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Home , Andrea Ranocchia, Fraizer Campbell, Gorka Iraizoz, Malky Mackay, Michel Vorm, Roberto Soldado

SPORTS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2013 Villa, Costa on target for buoyant Atletico

MADRID: Atletico moved back to within a are in at the moment. We are excited and know we point of at the top of with a com- are making the Atleti fan on the street happy.” Villa fortable 2-0 win at home to yesterday. was first to threaten as his powerful free-kick was and Diego Costa were again the men well-held by Gorka Iraizoz before Costa broke clear who inflicted the damage on the Basques as the for- and pulled his shot just beyond the far post. mer opened the scoring with a volley from Juanfran’s Iraizoz then made an incredible save to prevent cross on 32 minutes. Villa’s volley from close range as the ball ricocheted Costa then cored his 13th in 12 league around the Athletic box. However, six minutes later games this season with a brilliant individual effort the keeper was beaten from a similar move as eight minutes later. Juanfran got the by-line and his cross fell for Villa And Atletico boss Diego Simeone was full of whose shot deflected off Mikel San Jose on its way praise for the Brazilian-born striker who moved level into the net. Costa then got his customary goal to again with at the top of the La Liga make the game safe as he powered down the left, scoring charts. “He is huge for us in every way,” cut inside Erik Moran and slotted cooley past Iraizoz Simeone said of Costa. “He scored a wonderful goal, into the far corner. Villa should have added a third 12 his movement and power was great. “But not just his minutes after the restart when he headed Adrian goals, in his participation in the play and the connec- Lopez’s excellent cross straight at Iraizoz. tion he has with the other players he makes the team There were to be no more goals, but a miserable better. “He is growing in every aspect and he will day for the visitors was rounded off 12 minutes from continue to do so because he still has a lot to time when Moran was shown a second yellow card improve.” An 11th victory in 12 league games also for a foul on Diego Godin. means Atletico maintain their five point advantage Earlier, eased the pressure on their coach over city rivals Real Madrid in third. Miroslav Djukic with a badly needed 1-0 win away to However, despite such an incredible start to the high-flying Getafe. Dorlan Pabon’s wonderful long- campaign, Simeone insisted he is not annoyed to still range effort was enough to secure Los Che’s first win find his side behind Barca at the top of the table. in four league games and move them into the top- “No, we are not frustrated (that Barcelona keep MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa (center) runs with the ball between Athletic Bilbao’s Erik half of the table, three points behind Getafe who winning), we are just enjoying the moment that we Moran (left) and Mikel San Jose during the Spanish La Liga soccer match. — AP remain sixth. — AFP Lazio slump as Inter conquer

MILAN: Lazio’s recent revival came to a grinding halt with a 2-0 humiliation by Genoa at the Olympic Stadium as put three unan- swered goals past Udinese on a rain-hit trip north. Elsewhere, Domenico Berardi made it a day to remember for Sassuolo, the striker scoring a hat-trick, including a late penalty, to help the new boys dominate a seven-goal thriller away to struggling Sampdoria. Verona meanwhile continued their strong start to the campaign with a 2-1 win at home to Cagliari which moved the newly-promoted side up to fifth at the expense of Fiorentina, 2-0 win- ners over AC Milan at the San Siro on Saturday. League leaders Roma visit Torino later yester- day looking to restore their five-point leader over Juventus and Napoli, who closed the gap to two points with wins over Parma and Catania respectively on Saturday. For their Olympic Stadium neighbors Lazio, meanwhile, it is back to the drawing board. Vladimir Petkovic’s men looked to have put a recent slump behind them with a home win over Cagliari and a draw away to Milan in the past 10 ITALY: Genoa’s defender Thomas Manfredini (center) fights for the ball with Lazio’s Brazilian days. However the Biancocelesti paid the price forward Felipe Anderson during the Italian Serie A football match. — AFP for missing several chances in the first half when Juraj Kucka broke the deadlock on the hour and Colombian Muriel spurned the chance to the face of goal. Udinese, who finished fifth last Alberto Gilardino doubled the visitors’ lead 12 reduce arrears when he pounced on a blunder season, now sit in 10th at 17 points adrift of minutes later from the spot. by Inter defender Walter Samuel. Instead of Roma, who travel to Torino looking to stretch Lazio’s fourth reverse left them in seventh, 15 feeding fellow striker who was their all-time Serie A record of 10 consecutive points behind Roma and seven adrift of Verona. unmarked to his right, he sent a wild shot across opening wins to 11. — AFP Verona started strongly and took an eighth- minute lead when Luca Toni was