LONDON: Benjamin Sesko stretched his hot streak with the winning goal as Manchester United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to go third in the Premier League, while Totte­nham Hotspur failed to dispel relegation fears after defeat at Fulham.

Sesko was handed his first start in seven games since Michael Carrick took charge at Old Trafford and rewarded his boss with another vital goal to edge United closer to a return to the Champions League.

Palace had taken an early lead at Old Trafford when Maxence Lacr­oix outmuscled Leny Yoro to guide in a header from Brennan Johnson’s corner.

But United hit back to remain unbeaten under Carrick and take their tally to 19 points from a possible 21.

The game swung on one incident as Lacroix was sent off and conceded a penalty for pulling back Matheus Cunha just before the hour mark.

Bruno Fernandes confidently stroked the resulting spot-kick past former team-mate Dean Henderson.

Fernandes was then the creator for the second as his curling cross was powered in by Sesko.

The Slovenian has now scored seven times in his last eight appearances to quieten critics of his 74 million ($100 million) price tag after a slow start to his career in England.

Meanwhile, Tottenham remain perilously poised just four points above the relegation zone as interim boss Igor Tudor again failed to halt their alarming slide after a 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage.

Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi gave Fulham a deserved half-time lead as they moved up to ninth and back into contention for European football next season.

Richarlison headed in a late consolation for Tottenham, but they remain the only Premier League side without a win in 2026.

The one crumb of comfort for Spurs was defeat for relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, 2-1 against Brighton and Hove Albion.

All three goals arrived in the first 15 minutes as Diego Gomez and Danny Welbeck netted for the Seagulls either side of Morgan Gibbs-White’s reply.

Forest sit two points above the drop zone ahead of a daunting trip to Manchester City on Wednesday.On Saturday, Manchester City shrugged off the absence of Erling Haaland to keep on tail of Premier League leaders Arsenal with a 1-0 win against Leeds United.

Haaland was absent for the trip to the city of his birth due to a minor injury that Pep Guardiola described as “not a big problem”.

Without the Norwegian, City were far from their best but ground out a vital three points against a Leeds side that had lost just twice in their previous 16 games.

Leeds were left to rue not making the most of their early dominance as Dominic Calvert-Lewin skewed wide a glorious chance just three minutes in.

Antoine Semenyo instead proved to be the match-winner with his sixth goal in 11 games since joining City last month.

“It was a huge victory to still be there (in the race),” said Guardiola, whose side and Arsenal are still involved in four competitions.

“One game at a time. Recover now and start the real season when there are many, many games and everyone’s tired.”

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2026

CREMONA: AC Milan moved clo­ser to Champions League football next season after two late strikes gave them a 2-0 win at Cremonese on Sunday.

Strahinja Pavlovic put Milan ahead in the 90th minute with his shoulder before Rafael Leao’s simple finish in stoppage time gave the away side a result which flattered a drab display in Cremona.

Milan, who have been without Euro­pean football this season, have little realistic hope of winning the Serie A title as the seven-time European cha­m­pions are 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan.

Next weekend’s Milan derby has little more than local pride riding on it with Inter speeding off into the distance with 11 games remaining in the league campaign.

Milan’s stated aim for the season, however, was qualification for the Cham­pions League and Massi­miliano Allegri’s team are on course for that objective.

“We have a huge goal to reach with teams behind us who continue collecting points,” said Allegri to DAZN.

“You have Como, Atalanta still have to play, Napoli won in the end and there are also Roma and Juventus. All we can do is take it one step at a time.”

Fifth-placed Como are nine points behind Milan, while AS Roma, seven points behind them in fourth, and next face Juventus.

Atalanta are five points off the Champions League spots in seventh after falling to a surprise 2-1 defeat at 10-man Sassuolo, their first in the league since the turn of the year.

Raffaele Palladino’s team are the only Italian side in the last 16 of Eur­ope’s top club competition following their thrilling 4-3 aggregate triumph over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Jamie Vardy’s Cremonese are sliding towards relegation to Serie B after a 13th straight match without a win, the promoted outfit sitting outside the drop zone on goal difference.

