SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2015 SPORTS EPL results/standings AFC Bournemouth 0, Crystal Palace 0; Aston Villa 1, West Ham United 1; Chelsea 2, Watford 2; Liverpool 1, Leicester City 0; Manchester City 4, Sunderland 1; Stoke City 2, Manchester United 0; Swansea City 1, West Bromwich Albion 0; Tottenham Hotspur 3, Norwich City 0. P W D L F A Pts Everton 17 5 8 4 31 24 23 Leicester 18 11 5 2 37 25 38 Southampton 17 5 6 6 21 21 21 Arsenal 17 11 3 3 31 14 36 Bromwich 18 5 5 8 17 24 20 Man City 18 11 2 5 37 20 35 Bournemouth 18 5 5 8 22 32 20 Tottenham 18 8 8 2 31 14 32 Chelsea 18 5 4 9 23 29 19 Crystal Palace 18 9 3 6 23 16 30 Swansea City 18 4 6 8 16 24 18 Man United 18 8 5 5 22 16 29 Watford 18 8 5 5 23 18 29 Norwich City 18 4 5 9 20 32 17 Liverpool 18 7 6 5 21 22 27 Newcastle 17 4 5 8 19 32 17 West Ham 18 6 8 4 26 22 26 Sunderland 18 3 3 12 19 37 12 Stoke City 18 7 5 6 16 16 26 Aston Villa 18 1 5 12 15 32 8. Troubled Villa held at home by West Ham in the same position-Leicester in 2014 and Sunderland in 2013 — both went on to sur- Aston Villa 1 vive. Garde has said that Villa need “at least 10 victories” from their remaining matches to save themselves from the drop and the WestHam 1 hosts twice went close through Rudy Gestede to taking an early lead. LIVERPOOL: Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, right, is beaten as Liverpool’s Christian Benteke, bottom left, scores during the English Premier But Villa then needed an excellent stop League soccer match between Liverpool and Leicester City at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, yesterday. — AP from goalkeeper Brad Guzan to prevent BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa fought back to Mauro Zarate from putting West Ham in salvage a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham front on 25 minutes. Hammers midfielder yesterday, but the Premier League strug- Cheikhou Kouyate sent a header against Benteke hands Liverpool glers remain in deep trouble at the foot of the crossbar late in the first period, before the table. Aaron Cresswell struck in first- Guzan was beaten three minutes into half stoppage time at Villa Park to give West injury time as Cresswell fired home from Ham the lead, but Jordan Ayew converted the edge of the area. victory over Leicester a penalty just after the hour to earn Villa a Gestede, who scored Villa’s winner share of the points. against Bournemouth in their lone victory more composed side as Coutinho and Emre Can Mignolet-back in the side after missing last West Ham have now drawn their last back on the opening day of the season, pulled the strings going forward. weekend’s 3-0 loss to Watford-did well to turn five league matches and are without a win drew a low save from Adrian just before the However, Leicester’s resolute defence has the shot over the crossbar. in eight, while Villa saw their club-record hour. The Benin striker then won his team a Liverpool 1 been a highlight of their season and Wes In the second half, Benteke continued to be a winless run in the league extended to 17 penalty moments later after he was Morgan and Robert Huth, back in the side after a nuisance to Huth and Morgan while Can and matches. Only three of the previous 23 brought down by Angelo Ogbonna, with hamstring problem, both remained strong at the Coutinho also probed the away team”s defence teams who were bottom on Christmas Day Ayew dispatching the spot-kick for his fifth back. until, finally, Benteke gave Liverpool the lead have avoided relegation and Villa will go goal of the campaign to bring Villa level. Leicester 0 After 15 minutes, Coutinho again had a after 63 minutes. into Monday’s trip to Norwich with just Villa went close to adding a second 15 decent opportunity but blasted over following Roberto Firmino’s low cross from the left was eight points from 18 games. minutes from time but Alan Hutton’s impressive work from Divock Origi while Adam met by Benteke first time and he slid his effort However, there is still a glimmer of hope header was cleared off the line by James Lallana then thrashed wide just 60 seconds later past Schmeichel. for Remi Garde’s side as the last two teams Collins. — AFP LIVERPOOL: Christian Benteke’s second-half as Liverpool surged forward. Leicester desperately pushed for an equaliser strike made all the difference as Liverpool beat Can was the next Liverpool player to threaten and Liverpool had Mignolet to thank for a bril- Premier League leaders Leicester City in a 1-0 as Schmeichel had to be at his best to keep