02/03/2026

SPORTS MONDAY | MAR 2, 2026

30

Burnley denied by VAR

Ű BY ELEANOR CROOKS

new long-term deal this week, admitted he would not have been happy had the VAR decisions gone against his side but felt they were ultimately cor rect. On his team’s performance, he said: “I thought the first half we were very good, played with a lot of conviction, we attacked with real speed and venom and belief. “The own goal just changed it a little bit and I knew we’d have to start the second half really well. I thought they’d make changes, they did, changed the system a little bit, and we didn’t deal with that particularly well. “This was never going to be an easy game. If I’d been asked (beforehand) if I would accept a 4-3 victory, I would have taken it. Obviously it’s come in very crazy circumstances.” – The Independent

SCOTT PARKER was left sad and disappointed by more VAR controversy at Turf Moor after Burnley’s spirited comeback came to nothing in a 4-3 loss to Brentford. The Clarets were 3-0 down in 34 minutes and facing hostility from their own fans but fought back to level before having what looked to be a fourth goal ruled out after Jaidon Anthony was adjudged to be a shoulder width offside. Mikkel Damsgaard then put Brentford back in front three minutes into injury time only for Ashley Barnes to spark scenes of jubilation with an equaliser that was also chalked off for handball after a long delay. Burnley boss Parker was restrained in his reac

had also been jeering and chants against Parker and owner Alan Pace during and at the end of a woeful first half for the home side. “Everyone has choices to vent how they want to vent. The fans were brilliant in the second half but that was down to us. I understand the frustra tion of course, we’re all frustrated at 3-0 down. “I think there’s one thing our supporters can see leaving here today, and you can be critical in certain moments, but the one thing you can’t be critical of is this group and what this shirt means, what playing for this team means and what we stand for. I hope the fans can see that.” Brentford boss Keith Andrews, who signed a

tion, saying: “Maybe a little bit of injustice. I’ve not watched it back. I saw it on the big screen and I was thinking it looks like his hand is beside his side. “I don’t want to say too much because no doubt I’m going to get quoted and I might be wrong. It looks so, so harsh. “We’ve gone and scored five goals in the space of 60 minutes, which is quite incredible. Obviously the world we’re in, we’re all looking for perfection. The game is looking for perfection. The first one is offside by (a small margin) and that’s the way it is. It was disappointing.” Loud boos greeted the final whistle, but there

The Reds bounce back

6098/2026

01/03/2026 (SUN)

West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen (left) challenges Liverpool’s Milos Kerkez during the English Premier

6210 0247 9080

Draw Date: 01/03/26 (Sun)

Draw No: 6045/26 Venue: WISMA GENTING, KL

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League match at Anfield yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

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4

RM3,309,728.30

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6210 0247 9080 RAT

RM118,391.40

Slot applauds Liverpool’s set-piece threat in home win over West Ham L IVERPOOL head coach Arne Slot admitted three goals from set pieces in the 5-2 win over West Ham was a welcome positive change after Ű BY CARL MARKHAM

RM541,388.80

587 372 + SNAKE

times did not go in. “Maybe one or two small details have changed defensively and offensively – our set-up is slightly different – but the biggest reason is that things go back to normal.” Slot was without playmaker Florian Wirtz, absent with a back injury sustained in the warm-up at Nottingham Forest last weekend, and the Germany international remains doubtful for two trips to Wolves this week in the League on Tuesday (Wed 4.15am) and FA Cup on Friday (Sat 4am) “Sometimes with an injury things can develop in a positive or a negative way. Now, we are thinking it doesn’t have to take too long but Tuesday will probably be too early,” he added. “But the week after will be tight as things stand now. I thought he would be available for today as well, which didn’t happen, of course.” West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo said it seemed “silly” to take positives from the game but felt there were plenty. “It is hard to explain, maybe it is absurd to say it is a good performance when you lose 5-2 but there are a lot of positives, a lot of negatives too,” he said. “At half-time you say ‘boys you are playing good but losing 3-0’ but we really made mistakes from set-pieces. “The second half we started well and scored early, we create problems for Liverpool. “Saying it is a good performance maybe sounds really silly but it is what I saw – but we go home with a poor result.” – The Independent

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a season of frustration. For only the second time in Premier League history three goals were scored from first-half corners as Hugo Ekitike, Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister were on target. Liverpool have gone from the worst top flight performers in terms of set-piece balance (the difference between the number scored and conceded) at the end of 2025 to the best since New Year’s Day. So even with an xG of just 0.7 they went into half-time with a comfortable lead and despite conceding twice, to Tomas Soucek and Taty Castellanos, Cody Gakpo and an Axel Disasi own goal made it four wins in five League matches to lift them into fifth place. “Very pleasing because firstly that is the reason we have won, secondly because people said ‘well played’ and in my opinion we have played better when we lost and better when we conceded from set-pieces,” said Slot. “The first half of the season almost every set-piece we conceded went in. We start scoring from set-pieces and things start looking brighter and better than when you don’t.” Asked what had changed Slot added: “We have created quite a lot of chances in the first half of the season that too many

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5,618,036.51

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1+3D J2 RM119,741.10 won on 28/2/26!

1,398,647.44 206,854.37

RM105,000 Toto 5D won on 28/02/2026 !