Saturday’s briefing: Leeds beat Forest to boost Premier League survival chances

Leeds earned a big three points in the Premier League with a victory over Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta apologised to Chelsea counterpart Liam Rosenior, while Pep Guardiola jumped to the defence of Erling Haaland.

Leeds cut down Forest

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season as Leeds beat Nottingham Forest 3-1 at Elland Road to climb nine points clear of the relegation zone.

The free summer signing from Everton, whose thumping first-half header hit the crossbar, chested home Leeds’ third goal soon after the restart after quickfire goals from Jayden Bogle and Noah Okafor had put them in control at half-time.

Forest substitute Lorenzo Lucca marked his debut for the club by heading a late consolation as they slipped to their 13th league defeat of the season.

Leeds remain 16th in the table – level on points with Crystal Palace and Tottenham – but crucially opened up a nine-point cushion between themselves and third-bottom West Ham, who play at fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday.

Arteta says sorry

Mikel Arteta has offered an apology to Liam Rosenior following the Chelsea manager’s claim that Arsenal showed his side a “lack of respect”.

A furious Rosenior was captured on TV in the warm-up at the Emirates prior to Chelsea’s Carabao Cup defeat on Tuesday telling a member of Arteta’s backroom staff to stay in their own half.

Rosenior explained, at a press conference on Thursday: “I asked them, maybe not politely, to make sure they stay in their half.

“I’m not here to have mind games, it’s just what I think is right and respectful. There’s certain etiquette in football. In that moment I didn’t think that respect was shown to my team.”

However, responding to Rosenior’s comments, Arteta said: “I don’t know if (he is over-reacting). It is his opinion.

“Obviously, we respect everybody, and at any point, if one of the staff members went through that (the Chelsea half), then we apologise and that is it.”

Guardiola backs Haaland

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has no doubt Erling Haaland is the best striker in the world.

The Norway international is going through an unusually quiet spell in front of goal, scoring just two in his last 12 appearances.

That contrasts sharply with his form earlier in the campaign, which saw him net 25 times in his previous 23 games.

“Erling is the best striker in the world,” Guardiola said pointedly when asked about his star forward at a press conference to preview Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool.

Haaland started on the bench in the second leg of City’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle on Wednesday.

The feeling was Guardiola was resting the 25-year-old ahead of the crucial Anfield encounter, but Omar Marmoush took his chance to shine in his place, scoring twice.

Asked if Haaland would come back into the side, Guardiola said: “I don’t know, we’ll decide tomorrow, but I always say Erling is the best.”

Ronaldo still on strike

Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from the Al Nassr squad for a second successive game amid his ongoing dispute with the Saudi Pro League.

The 41-year-old was left out of the line-up for Friday night’s match against Al Ittihad, having also missed Monday’s victory over Al Riyadh, but fans expressed their solidarity, raising yellow signs featuring Ronaldo’s name and his signature number seven in the seventh minute at Al-Awwal Park. Al Nassr ran out 2-0 winners without their star man.

The Portugal captain, who celebrated his birthday on Thursday, is believed to be upset by his club’s lack of January transfer business.

He is reported to be unhappy with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) for failing to invest in the team in the winter window while rivals Al Hilal – also 75 per cent majority-owned by the PIF – brought in his former Real Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema from Friday’s opponents.

What’s on today?

Manchester United will try and continue the feel-good factor under Michael Carrick in the lunchtime kick-off with Tottenham.

Arsenal will be looking to strengthen their lead at the top of the Premier League as Sunderland visit, while Aston Villa visit Bournemouth and there is a huge match at the bottom as Burnley host West Ham.

In the Championship, Coventry hope to get their promotion bid back on track with victory over Oxford.