Football news

The Argentine’s strike against Valencia took him to another milestone for the Catalan club in only his 471st competitive match in Blaugrana colours

Lionel Messi has reached 400 goals for Barcelona following his strike in the Liga clash at home to Valencia on Saturday.

The Argentine attacker struck in the dying seconds to claim his latest landmark, which he has achieved in only 471 competitive matches for the Blaugrana.

Messi, still only 27, netted his first for Barca in 2005 against Albacete at Camp Nou and has since gone on to break most of the game’s goalscoring records.

All-time top scorer for Barca, the Rosario-born forward also leads the goal charts in the Champions League and La Liga, while he is closing in on Gabriel Batistuta’s 56 strikes for Argentina.

His goal against Valencia means he now has 46 goals in 46 appearances in all competitions this term, while he has closed to within three of Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Pichichi prize.

The Potters steal all three points at home to Southampton as Charlie Adam nets in the final minutes after Morgan Schneiderlin and Mame Biram Diouf both score

Southampton’s Champions Leagues hopes are dented after Charlie Adam struck a late volley to help Stoke City to a 2-1 win at the Britannia.

Morgan Schneiderlin opened the scoring for the visitors as he tapped in from close range from a corner after 22 minutes. 

Straight from the half-time interval, Stoke’s Mame Biram Diouf equalised after reacting first to Steven N’Zonzi’s shot deflecting onto the crossbar. 

But with just six minutes left to play, substitute Charlie Adam volleyed his shot into the ground past Kelvin Davis to seal maximum points.

It was the hosts who began the brighter with Stephen Ireland and Diouf – two of Stoke’s three changes – threatening in the final third, but there was no repeat of the dream start they enjoyed in this fixture last season, when goalkeeper Asmir Begovic scored with just 13 seconds gone.

The visitors – who welcomed back Dusan Tadic – slowly began to settle and Pelle went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock after 16 minutes.

Sadio Mane spun away from Glenn Whelan 25 yards from goal and played a neat pass into the Italian striker, who controlled the ball perfectly only for his right-footed effort to ripple the side-netting.

Southampton did not have to wait long for the opening goal, though, as poor Stoke defending from a corner gifted Schneiderlin his fourth in the league this season after 22 minutes.

Sloppy marking allowed the Frenchman to ghost in unmarked at the back post to poke home, the 25-year-old tapping in Jose Fonte’s front-post flick from a yard out.

Although Stoke continued to press, they lacked a real cutting edge and Hughes’ side were nearly punished on the half hour as Pelle again found space, but his low effort was easily saved by Begovic.

Ronald Koeman’s side saw their advantage disappear two minutes after the restart as Diouf dragged Stoke level, albeit in bizarre circumstances.

N’Zonzi’s miscued cross looped over Kelvin Davis before striking the crossbar, the loose ball fell to Diouf and he had the simple task of firing into an unguarded net.

Having fought hard to restore parity, a moment of madness from Begovic nearly saw Stoke fall behind again on the hour as the goalkeeper raced out to meet Mane on the right-edge of his penalty area.

The Senegal international turned away from Begovic and played a low centre to Tadic, but his effort was superbly kept out by Whelan on the line.

Adam – a half-time substitute – made Southampton rue that miss as he completed Stoke’s second-half comeback, the Scot finding space inside a crowded penalty area to fire past Davis.

To add further disappointment to Southampton’s day, defender Toby Alderweireld left the pitch on a stretcher in stoppage time with a shoulder injury.

Leicester City move off the bottom of the Premier League table for the first time in five months after goals from Leonardo Ulloa and Andy King seal vital victory

Leicester City’s Premier League survival hopes received a boost after beating Swansea City 2-0 after goals from Leonardo Ulloa and Andy King.

The Foxes have now recorded three wins in a row to lift themselves off the bottom of the table for the first time since November.

Ulloa opened the scoring early in the first half after collecting Wes Morgan’s knock-down to net his eighth goal of the season.

Swansea City missed their chance to level the scorline when Nelson Oliveira shot straight at Kasper Schemeichel after some neat footwork inside the box.

Leicester then sealed all three points when King pounced first after Lukasz Fabianski parried Esteban Cambiasso’s free-kick. 

It was the home side who started brightest and took a deserved lead in the 15th minute.

The Swansea defence failed to deal with a Marcin Wasilewski punt into the box and Ulloa was on hand to drive a shot into the bottom left-hand corner after being teed up by Wes Morgan.

Wayne Routledge chipped over goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel into the Leicester net soon afterwards but the assistant referee’s flag had already been raised for offside, with television replays suggesting an extremely tight call.

Leicester continued to press, with Marc Albrighton curling a shot just wide, before Swansea finally began to show signs of life with 25 minutes on the clock – Jonjo Shelvey firing their first real chance high and wide.

Albrighton and Andrej Kramaric went close to extending Leicester’s lead with early second-half efforts, while Shelvey continued to look Swansea’s most potent threat at the other end, drawing a diving save from Schmeichel.

The Dane had to be alert as the second half progressed, denying Oliveira and and Shelvey in quick succession shortly after the hour mark as Swansea pressed for a leveller, while substitute Jefferson Montero’s strike deflected wide a few moments later.

