Gordon leads Everton late Pelicans past show destroys Grizzlies,18 104-98 Fulham19 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2013

Hirscher overcomes deficit to win W Cup Page 15

MANCHESTER: Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud shoots wide past Manchester City’s Pablo Zabaleta, left, during their English soccer match at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England, yesterday. — AP Man City humble Arsenal

equalising. times this season, and manager Wenger said: he atoned in the 39th minute by tucking in a dinked a pass behind the City defence for the City lost Aguero to injury early in the sec- “Overall, they deserved the win. We have to go low cross from Pablo Zabaleta to restore the England forward, who collected the ball and Man City 6 ond half, but a brace from Fernandinho, a home and recover and come back for the next hosts’ advantage. shaped a graceful shot into the top-right cor- David Silva strike and a Yaya Toure penalty time. We made too many technical mistakes To make matters worse for Arsenal, centre- ner. secured victory for the 2012 champions, with today.” back Laurent Koscielny had to be stretchered Silva converted a low cross from Jesus Walcott and Per Mertesacker replying in vain. Held 1-1 at Southampton last weekend, off after cutting his knee as he slid in along- Navas and Fernandinho dinked home his sec- Arsenal 3 “It’s not easy to score six goals against City made a determined start at the Etihad side Negredo, with the club announcing via ond goal before Mertesacker headed in an Arsenal; the best defence in the Premier Stadium and took the lead in the 14th minute. Twitter that he had suffered a “deep lacera- injury-time consolation for Arsenal, only for League, the best team this year,” said City man- Samir Nasri’s right-wing corner was headed on tion”. Toure to complete the scoring from the spot ager Manuel Pellegrini. “We are three points by Martin Demichelis and Aguero hooked City saw Aguero limp off early in the sec- after Szczesny tripped James Milner. LONDON: Manchester City asserted their behind. We must continue working and home a waist-high volley at the back post to ond half, but they extended their lead in the Elsewhere on Saturday, Everton will look to Premier League title credentials with an improving because we have a lot more things notch his 15th goal in 13 games. 50th minute when Fernandinho picked up a move into the top four by winning at home to extraordinary 6-3 defeat of leaders Arsenal to improve.” Negredo spurned an opportunity to extend loose pass from Ozil and curled a sublime fin- Fulham, while Newcastle United and yesterday that took them to within three City have won all eight of their home City’s lead when he shot wide and Arsenal ish around Wojciech Szczesny. Southampton will have eyes on the European points of Arsene Wenger’s side. games this season-scoring 35 goals and capitalised in the 31st minute, with Walcott Olivier Giroud squandered two chances to places when they meet at St James’ Park. Sergio Aguero gave City a 14th-minute climbed to second place in the table, although bobbling a shot home from a Mesut Ozil pass reduce the arrears, volleying over from a Jack Cardiff City host West Bromwich Albion and lead and Alvaro Negredo restored the hosts’ Chelsea can move above them by beating sec- after Aaron Ramsey robbed Toure. Wilshere pass and then heading Bacary bottom club Sunderland visit fourth-bottom advantage after Theo Walcott had marked his ond-bottom Crystal Palace later. Negredo again failed to find the target Sagna’s cross fractionally wide, before Walcott West Ham United, with Stoke City travelling to first start for Arsenal since September by Arsenal, meanwhile, have now lost three moments later, this time from Silva’s pass, but struck again in the 63rd minute. Ramsey Hull City in the late game. —AFP Chelsea edge Palace Hull, Stoke draw in to close on Arsenal game of two halves

