the Lakers back into first place in the Western Conference standings, with 14 wins and four defeats. The Los Angeles Clippers, who play in Atlanta on Tuesday, are second on 13-4.

Elsewhere on Monday, the lowly Detroit Pistons upset the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers 119-104 with the help of a 28-point haul from Delon Wright.

The Pistons, bottom of the East on 4-13, romped to a blowout win with Jerami Grant also adding 25 points.

In Dallas, meanwhile, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray was ejected after appearing to hit the Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway Jr in the groin in an off-the-ball incident in the third quarter. The Nuggets went on to win 117-113.

LONDON — Chelsea sacked manager Frank Lampard on Monday after 18 months in charge, with former Paris Saint-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel hotly tipped to replace him at Stamford Bridge.

Lampard signed a three-year deal in July 2019, leading Chelsea to the FA Cup final and a fourth-placed Premier League finish in his first season, in charge.

Chelsea cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League and briefly topped the Premier League table in December after an impressive start to the season but they have now slumped to ninth after five defeats in eight matches — 11 points behind leaders Manchester United.

Sunday’s 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win against Championship side Luton was not enough to save the former England midfielder.

The club said it had been a “very difficult decision” to part ways with the 42-year-old, who is their all-time record goalscorer.

“We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as head coach of the club,” Chelsea said in a statement.

“However, recent results and performances have not met the club’s expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement.”

In a rare public statement, the club’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich said: “This was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him.

“He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.”

Former PSG boss Tuchel, who was abruptly fired by the French champions in December, is in line to take over, it was widely reported.

No return on investment

Defeat to Arsenal at in the FA Cup final Wembley in August was followed by a 7-1 aggregate defeat to eventual Champions League winners Bayern, convincing the Blues board they needed to splash the cash.

Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz arrived for big fees following the earlier signings of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner but an outlay of around £220 million ($300 million) has failed to translate into improved results.

Lampard’s points-per-game average of 1.67 is the lowest for any Chelsea manager since Abramovich arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2003.

He admitted he was worried after last week’s 2-0 defeat to high-flying Leicester.

“It’s not where we want to be,” said Lampard. “I am worried. From the form we were in to get so quickly in to the form we’re in now... we should be better than losing five in eight.”

The former playmaker won three Premier League titles during his glittering playing career at Stamford Bridge, as well as the Champions and Europa Leagues and other domestic honours.

Lampard’s first managerial posting was at Championship club Derby. In his one season in charge, they reached the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Aston Villa.

His departure marks the 14th managerial change since Abramovich’s takeover, which transformed the London club into English and European heavyweights.

“He is an important icon of this great club and his status here remains undiminished,” said the Russian. “He will always be warmly welcomed back at Stamford Bridge.”

Lampard’s former England teammate Michael Owen said the decision was “staggering”.

“Where do you begin?” he tweeted. “Against the odds made top 4 last season and qualified impressively to the knockout stages of the @ChampionsLeague this season. Bought some good players who will settle in given time. Madness.”

Tuchel only became available a month ago when he left PSG, less than five months after taking them to the Champions League final, which they lost to Bayern.

The 47-year-old German won back-to-back league titles with PSG, but that was not enough to satisfy the club’s Qatari owners, who replaced him with former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Prior to PSG, Tuchel impressed at Borussia Dortmund, having started his managerial career with Augsburg and then Mainz.

Chelsea said “no further comment” would be made until a new head coach was appointed.

They host Wolves in the Premier League on Wednesday.

MILAN — AC Milan held top spot in Serie A on Saturday despite falling 3-0 at home against Atalanta after nearest rivals Inter were held to a goalless draw at Udinese.

Stefano Pioli’s Milan saw their lead on second-placed Inter cut to two points but hold pole position at the half-way stage of the season for the first time since they last won the title in 2011.

“Being winter champions means nothing to me, now we have to react,” said Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

“Now the difficult phase begins.”

Milan were outplayed at home with Atalanta’s Cristian Romero heading in the first goal after 26 minutes in the San Siro.

Josip Ilicic added a second from the penalty spot eight minutes after the break after receiving a Franck Kessie elbow in the face.

Ibrahimovic missed a chance to equalise just before half time with the veteran Swede sending side.

Milan’s new signing Mario Mandzukic came off the bench for the final 20 minutes but could not find the net on his debut despite testing Atalanta keeper Pierluigi Gollini.

Colombian striker Duvan Zapata connected with a Romero cross to seal the three points with quarter of an hour to go in the San Siro.

For the first time this season Milan failed to score a goal, falling to their second defeat this campaign after losing to Juventus earlier this month.

Atalanta move fourth into the Champions League places, seven points behind the leaders, and two points adrift of Roma who went third after a 4-3 win over Spezia.