Inter continue scudetto march

On Saturday, Inter bounced back from Champions League elimination with 2-0 win over Genoa which continued their march towards the Serie A title.

Federico Dimarco’s brilliant volley just after the half-hour mark and Hakan Calhanoglu’s second-half penalty were enough for Inter to extend their already huge lead.

“We got the job done… in the end what matters is the team,” said Dimarco who has scored seven goals and set up 15 more in all competitions this season.

“If my goals and assists don’t give us trophies they won’t be worth very much. I’d rather have fewer goals and assists if it means us winning the league.”

Inter, whose fans unloaded a collection of anti-Milan chants in anticipation of the derby, have dropped just two points in 15 league matches and have been a cut above the rest in Italy’s top flight this season.

Earlier on Saturday, Romelu Lukaku kept Napoli on course for a Champions League spot with a last-gasp winner in the champions’ 2-1 victory over rock-bottom Hellas Verona, the Belgium forward’s first goal of the season.

Lukaku forced home Giovane’s cross to snatch the win for third-placed Napoli with the last kick of the game at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.

Napoli had looked like dropping points in northern Italy when Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro levelled Rasmus Hojlund’s early opener in the 65th minute.

But Lukaku, who only played his first game of the season in late January, gave Napoli, third, a huge win with both Como and Atalanta pushing for a top-four placing.

“I was a dead player before coming here,” said Lukaku to DAZN. “This season has been difficult, but we’ve got to aim high.”

Napoli’s title defence is all but over as they trail Inter by 14 points after an injury-ravaged season.

Verona, under interim coach Paolo Sammarco following the sacking of Paolo Zanetti earlier this month, are 10 points from safety after a 12th straight match without a win.

Como, who face Inter in the first leg of the Italian Cup semi-finals on Tuesday, strolled to a 3-1 victory over strugglers Lecce to continue their push for a first-ever qualification for European football.

Cesc Fabregas’s team are are fifth, five behind Napoli.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2026

DURBAN: Sadaf Shamas starred with the bat while skipper Fatima Sana delivered an all-round show to help Pakistan women thrash South Africa in the third and final One-day International for a 119-run consolation victory at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Sadaf scored a 71-ball 97 (16 fours and a six) while Fatima added a late 60 off 41 (three fours and five sixes) to boost the visitors to 306 before Sadia Iqbal’s 3-41 and Fatima’s 2-29 saw South Africa bundled out for 187.

Put in to bat first, Pakistan lost opening batter Gul Feroza early before Sadaf and Sidra Amin (41) stitched a 130-run partnership.

Pakistan stood at 164-3 following the duo’s departure but lost two quick wickets, which required a rescue effort of sorts and Fatima, along with Najiha Alvi were up to the task.

The pair put up 65 for the sixth wicket before Najiha was dismissed in the 48th over. Fatima brought up her fifth ODI half-century and remained unbeaten.

For the Proteas, Sune Luus bagged 3-42 while Nonkululeko Mlaba returned figures of 2-56.

In reply, Tasmia Rubab (1-19) provided Pakistan with the first breakthrough as she dismissed Tazmin Brits in her first over.

Fatima continued the momentum with her pace as she bagged the scalps of her counterpart Laura Wolvaardt and Luus for a duck in space of three deliveries to reduce the hosts to 7-3 after two overs.

First drop Faye Tunnicliffe (47) and top-scorer Annerie Dercksen (54) then stitched an 85-run alliance for the fourth wicket, before the former was out caught and bowled by Nashra Sundhu (2-25).

Sinalo Jafta (33) joined Dercksen at the crease and put together 50 runs before being removed by Sadia.

Umm-e-Hani (2-35) sent Dercksen back in the hut six deliveries later to leave the hosts 147-6 after 27 overs.

Sadia struck again in the 30th over to dismiss Nadine de Klerk before Umm-e-Hani bagged her second wicket to remove Chloe Tryon as Pakistan sealed the match.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2026