Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Napoli, Juventus closing gap on Roma Juve outclass Catania 4-0

MILAN: Juventus outclassed Catania 4-0 and Napoli battled pressure, typified by a 12th minute opener after Gonazalo lose. “Seeing Cuadrado sent off for simulation was strange.” to a 2-1 win away to Fiorentina to move to within two Higuain crossed to the right for Spaniard Jose Callejon to Benitez was keen to avoid provoking any controversy. “I points of leaders Roma on Wednesday. Roma, who beat goalkeeper Neto with a sweetly-struck first-time strike. don’t really want to talk about refereeing decisions,” the set an all-time league record last Sunday by winning all nine Fiorentina were soon back on level terms when Spaniard told Sky Sport Italia. “We won because we man- of their opening games, will aim to make it 10 in a row yes- Giuseppe Rossi’s spot kick, after Borja Valero was fouled in aged to exploit the space behind their defense. We domi- terday when they host bottom side Chievo at the Olympic the area, sent Pepe Reina the wrong way. It took Rossi’s nated possession and tried to maximize that, they’re a diffi- Stadium. league-leading tally to nine goals, but his and Fiorentina’s cult team to play at home.” As league new boys Verona Chievo, who have four points and one win to their name joy was short-lived. Napoli restored their advantage on 36 secured a precious 2-0 home win over struggling all season, are set to become the latest victims of a rampant minutes when Dries Mertens ran unchallenged into the Sampdoria, Fiorentina’s second reverse dropped them one Roma side that has already accounted for Inter Milan, Napoli hosts’ area to beat Neto with an angled strike. Fiorentina place to sixth, nine points adrift of Roma and seven behind and Lazio. Juventus and Napoli, however, avoided any slip- spurned several chances to pull level in the second half, Napoli and Juventus. ups to keep pace with Rudi Garcia’s record-setting side. Rossi sending his shot from a difficult angle wide of goal With coach Massimiliano Allegri under increasing Champions Juve were in imperious form in Turin where and then his curling effort bring a great diving save from pressure, AC Milan were desperate for all three points at Chilean Arturo Vidal started the rout with a Reina. home to Lazio and were sent on their way when Kaka deflected 28th minute strike, before doubled Napoli midfielder Christian Maggio saw red on 80 min- scored a sublime individual goal just after the restart. The the lead with a sumptuous curling free kick. utes for a second bookable offence, but as Fiorentina bat- hosts, however, were stunned when French defender made it 3-0 just after the hour mark and tled for the equaliser, they were also reduced to 10 men Michael Ciani fired home the equalizer on 72 minutes. ’s side wrapped up the points when when Juan Cuadrado was sent off in injury time for simula- Allegri’s side host Fiorentina tomorrow and despite this Leonardo Bonucci was allowed to run in unchallenged and tion after tumbling in the area under a challenge from latest setback the Italian remained defiant. “It’s a bad spell tap home ’s low pass. Away to Gokhan Inler. Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella thought for us. We’re far off third place and we have to start win- Fiorentina, who stunned Juve with a come-from-behind 4-2 it was a harsh decision and said: “We played an excellent ning again to climb the table,” said Allegri. “But we can’t win two weeks ago, Napoli were expected to work hard for game. They caused us problems when they were on the let our heads go down. If we keep playing as we are I’m the points. However, Rafael Benitez’s men were never under offensive, but we created a lot and didn’t really deserve to sure the results will come.”— AFP