out liant point-blank save from Nathan Dyer with 16 victory at Anfield yesterday. his low curling effort before Origi also went close minutes remaining. This was Leicester’s second visit to at the near post. Anfield became increasingly nervy as the end Merseyside inside a week after last Saturday’s 3- approached yet both teams, to their credit, con- 2 victory over Everton but they went home emp- BEST CHANCE tinued to push forward whenever they could. ty-handed this time around following an Leicester barely had any possession and Can smashed one effort high into the Kop from encounter that Liverpool dominated. could not unleash Premier League top-scorer outside the box while Mahrez continued to run Liverpool went into this contest having Jamie Vardy on the home side to any effect hard for Leicester in a bid to break down picked up a solitary point from their last three while Riyad Mahrez and Shinji Okazaki were Liverpool at the back. matches and manager Jurgen Klopp was only equally as quiet. As the end approached, a long throw by too aware that a victory was needed if their Liverpool’s quest for goals was not helped, Christian Fuchs caused confusion in the resurgence since the German’s arrival was to however, when Origi had to come off with seven Liverpool box but Mignolet recovered well but continue. minutes of the first half remaining but the fact that was as close as Leicester got. In a bright opening period, Liverpool went that £32.5m striker Benteke replaced him under- Henderson then squandered one glorious closest after just three minutes when Philippe lined the strength in depth Klopp has at his dis- chance late on as he opted to pass rather than Coutinho’s curling effort from 25 yards just drift- posal. shoot with the Leicester goal at his mercy before ed wide of Kasper Schmeichel’s far post. Leicester’s best chance in the opening 45 Benteke did the same in the dying seconds and Although Liverpool could not break down minutes fell towards half-time as Mahrez’s trick- although that enraged Anfield, Liverpool’s fans Leicester’s defence early on, they appeared the ery led him inside the Liverpool box but Simon ultimately went home happy. — AFP Palace hit top 5 after holding Bournemouth BIRMINGHAM: West Ham United goalkeeper Adrian clears off the line during the English Premier League soccer match against Aston Villa at Villa Park, Birmingham, England, yesterday. — AP Bournemouth 0 Ki goal stops rot for Swansea Crystal Palace 0 BOURNEMOUTH: Crystal Palace crept into the Premier League’s top five after denying after Angel Rangel had hit the post with a Bournemouth a fourth straight victory in a 0-0 MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (R) scores their right footed shot after being teed-up by Boxing Day draw at Dean Court yesterday. fourth goal past Sunderland’s Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone (L) as Sunderland’s Swansea 1 Wayne Routledge. Both teams were in form heading into their first Spanish midfielder Jordi Gomez (C) looks on during the English Premier League foot- The goal was the 26-year-old Kiís first meeting since March 1989, but had to settle for a ball match between Manchester City and Sunderland at The Etihad stadium in Premier League goal of the season. Manchester, north west England yesterday. — AFP Both Rangel and Routledge had been point that tightened Palace’s grip on a European place and kept Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth in 14th WestBrom 0 injury doubts before the game while West Brom, winless in four matches before place. De Bruyne stars, Kompany Saturday, were always likely to be under- Alan Pardew’s Palace, who started and finished powered with James McClean and the game strongly, are now unbeaten in five league injured as Man City stroll SWANSEA: South Korea international mid- Salomon Rondon both serving three- games, while Bournemouth’s improved form means fielder Ki Sung-Yueng scored after just nine match suspensions. Once a confident they have not tasted defeat in six outings. City extended that lead moments later, with Toure collecting David Silva’s short minutes as Swansea defeated West Brom 1- Swansea had taken the lead, West Brom Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat at Stoke City had square pass and turning away from a weak 0 yesterday, handing the struggling Welsh were reduced to a series of half-chances moved Palace up to fifth place even before a ball Man City 4 but Lukasz Fabianski in the home goal Jordi Gomez challenge before planting a low side a first win in eight matches.