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MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony (2nd left) aims to score the opening goal during the English football match between Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester yesterday. — AFP Errant red card helps City close in on Chelsea

League by an irresistible Barcelona broadcaster BT Sport at half-time Jesus Navas corner was helped on by injured Ben Foster-saved well from the 72nd minute. on Wednesday but the game was that he had dismissed the wrong , Jonas Olsson and Bony, Aguero and Silva inside the Olsson flicked on a right-wing Man City 3 more memorable for a case of mis- player, but by then the damage was Myhill failed to clear and Fernando opening 10 minutes. The visiting corner for highly-rated forward taken identity that meant West Brom done. West Brom had collected just pushed the loose ball over the goalkeeper was particularly impres- Saido Berahino, who headed against played all but one and a half minutes five points on their travels in the pre- line.The only surprise was the City sive in sticking out a boot to repel the bar from close range. The of the match with 10 men. The game vious five months and two City goals had not scored more during a period Aguero’s low, near-post shot after rebound fell to former City defender West Brom 0 was as good as decided after 65 sec- before the half-time break guaran- in which West Brom scarcely crossed more trickery from the Argentina for- Joleon Lescott, but he could only onds, when Bony was brought down teed that there would be no the halfway line, with nine of their ward inside the West Brom area. But head well over from six yards. The on the edge of the penalty area, set- improvement in their away record. remaining 10 players permanently Myhill required the help of his wood- missed opportunity removed any ting into motion the chain of events After 26 minutes, patient build-up encamped in their own area. work on 58 minutes when Aguero’s lingering thoughts of a West Brom MANCHESTER: Manchester City that saw Albion defender Gareth on the edge of the Albion penalty left-foot strike cannoned against the comeback and five minutes later, responded to their Champions McAuley incorrectly dismissed. area ended with Fernando’s pass Berahino hits bar far post before the ball flew to Bony, City claimed the third goal their total League exit with a routine 3-0 victory Bony had been fouled by Craig being deflected into the path of Sergio Aguero and Frank Lampard whose 18-yard shot thundered dominance merited. Gael Clichy over West Bromwich Albion yester- Dawson and, as he stumbled goal- Bony. The Ivorian striker skillfully shot off target, while Myhill saved against the crossbar. City substitute pulled the ball back for Jovetic on day that maintained the pressure on wards, was also involved in a colli- brought the ball under control from Silva, three times, and Navas Stevan Jovetic continued the theme the edge of the area. His shot looked Premier League leaders Chelsea. sion with McAuley. Referee Neil before steering it high past Boaz before the half was out. The flow of of City profligacy by shooting wide to be drifting wide of the left-hand Wilfried Bony, Fernando and David Swarbrick blew for the initial foul, Myhill for his first City goal since one-way traffic was even more pro- and West Brom threatened to take post, but Silva stuck out a boot to Silva were on target for the champi- but inexplicably showed a red card signing from Swansea City. Then, five nounced upon the resumption of advantage when they almost scored divert the ball past Myhill from six ons-bundled out of the Champions to McAuley. Swarbrick confirmed to minutes before the interval, after a play as Myhill - deputizing for the with their first meaningful attack in yards.— AFP Giroud keeps Arsenal Kane’s treble lifts Spurs

on course for ‘top 4’ whom the goal would be attributed. Robert Huth attempted to clear a Spurs Giroud’s knee diverted it past goal- Tottenham 4 cross, only for the ball to fall to Kane at the keeper Tim Krul. Then Welbeck was edge of the box. He scuffed his effort, but Newcastle 1 off-target with a volley before the ball took a wicked deflection off Huth Giroud added his second goal from and looped past Schmeichel. At that point, a corner taken by Santi Cazorla and both Spurs and Kane were threatening to headed inside an unguarded post Leicester 3 tear Leicester apart. The striker had another by the forward who so relishes fac- Arsenal 2 goal ruled out, for offside, and Christian ing United. Eriksen forced Schmeichel into a fine save Newcastle had already been with an effort from just outside the box, the warned because Arsenal had gone LONDON: Harry Kane celebrated his first goalkeeper just about touching the ball NEWCASTLE: Olivier Giroud tor- close to the opening goal when England call-up with a first Premier League onto the post. mented Newcastle yet again as he Krul saved from Alexis Sanchez and hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur edged Kane was again central to all the hosts’ scored twice for Arsenal in a 2-1 Aaron Ramsey’s first touch Leicester City 4-3 at yester- key moves. Such an impact, particularly away win that cemented their place betrayed him after he was set up by day. But it was also a game that illustrated against Leicester, only emphasized the NEWCASTLE: Arsenal’s Colombian goalkeeper David Ospina in the Premier League’s top four Giroud. Such early domination by the fragility