City’s 2-0 victory over Cardiff took Pep Guardiola’s quadruple-chasers to 80 points — one clear of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, with both sides having six matches to go.

Tottenham marked their long-delayed move into their state-of-the-art new home with a 2-0 win against Crystal Palace, while Chelsea thumped Brighton 3-0.

Kevin De Bruyne put City ahead in the sixth minute at the Etihad Stadium, firing in from a tight angle and Leroy Sane doubled the lead for the defending champions with a sharp finish just before half-time.

Guardiola, whose team take on Brighton at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday, made seven changes to his starting line-up, handing teenager Phil Foden his first Premier League start.

Despite the win, Guardiola said his side, who had 11 shots on target, needed to be more clinical.

“We played really well,” he said. “We started really well. A magnificent goal from Kevin De Bruyne. Unfortunately we missed a lot of chances, we need to score more goals.

“Phil Foden played excellent. He did everything, arriving in the right positions with the right tempo. He always has chances, has a sense of goal. He’s ready, we know it, to play any game in any position.”

The defeat leaves Neil Warnock’s Cardiff third from bottom, five points from safety, with only relegated Huddersfield and Fulham below them.

Spurs, who were on the edge of the title race for a large chunk of the season, started their match at home to Palace in fourth spot, behind north London rivals Arsenal.

– Spurs back on winning track –

But Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen made sure the celebrations did not fall flat, scoring second-half goals that enabled Spurs to end a wretched run of four defeats in five league games.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said it was a “special night” as they re-energised their bid to finish in the top four.

“The emotion was amazing from the beginning,” he told Sky Sports.

“To win was so important to us. Today we touched the glory. Now we need to touch the glory of lifting trophies. Now is the start of a chapter. We close one chapter and open another chapter and bring victory to our fans.”

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri made multiple changes from the team that started Sunday’s tense 2-1 win at Cardiff, with Eden Hazard and N’Golo Kante back in the starting XI.

But the main talking point was a first Premier League start for 18-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi, who has already impressed for Gareth Southgate’s young England side.

Sarri has angered Chelsea fans with his refusal to start the winger and they vented their feelings at Cardiff on Sunday.

Hudson-Odoi was in the thick of the action at Stamford Bridge, setting up Olivier Giroud for just his second Premier League goal of the season in the first half.

Hazard doubled Chelsea’s lead in the 60th minute and midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek put the game beyond doubt just three minutes later.

Sarri said his team had returned to the good form they showed at the start of the season and praised Hudson-Odoi.

“Callum played very well and defended very well,” he said. “He has improved during the season a lot. He’s ready to play 90 minutes in very important matches.”

City’s victory against Cardiff was their eighth consecutive Premier League win and puts them back in pole position in the Premier League.

With the League Cup already in the bag, City are struggling to quell growing talk of a historic quadruple even as Guardiola attempts to keep his players’ feet on the ground.

After this weekend’s match against Brighton at Wembley, they will take on Tottenham in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, with a maximum of 13 games to make history.

The race for the top four is tight, with just three points separating third-placed Spurs from Manchester United, in sixth position.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team suffered their second Premier League defeat in three games on Tuesday, losing 2-1 to Wolves.

The Gipsies made it three wins out of three to head the Players Section on 18 points but NCL Dynamites were close behind on 16 points as they beat Divine Felons later in the day.

Both the Gipsies and the Dynamites have big reputations in Sixes cricket but it is Margate CC from Australia who have proved to be the suprise package in 2019 as they have also won all three of their matches to be the third unbeaten team in the Players Section. Abaid Ullah has joined the Tasmanian side this year and the Player of the Tournament from 2017 has again made a big impression.

Margate faced UN Irish Pub on Tuesday and they defeated the 2016 champions by six wickets as Abaid made 30 from 11 balls to complete a convincing victory with nine balls to spare. Margate are by no means a one man team as they gave an excellent performance in the field to restrict the Irish to 52 for 4 in their five overs.

