Conte Frustrated As 10-Man Leicester Hold Chelsea
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Established 1961 15 Sports Sunday, January 14, 2018 Conte frustrated as 10-man Leicester hold Chelsea Chelsea 15 points behind Premier League leaders Man City LONDON: Antonio Conte’s problems mounted as hardly seemed heartbroken at the possibility of another spluttering Chelsea were held to a dour 0-0 draw by change on the bench. When a chant of Conte’s name 10-man Leicester City at Stamford Bridge yesterday. emanated from the stands soon after kick-off, it quickly Conte’s side produced a limp display that could easily petered out and the Italian responded with only a have seen them beaten by a Leicester team who bashful clap towards the supporters. missed a host of first-half chances. Even when Shinji Okazaki had a chance to further dampen the Leicester left-back Ben Chilwell was sent off midway muted atmosphere in the eighth minute when the through the second half for two bookings, the champi- Leicester striker slid in to meet Chilwell’s cross, but he ons were unable to snatch a winner. Chelsea remain couldn’t control a close-range shot that ballooned over third — 15 points behind Premier League leaders the bar. Conte has reportedly frustrated some of his Manchester City-and have now drawn their last four players with his intense personality and demanding matches in all competitions. training sessions and their inconsistent performances It capped a difficult this season have added week for Chelsea boss fuel to that fire. Conte, who could be in the final months of his LETHARGIC turbulent reign despite Conte wore a CHELSEA last season’s title triumph. When Jamie Vardy Responding to a report thunderous fired narrowly wide from claiming he will leave at a tight angle moments the end of the season, expression later, Conte wore a thun- Conte this week said derous expression on the “everything is possible” on the touchline touchline as he contem- regarding his future. plated Chelsea’s lethar- Conte has been linked gic start. It took a LONDON: Chelsea’s Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta (CR) goes up against Leicester City’s Nigerian mid- with a move to Paris superb save from fielder Wilfred Ndidi (CL) during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Leicester Saint-Germain as the Thibaut Courtois to pre- City at Stamford Bridge in London yesterday. — AFP Italian’s relationship with the Chelsea board grows vent Leicester taking the lead their pressure deserved increasingly fractious following disagreements over as the Belgian plunged to his right to claw away a transfers and his feud with Diego Costa, which led to Wilfred Ndidi header. Fabregas nearly put Chelsea ahead against the run drew jeers from the frustrated Chelsea faithful. the striker joining Atletico Madrid. Chelsea threatened when Eden Hazard teed up Cesc of play, but the midfielder’s drive was tipped over by Conte’s men were gifted an unexpected lift when Chelsea are reported to be considering Juventus Fabregas for a powerful drive that Kasper Schmeichel Schmeichel. But a key cause of Chelsea’s erratic form Chilwell, booked moments earlier, lunged into a studs- boss Massimiliano Allegri and former Barcelona coach palmed away. But misplaced passes and lapses of con- has been Alvaro Morata’s struggles and the lacklustre up tackle on Victor Moses in the 68th minute, earning a Luis Enrique as potential replacements for the 48-year- centration littered Chelsea’s play. Vardy was a constant Spain striker has now gone five games without a goal. red card from referee Michael Jones. old. Given the speculation surrounding their manager, it menace and Conte’s defence again failed to corral the Chelsea were still in disarray after the interval and However, the best Chelsea could manage were harm- was intriguing to note the response of Chelsea fans. England international, who found space to shoot just Riyad Mahrez’s deflected effort almost crept in, less long-range strikes from N’Golo Kante and Marcos Having grown used to big-name managers coming wide. An injury that forced Chelsea captain Gary Cahill prompting Conte to send on Willian and Pedro for Alonso as Leicester held firm to leave Conte grumbling and going in the era of owner Roman Abramovich, they off late in the first half added to Conte’s problems. Hazard and Fabregas. The decision to remove Hazard his way down the tunnel at full-time. — AFP West Ham’s Lanzini, The crowd shouted angry slogans at Brawl breaks the police: “We are not terrorists but supporters!” Arnautovic run Turan was in high spirits, smiling and out as Turan waving at the crowd, telling reporters riot at he was “very happy” with the move. arrives in “I’m here not just for short-term goals, but for long-term success,” he was Huddersfield Turkey quoted as saying by Hurriyet daily. One fan was excited about the transfer and what it meant for