Coach Gian Piero Gasperini hailed “one of our best performances in recent years”.

“Tonight we were a bit superior on everything, a great satisfaction to play like this in the San Siro.”

Conte sees red

Antonio Conte’s Inter failed to follow on from their win over Juventus last weekend, and the chance to go top with a victory in Udine.

Chances were few for Inter with Lautaro Martinez having a goal ruled offside and Nicolo Barella volleying wide in the rain.

Frustrations boiled over with Conte banished from the sidelines at the end of the game for arguing with the referee.

“I think that more time could have been added on. I made the point to the referee and he sent me off,” he said.

In Rome, Lorenzo Pellegrini scored a last-gasp winner as Roma bounced back after their Italian Cup defeat by Spezia with a 4-3 win over the promoted side.

Pellegrini blasted home in injury time, minutes after Daniele Verde had pulled Spezia level, with relieved Roma coach Paulo Fonseca racing to hug the midfielder.

The capital side have been in turmoil since their chaotic 4-2 extra-time loss to Spezia on Tuesday.

The official scoreline was changed to 3-0 on Friday, as Roma made six substitutions, with just five allowed, during the last-16 clash which they finished with nine men.

Captain Edin Dzeko was left out of the team on Saturday, officially because of a muscular injury, but amid reports of a fall-out with Fonseca.

Borja Mayoral scored a double for the hosts, netting the first after quarter of an hour, only for Roberto Piccoli to pull 14th-placed Spezia level seven minutes later by pouncing on a mistake by home goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Real Madrid loanee Mayoral slotted home his second on 52 minutes, before Rick Karsdorp tapped in to make it 3-1 three minutes later.

Diego Farias again responded for the visitors just before the hour, scoring the third goal of a dramatic six-minute spell at the Stadio Olimpico.

An error from Chris Smalling allowed former Roma winger Verde to equalise in the 90th minute, firing home left-footed after the England defender missed his attempted clearance.

Pellegrini had the final say, though, drilling the ball into the roof of the net from close range after Bruno Peres’ unselfish cutback.

It was a first league win in three games for Roma, after last week’s defeat by Lazio in the Rome derby and a draw with title rivals Inter Milan.

“The team has come through a really tough week where we lost two games that we shouldn’t have,” Pellegrini said.

“This should bring a bit of calm.”

Fiorentina, in 12th, eased their relegation worries with a 2-1 win over rock bottom Crotone, thanks to first half goals from Giacomo Bonaventura and Dusan Vlahovica.

LONDON — Paul Pogba is back in form for Manchester United at just the right time as the Premier League leaders prepare for Sunday’s FA Cup showdown with bitter rivals Liverpool.

Pogba has been a constant source of friction during his second spell with United and recent suggestions that he was keen to engineer a close-season transfer came as little surprise.

Mino Raiola, the France midfielder’s agent, infuriated United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in December by giving an interview in which he suggested Pogba wanted to leave because he was “unhappy” with the lack of freedom granted to him at Old Trafford.

At the time, Pogba’s form was so erratic and his team’s results so concerning, that some United fans would gladly have helped him to the exit door.

Perceived in some quarters to be a bad influence on some of his younger United team-mates, Pogba’s stock could not have been any lower when Solskjaer’s side crashed out of the Champions League in the same week Raiola made his inflammatory claims.

At that point, a move to his former club Juventus or a possible switch to Paris Saint Germain or Real Madrid seemed inevitable.

But from the ashes of what looked like a season-defining calamity, both Pogba and United have unexpectedly returned to prominence.

Finally showing signs of knuckling down and putting his focus on football rather than his image and commercial interests, Pogba has played a key role in United’s surge to the top of the Premier League.

Solskjaer reportedly made his displeasure known to Pogba about Raiola’s intervention, but did not lose his cool with the 27-year-old.

Pogba has repaid that show of faith with match-winning goals in United’s league victories at Burnley and then Fulham on Wednesday.

The World Cup winner’s superb curler against Fulham was only his fourth goal of the season but, with Pogba back in the groove, United are a far more formidable force. 

‘In good shape’

Sitting two points clear at the top of the Premier League, United are in contention for a first English title since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

After the dour goalless draw between the old foes in the league at Anfield on January 17, United have a chance to inflict a psychological blow on Liverpool when the champions visit Old Trafford in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend.

The question on the lips of everyone at United is whether Pogba can sustain his sudden hot streak.

Some believe Pogba is motivated by a desire to keep his place in the France team ahead of this year’s delayed European Championships.

Whatever the reason behind Pogba’s renaissance, Solskjaer would clearly benefit from keeping his temperamental playmaker in a positive frame of mind.

“He’s enjoying his football, he’s happy. Mentally he’s very happy and physically he’s in a very good shape and we know all about his talents,” Solskjaer said.

