SPORTS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015 Giroud leaves it late to settle Arsenal nerves

Arsenal 2

Stoke 0

LONDON: came off the bench to ensure Arsenal didn’t pay for their profligacy in a 2-0 win over Stoke at the Emirates Stadium yes- terday. Theo Walcott had put Arsenal ahead in the first half, but the Gunners’ fans once again spent most of the afternoon frustrated at wasted opportunities before Giroud struck late on to secure their third victory of the season. For all their possession and pretty football, Arsene Wenger’s side have had a problem scoring this LONDON: Norwich City’s Matt Jarvis (center) celebrates scoring his side’s goal of the game during season and that was highlighted after just four their English soccer match against Bournemouth at Carrow Road. — AP minutes. delivered a delicious ball right onto Alexis Sanchez’s head, but his nod down Hoolahan shines was tipped against a post by Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland. The rebound fell invitingly to Walcott and his miss from eight yards was ridicu- in Norwich stroll lously remiss. Wenger’s team hit the same post again four minutes later when Sanchez struck a low angled shot following another incisive pass clash with Joshua King and he was fortunate to from Francis Coquelin. escape with a booking soon after for an ugly hack The Gunners kept pressing and Butland Norwich 3 on the Bournemouth forward. saved well from a dipping Sanchez free kick. That tetchy challenge brought the simmering Moments later Walcott squandered yet another tensions between the teams to the boil and opportunity when he headed a Hector Bellerin Bournemouth duo Simon Francis and Adam Smith cross over the bar from six yards. So, within 10 Bournemouth 1 earned yellow card for crunching fouls, while minutes the Gunners had scorned five very invit- Hoolahan also went into Martin Atkinson’s book. ing chances. The ammunition was being provid- Amid all the aggression, Jerome had a chance to ed, but the Gunners were misfiring. With open the scoring when Hoolahan found him with a Coquelin the fulcrum in midfield, operating just NORWICH: Wes Hoolahan stole the spotlight as clever through-ball, but the former Stoke forward in front of the back four, Arsenal at least attacked Norwich secured their second Premier League win fired into the side-netting. with purpose down both flanks. They even came of the season with a 3-1 success against Jerome made amends for that miss in the 35th through French centre-half , Bournemouth yesterday. minute when he scored from close-range after who let fly from 35 yards only to be denied by Alex Neil’s side took the lead when Hoolahan set Hoolahan unhinged the Bournemouth defence Butland. The Stoke keeper was in a class of his up Cameron Jerome’s first half opener and with a clever nutmeg of Cook. own with dramatic saves, brave blocks and Hoolahan added the second with an eye-catching The visitors nearly equalised just before half- unflappable demeanor. individual effort before debutant Matt Jarvis netted time when Callum Wilson’s strike was touched onto the third at Carrow Road. This was the first ever top- a post by Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy. SOPHISTICATED LONDON: Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (left) tries to score past Stoke City’s Phillip flight meeting between these sides, who were both But Hoolahan’s sublime solo goal increased Under , Stoke are slowly devel- Bardsley during their English Premier League soccer match. — AP promoted from the Championship last season, and, Norwich’s lead in the 52nd minute. Taking posses- oping a more sophisticated approach to their although Steve Cook got one back for sion 40 yards from goal, the Republic of Ireland game while still retaining something of an edge Bournemouth, it is Norwich with seven points who midfielder advanced unchecked before drilling a without the overt physicality deployed under EPL results/standings are making the smoother transition. superb strike past Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur . Ironically, the opening goal, in the Norwich were without former Bournemouth Boruc. 