the HUDDERSFIELD: Manuel Lanzini struck ISTANBUL: Turkish league leaders Basaksehir’s future. “Arda is an experi- twice as an impressive West Ham United Istanbul Basaksehir yesterday enced player who can help us do big romped to a 4-1 win at Huddersfield Town announced they had reached an agree- things in European competitions in the yesterday, underlining their improvement ment to sign midfielder Arda Turan on coming years,” 33-year-old Veysel told under David Moyes in emphatic fashion. loan from Barcelona before the player’s AFP. Basaksehir have risen rapidly Lanzini, in tandem with Marko Arnautovic, homecoming sparked an embarrassing over the last two seasons to rival the caused Huddersfield’s defence constant trou- airport brawl. established Istanbul triumvirate of ble throughout the game with the Hammers “Arda Turan is returning to his coun- Besiktas, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. looking a totally different team from the try wearing the orange kit (of Turan issued a heartfelt farewell mes- demoralised outfit that Moyes inherited when Basaksehir). This is not just a transfer sage on Twitter, explaining that playing he took over from Slaven Bilic in November. HUDDERSFIELD: Huddersfield Town’s English defender Tommy Smith (L) tangles West Ham for Basaksehir, but a transfer for all of for Barcelona was a “wildest dream” Neither the Argentine Lanzini nor Austrian United’s French defender Arthur Masuaku (R) during the English Premier League football match Turkey,” club president Goksel and he was “proud” to make it happen. international Arnautovic are out-and-out between Huddersfield Town and West Ham United at the John Smith’s stadium in Huddersfield, Gumusdag said in a statement. In a The 30-year-old joined Barcelona in strikers but with Andy Carroll injured, Moyes northern England yesterday. — AFP tweet, the club shared a video of a 2015 after four successful seasons with paired them up-front and they played like crossword being filled in with the key Atletico Madrid but has been unable to they had been a partnership for years. Lolley made amends in great style five The second half blitz was completed five answers being “Arda Turan.” Barcelona hold down a first team place. Turan Arnautovic’s strength, skill and pace minutes before the break, beating West Ham minutes later when Arnautovic broke from the also confirmed the deal in a statement. receives an annual salary of around showed the talent that prompted West Ham to keeper Adrian with a fine curling left-foot halfway line and found Lanzini who blasted “FC Barcelona and Istanbul eight million euros at the Catalan club, sign him from Stoke in July for a club record shot to send the teams in level at the interval. past Lossl from the centre of the area. The Basaksehir FK agree on a loan deal for according to Spanish media. fee of around 25 million pounds. The win was That suggested a tight battle in the 45 min- win moved West Ham above Huddersfield and the Turkish player for the remainder of He quit international football last the 200th in the Premier League for Moyes, utes to follow but West Ham came out and up to 11th in the table and Moyes was the season and two more,” said the June after former coach Fatih Terim making him just the fourth to reach that mile- put the game beyond Huddersfield within 15 delighted with the continued improvement Spanish league leaders. Turan was threw him out of a training camp fol- stone following Alex Ferguson, Arsene minutes. from his team. welcomed by around a hundred sup- lowing a fracas with a reporter on a Wenger and Harry Redknapp. Just seconds after the break, Arnautovic “We have a long way to go but the play- porters wearing orange scarves at plane. Turan then declared two months West Ham are now five games unbeaten in restored West Ham’s lead, showcasing his ers have done brilliantly well since we came Istanbul Ataturk airport on Saturday later he was ready for a recall. Turan all competitions. The Hammers took the lead technique as he hooked the ball past Tommy in and they did very well today,” he said. evening and holding “Welcome Arda has also expressed open support for in the 25th minute, taking advantage of slop- Smith and then drilled the ball home. “I’m really pleased with Marko Arnautovic. Turan” signs. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, py play when after a pass from keeper Jonas Arnautovic then sent Lanzini through with a Everybody knew how good he was at Stoke However, a brawl erupted at one attending rallies to back “my com- Lossl, Town’s Joe Lolley was robbed near the smart through ball with the outside of his foot City and maybe giving him a freer role up point between fans and the police as mander-in-chief” following the July edge of his area and Mark Noble burst goal- and the Argentine slotted home confidently to front has given him a chance to express Turan arrived while one fan fainted.