SPORTS Sunday, January 21, 2018 21 Vardy, Mahrez score as Leicester see off Watford London goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis, in for amie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez the injured Heurelho Gomes, to Jfired Leicester to a routine 2-0 keep them level early on. win over Watford as Claude Puel’s Vardy shrugged off Molla Chelsea cruise powers of recovery continued. Wague and forced Karnezis into Winger Mahrez maintained his a smart stop before the Greece fine form with a third goal in international blocked Wilfred six games after Vardy’s first-half Ndidi’s close-range strike. penalty put the Foxes ahead. Watford’s only win in their Leicester moved up to seventh previous 10 league outings came in the Premier League while in a 2-1 victory against Leicester Watford’s struggles continued on Boxing Day and their fragile past Brighton with Marco Silva’s side having defending underlined a won just once in 11 games. lack of confidence. London The Foxes still needed a fine But they den Hazard moved past the 100 career league goals milestone with two Harry Maguire block on Andre survived the strikes as he orchestrated Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Brighton & Hove Gray to clinch victory but boss early scares and AlbionE at the AMEX stadium. Puel has now lost just four of Kasper Schmeichel Hazard and teammate Willian had the reigning Premier League his 18 games in charge. gathered Abdoulaye champions two goals ahead within six minutes before the Belgium He took over in October, as Doucoure’s low drive playmaker added another and Victor Moses netted near the end to take Leicester’s third manager of after 19 minutes. them above third-place Liverpool in the table. 2017, after Craig Shakespeare Leicester’s Seagulls boss Chris Hughton, yet to see his side take a point from any was sacked while the club were early promise of the top six, reverted to a back five against the Blues -- but it was soon in the bottom three. waned as a apparent they would not be breaking their duck just yet. The Hornets are 10th but they scrappy game Only three minutes had elapsed when Moses reached the byline and are just four points above the struggled his cut-back found its way to Hazard, who sidestepped Lewis Dunk before relegation zone. to ignite but firing home. Despite Watford’s Troy Deeney And three minutes later Hazard and Michy Batshuayi combined energetic start almost opened in a blur of backheels before Willian provided the finish from just they relied the scoring after inside the area. on stand-in 33 minutes when It was a stunning goal and ruthless stuff from a Chelsea side he finished low who had scored only once in their previous four matches. Jamie Vardy past Schmeichel, They were hit by injuries to four players as well as bans of Leicester only to be ruled for Alvaro Morata and Pedro following Wednesday night’s celebrates marginally offside. chaotic FA Cup tie against Norwich. (PA Sport) But for a spell the Blues looked as though they would score every time they went forward with Hazard leading the charge, teeing up first Willian and then Batshuayi whose efforts were Arsenal dismantle saved by Mathew Ryan. To their credit, Brighton had their moments in the first Crystal Palace 4-1 half, too. They had two decent London That sort of firepower was penalty shouts for trips on Ezequiel rsenal eased to a 4-1 not required to beat an out-of- Schelotto, first by Blues keeper Willy victory over Crystal Palace sorts Palace, who could hold Caballero -- in for the injured Thibaut Courtois -- and then onA Saturday as Alexis Sanchez out for just six minutes at the Tiemoue Bakayoko. was left out of the squad Emirates Stadium. With the video assistant referee (VAR) system Chelsea felt so ahead of his expected move to Iwobi had the game’s first hard done by in midweek not in place, referee Jonathan Moss Manchester United. chance, but saw his shot tipped waved away both appeals and booked the Brighton full-back Gunners boss Arsene Wenger over by Palace goalkeeper for his protests after the second one. said that the Chile international Wayne Hennessey and from Shortly after the interval Brighton were inches from could be involved if the deal had the resulting corner Monreal halving the deficit when Davy Propper’s header beat not been completed, but he was arrived unmarked to head Caballero but came back off the post. again omitted. Unlike last week, home Granit Xhaka’s delivery Chelsea lost defender Andreas Christensen to a however, when Arsenal lost 2-1 with ease. head injury after he tried to play on despite looking at Bournemouth without the The second goal was not long very dazed following a clash in the penalty area. forward, his teammates made in coming as Monreal turned Moments later it was Brighton who were grateful light work of his absence here provider for Iwobi and the to the woodwork, and Ryan, who did well to against a poor Palace side. Nigeria international stretched palm Willian’s goal-bound free-kick against the The hosts were four goals up out to steer a low cross past the upright. But Hazard put the game to bed 13 inside the opening quarter of helpless Hennessey. minutes from time when he ran unchallenged the game, with Nacho Monreal, Roy Hodgson watched into the Brighton area before sweeping the Alex Iwobi, Laurent Koscielny on glumly as Arsenal added ball past Ryan. (PA Sport) and Alexandre Lacazette all another from their next corner hitting the target. as the static Palace defence Luka Milivojevic struck allowed Monreal to drift it at a consolation for visitors as the back post and cross for the Wenger’s side won their first fit-again Koscielny to bundle match of 2018 to move within in a third. five points of the Premier Arsenal were in complete League top four. control and it showed with the Mesut Ozil and Jack superb move which led to them Wilshere both shone in a side moving four goals ahead at the which could soon boast more midway point of the first half. attacking options, should Wilshere picked up the ball Henrikh Mkhitaryan join as in plenty of space and fed Ozil, part of the Sanchez deal, while whose deft flick was perfect Borussia Dortmund officials for Lacazette to slot home his confirmed an enquiry had been first goal since the 3-1 defeat made about Pierre-Emerick to Manchester United on Aubameyang. December 2. (Espn) Chelsea’s Eden Hazard celebrtes (Picture courtesy: theguaridan).