Wenger Off the Hook As Arsenal Crush Lincoln
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Shiffrin wins Pliskova rallies World Cup past Puig to avoid giant slalom Indian Wells upset SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 201718 18 Elgar goes, South Africa stumble as rain hovers Page 16 LONDON: Arsenal’s French striker Olivier Giroud (2nd R) is hurt in this clash with Lincoln City’s English defender Luke Waterfall and Lincoln City’s English defender Sean Raggett (R) during the English FA cup quarter final football match between Arsenal nda Lincoln City at The Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. — AFP Wenger off the hook as Arsenal crush Lincoln LONDON: Arsenal ended Lincoln City’s his- Gunners boss must have breathed a sigh of put Arsenal ahead. But even after goals from each cost £75,000 in 1997 and 1978, respec- Arsenal created an opening. Hector Bellerin toric FA Cup run and eased the pressure on relief as Arsenal avoided even greater Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey tively, that is quite a sum. The 9,000 travelling slid the ball along the ground from the right- Arsene Wenger with a 5-0 victory over the ignominy. A contest that should have been a and a Luke Waterfall own goal, the day Lincoln supporters certainly brought their hand side but Ramsey swept his shot just wide valiant non-league side in yesterday’s quarter- mismatch given the supposed gulf in class belonged to the fifth-tier leaders, for whom voices and generated more noise than the of the post. finals. After Tuesday’s humiliating Champions between fifth-tier Lincoln and their illustrious the competition has generated a £1.6 million Emirates Stadium has heard during many Four minutes later Walcott connected League exit against Bayern Munich, Wenger opponents was actually a tense affair until ($1.9m) cash windfall. For a club whose record Premier League games this season. sweetly with a volley only for Lincoln keeper had endured calls for his resignation and the first-half stoppage time when Theo Walcott signings, Dean Walling and Tony Battersby, Almost 10 minutes had elapsed before Paul Farman to plunge to his left to palm the ball on to the same upright. Arsenal were forced into a change after 26 RUGBY minutes, although if the non-league side were glad to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain go, the England thrash Scotland to retain Six Nations title sight of German World Cup-winner Mesut Ozil coming on to replace him was less welcome. LONDON: England powered to its second field for tries in the first half and adding another the world record streak at rugby’s highest level sion and the increased weight of expectation. Lincoln’s compactness in defence was limiting straight Six Nations title and tied New Zealand’s soon after halftime. achieved by the All Blacks over 2015-16. Arsenal to very few chances. tier-one record of 18 straight wins by thrashing Replacements Danny Care (two), Anthony England inside center Owen Farrell passed a BEST PERFORMANCE Scotland 61-21 at Twickenham yesterday. Watson, and Billy Vunipola were the other try- late fitness test on a leg injury and finished with Their hopes of landing a first Triple Crown in URGENCY The 136th Calcutta Cup proved to be an unex- scorers in England’s bonus-point win that ends 26 points from seven conversions and four penal- 27 years and a first championship since 1999 were And in contrast to Lincoln’s collective disci- pected mismatch as the English crossed seven the race for the championship with one round to ties. Outside center Huw Jones was the standout ruthlessly torn apart by England’s best perform- pline, inspired by the organisational skill of times to record their highest points total against spare. England’s juggernaut under Eddie Jones player amid a horror show for Scotland, scoring ance of 2017. The English have been slow starters their impressive young manager Danny their oldest international rival, and equal the heads to Dublin next weekend looking to two second-half tries. The Scots, without a win at in this campaign. Not here. The game was virtual- Cowley, it was the Arsenal players who were ly over by halftime, which England went into lead- biggest margin of victory in this fixture. become only the sixth team to clinch back-to- Twickenham since 1983, were talked up massively guilty of impetuosity in the tackle, with both Elusive center Jonathan Joseph was the back Grand Slams. A win would also see England in the buildup after impressive wins over Ireland ing 30-7. Scotland’s nightmare first half comprised Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny booked undoubted star, twice breaking the line in center- move to 19 in a row since October 2015, breaking and Scotland but they failed to handle the occa- of hooker Fraser Brown getting sin-binned inside two minutes for a tip-tackle on Elliot Daly, strike for lunging challenges. Nathan Arnold, who runner Stuart Hogg going off for a Head Injury scored the winning goal against Ipswich Town Assessment on 18 minutes and never returning, in the third-round replay, came closest to a replacement center Mark Bennett going off on a goal for the visitors as the half-hour stretcher, and pitiful wide defense that Joseph approached. skewered with some superb running angles. Cutting inside Kieran Gibbs, he forced Petr Back in the team after being dropped to the Cech to fling himself to his right for a fine save. bench against Italy last time out, Joseph sped Ramsey sent a stabbed effort over the bar through opposite center Alex Dunbar’s weak tack- as half-time approached, but just as it seemed le 40 meters out with his first touch of the ball and that Lincoln would deservedly reach the inter- cruised unchallenged over the line in the 3rd. val on level terms, the Premier League side Farrell converted, kicked two penalties either side struck. Farman had difficulty in dealing with of Scotland flyhalf Finn Russell missing touch with an Ozil cross and from the resulting corner a a penalty, and played a part in a backline move goalmouth melee ended with Gibbs setting that saw Joseph break the line, slalom past cover- up Walcott to put Arsenal ahead with a ing defender Tim Visser and dot under the cross- bar. Behind 20-0 after 25 minutes, it was already deflected effort. getting embarrassing for the Scots. But on their Wenger’s side re-emerged with a sense of first real attacking opportunity, they went for a urgency that had been largely absent in the lineout instead of kicking for goal and prop first half. The goal that effectively sealed Gordon Reid barreled over from close range for a Arsenal’s passage to a Wembley semi-final try. It was brief respite because Farrell booted arrived after 53 minutes. Bellerin swapped another penalty and Joseph ran another sensa- passes with Sanchez before laying the ball tional angle off Farrell’s pop-pass and laid on back for Giroud to sidefoot home. Watson - Daly’s replacement - to sprint over just Five minutes later, Arsenal led 3-0. Gibbs before halftime. drove in a low hard cross that was deflected The second half was damage limitation for into his own net by the unfortunate Waterfall. Scotland but Joseph couldn’t be stopped, com- Sanchez then made it four after 73 minutes, pleting his hat trick in the 43rd by running onto riding two challenges before curling home scrumhalf Ben Youngs’ pass in a move off a scrum. beautifully. Jones’ try double, in the 50th and 69th min- The scoreline began to look unjustifiably utes, will likely be forgotten as England passed one-sided when Ramsey walked the ball the half-century mark with fit-again No. 8 Vunipola rolling over from a maul in the 58th, and home following a Sanchez cross. At the other Care sniping over in the 72nd and again in stop- end, midfielder Alan Power forced a save from page time. Farrell’s final conversion ensured a 40- Cech as Lincoln sought the most glorious of consolation goals. Arsenal progressed to LONDON: Scotland’s Cornell Du Preez, center, is upended by the England defense during the Six Nations rugby union international between point margin of victory, matching the 43-3 score- line at Twickenham in 2001.—AP Wenger’s relief, but it is Lincoln who will take England and Scotland at Twickenham stadium in London, yesterday.— AP home all of the memories. — AFP.