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LIVERPOOL — Jose Mourinho said Tottenham must learn to kill games off if they are to win a first league title in 60 years after Roberto Firmino’s late winner earned Liverpool a 2-1 win over his side on Wednesday.

The Brazilian’s towering header ended an 11-game unbeaten league run for Mourinho’s men and opened up a three-point lead for the defending champions at the top of the Premier League table.

Liverpool enjoyed 76 per cent possession and had 11 shots on target to Tottenham’s two, but Mourinho still believed Spurs would have been deserving winners had they taken their chances early in the second half.

Steven Bergwijn hit the post and Harry Kane uncharacteristically headed a huge opportunity over at 1-1.

“We were so close to a win, not so close to a draw,” said Mourinho, who had an exchange of words with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at full-time.

“A draw would be a bad result in relation to the performance, so you can imagine how we feel with the defeat.

“Of course they had more of the ball but when we had it, we knew how to hurt them. We have to score — the second, third goal, we have to score it to kill the game.

“In matches like these where you don’t have 10 chances, just three or four, you have to score three and kill it, which we didn’t.”

Liverpool are now 66 games unbeaten in the league at Anfield and showed why they remain the favourites in a wide-open title race with their ability to consistently win tight games late on.

“Completely deserved,” said Klopp of his side’s victory. “A really good game against a top side, a counter-attacking monster.

“You lose one ball and you end up with an 80 percent possibility in your own box so you have to really concentrate.”

Houllier tributes 

Before kick-off, the Liverpool support, players and officials paid their respects to former manager Gerard Houllier, who died earlier this week at 73.

Unusually kicking towards 2,000 fans in the Kop in the first half, Liverpool made a storming start as they swarmed over Spurs and could count themselves unfortunate not to have been out of sight by half-time.

Liverpool earned their luck for the opening goal when Mohamed Salah’s shot took a huge deflection off Toby Alderweireld and looped beyond the helpless Hugo Lloris in off the far post.

Curtis Jones should have done better with a big chance to double the home side’s advantage moments later as Lloris was again well-positioned to make a comfortable save.

But the moment Tottenham had been waiting for to launch the counter-attack that has thrust them into title contention, beating Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal in recent weeks, arrived on 33 minutes.

Giovani Lo Celso’s brilliant pass opened up a makeshift Liverpool backline with 19-year-old Rhys Williams partnering midfielder Fabinho in central defence.

Son Heung-min timed his run to perfection to stay onside and coolly slotted past Alisson Becker for his 14th goal of the season.

Having weathered the storm, Spurs went on to enjoy the far better chances early in the second half.

Bergwijn prodded wide from a narrow angle after Williams showed his inexperience by getting caught under a simple ball down the middle.

The Dutch international had an even better sight of goal just after the hour mark when he hit the base of the post when clean through and from the resulting corner, Kane headed a glorious chance over.

Liverpool continued to enjoy more possession and nearly unpicked the lock of the Tottenham defence when Sadio Mane spun Serge Aurier and crashed a rising shot off the bar.

But Mourinho will be bitterly disappointed that his side were eventually undone by a set-piece as from Andy Robertson’s corner, Firmino rose highest to silence the critics of his goal record with what could be one of the most important all season.

MADRID — Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hailed Karim Benzema as the best centre-forward in French history after his match-winning double against Athletic Bilbao put them joint top of La Liga on Tuesday.

Bilbao’s Ander Capa had cancelled out Toni Kroos’s thumping strike before Benzema, 32, struck twice late on, heading home a cross with 16 minutes remaining and finishing clinically in stoppage time from Luka Modric’s pass.

Afterwards Zidane had no hesitation in declaring Benzema as France’s best ever centre-forward, putting him at the top of a list that includes Thierry Henry, Kylian Mbappe, Jean-Pierre Papin and Just Fontaine.

“For me, he’s the best — it’s very clear,” said Zidane, the French midfield legend who won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. “He’s proved it — he’s played at Real Madrid for a very long time, he has more than 500 appearances, all his goals... his record, all he’s accomplished here speaks for itself,” Zidane added.

Benzema arrived at Real Madrid from Lyon in 2009, but was long overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo until the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s move to Juventus in 2018.

On Saturday, Benzema’s 529th match for Real, he broke Roberto Carlos’s record for the most appearances by a non-Spanish player. Benzema is also their top scorer this season.

