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MANILA: FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter (second from right) and Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (second from left) President of the Asian Football Confederation, pose with the three AFC awardees, Junji Ogura, AFC Diamond of Asia, Nassir Al Shamrani (left) the 2014 Men’s AFC Player of the Year, Katrina Lee Gorry, Women’s 2014 AFC Player of the Year, following the 60th AFC Anniversary celebration and Awards yesterday. —AP Asian Player of the Year ‘proud’ despite ban

MANILA: Nassir Al Shamrani expressed pride at winning talk to AFC,” Al Shamrani told reporters. Al Hilal cried foul over their defeat in the final, saying for us.” Asia’s player of the year award yesterday as he shrugged “I’m just thinking about today and I’m proud of myself, they were denied six penalties and calling it a “black spot Katrina Gorry was named women’s player of the year off an impending an eight-match ban for spitting and and it’s not the first time I’ve won prizes.” Al Shamrani in the history of Asian football”. after hitting the net three times in ’s run to the head-butting. beat out competition from Al Ain’s Ismail Ahmed and Al Shamrani is unlikely to repeat his goal-scoring feats Women’s Asian Cup final. The Saudi striker preferred to focus solely on his Qatar’s Khalfan Ibrahim to take the top prize at the Asian in next year’s Champions League as his ban for eight Tony Popovic was coach of the year and the achievement at being named Asia’s best footballer, which Football Confederation (AFC) awards night in Manila. games of the competition looks set to be announced in Wanderers were best team after their feat in becoming came on the back of his 10 goals for Al Hilal in the AFC He was at the centre of a mass shoving match in Al the coming days. Australia’s first ever Champions League winners and on Champions League. Hilal’s contentious 1-0 defeat to Australia’s Western “Winning this prize doesn’t affect our sadness at losing their debut in the competition. Sources earlier confirmed reports the 31-year-old was Wanderers following the final’s second leg in the AFC Champions League cup. We feel we played bet- Palestine were named best national team for their feat set to be banned for eight matches for his actions which Riyadh. ter (than the Wanderers) but it’s bad luck for us that we in winning the AFC Challenge Cup, a victory which sparked a melee at the end of the bitterly contested Video footage shows Al Shamrani spitting at lost,” he said. earned them a berth at next year’s Asian Cup in Australia. Champions League final on November 1. “I’m living for Wanderers defender Matthew Spiranovic after the “We still feel unhappy that we lost the Champions Australia’s Crystal Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak won today, I’m not thinking about anything else. I’m proud I’m Australian club’s win, prompting a mass confrontation League. This is not a personal thing, this is a team event international player of the year, and best foreign player the best men’s player of the year-anything else, please between the two teams. and I wanted us to win both prizes. It’s unforgettable went to Al Ain’s Ghanaian striker Asamoah Gyan. — AFP City revive title bid Spurs see off Everton Roberto Martinez’s side were reward- trick against Bayern in mid-week, and he was ed when Mirallas, turning past Soldado, quickly in the thick of the action on his 100th curled an excellent shot into the top league appearance for City. Tottenham 2 Southampton 0 corner from the edge of the box. In the ninth minute, he stole into the box There was audible frustration among and was sent flying by a sliding challenge home fans but, fortunately for former from Jose Fonte, but although it appeared a Southampton manager Pochettino’s clear penalty, referee Mike Jones booked the Everton 1 Man City 3 team, an equaliser came soon after- incredulous Argentine for diving. City shaded wards to change the mood of the the early exchanges, with Toure curling a shot crowd. straight at Fraser Forster from outside the box, Homegrown hero Harry Kane, a life- SOUTHAMPTON: Sergio Aguero created two but the visitors’ goal was fortunate to emerge LONDON: Roberto Soldado’s near six- long Spurs fan, saw his low shot parried goals as champions Manchester City unscathed mid-way through the first half. hour wait for a competitive goal finally by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard. The leapfrogged Southampton into second place From a Morgan Schneiderlin cross, Graziano came to end as he scored the winner in rebound came straight to Eriksen whose in the Premier League table with a steely 3-0 Pelle was thwarted by City goalkeeper Joe