From the resulting corner, Leicester launched a rapid counter-attack, but Riyad Mahrez was unable to execute his attempted chipped finish, before Jamie Vardy saw claims for a penalty following a clumsy Ashley Williams challenge waved away.

Mahrez then forced Lukasz Fabianski to tip the ball around the post following a 20-yard strike late on, but King wrapped up the points when Fabianski dropped the ball into his path from Esteban Cambiasso’s free-kick.

James Morrison and Craig Gardner downed the Eagles to end a run of three straight defeats for the visitors as the Baggies boss made a winning return to Selhurst Park

Craig Gardner scored a stunning long-range goal as West Brom beat Crystal Palace 2-0 on Tony Pulis’ return to Selhurst Park to secure their first away win in the Premier League since November.

Pulis quit as Palace manager just two days before the start of this season after keeping them in the top flight last term, and the Welshman marked his first game back at his former club with a long-awaited victory on the road.

Palace went into Saturday’s game on the back of four consecutive wins and were big favourites to beat an Albion side who had lost their last three games, but an early strike from James Morrison set the tone for a surprise win.

Gardner then got in on the act with a thumping right-footed drive after the break and there was no way back for Alan Pardew’s men.

Three points moves West Brom above Newcastle United into 13th place and deals a blow to Palace’s hopes of finishing in the top half.

Joe Ledley was recalled to the Palace starting line-up at the expense of Pape Souare, who dropped to the bench.

Brown Ideye had been a doubt for West Brom due to a knock sustained in training and the striker was only named among the substitutes, with Victor Anichebe replacing him.

Albion had scored just one goal in their previous four away games, but they took less than two minutes to break the deadlock as an unmarked Morrison evaded Jason Puncheon to head home Chris Brunt’s corner.

Anichebe was enraged when he went down under a challenge from Mile Jedinak 15 minutes in but referee Jonathan Moss opted not to point to the penalty spot.

Palace started to get into their stride and they also felt aggrieved when Gardner jumped into Wilfried Zaha but once again referee Moss saw nothing untoward.

Yannick Bolasie was this week valued at £20 million by Pardew and the winger’s price tag may have soared even higher had his acrobatic overhead kick not been palmed away by Boaz Myhill as Palace remained on the front foot.

Pardew reacted to his side’s first-half display by replacing Jedinak and Ledley with Dwight Gayle and Souare at the break.

However, the home side were two goals down eight minutes into the second half courtesy of a stunning strike from Gardner.

The midfielder took a touch after a corner had not been properly cleared and then let fly with a sublime right-footed strike from 25 yards which flew past Julian Speroni and found the far corner of the net.

Gayle somehow failed to convert a fine cross from Souare three minutes later and Bolasie felt his goal-bound strike was handled as Palace’s frustration mounted.

Substitute Yaya Sanogo had a late goal ruled out for offside for the hosts before Glenn Murray somehow volleyed wide from close range with an effort that summed up a frustrating afternoon for Palace.

Ross Barkley saw an early penalty saved before a tale of two red cards; one given and one not as the Belgian escaped with a booking while Ashley Barnes was dismissed

Kevin Mirallas’s first-half strike secured a 1-0 win to extend Everton’s unbeaten Premier League run to five and send Burnley to the bottom of the Premier League table.

Everton started well, and were given a golden chance to take the lead when David Jones fouled Aaron Lennon, but Tom Heaton got down low to parry away Ross Barkley’s poor effort.

Sean Dyche’s side continued to live dangerously though, and they were made to pay when Mirallas fired the hosts ahead midway through the first-half.

Burnley had shown signs of a comeback as the opening half wore on, but matters were made much more difficult for them when Ashley Barnes was dismissed for a second bookable offence moments before the interval.

James McCarthy wasted a great opportunity to put the hosts further ahead after the restart, with Leighton Baines also testing Heaton as Everton continued to dominate.

Burnley frontman Danny Ings also spurned a late chance as his goalless run stretched to eight games – with Leicester City’s triumph against Swansea City meaning the Lancashire outfit slumped to 20th place.

In-keeping with their recent good form, Roberto Martinez’s men were fast out the blocks, with Barkley and Lennon both looking sharp, and that early pressure should have proved fruitful 10 minutes in when Jones brought down the latter just inside the area.

Despite regular penalty taker Baines being on the pitch, it was Barkley who stepped up, and the midfielder’s effort was kept out by Heaton, low to his right.

Lennon fired a warning shot just past Heaton’s right-hand upright as Everton continued to press and the Tottenham loanee was at the heart of things as they took the lead, driving through midfield before the ball was worked for Mirallas to prod home at the second time of asking.

Jones blazed over the bar with Burnley’s first effort of note just three minutes later, but any Burnley comeback was stunted by a moment of madness by Barnes – already on a booking for a clumsy tackle on McCarthy – as he needlessly slid in on Coleman on the stroke of half-time, earning his marching orders.

The hosts were lucky not to be a man down themselves five minutes after the break, Mirallas escaping with just a booking for a studs-first lunge on George Boyd.

McCarthy should have doubled Everton’s advantage just prior to the hour-mark but he drilled into the side-netting after being fed by the vibrant Lennon before Heaton smartly denied Baines’ piledriver.

Ings headed over with five minutes remaining as the visitors finally mustered an attempt, but Everton held firm to secure their fourth win in five league fixtures.