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Home , Bacary Sagna, David de Gea, Emmanuel Adebayor, Papiss Cisse

Sri Lanka edge One family behind B’desh in West Bank’s best T20 thriller soccer team

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 201416 19 Corruption sting follows Indian athletes to Sochi Page 17

LONDON: Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs (left) challenges for the ball as he out jumps United’s Rafael during their English soccer match. — AP United keep Gunners in check

Fulham, and the tentativeness on The result also had costly ramifica- tunity within seconds of kick-off. Giroud continued to best United was on hand to head the ball off the either side made for a game of only tions for United, who fell 11 points Van Persie was allowed to creep up captain Nemanja Vidic in the air, but he line. Arsenal 0 sporadic excitement. below fourth-place Liverpool in the behind and steal posses- was unable to find the target with a Both managers made changes with came closest to race for Champions League football sion from the Spaniard, but with only succession of headers. 15 minutes remaining-Alex Oxlade- scoring for United, spurning an excel- after the Merseyside club won 3-2 at Wojciech Szczesny to beat he drove a The French striker was also involved Chamberlain entering the fray for lent early chance and later hitting the Fulham. tame low shot into the Arsenal goal- in a collision with Rafael da Silva that Arsenal and Adnan Januzaj taking Man United 0 crossbar with a header, while Arsenal “We have a lot of catching up to do. keeper’s arms. saw the United full-back land awk- Mata’s place for United. The game centre-back had a We have to win games and keep plug- In response, had a wardly on his neck. After soldiering on belatedly came to life in the closing header cleared of the line. Arsenal ging away,” said United manager David shot blocked by after a until half-time, the Brazilian gave way stages, as both sides looked to snatch would have gone top of the table with Moyes. “I am pleased, but I wanted all weaving run, with head- for . victory. : Arsenal and Manchester victory, but the draw left Arsene three points. Arsenal are having a great ing over from the ensuing corner, A war of attrition took hold early in Giroud was unable to make telling United each had cause for regret after Wenger’s side a point behind Chelsea season, so it is not a bad draw for us. while Tomas Rosicky saw a deflected the second period, with neither side contact with an inviting centre from playing out an attritional and occasion- in second place. “The last couple of games we have effort saved by David de Gea. With able to fashion a chance as attacks , before Van Persie saw a ally turgid 0-0 draw at the Emirates “The title race is absolutely open for had and Robin van relacing Ashley foundered on imprecise passes and header from a Wayne Rooney cross Stadium in the Premier League yester- many teams,” said Wenger. “Overall, we Persie back. The record with the two of Young for United, the champions niggly fouls. brilliantly turned onto the bar at the day. could have won it. It was a game of few them has been very good.” deployed on the left flank. The home fans almost had some- other end by Szczesny. Arsenal mid- Both teams had suffered damaging chances. Our defensive focus was Former Arsenal striker Van Persie The club’s record signing teed up Van thing to shout about in the 62nd fielder had two late results at the weekend, Arsenal crash- extreme as we conceded so many was playing at the Emirates for the sec- Persie with a pass down the inside-left minute, but although Koscielny’s attempts to claim a winner, but on ing 5-1 at Liverpool and United draw- goals on Saturday. In the end, either ond time as a United player and his old channel, only for the Dutchman to glancing header from a right-wing cor- each occasion he was thwarted by ing 2-2 at home to bottom club side could have won 1-0.” team-mates gifted him a huge oppor- shoot wastefully wide. ner beat the diving De Gea, Valencia Spanish countryman De Gea. — AFP Gerrard’s late show Adebayor double sparks caps Reds fightback Spurs win at Newcastle ed test for Liverpool, who struggled to get out of the blocks just days after Newcastle goalkeeper could only palm Fulham 2 demolishing Arsenal. Nabil Bentalab’s cross on a rain-soaked surface Within the opening 60 seconds, Newcastle 0 into the path of Adebayor and the Togo striker Fulham’s Ryan Tunnicliffe stung the was never likely to miss such a chance in his cur- rent run of form. palms of with a shot then began to exploit Liverpool 3 from the right hand side of the penal- Newcastle’s fragile confidence, particularly ty area. Tottenham 4 when he moved inside from his left-wing role. That all came after former He had an unconvincing penalty appeal Liverpool left-back John Arne Riise turned down but then went much closer to a LONDON: kept his launched a long ball downfield and cool to turn up the heat on Liverpool’s goal by hitting the post. Newcastle, rarely Darren Bent, restored to Fulham’s NEWCASTLE: scored threatened to find a way past Spurs goalkeeper Premier League title rivals as the mid- starting line-up after his equaliser at twice as Tottenham Hotspur overpowered in the opening half, although their fielder’s late penalty clinched a dra- Manchester United on Sunday, neatly Newcastle 4-0 at St James’ Park yesterday in system featured two forwards in Papiss Cisse matic 3-2 win against Fulham yester- laid the ball off to Tunnicliffe. their Premier League clash. and Luuk de Jong. day. Rene Meulensteen’s side