domestic front. On paper at least, it should the dominant team in a one-sided first half have been a routine three points for Mourinho’s at the KC Stadium. Begovic had to save Hull 0 Chelsea 2 side, despite Palace’s recent resurgence under smartly from Ahmed Elmohamady and new manager Tony Pulis. Three wins in four Yannick Sagno, while planted games had revived the visitors’ season, moving a downward header narrowly wide from a Palace off the foot of the table, but Pulis’s side Tom Huddlestone free-kick. were making the short journey from Selhurst Stoke 0 Crystal Palace 1 Hull were also the first team to threaten Park more in hope than expectation. in the second period, with And the way the opening stages of the volleying just wide, but Stoke could have match unfolded, it seemed there was little made the breakthrough moments later LONDON: Chelsea moved into second place in prospect of an upset, with Chelsea quickly the Premier League after first-half goals from assuming control. Pulis’s impact on the visitors KINGSTON UPON HULL: Former when Shawcross was unable to make Fernando Torres and Ramires secured a 2-1 vic- was apparent, with Palace appearing well Manchester United team-mates Mark telling contact with a Marko Arnautovic tory over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge yes- organised and defending impressively, but Hughes and shared the spoils corner. terday. they were undone in the 16th minute. after Stoke City drew 0-0 at Hull City in the Elmohamady thought he had put Hull Jose Mourinho’s side took advantage of Willian produced a burst of pace to take him Premier League yesterday. Hull enjoyed ahead with around half an hour to play, Arsenal’s heavy 6-3 defeat at Manchester City past Mile Jedinak and create enough space to the best of the first hour, with visiting goal- but his well directed back-post header earlier in the day to move to within two points drill in a low shot from 25 yards. Palace goal- keeper Asmir Begovic producing three fine drew a stunning full-length save from of the leaders. But this was another unconvinc- keeper Julian Speroni made contact, but man- saves, but Stoke came closest to snatching Begovic.Stoke continued to menace on the ing display from the Blues and Palace, rooted in aged only to divert the ball onto the post and victory when Ryan Shawcross hit the bar in counter-attack, however, and they put the the bottom three, will consider themselves Torres reacted first to side-foot the rebound the latter stages. ball in the net when Ireland tapped in after unlucky not to have added to Marouane into an empty net for only his second league Chamakh’s equaliser. goal of the season. A Cameron Jerome shot The result meant that Hull remained in Peter Crouch’s header was parried by Allan Chelsea manager Mourinho had restated forced Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech into 12th place in the table, one point and one McGregor, only for the flag to go up for off- his belief before this game that his team are in action, but there were few signs an equaliser place above Stoke, who had stunned title- side. a period of transition, even suggesting that the was imminent before an incisive move led to chasing Chelsea 3-2 in their previous out- The visitors drew encouragement Europa League champions could end the sea- Chamakh’s 29th-minute leveller. ing. Hull manager Bruce kept faith with the from the near-miss, and after McGregor son empty-handed. Torres conceded possession just inside his team that had started in Monday’s 1-1 plunged to his left to turn away a snap- The stuttering performance against Steaua own half and David Luiz was guilty of diving in draw at Swansea City, while Stephen shot from Crouch, Shawcross sent a Bucharest in the Champions League in mid- as the ball was worked through Chamakh and LONDON: Crystal Palace's Congolese midfielder Ireland and Oussama Assaidi were both header against the bar from the result- week supported the manager’s view that his Jason Puncheon to Joel Ward on the left. drafted into the Stoke line-up by visiting ing corner. Neither side was able to land side are not firing on all cylinders, although vic- The full-back then whipped in a low cross Yannick Bolasie (left) vies in the air with Chelsea's manager Hughes after scoring against a telling blow in the closing stages, leav- tory against the Romanian side ensured they towards Chamakh, who had drifted away from Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic (right) during the qualified for the knockout stage as group win- John Terry and struck a left-foot volley from 12 English Premier League football match between Chelsea. ing both glancing nervously over their ners. With Arsenal faltering, this was an oppor- yards out past Cech for his third goal in three Chelsea and Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge yester- The hosts had beaten Liverpool 3-1 in shoulders ahead of the busy Christmas tunity for Chelsea to stake a claim on the games. — AFP day. —AFP their previous home fixture and they were period. — AFP