of Tottenham’s top-four chal- impressive nature of his rise, given that the yesterday. France striker Giroud has Arsenal did not come as a surprise watches a Newcastle United shot pass wide during the English lenge, with the hosts letting a 2-0 lead slip youngster spent an underwhelming spell now scored eight times in his last to Newcastle’s supporters, who had Premier League football match between Newcastle and Arsenal at before a Kane penalty and a Jeff Schlupp at the East Midlands club as a teenager, six games against Newcastle, who been warned beforehand of the dif- St James Park yesterday. — AFP own goal carried the London club over the scoring twice in 15 games. He could have have not achieved a home win ficulties facing their manager John However, they failed to add further Ospina and Sissoko was only line. And it said much about Spurs’ per- doubled that tally in the space of the first against Arsenal in the past decade Carver. Injuries and suspensions left goals before the interval, leaving denied a second goal by a point- formance that as David Nugent claimed the half, but instead Leicester surprisingly and have now lost their last seven him with only 13 senior outfield Newcastle in a better position than blank save by the keeper from his last goal of the game for Leicester, manager halved Spurs’ lead on 37 minutes when meetings with Arsene Wenger’s players and his team inevitably pos- four years ago again when they glancing header. Mauricio Pochettino angrily threw a water turned in Nugent’s inviting side. The Gunners remain third, one sessed a makeshift look, with mid- trailed 4-0 in the same fixture. On Janmaat was also close with an bottle to the ground in frustration. cross with a fine drive. All of a sudden, point behind second placed fielder Jack Colback forced to play that occasion, they fought back to ambitious effort from more than 30 The game had not started positively for Spurs were hanging on, during the kind of Manchester City and six ahead of at left-back and right-back Daryl draw 4-4 and Newcastle hinted at a yards and Cabella almost opened Spurs either, as Hugo Lloris had to go off spell that Eriksen referred to in mid-week as fifth placed Liverpool as the battle Janmaat starting at centre-half for similar revival in the opening the Arsenal defense with a surging after sustaining a serious-looking gash to “Spursy” and which Pochettino has been to qualify for the Champions the first time in his career. Arsenal stages of the second-half. run that suggested the France mid- his right leg following an early collision desperate to eradicate. League approaches its finale. made three changes from the team They pulled back a goal inside fielder is coming to terms with the with team-mate Kyle Walker. The medical Danny Rose had to put in a desperate Yet, what appeared likely to be that won at Monaco in midweek. three minutes when Ryan Taylor demands of the Premier League. team took two minutes to strap up the last-ditch tackle to prevent Nugent equaliz- an embarrassing day for Newcastle They still went out of the and Remy Cabella combined down Arsenal’s response was muted, France international’s leg and Lloris ing shortly before the interval. But the when they went two goals behind Champions League on away goals the right flank before the although Krul did well to block a received a standing ovation from the crowd home side eventually succumbed as inside the opening 28 minutes, despite that victory and, worryingly Frenchman’s cross was steered in 79th minute shot from Welbeck as he was stretchered from the field. It was Leicester came out sensing blood after ended with an ovation from their for Newcastle, had performed well by Sissoko, the midfielder who is after the England striker outpaced not long, however, until Kane gave the half-time, and soon drew it. After a fans after a splendid second-half in the past two seasons following regularly linked with Arsenal. And Mike Williamson on his way inside home fans something to really cheer by Cambiasso effort had been deflected nar- revival which warranted more than their departure from that competi- they went in search of an equalizer the United area. And Newcastle putting Tottenham into the lead. rowly over, Wes Morgan headed in from a a solitary goal from Moussa Sissoko. tion. They were to continue that with an appetite that had been were only denied a deserved An Andros Townsend corner was flicked corner to make it 2-2. That was finally the It had looked bleak for United after trend with ease as Giroud’s goals largely absent in the opening half equalizer when the outstretched on by Erik Dier and after Kasper Schmeichel spark for Spurs to look something like they went behind in the 24th gave them total control and, in when no Newcastle fan could have leg of Ospina diverted a shot from pawed the ball away, Kane reacted quickest themselves, but it was not just greater minute when they needlessly con- truth, it seemed to be only a ques- predicted such a fightback. Yoan Ayoze Perez in the 87th minute. It to stab a shot between Esteban aggression in their play that they showed. ceded a free-kick which was head- tion of how many Arsenal would Gouffran directed a 61st minute proved to be Newcastle’s final Cambassio’s legs and in. It was very soon 2- Nabil Bentaleb was lucky to stay on after ed on by before score after the second one went in. chance straight at keeper David chance. — AFP 0, but there was some doubt about to appearing to strike Leonardo Ulloa. — AFP