left alone by the Cagliari defence to nod past Michael Agazzi Italian League results/standings LIVERPOOL: Tottenham Hotspur’s Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen (left) vies with in the Cagliari net. Everton’s Spanish striker Gerard Deulofeu (right) during the English Bosko Jankovic doubled the hosts’ lead on 57 football match. — AFP minutes and Verona survived a nervous finish Livorno 1 (Paulinho 11) Atalanta 0; Verona 2 (Toni 8, Jankovic 57) Cagliari 1 (Conti 90); Lazio 0 after Daniele Conti’s 90th minute strike to claim Genoa 2 (Kucka 60, Gilardino 72-pen); Sampdoria 3 (Pozzi 19, Eder 65, De Silvestri 81) Sassuolo Spurs and Everton share points a seventh win in 11 games to go fifth, only eight 4 (Berardi 49, 52-pen, 88-pen, Floro Flores 63); Udinese 0 Inter 3 (Palacio 25, Ranocchia 29, points shy of Roma. Alvarez 90+1). Spurs were also aggrieved not to be awarded Udinese’s Friuli Stadium is known as a difficult Playing later Genoa 11 4 2 5 11 14 14 a penalty after Jan Vertonghen went down under venue for visiting teams but two weeks after a 1- Torino v Roma Atalanta 11 4 1 6 12 14 13 Everton 0 pressure from Seamus Coleman inside the hosts’ 0 defeat to Roma, Francesco Guidolin’s side area. The home side registered their first signifi- Udinese 11 4 1 6 11 14 13 buckled again under a far more clinical Inter Italian Serie A table ahead of yesterday’s late cant attempt just before the half-hour mark side. AC Milan 11 3 3 5 17 19 12 when Osman struck a speculative effort from dis- match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, Parma 11 3 3 5 16 19 12 The visitors opened the scoring through goals against, points): Tottenham 0 tance that flew just over the bar. Rodrigo Palacio in the 25th minute when the Livorno 11 3 3 5 13 16 12 Everton left-back Leighton Baines was given a Argentine flashed a header past goalkeeper Torino 10 2 5 3 16 18 11 stern test of his defensive qualities as the com- Roma 10 10 0 0 24 1 30 Zeljko Brkic from close range following Saphir bined threat of Townsend and Walker posed Napoli 11 9 1 1 24 8 28 Cagliari 11 2 4 5 11 19 10 problems down the Spurs right flank. Taider’s precision free kick. Juventus 11 9 1 1 23 10 28 Bologna 10 2 3 5 13 22 9 LIVERPOOL: Everton and Tottenham Hotspur And Townsend created a shooting opportuni- Four minutes later Brkic dashed out of his Inter Milan 11 6 4 1 27 12 22 Sampdoria 11 2 3 6 12 20 9 both missed the opportunity to climb up to sec- ty for himself six minutes before half-time when goal in wild fashion to intercept a corner kick Verona 11 7 1 3 22 17 22 Sassuolo 11 2 3 6 12 27 9 ond place in the Premier League table after a he cut inside and drilled in a low effort, only to that was out of his reach and Inter defender Fiorentina 11 6 3 2 22 13 21 Catania 11 1 3 7 7 19 6 goalless draw at Goodison Park yesterday. Andrea Ranocchia volleyed the ball through traf- find Howard well positioned at his near post. Lazio 11 4 3 4 15 15 15 Chievo 10 1 1 8 7 18 4 Spurs were unfortunate not to be ahead at Everton finally started to find some success as fic and into a virtually empty net. half-time after they dominated the first period, they showed more ambition after the interval. with Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard saving A neat passing move on the edge of the from Kyle Walker and Andros Townsend. penalty area carved out a chance for Pienaar, Caulker settles landmark Everton were much improved after the inter- who saw his shot blocked by Spurs defender val, but despite chances for Steven Pienaar and Michael Dawson. Gerard Deulofeu, they were unable to break the In search of more quality in the final third, Welsh derby for Cardiff stalemate. The draw saw Tottenham climb up to Martinez made a double change in the 61st fourth place, level on 20 points with Liverpool minute as Deulofeu and Barkley replaced early pair of presentable opportunities. and Chelsea and five points behind leaders Mirallas and Osman. The Spaniard volleyed over in the fifth Arsenal. And the latter immediately looked to make Cardiff 1 minute after teeing himself up from Shelvey’s Everton remain in seventh on 19 points, level an impact as he struck a swerving shot from 25 right-wing cross and he then forced Cardiff with Southampton and Manchester City, who are yards that flew just over the top-right corner of goalkeeper David Marshall to parry with a firm above them on goal difference. ’s goal. drive. Bellamy was one of only three Welshmen Everton manager Roberto Martinez made Coleman was then denied a penalty in a one change to the side that won 2-0 at Aston Swansea 0 on the pitch at kick-off and he demonstrated reversal of his first-half tangle with Vertonghen, his famed appetite for a scrap in a running bat- Villa as Leon Osman was preferred in midfield to who clipped the Irishman’s heels as he shaped to Ross Barkley. Tottenham named the same team tle with visiting right-back Angel Rangel. shoot, only for referee Kevin Friend to wave play The former Liverpool and Manchester City that beat Hull City in their last league outing, on. Tottenham’s forays into the Everton half forward came close to breaking