“We decided to play him in midfield [against Fulham] and it was worth it.”

United are catching Liverpool at the perfect time after Burnley ended the champions’ 68-game unbeaten home league record with a shock 1-0 win at Anfield on Thursday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have gone five league games without a win and lie six points behind United.

It is seven hours and 18 minutes since they last found the net in the league — Liverpool’s worst goal drought for almost 21 years.

A victory over United would be just the tonic the ailing Reds need.

“When things don’t work out on the pitch as we want them to, then there is an issue,” Klopp said.

“The issue is that the things I tell the boys, I didn’t tell them clear enough so I have to change the way I tell the boys and then we have to change the way we play.

“We have to keep going with the things that were good enough and improve the others.”

PARIS — Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 760th career goal in Juventus' 2-0 Italian Super Cup win over Napoli on Wednesday, prompting claims he is the top scorer of all time. However, doubts persist as to who actually holds the record.

With five goals for Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid, 85 for Juventus and 102 for Portugal, there is little debate over Ronaldo's own tally.

The Portuguese forward, who turns 36 next month, is the undisputed holder of several records, easily the leading scorer for Real Madrid and his country, and above Lionel Messi in the Champions League goalscoring charts.

But uncertainty arises from the totals of his rivals from previous eras, with the likes of Brazilian duo Pele and Romario both claiming to have netted more than 1,000 goals.

Last month Barcelona's Messi surpassed Pele's recognised total of 643 goals for a single club, but Santos swiftly countered saying the three-time World Cup winner racked up 1,091 goals for them including those in friendlies.

Pele's own Instagram bio notes he is the "Leading Goal Scorer of All Time (1,283)". 

However, if just official matches are the measuring stick, the Brazilian is apparently still behind Josef Bican, who football historians calculated scored 805 goals between 1931 and 1955 playing for half a dozen clubs as well as Austria and Czechoslovakia.

"'Pepi', as he was known, is credited with scoring 805 goals in 530 games, giving him a career average of 1.52 goals per game," FIFA.com said in an article devoted to him last year. 

Included in that number though are 27 goals for Rapid Vienna's reserve and amateur sides, in addition to some that were scored not in official international matches.

Discounting those strikes puts Bican on 759 goals from just 495 games, although international football research website RSSSF (Rec. Sport Football Statistics Foundation) says data is partially missing from the 1952 season in the Czech second division.

Pele is credited with between 757 and 767 goals in competitive matches over his career, which included 92 Brazil internationals and two seasons with the New York Cosmos.

He is listed third (767) by RSSSF behind Romario, who helped Brazil to the 1994 World Cup and ended with 772 goals.

Romario celebrated reaching a "personal count" of 1,000 goals in 2007, a total comprising strikes at youth level and in friendlies and testimonials.

Other reports and statisticians suggest Romario's official haul is just under 750 following a globetrotting career that included spells at PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Flamengo, Miami FC and Adelaide United.

As for Messi, who at 33 is two years Ronaldo's junior, he is on 719 goals for Barcelona and Argentina and will undoubtedly factor into the equation before he is done. 

What is certain is that even if Ronaldo did not break the all-time record, the mark appears well within reach for a player who continues to score at a remarkable rate as he approaches his 36th birthday.

LOS ANGELES — Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points to lead the Utah Jazz to a sixth straight NBA victory on Tuesday, a 118-102 triumph over Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Mitchell piled up 15 points in the first quarter on an efficient six-of-seven shooting from the field.

“I was just doing my job and trying to find was to provide a spark,” said Mitchell, who finished with seven rebounds and four assists. “Tonight it was getting to the rim early and trying to be aggressive and score.”

French centre Rudy Gobert added 13 points, 18 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Jordan Clarkson added 18 points off the bench and reserve Joe Ingles, returning from a three-game absence due to an Achilles tendon injury, chipped in 15 for the Jazz who improved to 10-4 to match the Los Angeles Clippers for second place in the Western Conference behind the 11-4 Los Angeles Lakers.

The Pelicans had the edge in the paint, where they out-scored the Jazz 64-42. But Utah drained 21 three-pointers to New Orleans’ six.

Williamson, the 20-year-old taken first overall in the 2019 draft, led the Pels with 32 points and five rebounds.

He was five-for-five from the field in the first quarter and his layup capped a 7-0 scoring run that put New Orleans up 20-18 with 4:09 left in the first period.

Brandon Ingram added 17 points for New Orleans. But Lonzo Ball — back after missing three games with a knee injury — had just seven and Steven Adams scored six and the Pelicans never led in the second half.

It was similarly lopsided in the night’s only other contest, with Nuggets guard Nikola Jokic scoring 27 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in a 119-101 victory over the Oklahoma City thunder in Denver.

