Pacquiao has familiar Pistons clinch place, opponent for playoff spotwith return to ring victory over Wizards

SUNDAY, APRIL 10, 2016 15 18

Spieth, McIlroy continue battle for Masters glory Page 16

LONDON: West Ham’s Andy Carroll, right, scores his side’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Arsenal at Upton Park stadium in London, yesterday. — AP Carroll treble skewers Arsenal’s title hopes

Arsenal now 10 points behind league leaders Leicester beating West Ham goalkeeper Adrian. The visitors break by bringing on striker Emmanuel Emenike for cen- City with six games of the season remaining. Arsenal man- looked in control after that, Ozil shooting straight at tre-back James Tomkins, ditching his three-man defence. West Ham 3 ager Arsene Wenger opted to play David Ospina in goal Adrian, and a second goal arrived in the 35th minute. Lanzini had claims for a penalty waved away after a com- even though Petr Cech was back on the bench and fit Nigerian teenager Iwobi was once again the provider ing together with Bellerin before Payet slammed home after injury. with a superb lofted pass to Sanchez, who comfortably from close range, only for the goal to be ruled out for a Carroll was handed a start up front by West Ham man- steered a shot past Adrian. foul on Koscielny by Carroll. Arsenal 3 ager Slaven Bilic, who was also able to select midfielder But West Ham put their disappointment behind them Cheikhou Kouyate after his red card against Crystal FINE HEADER as they took the lead on 52 minutes, Carroll getting his Palace was overturned. The East Londoners have seen a At that stage it looked a question of how many goals hat-trick as he headed home at the far post from Michail number of decisions go against them this season, but Arsenal would win by, but West Ham turned the game on Antonio’s cross. Carroll went close again from a Payet LONDON: West Ham United striker Andy Carroll scored an Carroll could consider himself fortunate not to have its head with a thrilling finale to the first half led by Carroll. cross as the hosts ran a shell-shocked Arsenal ragged. eight-minute hat-trick, but Laurent Koscielny snatched a been dismissed after a late tackle on Koscielny resulted The former Newcastle United striker planted a fine header Wenger brought on Aaron Ramsey for his first appearance point for Arsenal in a memorable 3-3 Premier League in only a yellow card. past Ospina from Aaron Cresswell’s left-wing cross on 44 in a month and the visitors were then denied by Lanzini’s draw yesterday. But Bilic’s side had reason to feel aggrieved when an minutes to get his side back in it. goal-line block from Nacho Monreal’s powerful shot. Goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez had Arsenal offside flag denied Manuel Lanzini an opening goal, And then in first-half injury time, just 160 seconds later, But Koscielny made it 3-3 on 70 minutes with a clever cruising, but Carroll scored twice late in the first half and with replays suggesting he had been played onside by Carroll levelled the match with a left-foot volley at the sec- finish after Ozil’s cross from the right had been helped on his third seven minutes after the break looked like giving Hector Bellerin as he headed in Carroll’s overhead kick. ond attempt after Gabriel had blocked his initial effort by Danny Welbeck. The hosts had the better chances to the hosts victory until Koscielny intervened. West Ham’s anger intensified when Arsenal opened from Mark Noble’s cross. win it, with Ospina thwarting Payet and Cresswell, while For all the excitement, a point apiece did neither side the scored 18 minutes in, with Ozil right on the offside It brought Upton Park, in its penultimate Saturday fix- Winston Reid volleyed into the side-netting from Payet’s much good, with West Ham still outside the top five and line as he gathered a pass from Alex Iwobi before neatly ture, to its feet and Bilic threw caution to the wind at the corner. — AFP Nasri returns to give Atletico, Real Madrid Man City Euro boost put pressure on Barca MADRID: Real Madrid bounced back games, from the moment Rodriguez resources, City would not have expected to go from their Champions League embarrass- smashed home a sumptuous free-kick behind after just five minutes to a West Brom ment against Wolfsburg in midweek to after just five minutes. Man City 2 side with only one win in their last 10 away close to within four points of Barcelona at Ronaldo showed he was in a generous Premier League games. the top of La Liga with a 4-0 win over mood on 18 minutes when he unselfishly They had put together a solid run of just Eibar yesterday. squared for Vazquez to turn home the one defeat in six games to pull away from rele- Atletico Madrid are only three points second. A typically clinical Madrid count- West Brom 1 gation danger but Stephane Sessegnon’s goal behind Barca in second after goals from er-attack followed just two minutes later was only the 12th Tony Pulis’ side had man- the on-form Fernando Torres, Antoine as Jese bore down on goal before teeing aged away from home in the league all season. Griezmann and Koke saw them come up Ronaldo to smash home his 30th La Sessegnon’s second of the campaign was from behind to win 3-1 at Espanyol. Liga goal of the season and extend his MANCHESTER: Samir Nasri celebrated