the deadlock with Lewis Holtby keeping his place ahead of became infrequent as the game wore on, CARDIFF: Steven Caulker returned to haunt in the playmaker role behind although substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson brought a Swansea City by scoring the only goal of the in the 26th minute, but his deflected free-kick lone striker Roberto Soldado. fine save out of Howard with a stinging shot Premier League’s first all-Welsh fixture yester- flew just over the crossbar. Andre Villas-Boas’s side began confidently from the corner of the box. day to give Cardiff City a famous 1-0 victory. With Cardiff content to cede possession to and Sandro forced Howard to tip the There was a lengthy delay in the 78th minute The 21-year-old centre-back, who spent the Swansea, the game lacked spark, but ball around the post with a low shot from dis- when Lloris took a blow to the head after collid- 2011-12 season on at Swansea, struck Odemwingie almost got the home fans out of tance in the third minute. ing with , but despite looking from a 62nd-minute corner to settle the game their seats early in the second period when he Everton, by contrast, struggled to find their shaken, the Spurs goalkeeper remained on the on a rain-soaked day at the Cardiff City came close to making contact with a Caulker rhythm and were almost punished when winger pitch. On-loan Barcelona forward Deulofeu Stadium. Swansea threatened to snatch a late flick-on. Cardiff then had a penalty appeal Kevin Mirallas was caught in possession 30 yards jinked into the penalty area late on as Everton equaliser, but they lost their momentum in turned down after Swansea captain Ashley from goal by Paulinho, but the Spurs midfielder’s pushed for a winner, but Lloris was quick off his Williams eased Cowie out of position as he cross was cut out by . injury time when goalkeeper was line and parried his angled drive. sent off for a last-man foul on Cardiff substitute attempted to get on the end of a header Howard was called into action again in the Everton looked the more likely to score in the across goal from Bellamy. The home side were 19th minute when Walker curled a free-kick from . nine minutes of added time, but they were It was the first time two Welsh sides had building momentum and in the 62nd minute, a dangerous position over the Everton wall that unable to break down a disciplined Spurs back- faced off in the 125-year history of the English they made the breakthrough. the United States international punched away. line. — AFP top flight and Cardiff’s win sent them above Bellamy bent a corner into the box from the their fierce local rivals to 12th place in the right and Caulker outmuscled marker Chico EPL results/standings table. Victory also took attention away from Flores at the near post to plant a powerful the off-pitch turmoil at Cardiff, following the header in the bottom-right corner. dismissal of head of recruitment Iain Moody Laudrup reacted by introducing Wilfried Cardiff City 1 (Caulker 62) Swansea City 0; Everton 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0. and the reported intervention of the British Bony and the Ivorian striker almost made an English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, government to prevent his successor, 23-year- instant impact by bundling a shot narrowly goals for, goals against, points): old Kazakh Alisher Apsalyamov, from taking up wide. Cardiff looked to be building momen- tum as the rain intensified in the game’s latter Arsenal 10 8 1 1 22 9 25 West Brom 10 3 4 3 10 10 13 the role due to visa concerns. Cardiff manager Malky Mackay drafted local star stages, with Marshall forced to save from Chelsea 10 6 2 2 16 8 20 Cardiff 10 3 3 4 9 13 12 Jonathan De Guzman and substitute Alex Liverpool 10 6 2 2 17 10 20 Swansea 10 3 2 5 12 12 11 into his starting line-up, with Don Cowie also coming into the team and Pozuelo. However, Vorm was sent off after rac- Tottenham 10 6 2 2 9 5 20 Aston Villa 10 3 2 5 9 12 11 taking over from Campbell up front. ing from his area and felling Campbell in injury Man City 10 6 1 3 28 11 19 West Ham 10 2 4 4 8 8 10 Mackay’s opposite number, Michael time, forcing Rangel to go between the posts Southampton10 5 4 1 11 4 19 Fulham 10 3 1 6 10 15 10 Laudrup, erred on the side of caution, fielding because Swansea had used up all their substi- Everton 10 5 4 1 14 10 19 Stoke 10 2 3 5 7 11 9 as a lone striker and bolstering his mid- tutes. The Spaniard raised ironic cheers by sav- Man Utd 10 5 2 3 17 13 17 Norwich 10 2 2 6 6 20 8 CARDIFF: Swansea City’s Ivorian striker field with the addition of Jonjo Shelvey. ing ’s shot from the ensuing Newcastle 10 4 2 4 14 16 14 Sunderland 10 1 1 8 7 22 4 vies with Cardiff City’s French defender Kevin The visitors sought to draw the sting from free-kick, and the volume rose several decibels Hull 10 4 2 4 8 10 14 Crystal Palace10 1 0 9 6 21 3 Theophile-Catherine (right) during the English Premier the occasion with their habitual passing when the final whistle sounded to mark the League football match. — AFP approach and they saw Michu squander an start of the Cardiff celebrations. — AFP