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Bale turns back time at Tottenham as Man U and Chelsea draw

  • Tottenham's Gareth Bale, centre, celebrates with Tottenham's Serge Aurier after scoring his side's fourth goal during an English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, Feb. 28. 2021. (Matthew Childs/Pool via AP)
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    Britain Soccer Premier League

    Tottenham's Gareth Bale, centre, celebrates with Tottenham's Serge Aurier after scoring his side's fourth goal during an English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, Feb. 28. 2021. (Matthew Childs/Pool via AP)
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  • Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, right, and Manchester United's Victor Lindelof challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, Pool)
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    Britain Soccer Premier League

    Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, right, and Manchester United's Victor Lindelof challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, Pool)
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  • Arsenal players celebrate at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, Pool)
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    Arsenal players celebrate at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, Pool)
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  • Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, left, celebrates scoring his side's second goal with Liverpool's Curtis Jones, right, who scored his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Sheffield United and Liverpool at Bramall Lane stadium in Sheffield, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (Lee Smith, Pool via AP)
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    Britain Soccer Premier League

    Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, left, celebrates scoring his side's second goal with Liverpool's Curtis Jones, right, who scored his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Sheffield United and Liverpool at Bramall Lane stadium in Sheffield, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (Lee Smith, Pool via AP)
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  • Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson with Fulham's Ruben Loftus-Cheek after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Fulham at Selhurst Park stadium in London, England Sunday, Feb.28, 2021. (Mike Hewitt/Pool via AP)
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    Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson with Fulham's Ruben Loftus-Cheek after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Fulham at Selhurst Park stadium in London, England Sunday, Feb.28, 2021. (Mike Hewitt/Pool via AP)
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Tottenham's Gareth Bale, centre, celebrates with Tottenham's Serge Aurier after scoring his side's fourth goal during an English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, Sunday, Feb. 28. 2021. (Matthew Childs/Pool via AP)
Chelsea's Mateo Kovacic, right, and Manchester United's Victor Lindelof challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge Stadium in London, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, Pool)
Arsenal players celebrate at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Arsenal at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, Pool)
Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, left, celebrates scoring his side's second goal with Liverpool's Curtis Jones, right, who scored his side's first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Sheffield United and Liverpool at Bramall Lane stadium in Sheffield, England, Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021. (Lee Smith, Pool via AP)
Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson with Fulham's Ruben Loftus-Cheek after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Fulham at Selhurst Park stadium in London, England Sunday, Feb.28, 2021. (Mike Hewitt/Pool via AP)
Associated Press
·4 min read

LONDON (AP) — Gareth Bale turned back time for Tottenham, while Chelsea and Manchester United seemed happy just to play out time.

Bale looked like the star player who left Tottenham for Real Madrid in 2013 as he scored twice in the club’s 4-0 win over Burnley, prompting Spurs manager Jose Mourinho to pronounce him “better than ever" though still not suitable to start week-in, week-out.

While Bale found his form, Harvey Barnes had his good run cut short by a knee injury in Leicester's 3-1 loss to Arsenal. He is likely to need an operation and miss six weeks.

Chelsea kept its unbeaten record under manager Thomas Tuchel in a 0-0 draw with Man United as both teams appeared reluctant to risk losing one point in the hope of getting three.

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Liverpool put a stop to the run of four straight league defeats which effectively finished off its title chances, but a 2-0 win over last-place Sheffield United was still short of Liverpool's best.

BALE'S COMEBACK TRAIL

Bale opened the scoring after 68 seconds and the Welsh forward added another early in the second half, both off assists from Son Heung-min. Back on loan from Spain, it was his first two-goal game since 2019.

“Now he is better than ever,” Mourinho said. “It’s not just about the two goals he scored, it’s fundamentally about his physical performance." However, Mourinho warned that Bale would still have to rest for some upcoming games to manage his form and fitness.

Harry Kane and Lucas Moura also scored for the hosts, and it could have been more if not for some good saves from Nick Pope when Burnley was already four goals down.

STAMFORD BRIDGE STALEMATE

Chelsea's new identity under Tuchel is taking shape. There's intense, German-style pressing, but also a newfound compactness and solidity in the defense at Stamford Bridge, compared to former manager Frank Lampard's open but defensively vulnerable style. Against United's counterattacking specialists, both teams seemed risk-averse, even in the final minutes.

The upshot was a ninth game unbeaten in all competitions for Tuchel at Chelsea, seven of them without conceding a goal, but it also meant that Chelsea missed an opportunity to overtake West Ham for fourth in the table.