“He’s a more mature player these days,” said Zidane. “But he’s always shown that he’s not a pure nine, he doesn’t only think about scoring.

“That’s why I like him so much, I love him, he’s not only thinking about goals. He gets involved in the game, if he needs to pass to a teammate he’ll do it.”

Third-placed Madrid gained their fourth straight win in all competitions and are equal on 26 points with Real Sociedad, who face troubled Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Wednesday and city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Barca are nine points back but play one of their two games in hand in the hope of giving some momentum to what has been a miserable season so far.

AMMAN — Standings remained nearly unchanged as Wihdat seem closer to the title, with rivals Jazira following closely, while at the bottom end Ahli are fighting for their spot in the Jordan Professional League as three teams at least are in the relegation zone.

The 17th week of the Professional League will have vital matches for all as Wihdat beat Ramtha 2-1 to maintain their led ahead of their match against Shabab Urdun.

Jazira who beat Faisali 2-1 will next play veterans Ahli who are having their worst season. The latter beat Sahab 2-0 to improve to 11 points and are 3 points behind Sahab and Aqaba.

Third placed Ramtha will next play Aqaba while Hussein who are fourth after holding Salt 1-1 next play Ma'an while Salt play Sahab as they seek a midway spot.

Faisali who have conceded their title are fifth and next play Sarih who are ninth after holding Aqaba 0-0. Shabab Urdun who held Ma'an 0-0 are now 6th. 

After the Jordan Cup was scrapped from the agenda, the league champ will move on to the preliminary round of the Asian Champions League while the second and third teams, instead of the Jordan Cup champ, will play in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.

So far this season, Faisali beat Jazira to win their 17th and 37th Jordan Super Cup while Wihdat defeated Ramtha to win their 1oth and the 33rd Jordan Football Association Shield.  Regionally, reigning champs Faisali  had an unimpressive start in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup, while 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup national team qualifiers have now been postponed to next year. 

Last season, Wihdat beat Jazira to win the 36th Jordan Super Cup while Faisali won their 20th Jordan Cup title, adding it to their record 34th Pro League title, one point ahead of Jazira who had led throughout the competition and settled for runner-up. 

Ahli, who were relegated last decade but came back to win the Jordan Cup in 2015 and played in the AFC,  barely secured their spot as Baqa'a dropped to the First Division after 18 consecutive seasons in the Pro League. They were joined by That Ras, a former AFC Cup participant and 2012 Jordan Cup champ. Ma'an and Sarih were promoted.

Since the league kicked off in 1944 with only Faisali, Urdun, Ahli and Homenetmen competing, Faisali are 34 time record league winners while Wihdat were crowned champs for 16 times since they joined in 1980.

GLASGOW — Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has paid an emotional tribute to Gerard Houllier after his former Liverpool boss died aged 73, calling him a "special man".

Houllier passed away on Monday and former Liverpool captain Gerrard joined the football world in sending his condolences.

Gerrard won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup during Houllier's six years at Liverpool, where his current Rangers assistant Gary McAllister also thrived under the French coach.

Houllier helped get Liverpool back on track after a difficult period, laying the foundations for the club's 2005 Champions League triumph under his successor Rafael Benitez.

"I would like to pay tribute to him. Yesterday was a really tough day for myself and Gary McAllister," Gerrard told a press conference on Tuesday.

"Gerard obviously played a huge part in both our careers - and also our lives.

"So the news yesterday was very difficult to take. It's a huge blow.

"I came in yesterday morning really happy after our result at the weekend and then to receive that news was a bitter blow.

"He was a special man, a caring man, a loving man. He was more than just a manager."

Houllier also managed Paris Saint Germain, France, Lens, Lyon and Aston Villa before retiring in 2011.

Heart problems dogged his career. He was taken seriously ill during a game against Leeds at Anfield in October 2001 and required 11 hours of surgery.

Houllier was told to stay away from football, but his passion for the game brought him back to the Liverpool bench.

Gerrard recognised that burning ambition in Houllier, but the ex-England midfielder also credits his former manager with making him a better person.

"Throughout your career, different people look after you and shape you," Gerrard said.

"Gerard was at the forefront of that in terms of shaping me into a better player, a better person, a better leader.