gained Adebayor took his haul to nine goals in 13 Lloris was though seriously troubled once With seconds of normal time encouragement from their start and games since being recalled by manager Tim when the pair combined well to set up a chance remaining, Reds captain Gerrard centre-back Dan Burn came close to Sherwood on a night when Paulinho and Nacer for Cisse but the France international saved bril- stepped up to score from the penalty breaking the deadlock when he rose Chadli also found the back of the net for Spurs. liantly. Pardew would not have been fooled, the spot after Sascha Riether fouled highest to Lewis Holtby’s corner. CRAVEN COTTAGE: Fulham’s Lewis Holtby (left) is tackled by But with Liverpool coming from behind to Newcastle manager knowing as well as anyone Daniel Sturridge. Then the visitors fell behind in the Liverpool’s Aly Cissokho during their English Premier League soccer beat basement club Fulham 3-2, Spurs at St James’ that his team had been second-best Gerrard’s winner capped an eighth minute in the worst possible match. —AP remained three points adrift of a Champions to a Tottenham side displaying far more move- impressive fightback from the visitors, fashion as Ivory Coast defender Toure goalkeeper could do four minutes But that was not to deter Liverpool League place. ment, power and technique. Sours’ second goal However, this result still made it a miserable arrived within eight minutes of the restart and who trailed 1-0 and 2-1, while also sliced his clearance into the back of before half-time when Gerrard sliced in an entertaining and enthralling cementing Liverpool’s hold on fourth the net. night for Newcastle manager as Adebayor again played a crucial role when the the Fulham defence open with a contest. Coutinho collected the Magpies marked his 150th game in charge Newcastle defence negligently allowed him too place and lifting them to within four Holtby produced a slick pass superb outside of the boot pass and Sturridge’s pass on the edge of the of the north-east club with a fourth successive much space just outside the area. points of leaders Chelsea. Brendan beyond Skrtel and Richardson’s cross Sturridge raced clear, steadied himself box and surged in field. Rodgers’ men were twice forced to home defeat. The striker drilled in a low shot that was well was shinned home by the Ivorian cen- and then curled the ball home left- His shot did not appear like it This victory was Spurs’ first in eight visits to saved by Krul, vut the Dutch international was come from behind on a bizarre tre-back. footed off the far post. Suarez had would threaten Stekelenburg, but a evening at Craven Cottage. St James’ Park, but more importantly extended again let down by his defenders who allowed It was the second mistake by Toure three chances early in the second deflection off Johnny Heitinga did their impressive run since losing 6-0 to Paulinho to beat them to the loose ball and tap A comical own goal by Kolo Toure this month following his howler period, the latter crashing against the enough to beat the former Ajax stop- and another defensive error from cen- Manchester City. in a goal that effectively settled the match. which gifted West Bromwich Albion a outside of the post. per as the ball nestled into the bot- They have now won six and drawn one of Newcastle gave Spurs a few problems in the tral defensive partner Martin Skrtel share of the spoils at Yet Liverpool were let down once tom corner. their seven games since that humiliation and a final 20 minutes, with Lloris forced to make a allowed Kieran Richardson to grab on February 2. The hosts received a again by poor defensive work as Stekelenburg had to be replaced top four finish is well within their reach. good save from Yoan Gouffran and even better Fulham’s second goal. sudden shot of confidence and Richardson fired the home side ahead when Suarez’s foot collided with his In contrast, Newcastle have problems at one from . But Sturridge netted for his sev- Holtby shot wide only a couple of from close-range in the 63rd minute. head and Liverpool eventually found both end of the pitch. They had conceded three But it was Tottenham who completed the enth league game in a row - the first minutes later. Riether’s cross from the right did a way past his replacement David goals in each of their previous two games and scoring with two more goals. Adebayor scored star to do so since the Premier Liverpool finally produced an not look dangerous until Skrtel took Stockdale. have now failed to score in five of their last six. again after Krul beat out a shot from Andros League began - before Philippe attack of note in the 13th minute the ball away from John Flanagan Sturridge was fouled by Riether The opening stages did little to raise hopes Townsend in the 82nd minute and Chadli put Coutinho drew them level with 18 when Luis Suarez’s shot was turned and his sliced intervention landed and Gerrard sparked wild celebrations that they could alter either of these recent the icing on the cake two minutes from time minutes remaining to set the stage for around the post by Maarten into the path of Richardson, who slot- among the travelling faithful behind trends and Tottenham could have been ahead with a 25-yard strike to warm the hearts of Gerrard’s winner. Stekelenburg. ted past Mignolet from three yards Stockdale’s goal with the calmly con- long before they scored in the 19th minute. Spurs fans on the long journey home to north It had been a tougher than expect- But there was nothing the Dutch out. verted penalty. — AFP As it was, Spurs broke the deadlock when London. — AFP