31st minute, came during a period when Stoke Arsenal 2 (Walcott 31, Giroud 85) Stoke 0; Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 1 (Iheanacho striker Lewis Grabban, who is out of favour after try- Neil’s team were well on top and on-loan West were enjoying their best period of possession 90); Everton 3 (Naismith 17, 22, 82) Chelsea 1 (Matic 36); Manchester United 3 (Blind 49, ing to force a move to his old club earlier this sea- Ham winger Jarvis sealed the points in the 67th and pressing forward. Joselu was caught in pos- Herrera 70-pen, Martial 86) Liverpool 1 (Benteke 84); Norwich 3 (Jerome 35, Hoolahan 52, son, but the hosts still swept to a comfortable win. minute with a cool curled finish. Cook headed in a session in the Arsenal half by a superbly execut- Jarvis 67) Bournemouth 1 (Cook 81); Watford 1 (Ighalo 59) Swansea 0; West Brom 0 Canaries midfielder Alexander Tettey needed Francis corner in the 81st minute but it was little ed Coquelin tackle and within a split second Southampton 0. treatment after suffering a head injury in an early consolation for bedraggled Bournemouth. —AFP Mesut Ozil hit a long ball forward. Walcott controlled, held off a strong chal- Playing today lenge from Mark Muniesa and rolled the ball Leicester v Aston Villa, Sunderland v Tottenham Watford see off Swansea past the advancing Butland for his first club goal of the campaign. Facing an eight consecutive Playing tomorrow defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates, Stoke had to West Ham v Newcastle newcomers Bournemouth and Tottenham. do more to win the ball and then retain it. They Watford’s afternoon wasn’t all plain sailing as did neither and for long periods Arsenal played English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals Watford 1 they had to play the closing 25 minutes a man around them with ease. down after Swiss midfielder Valon Behrami’s reck- It was Coquelin who continued to control the for, goals against, points): less studs-up challenge on Andre Ayew above the game with his ball-winning, neat passing and Man City 5 5 0 0 11 0 15 Southampton 5 1 3 1 5 5 6 knee earning him a straight red card. sheer presence. However, Arsenal’s inability to Man Utd 5 3 1 1 6 3 10 Watford 5 1 3 1 3 4 6 Victor Ibarbo, who arrived on a season-long convert chances into goals continued as Aaron Swansea 0 Arsenal 5 3 1 1 5 3 10 West Brom 5 1 2 2 3 6 5 loan from Roma on deadline day, received interna- Ramsey slipped just as Ozil found him wide Crystal Palace 5 3 0 2 8 6 9 Aston Villa 4 1 1 2 4 5 4 tional clearance and was named on the Watford open and sliced his shot well wide. Everton 5 2 2 1 8 5 8 Bournemouth 5 1 1 3 6 9 4 bench by Quique Sanchez Flores. Stoke took heart from this and Xherdan Leicester 4 2 2 0 8 5 8 Chelsea 5 1 1 3 7 12 4 WATFORD: Odion Ighalo scored the only goal of Swansea manager Garry Monk fielded his Shaqiri forced a fumbled save from Petr Cech Swansea 5 2 2 1 7 5 8 Tottenham 4 0 3 1 3 4 3 the game against Swansea on Saturday to earn 10- strongest side with Jonjo Shelvey, fresh from his and had a couple of other shots blocked by Norwich 5 2 1 2 8 9 7 Newcastle 4 0 2 2 2 5 2 man Watford their first win at the fifth attempt England call-up, marshalling the midfield, and defenders. The Potters replaced Joselu with Liverpool 5 2 1 2 3 6 7 Sunderland 4 0 2 2 6 10 2 since promotion to the English top flight. Wayne Routledge preferred to Jefferson Montero. Stephen Ireland in a bid to spice up the midfield. West Ham 4 2 0 2 9 6 6 Stoke 5 0 2 3 3 7 2 The Nigeria international celebrated signing a In-form Swansea’s best chance of the game Referee Jon Moss waved away two penalty new five-year contract on Friday when sweeping came when Bafetimbi Gomis, who had scored in appeals from Stoke with Marko Arnautovic home in the 59th minute after keeper Heurelho each of their opening four games, had a shot being guided off the ball forcibly by Koscielny Gomes’ long punt up field with Troy Deeney’s denied by Gomes before the half-hour point. and Mame Biram Diouf tumbled as a cross was headed knockdown setting up unmarked Ighalo to Gomis had gone close with an acrobatic volley delivered. Walcott had second half chances to Quinn winner downs Celtic finish the move in style. in first-half injury time. In a lively encounter add to his tally but his efforts were feeble and Seconds earlier the 26-year-old striker who Watford’s Etienne Capoue forced Swansea keeper Butland was defiant. Even when the ball fell invit- Lukasz Fabianski into action on a number of occa- ingly to Giroud, seconds after his introduction, : Paul Quinn scored a late wicked deflection off the back of joined the Hornets from Udinese in 2014 had gone winner as 10-man Aberdeen moved top Graeme Shinnie in the wall. close only to shoot wide from six yards. sions, including in the 80th minute with a danger- he shot wide with only the keeper to beat. But ous angled attempt. Swansea’s first defeat of the the Frenchman made up for it in the dying of the with a 2-1 Aberdeen recovered well from their The precious 1-0 victory over the previously win over Celtic at Pittodrie yesterday. shaky start and unbeaten Swansea lifted Watford from 17th to campaign saw Monk’s side slip two places to moments as he headed home from a Cazorla sixth. — AFP free-kick from six yards. — AFP It is a club record sixth successive should have done better when he rose 12th, above the likes of champions Chelsea, fellow win at the start of a season for the Dons to meet a Hayes corner but he headed while it is Celtic’s first defeat in the over from four yards out. league