"So I've got an awful lot to thank the man for and I'm finding it really hard to come to terms with it right now.

"I always try and take all the best bits from all the coaches and managers I worked. It's impossible for me add the charisma, the care and the love that Gerard carried.

"I think every player that has worked with him will certainly echo that. He was just a special human being.

"This is not a guy who would focus solely on football and what you gave to him in terms of the relationship player-to-manager.

"This was someone who, at my age, wanted to change me as a human being into an elite professional, who wanted me to be a better person."

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain, last season’s beaten finalists, will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League, while Liverpool were paired with RB Leipzig in Monday’s draw.

French champions PSG will relish another chance to avenge their soul-destroying “Remontada” defeat to the Catalan giants in 2017.

Having beaten Barca 4-0 in the French capital, PSG crashed to a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou orchestrated by Neymar.

The Brazilian, who won the 2015 Champions League with Barca, then joined PSG in a world record move weeks later but has yet to taste similar European success with Ligue 1’s dominant force.

They came closest last season when they were beaten 1-0 in the final by Bayern Munich, who claimed a sixth European crown thanks to a goal from PSG youth product Kingsley Coman.

With the first legs due to be played in February, PSG seem hopeful Neymar will have recovered in time from an ankle injury which forced him to be stretchered off the pitch in his side’s 1-0 Ligue 1 defeat to Lyon on Sunday.

On Monday PSG said Neymar’s prognosis was “reassuring” while the 28-year-old said on Instagram that his injury “could have been worse” following a rough tackle from Lyon midfielder Thiago Mendes which left him screaming in agony.

Barca may not be as intimidating opponents as in the past after a troubled start to the season influenced by boardroom chaos and Lionel Messi’s attempt to leave the club in the summer.

Messi saved Barca’s blushes on Sunday with the only goal in a home win over lowly Levante, but they are nine points behind La Liga leaders Real Sociedad.

Holders Bayern 

face Lazio 

Reigning champions Bayern play Italian side Lazio, who are in the knockout phase for the first time in over two decades.

“They are a very difficult opponent, we saw them in the group against Dortmund,” said Bayern’s sports director Hasan Salihamidzic.

“It is always difficult against the Italian teams. But it is always nice to go to Rome.”

Lazio’s Spanish midfielder Luis Alberto described the draw as “complicated”.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team, who like PSG are still seeking a first Champions League title despite serious investment from Gulf state owners, must get past Borussia Moenchengladbach, European Cup finalists way back in 1977.

“I learned when I was in Germany how big and important and historical a team Gladbach are. I respect the beauty of their football,” said former Bayern boss Guardiola.

“I want to arrive in the best condition when we play them. We want to compete as best as possible and go through.”

Frank Lampard said that Chelsea, winners in 2012, have been handed the hardest possible draw with their tie against Atletico Madrid.

“I think most people will say it’s the toughest draw that we could have had,” the Blues boss said.

“We have to have belief in ourselves and, when that game comes around, you’re going to have to beat these sort of teams if you’re going to win the Champions League.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus will play Portuguese side Porto, winners in 2004, while Real Madrid take on last season’s surprise quarter-finalists Atalanta.

“We want to face them in the same manner we took on Barcelona,” said Juventus  vice president Pavel Nedved, referring to the 3-0 win at the Camp Nou which allowed the Italians to top their group.

Liverpool will be wary of an attack-minded RB Leipzig side who ended the hopes of Manchester United in the group phase.

That match will be a clash of German managers as Jurgen Klopp’s Reds face a Leipzig side led by young coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have been absent from the title match at the ATP Finals for the past two years, replaced by younger rivals seeking to smash their monopoly.

Instead of the “Big Three”, it was Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev who took centre stage at London’s O2 Arena on Sunday, with Russia’s Medvedev coming out on top.

But do the results at the season-ending tournament signal the end of an era for men’s tennis or another false dawn for the chasing pack?

Poor predictor

The demise of Djokovic and Nadal at the hands of younger rivals on a dramatic Saturday in London felt significant and not just for the results themselves.

Austria’s Thiem, 27, produced an astonishing comeback from 4-0 down in the deciding tie-break to beat World No. 1 Djokovic -- after squandering four match points in the second-set tie-break.