UN Irish were still able to finish fourth in the table to claim their place in the first division, while the Divine Felons and the NCL Masters complete the six team line up in the Cup. Both NCL teams finished in the top six and the two teams from Bangladesh will face each other in the group stages of the Cup.

Yorkshire Puddings, Clifton Hill Stray Cats, Lanna, Darjeeling, Thai Thevada and Perth Postels are the six teams who will play in the Shield, Lanna narrowly overcoming Darjeeling by losing fewer wickets and Yorkshire Puddings defeating Perth Postels as both teams gained their first wins of the tournament.

The Second Round starts on Wednesday afternoon when the Cup and the Shield get underway but the morning will see the last of the First Round matches as the line ups for the Bowl, Plate and Spoon are decided.

For the first time, the year-end ATGT Order of Merit winner will receive not only Bt500,000 but also a card for next year’s 2020 Asian Tour and a wildcard into the 2020 Singapore Open.

Since it was established in 1999, ATGT has continued its growth steadily and has turned into the biggest local golf tour. A number of leading Thai golfers, including current Thai No 1 Kiradech Aphibarnrat, have played on the tour to sharpen their skills before trying their luck internationally.

“Our tour has developed dramatically over the past 21 years,” said ATGT commissioner Jaraphong Thongyai. “This year we are moving up to another level as we become one of the tours that give world ranking points.”

The 2019 calendar features 10 ATGT events and two ATGT and ADT co-sanctioned events.

Four have already been staged: the Bt4 million Boonchu Ruangkit Championship (ADT co-sanctioned, won by Itthipat Buranatanyarat), Bt3m Singha E-San Open (won by Danthai Boonma), the Bt4m Thongchai Jaidee Foundation (ADT co-sanctioned, won by Sadom Kaewkanjana) and the Bt5m Singha Thailand Masters (won by Prom Meesawat).

Next up are the Bt2m Singha Chiang Mai Open at the end of this month, the Bt2m Singha Laguna Phuket Open and Bt2m Singha Classic in Nakhon Nayok, in May, Bt3m Singha All Thailand Championship in Nakhon Pathom in June, Bt2m Singha Hua Hin Open in July, Bt2m Singha Championship  in Rayong, Bt3m Singha Pattaya Open and Bt4m BG Bangkok Open in Nakhon Nayok in October.

An extra Bt100,000 money, provided by the Bangkok Glass company, will also be given to the first player who hits a hole-in-one in a par-3 hole at any of those tournaments. If nobody manages the feat during the entire season, Bangkok Glass will donate Bt200,000 to charity.

The 112-player field includes the top 25 players in the Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings and all seven winners from this season, competing for a $3 million purse and the chance to hoist the Dinah Shore Trophy and make the leap into Poppie’s Pond at week’s end.

In 2018, five different players from five countries won the five LPGA majors, but none of those wins was more dramatic than that by Pernilla Lindberg. The Swede picked up her first professional victory at the 2018 ANA Inspiration after a marathon eight-hole, two-day playoff with seven-time major winner Inbee Park.

11 past ANA Inspiration champions are competing this week, including: Juli Inkster (1984, 1989), Lydia Ko (2016), Stacy Lewis (2011), Brittany Lincicome (2009, 2015),Pernilla Lindberg (2018), Inbee Park (2013), Morgan Pressel (2007), So Yeon Ryu (2017), Lexi Thompson (2014), Yani Tseng (2010) and Karrie Webb (2006, 2000).

DEFENDING CHAMPION LINDBERG SOAKING IT ALL IN

When Pernilla Lindberg was driving through the California desert fresh off her second top-25 finish of the season, she spotted a familiar face on the highway.

“It was pretty cool driving in,” she said on Tuesday at Mission Hills. “Coming down the valley the other day coming from Kia Classic I saw my face on a billboard farther up the road here. That’s probably a first, that I get to see my own face on a billboard.”

The billboard was just one sign of how her week ahead at the ANA Inspiration is different than any other week on Tour for the 32-year old.

