Established 1961 15 Sports Thursday, January 11, 2018 Aguero to Man City’s rescue against valiant City

Season’s giantkillers have eliminated four sides

MANCHESTER: A goal in stoppage time by Sergio to breaking the deadlock on the quarter-hour mark Aguero saved Manchester City’s blushes as it was when a flowing move concluded with Bernardo Silva’s enough to secure a 2-1 win over second-tier Bristol goal-bound shot taking a deflection off a Bristol City City in their League Cup semi-final first leg clash on defender. Tuesday. The Argentinian’s 19th goal of the season and a fine effort by Belgian international Kevin De Bruyne STONES UPENDS REID cancelled out Bobby Reid’s first-half penalty to give the The visitors, though, were not in the least intimidat- hosts a club record-equalling 16th successive home ed and went close themselves immediately afterwards, win. However Bristol City, this season’s giantkillers who Claudio Bravo saving Joe Bryan’s long-range shot. have eliminated four Premier League sides including Bristol City-appearing in their first major semi-final in holders Manchester United, gave their 8,000 travelling 29 years-were more than holding their own but a poor fans-the highest away clearance saw De Bruyne attendance at the Etihad force a good one-handed Stadum in its 15-year histo- save from as ry-much to cheer. the hosts pressed for the Manchester City manag- We created a lot opener. er Pep Guardiola sportingly The hosts turned the congratulated his Bristol of chances and screw as the half progressed City counterpart Lee forcing a series of corners Johnson at the end. “We that’s why we but without the end reward. created a lot of chances and However, it was Manchester that’s why we win in the win in the end City who cracked in the end, but today we knew we 43rd minute as the shaky are not going to finish our Eliaquim Mangala was dis- job-that will have to happen away in Bristol when we possessed and John Stones made a rash challenge on travel there,” the Spaniard told the BBC. Reid to concede a penalty. “They were really good, so we tried so hard, all the Reid dusted himself off and although Bravo guessed players tried and we’re really happy,” added the 46- the right way and got his fingers to the penalty, he was year-old, who has lost five of his last six semi-finals unable to prevent it going into the net for the scorer’s including City’s last domestic loss to Arsenal in last sea- 14th goal of the season. MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero (C) jumps to score their late winning goal son’s FA Cup. Johnson, who last season received a ensured the Championship side went into during the English League Cup semi-final first leg football match between Manchester City and Bristol City at death threat and had to move house as a result after the break 1-0 up when he produced a superb header to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England. — AFP Bristol City lost eight matches in a row, said he was clear over his own bar as Raheem Sterling’s shot looked proud of his players. destined to bring the sides level. “They can’t be disappointed as we are still in the However, there was nothing the visitors could do the Belgian rifled the ball into the net to provoke a sigh for Yaya Toure with 20 minutes remaining and the club’s tie,” he told Sky Sports. “They have shown the world about the equaliser in the 55th minute. De Bruyne surged of relief from players and home fans alike. Guardiola record goalscorer did not disappoint, firing in the winner we are good footballers.” Manchester City went close forward playing it to Sterling who laid it back to him and decided to send on his only out-and-out striker Aguero for a barely deserved victory. — AFP

Everton owner says Lukaku exit swayed Lemar helps by ‘voodoo message’ Monaco beat rivals