Fourth-seed Medvedev did not let the loss of the first set to Nadal faze him, roaring back to end the Spaniard’s record of 71 consecutive wins after winning the opening set.

But recent history shows the season-ending ATP Finals do not provide a reliable indicator of what is to come the following season.

Medvedev, 24, is the sixth different winner of the event in six years.

Since Andy Murray lifted the trophy in 2016, the champions have been Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who can boast just one Grand Slam final appearance between them.

Indoor hard courts are Nadal’s weakest surface while Djokovic has not played his best in London since a run of four titles in a row from 2012 to 2015.

Federer, absent this year with an injury, lifted the last of his six titles at the event in 2011.

Grand Slam dominance

The Grand Slams remain the ultimate prizes in tennis and the period of unprecedented dominance for the Big Three is far from over.

They have won an astonishing 56 of the past 67 majors between them, including 14 of the last 15.

Thiem finally broke the stranglehold by winning this year’s US Open but Nadal and Federer did not take part and Djokovic was the clear favourite until his disqualification.

Nadal has just won a 13th French Open title without dropping a set and he and Djokovic especially will still be the strong favourites going into 2021.

The Spanish veteran issued a chilling warning to the young pretenders after his defeat to Medvedev in London.

“My motivation has been always the same,” he said. “Next year is going be an important year. I hope to be ready to fight for the things that I want to fight [for].”

Changing of the guard?

Pundits have predicted a changing of the guard many times over the past few years but such predictions have always proved premature.

It is impossible to delay the inevitable of course -- Federer will be 40 next year and has missed almost the whole 2020 season following two knee operations.

Nadal is 34 and Djokovic 33 and both can be shakier in the big moments than they once were.

Thiem, Medvedev, Zverev and Tsitsipas have had more success against the Big Three than the generations before them, and an even younger generation is making waves.

But, with Federer and Nadal tied on 20 Slams and Djokovic three behind, the three dominant players of the past 15 years are playing for history and hugely motivated to achieve more.

Medvedev, who reached the 2019 US Open final, where he lost to Nadal, welcomed the rise of the young guns.

“I think it’s super for tennis,” he said. “We are starting to get to take our marks. Dominic won his first Slam, playing unbelievable tennis right now.”

But ATP Finals runner-up Thiem believes it is too soon to discount the old guard, predicting “exciting times” ahead.

“We proved that we can play with the legends, that we can also beat them, that we can also win the biggest tournaments,” he said.

“I think in the next few years the Big Three still will play for every big title, but I guess there’s still going to be a time when those guys retire, I don’t know, in three, four, five years. And then I guess we will be the favourites for all the big titles.”

LONDON — Mohamed Salah spared Liverpool’s blushes as the Egyptian’s late penalty rescued a 1-1 draw against struggling Fulham on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were punished for a sloppy first half display at Craven Cottage when Bobby Decordova-Reid gave Fulham a shock lead.

But Salah rescued the Premier League champions after Aboubakar Kamara handled with 11 minutes left.

Liverpool remain in second place and sit behind leaders Tottenham on goal difference.

Crystal Palace’s late equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Tottenham just before Liverpool kicked off had given the Reds a chance to go top if they won in west London.

Instead, they will have to wait until Wednesday’s summit meeting with Tottenham at Anfield for their next chance to knock Jose Mourinho’s team out of pole position.

Liverpool are unbeaten in their last eight league games, but they were far from their fluent best and are winless in their past five away league matches.

Adding to Klopp’s concerns, Joel Matip suffered a back injury that saw him join the long list of Liverpool injuries which already included his fellow centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez.

Klopp’s pre-match admission that Diogo Jota will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a knee injury leaves the Reds boss relying on Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane to lead the attack throughout the hectic Christmas and New Year period.

Fulham have just two wins in their last 11 games in all competitions, but this spirited effort showed Scott Parker’s fourth bottom side are capable of avoiding relegation.

Klopp had warned his players not to underestimate Fulham as they look ahead to the Tottenham game, but their erratic performance suggested they hadn’t been listening closely.

With coronavirus restrictions eased in London, it was the first time Fulham had been able to have fans in their stadium since last season’s promotion.

Salah to the rescue 

Ivan Cavaleiro almost gave those 2,000 supporters the perfect welcome back when his stinging strike was parried away by Liverpool keeper Alisson Becker in the fourth minute.