since March. The Hoops had The Dons defender then attempted opened the scoring when to lay the ball off to a teammate instead West Brom held in drab draw expertly despatched a penalty he had of shooting when Kenny McLean’s pass earned himself in the 35th minute. picked him out unmarked in the box. Aberdeen levelled matters in the Considine’s misery at his misses was 56th minute with a spot-kick of their compounded in the 35th minute when own that fired home his tug on Griffiths earned him a book- Southampton 0 before was given a straight ing and handed Celtic a penalty. red in the 72nd minute for a lunge on Griffiths fired the spot-kick into the bot- Mikel Lustig. tom right-hand corner past the despair- Despite their numerical disadvan- ing dive of Danny Ward to score for the West Brom 0 tage the Dons found an 86th minute fifth successive league game. winner through Quinn to move two Aberdeen were appealing for a points clear of Celtic at the top. penalty in the 50th minute when WEST BROMWICH: Saido Berahino returned to the The Dons could now extend their used his arm to control West Brom squad yesterday after his transfer lead at the top if they can win their ’s cross but referee Craig request was rejected last month but had little game in hand against Hamilton at Thomson waved away their protests. impact in a 0-0 draw at home to Southampton. Pittodrie on Tuesday. Celtic manager However, the Dons weren’t to be Berahino, who had vowed never to play for Ronny Deila was disappointed in his denied six minutes later when Dedryk Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace again after the side’s defending and refereeing deci- Boyata bundled over Shinnie near the club blocked a move to Tottenham Hotspur, sions. by-line to concede a penalty. Rooney received a mixed reception at The Hawthorns after “I think we were the best team in the took the resultant spot-kick and sent coming on as a 55th-minute substitute for Rickie first half and created the most chances. the wrong way as he Lambert. The second half started ok as well but buried his effort in the bottom right- Baggies manager Tony Pulis handed defender they got the penalty, which I think was hand corner. Jonny Evans his debut following the Northern no penalty,” Deila said. Aberdeen’s task was made harder Irishman’s arrival from Manchester United while “The end of the game was very dis- when Hayes was given a straight red for started in Southampton’s backline appointing. They got one sent off and a reckless lunge on Lustig, two minutes after joining from Celtic. West Brom saw a penalty we should have attacked and scored a after the Swede had been booked for appeal waved away on the quarter hour after second goal and instead we conceded hacking down the Dons winger. Callum McManaman went to ground somewhat one in an easy set play.” Substitute James Forrest fired an theatrically while Jay Rodriguez missed a chance to Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes angled drive just wide before sending a end his long goal drought when he nodded wide was delighted with the win. “I think we shot straight at Ward as Celtic tried to from a Dusan Tadic cross down at the other end. had to do it the hard way but we got make their extra man advantage count. Rodriguez’s last Premier League goal came in our just reward for that,” said McInnes, However, it was ten men Aberdeen March 2014, just before the England international whose side’s title challenge last season who found a winner when Niall suffered a serious knee injury that sidelined him for was derailed by four defeats to Celtic. McGinn’s sent in a high hanging free- 16 months. LONDON: West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon (left) challenges Southampton’s Virgil van “From the first second of the second kick into the box and Quinn stuck out a Tadic represented the biggest danger for the Dijk during their English Premier League soccer match at The Hawthorns. — AP half we were absolutely relentless in our foot to prod past Gordon. home defence although the Serbian spurned an determination to win the game.” Celtic Considine cleared a Griffiths shot off opportunity to shoot midway through the second Graziano Pelle nearly broke the deadlock with Southampton bench as the visitors sought to had come close to opening the scoring the line after the striker had rounded half in favour of cutting the ball back for James 70 minutes gone but the Italian couldn’t quite snatch a winner late on but the Senegalese steered in the 18th minute when Griffiths’ free- Ward in stoppage time as the Dons held Ward-Prowse with the England Under-21 interna- stretch far enough to make contact with a pass wide after being put through by Pelle with both kick crashed off the bar after taking a on for the win. — AFP tional firing over. from . Sadio Mane was brought off the sides forced to settle for a point. — AFP