46 Friday Sports Friday, March 1, 2019 Leaders Liverpool face derby test as title race heats up Derby day in too as Tottenham host Arsenal

MANCHESTER: leaders Liver- do not over-think their workload. pool will need to maintain their excellent recent “The schedule is so tough. We are there in record against Everton in Sunday’s Merseyside every competition and playing well and winning derby if they are to hold their advantage over so we just need to keep going,” he said. “If you second-placed Manchester City. Liverpool are come here and don’t enjoy the pressure it’s bet- unbeaten in 18 matches against their neighbours ter to leave.” Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth are - separated only by a park - since a defeat in without a win in four games. October 2018, and the current 33-point gap tells The derby may not have title its own story. implications, after Tottenham’s defeats to Burn- Juergen Klopp’s side has laboured and drawn ley and Chelsea left them nine points off top, but too many games of late, allowing City to come with fourth-placed Arsenal just four points be- within one point, but the Reds were back to their hind Mauricio Pochettino’s side there is plenty devastating best on Wednesday, crushing Wat- at stake. “It’s never easy to be positive after a ford 5-0 at Anfield. “The win gives us more con- defeat ... it will be tough but we need to move on fidence,” said Senegalese striker Sadio Mane quickly and try to be ready to compete tomor- who scored twice. row,” said the Argentine manager. “It’s always “We know playing against Everton is never important and the fixture is so tough for us but easy. But we are a great team and we are used we need to be sure we are going to be ready to to playing this kind of game.” Everton ended a compete at our best,” he said. run of three defeats with a 3-0 victory at Arsenal have won their last three games in- City on Tuesday, but Marco Silva’s side will need cluding Wednesday’s 5-1 crushing of the performance of their season to create an Bournemouth. Injury-hit Manchester United LIVERPOOL: Watford’s Spanish Gerard Deulofeu (L) vies with Liverpool’s Dutch midfielder upset at Goodison Park. host lowly Southampton at after Georginio Wijnaldum (R) during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Wat- Liverpool’s single point lead may have van- maintaining their unbeaten league record under ford at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on Wednesday. Liverpool won the game 5-0. — AFP ished by then after Manchester City’s trip to caretaker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 3-1 win Bournemouth tomorrow. Belgian midfielder at Crystal Palace on Wednesday. ance at Selhurst Park. “We’ve been waiting for on Saturday against Southampton again,” he Kevin de Bruyne says it is vital ’s With a number of absentees, the Norwegian that chance. Of course, now with Nemanja said. New Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers will side, who won the League Cup on Sunday and could give a start to 17-year-old James Garner (Matic) and Ander (Herrera) injured, there’ll be take charge of the Foxes for the first time on are still in the FA Cup and Champions League, who made his debut with a substitute appear- more chances for Jimmy. We might even see him Sunday at his former club Watford. —Reuters

acteristics: solid defence, counterattack, com- Juventus face petitive spirit, speed. There are no secrets be- tween these two teams.” Victory can save season, Even so, it promises to be a fascinating younger, more match, not least because Napoli still have to chance to stop Juventus repeating their feat says Sarri after Kepa axed of 2011-12 when they won the title unbeaten. versatile Napoli It is also an intriguing test for Ancelotti who has gradually rebuilt the side he inherited LONDON: Maurizio Sarri believes Chelsea’s United both winning on Wednesday, Chelsea MILAN: Napoli coach is con- from Maurizio Sarri last May. crucial 2-0 win over Tottenham can save their remain in sixth place-three points outside the vinced his team can still compete with domi- Napoli can still produce the fluid game season after his decision to drop Wembley top four-but there is now a little hope for Sarri nant Juventus-although it may not be this which was a hallmark of Sarri but Ancelotti’s rebel paid off on Wednes- after a difficult period. season. approach is less dogmatic. day. Pedro’s second half strike and a farcical Asked if the result could be a springboard Thirteen points clear at the top of , He has been more willing than Sarri to give own goal from Kieran Trippier were a much- for a positive end to the season, Sarri said: Juventus visit second-placed Napoli for what younger players such as Kevin Malcuit, Fabian needed boost for Sarri as the Chelsea manager “We hope so. Most important we need the over the last few seasons has become the out- Ruiz, Adam Ounas and Piotr Zielinski a run in fights to avoid the sack following a turbulent consistency of performances and results. “It first season in charge. was really very important because we are standing Serie A fixture and, more often than the team and keener to vary Napoli’s tactics- Sarri’s standing had been severely under- fighting for the top four.” not, a top-of-the-table clash. their defence, in particular, has improved no- mined by Kepa after the rebellious keeper Sarri revealed Kepa would still be his first Juve’s lead is so commanding that even a ticeably. The team which starts on Sunday sparked an astonishing meltdown from the choice goalkeeper going forward and he in- Napoli win is unlikely to knock them off may have only four or five survivors from the Italian when he refused to be substituted dur- sisted he was never concerned about the course for an eighth successive title, some- side who won 1-0 in Turin in April-the last ing Sunday’s League Cup final. mounting sense of crisis around his club. “The thing which may have taken some of the sting time Juventus lost a Serie A match. Sarri was furious when Kepa ignored his problem wasn’t so big as you write. In this job out of the bitter north-south rivalry which As Ancelotti pointed out, Napoli have not decision to take him off after he required you are under pressure every day, or if you are surrounds the fixture. The Turin side will also done badly this season, winning 17 out of 25 treatment for cramp in the closing stages of lucky every six weeks,” he said. have more than half an eye on the second leg league games, but simply have not been able their penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester “Kepa made a big mistake and then paid of their Champions League last-16 tie against to keep up with the relentless pace set by Ju- City. Kepa apologised for his behaviour, but with the club. In this match he has to pay for Atletico Madrid 10 days later when they will ventus, who have dropped only six points. the 24-year-old was punished with a fine of the team. It was only a message for all the try to overturn a 2-0 deficit. He compared Napoli owner Aurelio De one week’s wages before Sarri attempted to team. “Now we stop the question, it is behind They may also be without Serie A top- Laurentiis to Silvio Berlusconi who was AC regain control of his squad by selecting Ar- us and in the future Kepa will be with us.” scorer who suffered a Milan’s owner when Ancelotti enjoyed a suc- gentine veteran in his place at Successive defeats at Burnley and now knock on his left ankle in Sunday’s 1-0 win cessful spell there between 2001 and 2009. Stamford Bridge. against their bitter London rivals have left over Bologna. “De Laurentiis is similar to Berlusconi in Caballero kept a confident clean-sheet third placed Tottenham’s title bid in tatters. “The table doesn’t lie, it is partly to Juve’s that he runs the company like a big family. while Kepa languished on the bench and They have lost four consecutive away credit and partly due to our failings,” Napoli And I feel like one of the family,” he said. Chelsea produced a committed display that matches in all competitions for the first time coach Carlo Ancelotti told Il Stampa on “Winning at Napoli is an unfulfilled wish suggested Sarri’s players still back their belea- in 10 years and lie nine points adrift of leaders Thursday. “Juventus will come here to wrap and, sooner of later, it will happen. I am sure guered boss. With Arsenal and Manchester Liverpool.—AFP up the Scudetto race by exploiting their char- about that.” —- Reuters