Cavaleiro threatened again when his well-timed run beat the Liverpool offside trap, but his low shot was superbly saved by Alisson.

Liverpool had a penalty scare when Fabinho’s sliding challenge on Cavaleiro went to a VAR review, but referee Andre Marriner opted not to award a spot-kick after consulting the pitchside monitor.

Fulham were frustrated by that decision but they kept up the pressure and Ademola Lookman’s 20-yard drive forced another good save from Alisson.

Even Alisson had no answer when Fulham finally got the goal their dominance deserved in the 25th minute.

Salah surrendered possession after a shove on the Egyptian went unpunished on the edge of the Liverpool area.

Lookman clipped the ball through to Decordova-Reid and the winger smashed an unstoppable strike past Alisson into the far corner.

Mane should have done better than head wastefully over from Curtis Jones’ cross before Salah swivelled to fire just wide from close-range.

Matip’s back injury forced the Liverpool defender off at half-time, with Japan forward Takumi Minamino sent on and midfielder Jordan Henderson moving to centre-back.

Cavaleiro got through Liverpool’s reshuffled rearguard with ease after a mistake by Andrew Robertson, forcing Alisson to save his prodded effort.

With Fulham defending deeper as the half wore on, Henderson was able to get forward and he drew a fine save from Alphonse Areola after running onto Firmino’s pass.

Liverpool dominated the closing stages and equalised in the 79th minute when Kamara blocked Georginio Wijnaldum’s free-kick with his arm.

Salah’s penalty wasn’t well struck, but it still crept under Areola’s weak attempted save for his 13th goal of the season.

LONDON — Anwar El Ghazi’s last-gasp penalty fired 10-man Aston Villa to a dramatic 1-0 win against, while under-fire Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prepared for a crucial derby against Manchester City on Saturday.

In the first of the day’s Premier League games, Dutch winger El Ghazi struck from the spot in stoppage-time to lift Villa into eighth place.

Villa had Douglas Luiz sent off in the final minutes for two bookings after the Brazilian midfielder caught Daniel Podence with an elbow.

But Nelson Semedo’s foul on John McGinn triggered El Ghazi’s penalty before Wolves midfielder Joao Moutinho was dismissed for a second yellow card just moments from full-time in a fractious local derby.

After two successive defeats, Villa will hope they are back on track with just their second win in six games.

Villa have won four of their five away league matches this season, while mid-table Wolves have only one win in their last five games.

With Raul Jimenez out after surgery on the fractured skull he suffered against Arsenal, Wolves handed a first Premier League start to 18-year-old striker Fabio Silva — a club record £35 million ($46 million) signing from Porto in the close-season.

It was two weeks since Villa last played after the Newcastle match was postponed due to their opponents’ coronavirus outbreak and they took a while to get going as a result.

Villa appealed for a penalty when the ball glanced off Romain Saiss’ shoulder as he stooped to head clear, but VAR ignored their protests

 United decline 

Wolves finished the first half strongly, with Daniel Podence forcing Emiliano Martinez to save his low drive.

Martinez kept out Leander Dendoncker’s stinging strike and Silva nearly broke the deadlock when his glancing header drifted narrowly wide.

Silva was inches away from a first Premier League goal when he took Podence’s pass and rifled his first-time shot past Martinez, only to see the ball cannon back off the post.

Luiz’s stray elbow earned him a red card from Mike Dean in the 85th minute, but El Ghazi won it from the penalty spot after McGinn’s burst was halted by Semedo.

Later, Solskjaer’s United will look to bounce back from their Champions League exit in midweek.

Following a run of four straight league wins, the Red Devils can claim to be in the hunt for a first league title since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 sent them into decline.

But the helter-skelter nature of some of those victories, allied to the shoddy defending that led to a 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig in midweek, means the pressure is once again on Solskjaer.

A fourth defeat in six Premier League games at Old Trafford this season could see United finish the weekend eight points off the leaders, albeit with a game in hand.

City are a point behind United, in seventh, but Pep Guardiola’s men appear to be coming into form after recording back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

In stark contrast to United’s Champions League woes, City’s serene progress into the last-16, with two games to spare, allowed Guardiola to leave Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus in reserve for the derby.

In Saturday’s other matches, Chelsea travel to Everton and Newcastle host West Bromwich Albion.