McGregor holds Bolt gets Jamaica strong on prediction into relay final of a knockout for grand farewell SUNDAY, AUGUST14 13, 2017 15 Hicks hits late 2-run homer to lift Yankees Page 13 LONDON: Burnley’s Stephen Ward (left) celebrates scoring a goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Burnley at Stamford Bridge stadium yesterday. — AP Burnley stun nine-man Chelsea brace and Alvaro Morata’s lively Chelsea debut - a status last season. The visitors were also assisted by rasping left-foot shot that flew into the top-right onto the roof of the net in first-half stoppage time goal and an assist for David Luiz - came in vain. disarray in the Chelsea defence in spite of the intro- corner. It took 40 minutes before Luiz launched and Marcos Alonso had been denied by Tom Chelsea 2 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte’s bleak afternoon duction of Andreas Christensen to replace unfortu- Chelsea’s first shot in anger high over the bar. While Heaton, Willian began to haul Chelsea back into the began in the 14th minute when new club captain nate debutant Jeremie Boga. Without Cahill to that was speculative, Burnley were being clinical. contest. The Brazilian curled an exquisite 69th- Cahill was shown his first red card in five seasons. guide him through his defensive duties, Luiz lapsed They chose to play another free-kick short in the minute cross into space behind the Burnley Attempting to dribble forward, Cahill saw the ball into carelessness. 43rd minute. This time it was Defour who curled defence and substitute Morata stooped to guide a Burnley 3 run away from him and tried to block Steven the ball into the area. Vokes drifted away from the diving header past Heaton, just nine minutes after Defour’s clearance. Instead, his studs caught the ECHOES OF MOURINHO static Luiz and powered home a header that gave coming on. Had Morata not touched a goal-bound Belgium midfielder on the shin and while it was He ought to have been closer to Burnley striker Courtois no chance. Christensen shot over the line five minutes later, it LONDON: Champions Chelsea had Gary Cahill and accidental, it was also reckless and referee Craig Vokes when Matthew Lowton curled in a 24th Stamford Bridge was stunned. The Chelsea sup- would have been 3-2 sooner. But the offside flag Cesc Fabregas sent off as the defence of their Pawson immediately brandished the red card. The minute cross, but the Welshman was given space to porters vented their anger towards referee Pawson, was raised. All seemed lost when Fabregas earned a Premier League title began with a stunning 3-2 composure of the Chelsea players disappeared for clip a volley off Luiz’s heels and past Thibaut while the delirious Burnley fans sang: “We are top of second yellow card for lunging in on Cork nine min- home defeat by Burnley on Saturday. Disjointed the remainder of a half that will not be quickly for- Courtois. Six minutes before half-time, left-back the league!” It is only one game, yet the parallels utes from time. That was until Luiz sprinted onto and embarrassed in the first half, Chelsea threat- gotten. Fabregas was booked for sarcastically Stephen Ward made it 2-0 in stunning fashion. with Chelsea’s last defence of a Premier League title Morata’s pass and volleyed in to bring the nine men ened to mount the most unlikely of comebacks in a applauding Pawson’s decision to give a free-kick Ignoring the obvious opportunity to launch a cross two seasons ago under Jose Mourinho were to within a goal of Burnley. A frantic finish saw stirring second-half display, but just failed to over- against him and much worse was to follow. into the Chelsea area, the visitors played a free-kick uncanny. Not least because Willian stood up as the Burnley’s Robbie Brady strike the post with a free- come their numerical disadvantage. That was due in part to the belief that Burnley short. After a one-two with the excellent Jack Cork, only player with any heart for the first hour. kick, while Chelsea’s pressure just failed to bring an Sam Vokes was Burnley’s match-winner with a now possess, having retained their Premier League Ward strode onto the return pass and let fly with a After N’Golo Kante had seen a shot deflected equalizer. — AFP Britos late show denies Thrilling EPL start as Arsenal edges Leicester Liverpool winning start standing,” Wenger said. “If you look at that Wenger avoided a third consecutive season- from a neutral point, for a first game it was a opening loss at the start of his new two year the visitors’ defence. Arsenal 4 top quality game. contract. The Frenchman will be hoping it’s a Holebas swung in the resulting corner towards “You want the Premier League to be the sign of changing fortunes after a season Watford 3 the near post, where it was headed home by Okaka, best league in the world and I think it has to when he reached his nadir. Although Arsenal who had been allowed to advance unchecked, with produce these kind of games to produce signed off in May by lifting the FA Cup, a Roberto Firmino in particular guilty of failing to react. Leicester 3 interest and quality.” Even if the thrilling fifth-place finish ensured the north London It was the perfect start for Watford manager attacks were aided by such fragile defending. club failed to qualify for the Champions Liverpool 3 Marco Silva, but for Klopp it was an early reminder of Arsenal record-signing Alexandre League for the first time in two decades. the problems that need to be eradicated if Liverpool LONDON: The Premier League made a Lacazette launched his English league career This was the perfect lift-off for Arsenal, are to prove genuine title contenders. The other side thrilling return, and Arsenal finally had some- in style by heading in the opener after 94 particularly for Lacazette. The first touch WATFORD: Miguel Britos added to Liverpool manag- of Liverpool was demonstrated 21 minutes later thing to celebrate on the opening weekend. seconds. A predictable Arsenal implosion fol- from the 60 million euros ($68 million) sign- er Jurgen Klopp’s frustrations with an added-time when Mane levelled in spectacular fashion. It took the arrival of Aaron Ramsey and lowed, with Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy ing was at kickoff. His second was to meet equaliser that ensured Watford salvaged a point fol- Olivier Giroud from the bench in the second putting Leicester in front. Even after Danny Mohamed Elneny’s cross with a powerful lowing a 3-3 draw at Vicarage Road yesterday. FIRMINO FLICK half to turn it around against Leicester and Welbeck leveled on the stroke of halftime, header past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. Klopp had spent the previous 24 hours handling The Senegalese forward, who started the game give Arsenal only its second opening-day vic- Vardy restored Leicester’s lead after the Lacazette, recruited from Lyon, savored the the fall-out from Philippe Countinho’s transfer on the left, picked up the ball on the right and tory in eight seasons. break. Leicester was heading for something moment, opening his arms out wide to take request after the club rejected Barcelona’s £90 mil- worked his way across the pitch before exchanging In the league’s first Friday night start, it didn’t even achieve in its astonishing 2015- in the acclamation of his new home. lion ($117.1 million, 99 million euros) bid for the passes with Alberto Moreno. Arsene Wenger’s side was trailing 3-2 with 16 title-winning campaign: a win at Arsenal. Arsenal’s defense, though, was still on its Brazil playmaker. Moreno played the ball in to Emre Can, whose seven minutes remaining but Ramsey “We saw it though for 83 minutes,” Leicester summer break. Just 160 seconds after Liverpool remain adamant Coutinho will not flick set up Mane for a precise finish. grabbed the equalizer and Giroud headed in manager Craig Shakespeare said, “and to Lacazette scored, Arsenal goalkeeper Petr leave and it looked like Klopp might find relief from It was an incisive breakthrough, but the good an 85th-minute winner. “We kept going and concede two late set-plays in the manner we Cech was picking the ball out of his net. the saga when debutant Mohamed Salah gave the work was almost immediately undone when Watford the spirit of the team was absolutely out- did is obviously hard to take.” Instead, Harry Maguire nodded Marc Albrighton’s visitors the lead after they had twice come from made their way too easily down the right-hand flank cross back into the path of Okazaki who behind. Sadio Mane’s 29th-minute effort had can- in the build-up to Doucoure’s goal. headed Leicester level. celled out Stefano Okaka’s eighth-minute header, Doucoure was at the heart of the move, releasing Before completing a half-hour of the sea- only for Abdoulaye Doucoure to immediately restore Tom Cleverley, whose low cross was met with an son, Arsenal was trailing. Again, Albrighton the home side’s lead. attempted clearance by Trent Alexander-Arnold. was the architect, afforded far too much Liverpool, who were without Coutinho, were back But the ball ricocheted off team-mate Joel Matip’s space to rampage down the left flank before level in the 55th minute through Roberto Firmino’s back, allowing Doucoure to add the home side’s sec- crossing low for Vardy to turn the ball into penalty.