Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015 Rodgers tips match-winner Henderson for top

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said “Jordan is improving all the time,” Rodgers said. “And as and he could play in any team in world football. “He’s Jordan Henderson could aspire to reach an even higher he matures he’ll become even better. He’s always had natu- strong, aggressive. He has football intelligence, power, level after the midfielder’s impressive display in his side’s 2- ral athleticism. “But his technical ability, and tactically he’s pace, and he has great composure. He’s settling into the 0 victory over Burnley. Henderson gave Liverpool the lead improving all the time. game in this country as well. “He does the dirty work as in the first half of Wednesday’s Premier League clash at He’s becoming one of the real leaders. It was a wonder- well. I really think he’ll become a world-class player.” Anfield when he powerfully struck a half-volley into the ful performance. “It was a great strike for his goal, and the bottom-right corner from just outside the penalty area. feed into Daniel Sturridge for the second as well. He is up Liverpool ‘a different team’ The stand-in Liverpool captain also provided a magnifi- there with the top assist-makers in the league. Liverpool’s victory, their seventh in eight games, saw cent cross from the right flank for Daniel Sturridge to head “Jordan has very good technique. He is developing well them regain fifth place in the Premier League and keep up in the hosts’ second goal after half-time. as a player. He still has work to go, but he knows that. It’s the pressure on their rivals for a Champions League place. Henderson’s all-round determination and drive have great to see.” Rodgers also believes Emre Can has the However, despite their good form, Rodgers does not seen him singled out as the likely successor for the potential to become a world-class player after the versatile want there to be any let-up from Liverpool’s players Liverpool captaincy when Steven Gerrard leaves for Los Germany Under-21 international produced another between now and the end of the campaign. Angeles Galaxy at the end of the season. assured display at centre-back against Burnley. “Over the last few months, the games have been com- As well as Henderson’s leadership qualities, Rodgers Can, alongside Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren in ing thick and fast,” he said. was equally complimentary about his growing ability as a Liverpool’s back three, helped the Reds keep a sixth clean “It’s a period of the season we look forward to. We’re in player and believes there is no limit to what the 24-year-old sheet in their last eight Premier League matches. a good position, but there’s still a lot of work to go. We’re at England international can achieve. Rodgers said: “You give Emre another couple of years a good level and we want to continue with that.”—AFP Chelsea sense they are almost there

LONDON: The late American crooner Andy after another lightning raid. “We had chances to kill Williams once sang about being ‘almost there’ and the game and we were expecting good situations about being close to a ‘paradise so rare’ and that is to attack the space and score more goals but we how Chelsea must have felt after their 1-0 victory at didn’t and when you don’t do that against West West Ham United. Ham you are in permanent danger,” a relieved Manager Jose Mourinho strode purposefully on Mourinho told reporters. “It doesn’t matter the to the pitch at the end of a typically rumbustious quality of the game when the emotion and the London derby on Wednesday night, fist-pumping tempo is so high. All the players were so fantastic in the air as he celebrated a potentially significant win their commitment and positive aggression and the with each member of his team. referee (Andre Marriner) was good at letting the With 11 matches left, Chelsea can begin dream- game follow the normal direction. ing of their first Premier League title for five years with the leaders five points clear of second-placed Livewire hazard Manchester City and with a game in hand to come “The midfield were trying to keep the ball and against rock bottom Leicester City. release attacking players to kill the game but in the Wednesday’s encounter at Upton Park was one end we had periods when we had to defend with of the games of the season, a barnstorming end-to- everything. It was a game when you can easily lose LONDON: Arsenal’s Francis Coquelin, center, competes for the ball with Queens Park Rangers’ end affair that could just as easily have finished 4-0 two points so I am happy.” Charlie Austin during the English Premier League soccer match between QPR and Arsenal at to Chelsea, 3-1 to West Ham or in a high-scoring Once again Chelsea were indebted to their Loftus Road, London, Wednesday. — AP draw. Rival goalkeepers Adrian and Thibaut livewire forward Eden Hazard. Courtois pulled off a string of excellent saves in a It is becoming something of a truism to say that non-stop thriller that had the crowd on the edge of when the Belgium winger plays well, Chelsea play United v Arsenal promises their seats. Chelsea needed the tall Courtois to well, and he was at the heart of everything good in show off his seemingly telescopic arms in the sec- the opposition half of the field. ond half as West Ham launched wave after wave of Hazard also popped up to grab the only goal of another FA Cup blockbuster attacks led by left winger Stewart Downing who the game in the first period, a close-range header gave Branislav Ivanovic one of his most uncomfort- from a right-wing cross by Ramires, although West LONDON: Manchester United and Arsenal have Albion again on Saturday (1730) in the second all- able matches of the campaign. Ham manager Sam Allardyce later suggested the served up some classic FA Cup encounters going Premier League quarter-final. The visitors, though, were a constant menace scorer was offside “by six inches”. back to their first 109 years ago and Monday’s Christian Benteke’s penalty handed Tim on the counter attack. Ramires was denied by a bril- Coming on the back of Sunday’s 2-0 League quarter-final under the Old Trafford floodlights Sherwood his first win as Aston Villa manager and liant reflex save from Adrian and, on a separate Cup final win over arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur promises another special occasion. ended their worst run for 52 years. occasion, by the inside of the post while fellow at Wembley, it has been a draining but nonetheless Fans of both sides can pick out plenty of memo- Liverpool meet second-tier Blackburn Rovers at Brazilian Willian had an effort cleared off the line rewarding period for Chelsea.—Reuters rable moments between the two most successful Anfield on Sunday (1600) on the back of a run of clubs in the competition with 11 wins apiece. form which has seen Brendan Rodgers’ side lose Holders Arsenal beat United in the 1979 and just once in their last 21 games in all competitions. 2005 finals but United have won their last two While Liverpool’s main focus is securing a meetings in the competition since that defeat on Champions league place for next season, they will penalties at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff 10 be confident of reaching the semi-finals against a years ago. Rovers side anchored in mid-table in the Alan Sunderland’s last-minute winner for the Championship. Londoners in an epic 1979 final and Ryan Giggs’s The last time the sides met in April 2012 — a 3-2 semi-final wonder goal for United 20 years later are win for Liverpool at Ewood Park-Rovers were head- just two stand-outs. ing out of the Premier League. There was also Arsenal’s 2-0 fifth-round win in A lower league team is guaranteed a last-four 2003 that became infamous after David Beckham place with third-tier Bradford City, who reached the was struck above his eye by a boot that had been League Cup final two years ago, hosting kicked in anger in the dressing room by United Championship side Reading at Valley Parade on manager Alex Ferguson. Saturday (1245) in what is certain to be an emo- Go further back in time and the history books tional afternoon for Phil Parkinson. tell of Arsenal’s 5-0 fourth-round demolition of Bradford manager Parkinson ended his playing United in 1937, a record home win against the Red career at Reading where he was a fans’ favourite, Devils that still stands. making over 400 appearances in the blue and white hoops. D?J? VU Giant-killing Bradford have the whiff of LONDON: West Ham United’s James Collins, left vies for the ball with Chelsea’s Diego Costa Just four days after securing three much-need- Wembley again after stunning Premier League during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Chelsea , at ed league points with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over leaders Chelsea and Sunderland in previous the Boleyn ground in London, Wednesday.— AP their local rivals, Aston Villa host West Bromwich rounds. — Reuters