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30 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 20 JANUARY 2019 SPORTS FOOTBALL UK PREMIER LEAGUE TRENT Alexander-Arnold has commit- ted his future to Liverpool after signing a five-year deal to remain at the club until 2024. The 20-year-old joined Liverpool aged just six, and told the club's website of his pride at the deal. He said: "I'm ecstatic and really proud - I feel privileged to have the support and the trust the club has in me to offer me a new deal." He added: "Hopefully we can achieve a lot of success in those years." The full-back made his senior debut in 2016 and has since made 67 appearanc- es for Jurgen Klopp's side, scoring four times. He also made it to Gareth South- gate's England squad for last year's World Cup. He said: "As soon as they offered the contract, there was no hesitation what- soever," adding, "The last 18 months es- pecially have been very special. Hopefully the next 18 months and even further on than that will be even more special." Liverpool are currently four points above Manchester CIty at the top of the Premier League table. DIOGO Jota completed a hat-trick in injury time to snatch a thrilling victory for Wolves, who punished a dire Leices- ter defensive display to increase the pressure on Foxes boss Claude Puel. A dramatic climax at Molineux pro- duced scenes of stark contrast - with Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo being sent to the stands for racing to celebrate the winner with his players, as Puel put his hands over his face to show the strain of defeat. Leicester attempted to play offside in the final added minute and Jota was left unmarked to turn in a Raul Jime- nez cross, moving his side to eighth in the Premier League table, a place above their opponents. The Portuguese forward had opened the scoring by prodding home at the back post, with Ryan Bennett heading a second to prompt chants of "sacked in the morning" being aimed at Puel. Clearly angry in the opening 45 min- utes, the Leicester boss saw his side hit back within six minutes of the restart - first through Demarai Gray's solo run and finish, and then a Conor Coady own goal. But after digging themselves out of trouble, Leicester's defence was again undone by a Ruben Neves long ball for Jota to power in his second, only for Wes Morgan to head a late equaliser which appeared to have earned them a point that had seemed so unlikely for much of the game. Wolves, who beat Leicester 4-3 the last time this fixture was played in the top flight at Molineux in 2003, had other ideas and, in a chaotic finish, Jota won it with Leicester again a mess at the back. Puel is the favourite to be the next Pre- mier League manager to leave his post but his side came into the fixture with three wins from their past five league games. Criticism from the Foxes fanbase sug- gests a dislike of a pragmatic style of play but his side were simply charitable on Saturday, with the Frenchman de- scribing the display as "naive". While Wolves were intense in their play early on, each time they came for- ward they seemed to have the visitors chasing shadows, with Morgan exposed at times and Danny Simpson punished as Jota stole in to prod the opener from six yards. Leicester had been competitive in the opening 45 minutes - Jamie Vardy al- most turning home after robbing Rui Patricio, while Gray tested the Wolves keeper. But they have conceded the opening goal in a league-high 15 games this sea- son - a habit of making life difficult for themselves that may have been behind Puel angrily screaming instructions on the sideline. Whatever he said at half-time worked, though, and perhaps shows he still holds influence in the dressing room be- cause within six minutes his side were level when Harvey Barnes - making his first Premier League start - fired in off Coady. Again though, a lack of pressure on Neves and the ease with which Jota ran clear to make it 3-2 summed up the constant lack of defensive instinct, though their spirit in again coming back through Morgan's close-range header was a positive. Centre-back Harry Maguire had to leave the field because of injury, which is another headache for Puel - but he has bigger problems and will again face questions about his future. He could be forgiven for sitting on the team bus wondering how his side could be so slack time and again in this fixture. Alexander-Arnold commits future to Liverpool Jota hat-trick as Wolves beat Leicester in seven-goal thriller Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo was sent to the stands for his part in celebrating the winner Alexander-Arnold joined Liverpool aged just six