t the end of a week when Spurs squandered many chances in a 1-1 dra

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon says the AFL must consider scrapping the pre-finals bye after Sydneys thumping preliminary final win over Geelong.The week off before the playoffs - in addition to another break as reward for winning their qualifying final - meant the Cats had played only one game in the 27 days leading into Fridays 37-point loss at the MCG.Geelong looked far from switched on in the games early stages, giving up eight unanswered goals and Lyon says its clear the extra time off hurt their performance.Once you break that cycle, its impossible to replicate an AFL senior game over that period of time, he told Fox Footy on Saturday.Its indisputable what you saw at the start of the game. Its going to be a real issue. I think they have to look at the formula.Youve got to be rewarded for winning the most games (and finishing) top-four. Thats been fundamental to the competition. But thats now dissipated that advantage.Its now a potential negative if you have the week off (and) win your first final.Lyon is the latest AFL figure to weigh in against the bye, with Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge also expressing concerns.But Geelong coach Brad Scott said their opinion was unchanged - that they would rather have had it.We clearly need to analyse how we approached it, he said after Friday nights game.We were confident going in ... we thought we gave ourselves every chance.It was completely in our control and we just didnt deliver.The league introduced an end-of-season bye this year, wanting to stop the trend of finals-bound clubs resting players en masse in the final round of the regular season.A poll last month showed all 18 coaches were against the concept, although Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has since welcomed the opportunity to help several players recover from injuries.AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has said the league will wait until after the finals to weigh up whether the bye should continue. 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Cote helped running back Jon Cornish run for a league-high 1,813 rushing yards en route to being named the leagues most outstanding player. MANCHESTER, England -- Arsenal climbed to the top of the English Premier League on its managers 67th birthday.Arsene Wenger was in no mood to celebrate, though.A 0-0 home draw against struggling Middlesbrough brought an end to Arsenals six-game winning run in the league, just when Wengers team was being talked up as the real deal in the title race.Many will describe a slip-up of this kind as being typical of Arsenal, which has stumbled when expectations are at their highest in recent years. Its last league title came in 2004.It could have been worse, too, with Middlesbrough creating the better chances at Emirates Stadium and drawing three excellent saves out of Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech in the first half. Wenger said his team was flat because the game came just three days after an intense Champions League match against Ludogorets, which Arsenal won 6-0.At least you can have a drink on your birthday, a glum Wenger said. When you win, you deserve it. When you dont, you need it.Arsenal is in first place on goal difference from Liverpool, which beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Anfield for a sixth win in nine league matches. Manchester City needs only a point against Southampton on Sunday to reclaim the lead.Heres a look at the rest of the action on a low-scoring day in the Premier League:LIVERPOOL 2, WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1Neutralized by Manchester United in a goalless draw on Monday, Liverpool found things much easier five days later against another opponent that came to Anfield to defend.Liverpool had 21 shots and 68 percent possession, scoring goals through Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho from sweeping attacks in a one-sided first half.Gareth McAuleys close-range goal for West Brom, predictably following a corner kick, ensured a tense finish and denied Liverpool top spot on goal difference.BOURNEMOUTH 0, TOTTENHAM 0Harry Kane cant retuurn quick enough for Tottenham.dddddddddddd.This stalemate came at the end of a week when Spurs squandered many chances in a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion last weekend in the Premier League, and then drew 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.Kane, the Premier Leagues top scorer last season, has just returned to training after five weeks out with an ankle injury.Spurs remain the only unbeaten team in the league but missed the chance to go top overnight.LEICESTER 3, CRYSTAL PALACE 1Leicester finally managed to transfer its Champions League form to the Premier League.Ahmed Musa, Shinji Okazaki, and Christian Fuchs scored for Leicester in only a third win of its disappointing title defense.Its been a different story in the teams first-ever Champions League campaign: With three straight group-stage victories, Leicester is on the brink of qualifying for the last 16.Leicesters unbeaten run at its King Power stadium stretched to 20 league games. Its away from home where the champions have struggled this season.ALSOThings are looking bleak for Sunderland and its manager David Moyes. A 1-0 loss at West Ham, courtesy of a goal by Winsten Reid in the fourth minute of stoppage time, was the latest tough blow for a side that is winless and in last place on just two points from nine games.Swansea is next to last after drawing 0-0 at home to Watford, meaning new manager Bob Bradley is still awaiting his first win since taking charge. That was one of three goalless draws on Saturday, when there were just 13 goals in eight games.Also, Burnley beat Everton 2-1 thanks to Scott Arfields 90th-minute winner, and Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice for Stoke in a 2-0 win at Hull, which slipped into the bottom three. ' ' '