For starters, Lindberg returns to Rancho Mirage this week as a defending champion for the first time in her career. The 2018 ANA Inspiration was a storybook week for Lindberg, with her then-fiance (now husband) Daniel Taylor on the bag, she led wire-to-wire and took down LPGA Hall of Hame member Inbee Park in a marathon eight-hole playoff that ended on Monday.

With a year to reflect on her first professional win and her jump into Poppie’s Pond, Lindberg started off her week being honored at the annual ANA Inspiration Champion’s Dinner on Monday night and said the memories of her win are ones that will be with her forever.

“It’s really cool to be able to say that I belong in that group,” Lindberg said. “It’s really a step into history books. It’s really nice to be able to know that I’m welcome to that champion’s dinner for as long as I want to and know that the invitations are not just thrown out there. You have to work hard to get there.”

WORLD NO. 1 PARK SETS HER EYES ON NEXT WIN 

Heading into her fifth consecutive week as World No. 1, Sung Hyun Park has been anticipating the 2019 ANA Inspiration. The 25-year-old South Korean has six wins on the LPGA Tour, including major wins at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. But Park doesn’t credit her golf prowess as the reason behind her major success. Instead, she claims she was on the better side of luck those two weeks.

“I do have two major wins under my belt,” said Park. “Honestly, at those wins I had good luck those weeks. I think myself, including all the other players in the field, we focus more on the majors and players put a lot more emphasis on it, as do I. I’m just focusing on getting those low scores, but overall I think it’s just good luck.”

Park is making her fourth start of the ANA Inspiration with a best finish of T6 in 2016. Her goal for the 2019 season is to win five times on Tour and with one victory already this season at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, she’s already got her eyes set on her next win.

“Of course, my goal here is to win,” said Park, who will tee off with 2018 major winner Georgia Hall at 1:11 p.m. off No. 10. “The ANA Inspiration is a major that I’ve targeted that I would like to win.”

That major win comes with a big tradition, one that is already weighing heavy in her mind. In a rare moment of levity for the normally reserved Park, when asked if she knew how to swim in the case she has to make the traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond, she answered with a smile, “No, I don’t know how to swim, and so if the water level is deep then I might drown.”

LINCICOME READY TO LEAP AGAIN

When asked about her memories from the ANA Inspiration, Brittany Lincicome says she continues to cherish every moment, from embracing the tournament’s history to the beautiful Dinah Shore Course at Mission Hills. Lincicome has quite the history in Rancho Mirage; this year is the 10th anniversary of the first time she won the tournament in 2009, where she eagled the final hole to earn her first major title one stroke ahead of Cristie Kerr. In 2015, she finished on top again after beating Stacy Lewis in a playoff on the third extra hole.

Participating in her 12th ANA Inspiration this year, she is hoping for her third jump into Poppie’s Pond. “Everybody literally dreams about it. When you walk around 18 on the practice days you try not to think about it. You’re looking in that pond and you’re thinking, ‘How cool would it be to jump in there?’” said Lincicome.

This year is a bit different for the 33-year-old. The mom-to-be, who is expecting a baby girl this September, is playing her first major tournament pregnant. Lincicome said the pregnancy may have her feeling a little different, but that she and her caddie, Missy Pederson, are taking it one hole at a time. “I can definitely feel when I swing, especially with driver, there are some things stretching, and growing around the belly area,” said Lincicome. “I hit it and, ‘Oh, that was a little painful.’”

Despite the changes, Lincicome is still aiming to do her best this week. “I feel like I’ve been driving it well. If I can keep it on the fairway, get it on the green, eliminate mistakes, I definitely have a good chance of winning,” said Lincicome. “I have so many wonderful memories from this event I think that’ll carry me through and I’ll be on Cloud 9. Definitely feel like I have a strong chance of winning for sure.”

