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Home , Carlton Cole, David Stockdale, Kieran Gibbs, Mark Noble

Sports FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2013 45 Arsenal get back on track Tottenham 1

header by Cazorla. ’s response Nolan, who was allowed to shoot unchal- had been limited: a swerving free-kick by lenged from 20 yards. Szczesny could not West Ham 1 Mark Noble that forced Szczesny to palm hold the ball and Cole smacked home the West Brom 1 the ball away and a shot from Mohamed rebound. Szczesny made up for that by Diame that Szczesny only caught at the blocking Jarvis’s shot on the turn, but he second attempt. After 26 minutes, Walcott was nowhere as Joey O’Brien stole in Arsenal 3 escaped George McCartney to run onto unmarked to glance a header just wide. ’s floated pass, but, unchal- Soon, however, Arsenal were camped in Sherwood’s Spurs lenged, he volleyed past the post with the West Ham half. Adrian parried from only Adrian to beat. Cazorla, then somehow got in the way of held by West Brom Now it seemed to be the Arsenal attack Mezut Ozil’s follow-up effort. : scored twice as LONDON: Tim Sherwood suffered a frustrating start Arsenal got their chal- against the West Ham defense. Giroud In the 68th minute, the pressure finally to his reign as Tottenham’s new manager after a 1-1 lenge back on track by coming from reacted too late as Mezut Ozil pulled the told. Walcott cut in from the right and behind to win 3-1 at West Ham United yes- ball back across goal, Mikel Arteta tried a left-foot shot that found its way in draw against West Bromwich Albion at White Hart terday. Carlton Cole gave West Ham a sur- Lane yesterday. It was not what Sherwood, who was prise lead early in the second half before handed a surprise 18-month contract following a Walcott scored a fortuitous equalizer and short caretaker spell, would have envisaged. But he then headed Arsenal in front. Substitute could have no complaints as Jonas Olsson cancelled Lukas Podolski, who created Walcott’s sec- out Christian Eriksen’s free-kick opener to drop ond goal, then scored the third on his Tottenham down to eighth in the Premier League. comeback from injury, as Arsenal ended a After being named as permanent boss on run of five games without victory in all Monday, Sherwood, a former Spurs and Blackburn competitions. , vowed he would go on the attack and he Walcott’s first benefited from an uncer- was true to his word. He maintained faith in his two- tain dive by West Ham goalkeeper Adrian, pronged attack, which had already served him well but the England winger has now scored in in his caretaker reign, and there was no sign of any his last four league appearances against holding midfielder that had been a trademark during West Ham. It was Arsenal’s seventh con- his predecessor Andre Villas-Boas’ tenure. The fact secutive victory over their London rivals that Sherwood could be so cavalier might have had and sent ’s side into the bot- something to do with West Brom’s set-up. tom three. Arsenal made one change to West Brom, who themselves are on the lookout the team that had drawn 0-0 with Chelsea for a new manager following Steve Clarke’s exit, had on Monday, with Santi Cazorla replacing hardly thrown caution to the wind as they packed Tomas Rosicky in midfield. West Ham made four changes to the team beaten 3-1 their defense and looked to hit the home side on the by Manchester United, including the counter-attack. Yet that tactic from caretaker boss return from a three-match suspension of Keith Downing, taking charge for his second game, LONDON: West Ham United’s Irish defender Joey O’Brien (right) heads the nearly bore fruit on two occasions inside the opening captain . ball towards the Arsenal goal during the English Premier League football Carlton Cole, a scoring substitute at Old 20 minutes. A quick exchange between Matej Vydra Trafford, started this time, as did match between West Ham United and Arsenal yesterday. —AFP and Zolta Gera saw the Czech Republic striker denied and Joey O’Brien. James Tomkins, mean- via a combination of Michael Dawson and goalkeep- while, was available for the Hammers volleyed just wide, and Olivier Giroud past two defenders and through the er Hugo Lloris in the 14th minute. despite being charged with assaulting a failed to connect with a low cross from hands of the unsighted Adrian. Three min- If that was a half-chance then Vydra was handed police officer, resisting arrest and being Kieran Gibbs. But West Ham also made a utes later, Podolski’s cross from the left a golden opportunity to open the scoring six min- drunk and disorderly at an Essex nightclub good opening when Mark Noble lifted a took