Jokic also handed out six assists and with the game well in hand sat out the fourth quarter along with the rest of Denver’s starters.

Monte Morris added 15 points off the bench and Paul Millsap and Will Barton scored 13 points apiece for the Nuggets.

Denver, who reached the Western Conference finals last season but have been off to a slow start in this campaign, improved to 7-7.

Luguentz Dort led the Thunder with 20 points, 15 of them in the first half.

But Denver took control in the second quarter and never trailed after halftime, pushing their lead to as many as 29 points in the fourth quarter.

The Thunder were coming off an unexpectedly long break since a victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday.

Their game against the Philadelphia 76ers scheduled for Sunday was postponed because the 76ers didn’t have the required eight available players because of COVID-19 health protocols.

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving returned to the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday after missing the NBA club’s past seven games, saying he “just needed a pause” due to personal issues.

Irving practiced with the Nets on Tuesday and coach Steve Nash said he expect him to play when Brooklyn visits Cleveland on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old American guard spoke generally about family matters and mental health issues in his first comments since the layoff that began after he played January 5.

“Happy to be back. Happy to be around these guys,” Irving said. “We got some great pieces and we just move on and I let my actions and my game speak for itself like I planned on doing. Just needed a pause.”

Since his departure, he was fined $50,000 for violating NBA COVID-19 health and safety protocols after being seen in a video attending what appeared to be a family birthday party, also losing more than $800,000 in salary for missing two games while serving an NBA quarantine.

“Lot of family and personal stuff going on,” Irving said. “I want to leave it at that.”

Irving’s absence, five games for personal reasons and two more for conditioning, began the day of an invasion of the US Capitol in Washington that led to five deaths and increased security for Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden.

Irving said he needed to separate being an NBA player from major social issues such as politics or the Black Lives Matter movement.

“If you don’t create that distinction, then it’s easy to feel the weight of the world when you’re going out there and playing,” Irving said.

“I’d be lying sitting here and saying I don’t feel what’s going on in the world, nor am I paying attention to it. I just have a huge responsibility, I feel, to continue to serve my community.”

MILAN — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice on his first start in two months as AC Milan beat Cagliari 2-0 on Monday to pull ahead of city rivals Inter on top of the Serie A table.

Ibrahimovic, 39, got the first from the penalty spot after seven minutes, adding a second just after the break in Sardinia.

Milan, targeting their first league title since 2011 when Ibrahimovic last played in the team, pull three points ahead of Inter who beat champions Juventus 2-0 in the San Siro on Sunday.

“This victory is a sign above all to ourselves more than Inter,” said coach Stefano Pioli.

“We all want to bring Milan back to the top. The team will do everything from here to the end. 

“Now we have an important game against Atalanta [Saturday], we focus on that, then in March and April we will see where we are.”

Ibrahimovic proved he has returned to his best after injury, with the club set to sign former Juventus and Bayern Munich forward Mario Mandzukic to help their title push.

“Ibra will take care of keeping him [Mandzukic] at bay,” joked Pioli. 

The Swede brought his tally to 12 goals in eight games with five doubles, including a brace on November 22 against Napoli, when he picked up the thigh injury which sidelined him.

Milan shook of the absences of defender Theo Hernandez and midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu who tested positive for coronavirus.

The visitors quickly took control of the game after Cagliari defender Charalampos Lykogiannis fouled Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic decided to take the penalty ahead of regular spot kicker Franck Kessie after the Swede had missed twice from the spot twice before his injury.

Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno cleared a long-range Davide Calabria effort after 24 minutes with the Italy defender hitting the post 10 minutes later.

‘One more weapon’

Back after the break Ibrahimovic connected with Calabria’s long-range effort finishing off with the goal confirmed after a VAR review.

Milan held their advantage despite playing the final quarter of an hour a man down after Alexis Saelemaekers was sent off for two bookings, ten minutes after coming off the bench.

Cagliari, just above the relegation zone in 17th position, fall to their fifth consecutive defeat on an 11-match winless run stretching back to November 7.

Milan next play sixth-placed Atalanta to keep their push for a 19th ‘Scudetto’ and return to Champions League football for the first time since the 2013-2014 season on track.

Pioli welcomed the arrival of 34-year-old Mandzukic as “one more weapon”.

“I’m happy, the more strong players we have the better,” said Pioli.

“I talked to him, he’s motivated. Maybe it will take some time for him to get in shape because he hasn’t played for a while, but he’s a winner.”

Ibrahimovic added: “I’m happy, we’ll now be two to scare the opponents.

“We’re doing well, almost halfway through the championship.

“Now the most difficult matches are starting, It’ll be a tough programme, but with Mandzukic and [Soualiho] Meite and I don’t know if others arrive we’ll have more players available for the coach to rotate.”