DRIVER IN HAND, THOMPSON READY TO TACKLE MISSION HILLS

At just age 24, Lexi Thompson has playing in her 10th ANA Inspiration, dating back to her debut as an amateur in 2009. To put that in perspective – of the 112 players in the tournament field, only 17 have made more appearances on the Dinah Shore Course than Thompson and all but one of them is over age 30 (Michelle Wie turns 30 in October).

So how does someone so young fare so well on this course? According to Thompson, who won the tournament in 2014, it all comes down to one simple thing. She just plain loves this course.

“I think it’s just I get to play aggressive out here,” said Thompson, who has three other top-10 finishes to go along with her win. “I get to take my driver and just the setup of the golf course, you know, aim up the right side and hit my draw out there with my driver. I think it suits a ball striker, which major championships usually should. It’s just a great layout and I love coming here.”

Thompson often speaks of being comfortable on the golf course, and she takes plenty of comfort in a new, yet old, face by her side. Starting at last week’s Kia Classic, Thompson re-teamed with former caddie Benji Thompson (no relation), who caddied for her from 2013 to mid-2016, including for her jump into Poppie’s Pond here in 2014.

“He has an upbeat personality, very positive,” said Thompson, who will tee off No. 1 at 8:19 a.m. alongside 2016 ANA Inspiration winner Lydia Ko. “He has an aggressive personality out on the golf course. I think he brings out the best in my game.”

Ashley Young’s needless dismissal and Chris Smalling’s farcical own goal were the low points of a disappointing evening for Solskjaer’s side at Molineux.

United had been set a target of 15 points from their remaining seven games by the manager before their visit to Molineux.

That total is now 15 points from six matches, with games to come against both Manchester City and Chelsea at Old Trafford, a target which Solskjaer admits leaves no room for mistakes.

“I’m as confident as I was three hours ago,” joked Solskjaer after the defeat.

“I said we need 15 points from our last seven games and now we need 15 from our last six.

“It’s difficult but then again, we’re a very good team and it’s going to be difficult for anybody who plays against us.

“This was a tough game but a performance that deserved a win.”

Scott McTominay’s first goal for United was equalised by Diogo Jota before the interval, but the game’s turning point proved to be a second yellow card collected by Young with just 57 minutes gone.

Young was booked twice in the space of five minutes for fouls on Jota, the second a particularly unpleasant high challenge.

“When you’re on a yellow you’re always in danger of it being a yellow card again,” said Solskjaer.

“Probably it was a bad decision by Ashley but in the heat of the moment he reached for the ball and was a little bit too high, it made it more difficult.

“We didn’t get the pressure built that we expected, so we kept possession well but then they scored with the first chance they put the ball in the box.”

– United crash –

United finally caved to Wolves’ numerical superiority 20 minutes later, when Raul Jimenez rose above Phil Jones and headed a Joao Moutinho cross goalwards.

The awkward attempt saw Smalling and goalkeeper David de Gea become entangled, with the former making the final touch as the ball rolled over the line.

McTominay’s memorable first ever goal in professional football had come after just 13 minutes.

A patient left-wing build-up ended with Jesse Lingard playing the ball centrally to Fred, with the Brazilian quickly moving it sideways to Scotland international McTominay.

The 22-year-old unleashed a brilliant, right-foot finish from 25 yards that beat the diving Rui Patricio and nestled in the far left-hand corner.

It might have been an even healthier position with Romelu Lukaku having already headed a good chance directly at Patricio and Lingard doing likewise from Lukaku’s chip forward.

But, as Wolves finally began to take control of midfield, United struggled to cope; first when an unfortunate rebound off Diogo Dalot allowed Willy Boly to play through Jimenez who hurried a 24th-minute shot wide.

Just seconds later, United were not so lucky after a poor clearance from De Gea, and even worse control by Fred, saw him lose the ball to Moutinho with Jimenez pouncing on it and playing in Jota.

The Portuguese forward did not need a second invitation to advance and calmly beat De Gea for the equaliser.

As Wolves fans, warming up for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final with Watford, celebrated, De Gea had to save to prevent Smalling scoring a second own goal.