ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 2021 16 Green Bay Packers quar- terback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass while being chased by Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald (99) during the fi rst half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Jan. 16, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP) Sports Latest sports scores at — http://sports.arabtimesonline.com Packers reach NFC title game Bills advance to AFC championship with win over Ravens ORCHARD PARK, New York, Jan gest in NFL history and punctuated a year quarterback was gratifi ed to see ond consecutive year. caliber career. Field since hosting for the 2007 sea- 17, (AP): In what was supposed to be stellar defensive outing in which Buf- Buffalo’s defense make a difference in Baltimore clinched its third playoff Rodgers threw two touchdown son, when they fell to the New York a showdown between Buffalo’s Josh falo (15-3) limited the NFL’s top run- a game the pass-happy attack was kept berth in three years by winning its fi - passes and also ran for a score as the Giants 23-20 in overtime. Allen and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, ning offense to 150 yards on 32 carries. mostly in check. nal fi ve regular-season games. The top-seeded Green Bay Packers defeat- Green Bay won the Super Bowl for Taron Johnson literally stole the show. Jackson, last season’s NFL MVP, The Bills advanced to the AFC winning streak came after a 1-4 skid ed the Los Angeles Rams 32-18 in an the 2010 season as the NFC’s No. 6 seed, If not for the wall separating the fi eld was sacked three times and did not championship game for the fi rst time capped by a 19-14 loss at Pittsburgh NFC divisional playoff game. and has lost at Seattle, Atlanta and San from the stands in the back of the east end return after sustaining a concussion since 1994 on their way to making on Dec. 2 in a game rescheduled three Green Bay’s potent offense over- Francisco in its last three conference zone, the Bills cornerback might still be following the fi nal play of the third - and losing - their four consecutive times due to COVID-19 issues. powered the Rams’ vaunted defense championship game appearances. running after returning an interception quarter, and two plays after Johnson Super Bowl appearance. Buffalo also for much of the day. The Packers Saturday’s game showed what a 101 yards for a touchdown that propelled scored. He fi nished 14 of 24 for 162 extended a season in which it has bro- didn’t allow any sacks despite playing home-fi eld advantage can mean, even Buffalo to its fi rst AFC championship yards passing, while being limited to ken numerous droughts by claiming its FOOTBALL without injured All-Pro left tackle Da- with far less than capacity on hand due game appearance in 27 years. 42 yards rushing on nine carries. fi rst AFC East division title in 25 years vid Bakhtiari, while Green Bay sacked to the pandemic. The Packers played Johnson’s pick-6 of Jackson’s pass Allen, an MVP candidate this year, and, with last week’s victory over In- Jackson’s injury left Tyler Huntley Jared Goff four times. in front of 8,456 fans - a crowd that with 41 seconds remaining in the third fi nished 23 of 37 for 206 yards and a dianapolis, winning its fi rst postseason to fi nish the game after being promot- The Packers reached the NFC cham- included paying spectators for the fi rst quarter helped secure a 17-3 win over touchdown. game since the same year. ed off the practice squad. pionship game for the fourth time in time all season - but that small crowd the Ravens in a divisional-round play- In a season in which the Bills relied The fi fth-seeded Ravens (12-6) had Aaron Rodgers made sure he’d play the last seven seasons as they chase made plenty of noise as the Packers off game Saturday night. mostly on their dynamic Allen-led of- their season come to an end after lead- an NFC championship game at home their fi rst Super Bowl berth in a de- built an early lead with snow fl urries Johnson’s return matched the lon- fense to outscore opponents, the third- ing the NFL in yards rushing for a sec- for the fi rst time in his Hall of Fame- cade. It will be their fi rst at Lambeau falling for much of the fi rst half. Man Utd hold Liverpool to stay top Leicester jump to 2nd as Spurs down Sheffield Utd LIVERPOOL, England, Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in England because of a new variant, Jan 17, (AP): Manches- the Premier League has warned clubs ter United stayed top of that punishments will be handed out the Premier League after for fl outing the rules when it comes to celebrations. Some have questioned drawing 0-0 on Sunday whether football should continue to be with Liverpool and extend- played in the circumstances. ing the champion’s winless Harvey Barnes netted the second goal in the fi fth and fi nal minute of sec- run to four matches. ond-half stoppage time at King Power Liverpool haven’t gone as long Stadium, running in behind South- without a win since 2017, but Jür- ampton’s defense to slot home a fi nish gen Klopp’s team still maintained at the end of a their unbeaten record at Anfield counterattack. Leicester since the same year thanks to Alis- again looks like son Becker’s late saves from Bru- challenging for no Fernandes and Paul Pogba. the Champions “We had two great chances and two League qualifi - great saves,” United captain Harry Ma- cation spots like guire said. “It was cagey but it was two last year when good teams matching up. We found it the team fell difficult in the first half to get a rhythm short in the fi nal to the game, the press was high.” weeks after look- ing like a lock in Mount the top four. SOCCER “It’s nice to be second in the table,” Maddison said, “but last year we pe- Thiago Alcantara’s long-range ef- tered off in the new year so the next fort was well saved by United goal- few months will be tough.” keeper David De Gea in the 78th min- ute as Liverpool failed to score for a Chelsea 1, Fulham 0 third successive match. Four months into the season and Liverpool, which had a makeshift Chelsea manager Frank Lampard ap- defense due to injuries, stayed three pears no closer to knowing his best points behind United, which are chas- lineup following a $300 million off- season spending spree that delivered ing their first title since 2013. him a squad bursting with quality. Spurs 3, Sheffield Utd 1 One player he knows he cannot do Tanguy Ndombele’s audacious without is Mason Mount. hooked shot completed Tottenham’s The England international looked 3-1 victory at Sheffi eld United , giv- to be the man with the most to lose ing Jose Mourinho’s side a fi rst away Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson fights for the ball with Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, (right), during the English Premier League soccer match coming out of a summer when Kai success in the Premier League in two between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, on Jan 17. (AP) Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo months. Werner arrived at Stamford Bridge at Played in by a Steven Bergwijn the last-place team. league campaign. The striker received to follow new pandemic protocols urg- away before applauding himself re- great expense to add competition to the chipped pass, Ndombele used the Tottenham needed only fi ve minutes the ball from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, ing players to stop hugging and kiss- peatedly. attacking midfi eld and forward spots. outside of his boot to lob goalkeeper to go ahead. Bergwijn saw his strike then turned and drilled a low shot into ing. “If little things like that are what we But there was Mount, starting for Aaron Ramsdale and the ball landed in tipped over by Ramsdale and Serge the corner from the edge of the area. After running onto Youri Tiele- need to keep football going, then so Chelsea for the 12th straight English the far corner. Aurier headed in from Son Heung- Leicester 2 , Southampton 0 mans’ pass and smashing home a ris- be it,” Maddison said. “We have been Premier League game - he has played It restored Tottenham’s two-goal min’s resulting corner. Leicester climbed to second place ing shot into the roof of the net in the told to stop gatherings of people and I 90 minutes in all of them - and grab- cushion in the 62nd minute after Da- After Son hit the post, Tottenham by beating Southampton 2-0, with 37th minute, Maddison turned to face tried to make it light-hearted. bing a badly needed winner for Lam- vid McGoldrick glanced home John eventually got their second in the 40th James Maddison marking his opening his approaching teammates and - with “Footballers, we get a lot of stick pard against Fulham at Craven Cot- Fleck’s cross three minutes earlier for through Harry Kane’s 12th goal of the goal with a humorous solo celebration a broad smile on his face - waved them and it’s nice to put a lighter note on it.” tage.