LONDON: Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri Nice in League says that the club’s former striker Romelu Lukaku turned down a big offer to stay in Merseyside on the advice of a “voodoo message” that was passed on to him by the Cup quarters player’s mother. The 24-year-old’s prolific form garnered interest from NICE: Thomas Lemar scored as Monaco beat Cote top clubs in England after the Belgian international d’Azur rivals Nice 2-1 at the Allianz Riviera on Tuesday scored 25 goals in 37 league appearances last season. to reach the French League Cup semi-finals. Lemar, Lukaku was initially expected to return to his former who has been heavily linked with a move to England, club Chelsea but the 24-year-old instead sealed a move nodded Monaco into an early lead, before Alassane to Manchester United in July, and Moshiri says Everton Plea equalised after a video review. Monaco moved offered everything they could in an effort to hold on to back in front before half-time through 21-year-old their main goal threat. Adama Diakhaby and Leonardo Jardim’s French cham- “With Romelu, I wasted two summers trying to keep pions held on with the aid of a terrible miss by Nice him,” Moshiri said during Everton’s annual general meet- midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou. “This victory was ing on Tuesday. “The first summer, I spent almost three deserved and it is very important for our fans,” said months, and we managed to keep him for another year. Monaco coach Jardim after his side’s sixth straight win. “Last summer, we offered him a better deal than Chelsea “Diakhaby is progressing, even if he’s not doing every- and he just didn’t want to stay... If I tell you what we thing right, he’s young and we believe in him.” The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is being used offered, you won’t believe it. His agent went to Finch for the rest of the competition as a test ahead of its Farm to sign the contract. “Then somehow during the expected arrival in Ligue 1 next season, having been meeting, Romelu called his mother and said she was on a OLD TRAFFORD: Manchester United’s Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku (L) scores their second goal during the used in the promotion/relegation play-off last year. pilgrimage to Africa and had seen some sort of voodoo English FA Cup third round football match. — AFP “It’s good, we’re losing two or three minutes in the that said he had to sign for Chelsea. whole game,” Jardim said. “Errors will decrease, not “What can you do? He’d gone to Los Angeles and totally, but by 80 percent.” The hosts were given a blow wouldn’t come back, his brain had gone.” Lukaku is in retaining midfielder Ross Barkley at Goodison Park added. Everton, who were knocked out of the FA Cup by before kick-off as the in-form Mario Balotelli failed to United’s leading scorer this season with 10 goals in 21 with the England international swapping Merseyside for city rivals Liverpool last Friday, are ninth in the standings regain fitness in time after suffering with glute pain. league games, helping lead Jose Mourinho’s side up to champions Chelsea last week. “I didn’t spent as much and travel to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Monaco made a fast start and took the lead in only the second in the standings. Everton were also unsuccessful time to keep Ross as I did Rom (Lukaku),” Moshiri Saturday. —Reuters third minute, as Lemar found space to head in Keita Balde’s cross from close range to score his third goal of an injury-hit season and send out a message to potential suitors at Arsenal and Liverpool. The 22-year-old drilled into the roof of the net 10 minutes later, only to be Liverpool’s Sevilla have not agreed to significantly denied a second goal by the linesman’s flag for offside. Man Utd to lower the price of tickets for our fans to Nice levelled against the run of play in the 18th minute ‘Flying Pig’ what we view as a reasonable level. as Plea ran onto Allan Saint-Maximin’s pass and slotted “Therefore we have taken the difficult past Diego Benaglio at the Monaco goalkeeper’s near raise price of decision to charge Sevilla fans for the post. The referee checked with VAR for offside, but Lawrence dies return leg at Old Trafford the same replays showed that Plea had timed his run to perfec- Sevilla amount as our fans have been charged tion before grabbing his 10th goal of the campaign. The LONDON: Goalkeeper Tommy for the away fixture. visitors continued to be the better side, though, and Lawrence, part of the first great “We have decided to increase the they retook the lead as forward Diakhaby sent a half- Liverpool side under Bill Shankly, has fans’ tickets ticket prices for Sevilla fans for the volley flying into the corner from another excellent died aged 77, the club announced yes- game at Old Trafford, and use this Balde delivery. Nice threw bodies forwards in the second half with- terday. Lawrence, affectionately known BARCELONA: Manchester United have increase to subsidise our fans, as we out creating many clear-cut chances, but Lees-Melou as ‘The Flying Pig’ for his acrobatic want this to act as a deterrent to future raised ticket prices for Sevilla fans by should have equalised when he headed wide with the opponents who look to increase ticket saves despite being of portly build, was 35 pounds ($47) for the Champions goal gaping from only three yards out. prices for our travelling supporters.” a member of the side that won two League last 16 tie at Old Trafford to Runaway Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain, who league titles in 1964 and 1966, not miss- subsidise the cost of their supporters’ Manchester United said they would Tommy Lawrence have won four straight League Cups, will look to ing a match in the latter campaign. trip to Spain for the first leg. Sevilla are donate any additional revenue gained extend their incredible 34-match winning streak in He also won the FA Cup in 1965. charging Man United fans between 89 to the club’s charity foundation. A domestic cup games at Amiens. — AFP Capped three times by Scotland, prior to playing for Liverpool, remaining and 133 pounds to watch the game at source close to Sevilla told Reuters the Lawrence only missed four league there until he retired. the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Feb. 21, Spanish club would pay the difference matches from 1963 to 1969. He conceded Roy Evans, the former Liverpool which the English club considered in cost for their fans between the initial only 24 goals in the 1968/69 season, coach and manager who was a player excessive. In an email to ticket holders prices and the new price, as well as which was a record for the lowest con- during Lawrence’s time at the club, paid for that game, United explained they reporting United to UEFA. ceded at the time in the old First tribute to the “gentleman” dubbed one would be refunding them 35 pounds, “Right now everything is hypotheti- Division. of football’s first sweeper-keepers. “He which is the difference between the 89 cal as United have not informed the Matches on TV However, the emergence of Ray actually worked it out for himself that if pound ticket price and the 54 pound club officially of the price rise,” added (Local Timings) Clemence in the late 1960’s heralded the we were going to push further up the priced Liverpool supporters were the source. “Sevilla will demand through UEFA that United comply to end of his tenure as first choice, and pitch and close people down, Tommy charged by Sevilla during the group SPAIN COPA DEL REY after being dropped for an FA Cup tie in was alive and alert to that,” Evans told stage of the competition. the ticketing rules that tickets for home the 1970/71 season he left for nearby Liverpoolfc.com “Tommy was an under- “In this instance we believe that our and away fans have a similar price for Sevilla v Cadiz 21:30 Tranmere Rovers, managed by his for- rated goalkeeper in many ways. “He had travelling supporters are unfairly being similar categories. beIN SPORTS mer Liverpool team-mate Ron Yeats. the nickname ‘The Flying Pig’ but subjected to increased/excessive ticket “Sevilla will inform UEFA that Levante v Espanyol 21:30 He made a total of 390 appearances Tommy was a really good goalkeeper prices from the host club,” read United have not complied with the rule for Liverpool. Lawrence finished his and his positional sense was great. “He Manchester United’s message, sent that away teams are offered 5 per cent beIN SPORTS playing career at non-league Chorley. was a guy who was so humble and he yesterday. “This has been raised with of the capacity in tickets, only offering Barcelona v Celta de Vigo 23:30 After hanging up his boots, he returned didn’t think of himself as better than Sevilla, and internally, but ultimately 4.1 per cent.” — Reuters beIN SPORTS to the same factory he had worked in anybody else.” —AFP