his perfectly struck on the half-volley past Joe Hart Cristiano Ronaldo was one of only lead to four over Barcelona’s Luis Suarez in return from injury by capping Manchester from 20 yards following a James McClean cross three players retained in the Real start- the battle to be the league’s top scorer. City’s fightback in a 2-1 win over West after an impressive West Brom break-away, ing line-up from the 2-0 defeat in The roles were reversed for the fourth Bromwich Albion yesterday that provided the sparked after referee Michael Jones had Germany and the Portuguese shone with just before the break as this time Ronaldo perfect boost ahead of their crunch blocked an attempted pass from Pablo a goal and two assists as Madrid stormed picked out Jese’s unmarked run to the far Champions League quarter-final. Zabaleta to gift possession to the visitors. MANCHESTER: Manchester City's Brazilian into a 4-0 half-time lead with James post to leave the Spanish under-21 inter- Manuel Pellegrini’s side are slight favourites midfielder Fernando Reges (L) vies with Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez and Jese also national with the simplest of finishes. to go through after drawing 2-2 in the first leg INSTANT RESPONSE West Bromwich Albion's Scottish midfield- on the scoresheet. Torres was Atletico’s hero turned villain at Paris Saint Germain, but they will not want With City desperate not to drop more points er Darren Fletcher during the English Barca are also in action later as they as he scored and was then sent off in the to rely on winning the competition for the first after losing three of their last four home league Premier League football match between look to win away to Real Sociedad for the their 2-1 Champions League quarter-final, time to guarantee playing in the Champions games they needed an instant response and Manchester City and West Bromwich first time in seven games stretching back first leg defeat at Barcelona on Tuesday. League again next season. got it via the penalty spot just 13 minutes later. Albion yesterday.— AFP to 2007. Real coach Zinedine Zidane The former Liverpool and Chelsea They therefore need to secure a top-four fin- Aleksandar Kolarov was a constant threat guns to try and force the issue. showed his priority remains turning striker continued to look sharp in front of ish in the Premier League and thanks to Nasri’s going forward and after he was tripped in the Kevin De Bruyne and the fit again Yaya around their quarter-final tie when goal when he crashed a shot against the close-range effort on his first start since box by Sessegnon, Aguero drilled home his Toure were sent on and De Bruyne immediate- Wolfsburg visit the Santiago Bernabeu on bar early on. Torres was involved for the September, City pulled four points clear of 18th league goal of the season from the penal- ly made his presence felt, stretching the West Tuesday as Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos and wrong reasons for Espanyol’s opener, Manchester United before they play at title- ty spot. Brom defence and playing a part as City went Marcelo were left on the bench, whilst though, as Pape Diop escaped his atten- chasing Tottenham on Saturday and to within But that didn’t trigger a major shift in power ahead as he played in Jesus Navas to set up Keylor Navas and Luka Modric were rest- tion to head home at the near post just two points of third-placed Arsenal. as West Brom defended in numbers to frustrate Aguero. ed from the squad. before the half hour mark. However, the sight of Argentina striker a City side again looking short of inspiration Aguero’s effort was blocked but French mid- “I’m happy with the way we played, Atletico responded just seven minutes Sergio Aguero limping off in the second half at and substitute Craig Gardner dragging a shot fielder Nasri was on hand to cap his comeback more in the first half than the second,” later when Torres latched onto Koke’s Eastlands after being caught on the back of his wide in the nearest either side came to adding from a serious thigh injury by tapping in his said Zidane. “We know what awaits us through ball before firing low into the net foot was a concern for Pellegrini with the PSG a second goal before half time. second goal of the season. Aguero could have and what we are playing for on Tuesday. for this third goal in as many games. clash looming on Tuesday. Aguero tested Ben Foster nine minutes into secured further breathing space with a chance Now we just have to rest and prepare Griezmann completed the comeback City started with five changes to the side the second half but City might have given saved by Foster. But City were almost denied well.” Despite the changes, the hosts were when he drilled another Koke assist in off that drew in Paris as Pellegrini rested a number away a penalty of their own when Eliaquim the victory they badly needed ahead of their always comfortable against the Basque the far post just before the hour mark for of players ahead of the second leg in Mangala clumsily jumped into Sandro and with big European night when McClean was inches minnows, who now haven’t won in eight his 20th La Liga goal of the season. — AFP Manchester. But despite the shuffling of an hour gone Pellegrini reached for his big away with a stoppage-time effort. — AFP