a slight deflection off the forehead of utes later. Another clever pass from Gera found the on Sunday. West Ham tried to feed Matt quick free-kick over the Arsenal wall, only Tomkins at the near post and Walcott on-loan striker, who bore down on goal before Lloris Jarvis on the left when possible in the early for Nolan to fail to make decent contact. It reacted more quickly than the defenders was out quick to smother his attempt. For all their stages, but one cross that Wojciech was a warning to Arsenal to take their to head firmly home. Eleven minutes from attacking players and their gung-ho approach, Szczesny punched away was their only chances, but they did not heed it and in time, Giroud nudged Walcott’s right-wing Tottenham were struggling to muster anything threatening moment in the first 10 minutes. the first minute of the second half, West cross back into the path of Podolski, who meaningful in the final third. In fact, it took a contro- After that Arsenal began to dominate, Ham took the lead. smashed the ball past Adrian from 18 versial 36th minute opening goal from Eriksen to and Adrian made a flying save from a Arteta’s clearance fell into the path of yards. —AFP break the deadlock. West Brom were furious to see James Morrison penalized for hauling down Kyle Walker, but the Danish winger was in no mood to be charitable as he curled home off the underside off Parker lifts Fulham the crossbar. It was Eriksen’s first Premier League goal but within two minutes his side’s celebrations had been staying in the top-flight the relegation- over Fulham keeper David Stockdale. cut short. Eriksen was booked for pulling down threatened Fulham appointed former This was the ninth goal in the last three Norwich 1 Morrison and Morgan Amalfitano’s free-kick was Charlton and West Ham manager Alan matches that Fulham had conceded. swept home by Olsson, via a helping hand from Curbishley as technical director on Kasami went close to leveling for . Togo striker Adebayor has Tuesday, to work alongside new coach Fulham with a low shot and on 34 min- been back in favor under Sherwood, but his poor Fulham 2 Rene Meulensteen. And on the pitch utes the Switzerland midfielder hit the clearance which led to the Swedish defender’s level- former player Clint Dempsey signed a target with a 20 yard freekick, the ball er was a major blot on his copybook. Few inside midweek two month loan deal from going under the jumping wall and could argue that West Brom did not deserve their MLS side the Seattle Sounders. Fulham bumping its way into the Norwich goal. equalizer and the scares continued for Spurs in the made five changes to the side that went Just before Kasami’s goal Fulham NORWICH: Fulham’s battle to stave off second-half. down 4-2 to Manchester City, including thought they’d got a second but relegation received a Boxing Day boost Steven Reid’s 53rd minute free-kick was palmed David Stockdale replacing injured Parker’s effort was disallowed after the with a battling come from behind 2-1 out by Lloris before the Frenchman was fortunate to in goal. Dimitar ball hit his hands. After the restart win at Norwich yesterday. see Gera fail to get any strong connection to a Berbatov-who has been linked with a Norwich went close when Leroy Fer put Norwich into the early lead before Amalfitano cross. Tottenham were lacking any kind move away during the transfer window was presented with a clear header but Pajtim Kasami levelled with former of fluency and were restricted to long-range pot- in January-was again an absentee as he Sascha Riether is in place to head the Tottenham central midfielder Scott shots in their bid to regain the lead. Lewis Holtby recovers from a groin strain. ball off the line. Fulham, producing a Parker grabbing a stylish late winner. dragged his 20-yard drive wide on the hour mark Norwich manager Chris Hughton lively attacking performance, bagged The result, only Fulham’s second win in before visiting goalkeeper had to be alert fielded the same XI that drew 0-0 with the points when Parker broke the the last 10 matches, moved Fulham up a to beat out Walker’s thunderous hit moments later. Sunderland. Norwich raced into an early deadlock with three minutes left on the place to third from bottom, on 16 But West Brom were standing firm and Gylfi lead, Hooper securing his fourth consec- clock with a forceful right footed drive points, with Norwich hovering above Sigurdsson headed into side-netting before Roberto utive goal in a home match, his shot past John Ruddy into the top left cor- the drop zone on 19 points. Soldado flicked his header wide late on. —AFP deflecting off Aaron Hughes to glide ner. —AFP In a bid to boost their prospects of