Arsenal and Liverpool title claims on scrutiny

LONDON: The title credentials of leaders Arsenal and third-placed Liverpool will come under scrutiny when they meet in a heavy- weight Premier League clash tomorrow. Arsenal, top of the table with 22 points, have only lost one league match this season, on the opening day against Aston Villa, but have been beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and Chelsea in the League Cup in the past week. The visit of Liverpool (1730GMT), on 20 points, is only the second time they have met a team with realistic top-four ambitions following a win over local rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Manager Arsene Wenger fielded a weakened side against Chelsea and he said it was important not to read too much into recent results. “Let’s not jump too quickly to conclusions because if you take the points we have made since the first of January, we have made more than anyone else,” he told reporters after the 2-0 home loss to Chelsea. “I believe that a longer distance reveals more about the quality of a team than the last few games. It is difficult to swallow that happened to us in the last week, but the mistakes are not so big that it cannot be corrected.” He acknowledged, however, that it was vital to get back on track against Liverpool, for whom Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge scored all the goals in last week’s 4-1 thrashing of West Brom, especially NEWCASTLE: Newcastle United’s English defender Mike Williamson (right) vies with Manchester City’s Montenegrin striker with tough games against champions Manchester United and sur- Steven Jovetic during the English League Cup fourth round football match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at prise packages Southampton to follow. “It’s a difficult (run), but that’s St James’ Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. — AFP part of the season. We know the games,” Wenger said. “We have to respond well against Liverpool. We are in a strong position in the league and have a good opportunity at home, and we have to turn City, Spurs advance in League Cup this round. Away from home we are very solid, but at home you know it’s important and vital to win the big games.” LONDON: Alvaro Negredo and Edin Dzeko scored in extra time to better chances,” Hull manager Steve Bruce said. At St James’s Park, send Manchester City into the League Cup quarterfinals with a 2-0 Negredo calmly tapped the ball in to put his team ahead after SENDING MESSAGE win at Newcastle on Wednesday, while Tottenham needed a penal- Dzeko sent in a low cross from the left side of the area that Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson said his team were deter- ty shootout to earn a place in the last eight. Newcastle dominated in Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa failed to intercept. mined to send a message that they were genuine contenders this the early stages but City weathered the storm and then raised its David Silva and James Milner combined well to set up the sec- season having not finished in the top five since 2008-09. “They’re all game in extra time. Negredo broke the deadlock from close range ond goal. Milner found Dzeko with a superb pass that the Bosnian tough games in the Premier League and Arsenal have been flying of after a simple move in the 99th minute before Dzeko took the ball striker converted. Dzeko praised City backup goalkeeper Costel late,” he told the club’s website (www.liverpoolfc.com) “But so have round goalkeeper Tim Krul to seal the victory in the 105th. Pantilimon’s performance after the Romanian player kept the pres- we, so I think it will be a good game to watch and hopefully we can In the other fourth-round match, Tottenham and Hull were level sure on City’s No 1 keeper Joe Hart. “He was great. This is the second get a good result. “It would send out a message to the rest of the at 2-2 after extra time. Hull player Ahmed Elmohamady, who gave game in the Cup that he hasn’t conceded a goal, so he’s definitely teams that we’re here and we mean business. But I think the main away the penalty converted by Roberto Soldado at White Hart Lane improving,” Dzeko said. focus is going there and playing like we have been.” Under-pressure in Hull’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday, City coach Manuel Pellegrini made 10 changes to the side that Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew’s side have picked up one missed the decisive spot-kick. Gylfi Sigurdsson’s 25-yard (meter) lost to Chelsea at the weekend. His team soon came under pressure Premier League win in the last five matches, and he believes tomor- shot in the first half had put the home side ahead, before American and was lucky not to concede when Papiss Cisse’s clever lob over row’s match against Chelsea (1245) and the following one against goalkeeper Brad Friedel fumbled the ball into his own net. goalkeeper Pantilimon flew just wide in the eighth minute. Without Spurs will define their season. “We are coming into some games Paul McShane scored in extra time to give Tottenham the lead, Vincent Kompany, City’s defense looked shaky and following a free which are really what our season is all about. We have lost two but Hull substitute Harry Kane made it 2-2. Tottenham prevailed 8-7 kick and a melee in the box, Newcastle fans erupted in cheers when games to teams in and around us and we have to try to make up on penalties. “To a man my players were magnificent. They didn’t Ameobi slotted in from close range - only to see his goal disallowed those two against the top teams.” —Reuters deserve to go out of the Cup but it wasn’t our day today. We had the for offside.—AP