Tottenham Hotspur’s come-from- shot from a tight angle beat Howard victory at St Mary’s yesterday. Yaya Toure Hart, who then got down well to parry Steven behind 2-1 win at home to Everton yes- and the covering Gareth Barry. drilled home Aguero’s pass in the 51st minute Davis’s follow-up, and when Dusan Tadic terday. Sours striker Kane tried his luck from and although City centre-back Eliaquim closed in for the second rebound, Kompany Victory at their White Hart Lane 20 yards while Soldado attempted to Mangala was then sent off, late goals by sub- intervened. ground saw Spurs climb into seventh get on the end of a poor header from stitute Frank Lampard and Gael Clichy It was then Southampton’s turn to survive place, level on points with north Everton’s Muhamed Besic. secured victory for the visitors. a goal-mouth scare, with Toby Alderweireld London rivals Arsenal, in the Premier However, Soldado did at last end a Mangala was shown a second yellow card blocking on the goal-line after Forster had League table, and meant they at last goal drought stretching back to in the 74th minute after barging over Shane taken the sting out of a shot from the recalled enjoyed domestic success after a mid- September when it seemed Everton Long, but Lampard and Clichy’s strikes safe- Stevan Jovetic. week Europa League fixture. would go in at half-time all square at 1-1. guarded an impressive win that took City to But City continued to look vulnerable to The result ended Everton’s eight- Played in by Aaron Lennon, the within six points of leaders Chelsea. the in-swinging cross at the other end, and game unbeaten run but Roberto Spaniard took a touch and then beat Following previous wins over Swansea after Pelle glanced wide from Davis’s left-wing SOUTHAMPTON: Manchester City’s Vincent Martinez’s mid-table side had looked on Howard with a composed finish. Such City and Bayern Munich, Manuel Pellegrini’s corner, Kompany was grateful to see an anx- Kompany (left) battles for the ball with course to extend that record when was Spurs’ fans joy for Soldado, they appear to have rediscovered some self-belief ious back-header settle in Hart’s gloves. Southampton’s Graziano Pelle during their Kevin Mirallas’s 15th-minute goal broke kept chanting his name until he walked after a run of only one win in six games that Schneiderlin had to go off with a thigh English Premier League match at St Mary’s the deadlock. off the pitch for half-time. Everton began in mid-October. Victory was not com- injury at half-time, with centre-back Maya Stadium. — AP But Mauricio Pochettino’s men were might have made it 2-2 in the last 20 pletely without complications, however, as a Yoshida coming on in his place and level just six minutes later through bottom-left corner with the aid of a slight minutes when Seamus Coleman was late injury to Vincent Kompany obliged them Alderweireld moving forward into midfield. Christian Eriksen before former Valencia deflection. denied by Hugo Lloris, the goal- to see out the game with nine men. Within seconds of the restart, the striker Soldado ended a run of 593 min- City continued to press, Aguero prodding keeper moving quickly off his line to It was a first home defeat since April for Dutchman drifted a shot wide from 30 yards, utes without a goal in competitive foot- over from Kompany’s flick-on and Jesus Navas block the shot after a good through ball Southampton, who have embarked upon a while moments later Tadic sent Hart scram- ball in first-half stoppage-time. arrowing just wide after Victor Wanyama lost from Ross Barkley. testing sequence of fixtures that continues bling across goal with a fierce, low strike that It was just the win Tottenham needed the ball, and Mangala’s dismissal did not dis- The Toffees then had a penalty with Arsenal’s visit on Wednesday before they narrowly evaded the left-hand post. But it was ahead of Wednesday’s trip across turb their momentum. appeal turned down when Romelu host Manchester United a week on Monday. City who broke the deadlock. Aguero gath- London to unbeaten league leaders James Milner and Lampard were primarily Lukaku’s header hit Federico Fazio’s arm Aguero had been likened to ered a through ball from Fernandinho and tip- Chelsea. Both teams kicked-off having sent on to stiffen City’s midfield, but they while, at the other end, Spurs were and Cristiano Ronaldo by both his coach and toed into the box from the left before teeing qualified for the knockout stages of the combined for the second goal in the 80th denied a spot-kick when Besic tangled his team-mates after his match-winning hat- up Toure, who crashed a 20-yard shot into the Europa League on Thursday, with minute. — AFP Everton dominating the early stages. with Kane. — AFP