Anelka denies Welbeck lifts anti-Semitic Man United celebration19 over19 Norwichx SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2013 Australia eye victory after England crumble Page 17 MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s English midfielder James Milner (right) vies with Crystal Palace’s Australian midfielder Mile Jedinak during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Crystal Palace yesterday. Manchester City won the game 1-0. — AFP Man City edge Palace to go top until Dzeko’s strike with 24 minutes to go. Dzeko and he flashed a shot wide in the best cut under his eye for his troubles. That led to a ous home games. And the hosts even started Nonetheless, the 2012 champions are now top of the first-half openings. lengthy delay and in the first-half stoppage to look vulnerable on the counter-attack, with Man City 1 of the league for the first time since the open- City probed for the opening 45 minutes time that resulted, Fernandinho forced Puncheon curling just wide and Mile Jedinak ing weekend of the season, with previous with the majority of the possession, but they Speroni into a decent stop with a powerful forcing Hart into a good save with a danger- leaders Arsenal not in action until today. With did not have the same zip to their play that header. After the restart, it was Hart who was ous swerving effort. City unbeaten at the Etihad Stadium in the has seen them put six goals past Arsenal and tested first when Jason Puncheon fizzed an But the tension that was filtering around Palace 0 league this year, visiting their ground is a Tottenham Hotspur on home turf this season. effort towards the bottom corner that the City the Etihad was released in the 66th minute daunting task for even Europe’s top sides, let They were limited to long-distance efforts, goalkeeper pushed away. That prompted when Palace failed to clear and Jesus Navas alone relegation candidates Palace. with Silva, James Milner and even centre-back Pellegrini into a double change as crossed for Dzeko, who lifted a shot into the Tony Pulis’s side may have won four of their Vincent Kompany having a go from range, Fernandinho and right-back Dedryck Boyata roof of the net from 12 yards. Soon after, Joel MANCHESTER: Edin Dzeko’s second-half last seven games, but City’s ruthlessness on only to be either off target or have their shots were sacrificed for the more attacking Samir Ward forced Hart into another save before the strike sent Manchester City to the top of the their own turf meant that most Palace fans easily saved by Julian Speroni in the Palace Nasri and Alvaro Negredo. Palace defender headed wide from close Premier League table as his side earned a nar- travelled north expecting a damage limitation goal. Palace rarely ventured out of their own Pellegrini’s decision to rest some of his big range from Barry Bannan’s cross. Dzeko went row 1-0 victory over strugglers Crystal Palace exercise. But City lacked something in the half, but when they did it ended badly for for- names in the busy festive period, having com- close in second-half stoppage time as he yesterday. City manager Manuel Pellegrini opening half, with the absence of midfielder ward Cameron Jerome, who had to be taken plained about fixture congestion recently, headed just over, but a second goal was not decided to make six changes from his side’s Yaya Toure notable as he was rested by off after colliding with City goalkeeper Joe looked set to backfire. Frustration was creep- needed in the end for City, who can look victory over Liverpool on Thursday and their Pellegrini and looked on from the bench. Hart. ing in among the home fans, who had been down on their title rivals for a few hours at 100 percent home record looked in danger David Silva did create an early chance for England international Hart received a nasty treated to so much better in their side’s previ- least. — AFP Hull post record win, Bayern, Kuwait to face hammer Fulham 6-0 off in exhibition match er from a calf injury. Tom Huddlestone rattled the post with Reigning World champions to visit Kuwait Hull 6 a fierce free-kick while Stockdale KUWAIT: Reigning World and European matches in Kuwait are mostly held in front of did brilliantly to deny George champions Bayern Munich FC will be visiting empty seats whereas many Kuwaitis make Boyd. Egyptian international Kuwait in two weeks to play against AFC Cup travel every year to European countries to Ahmed Elmohamady also went Champions Kuwait SC in an exhibition watch and support their favorite clubs. close for the hosts but his long- Fulham 0 match. The match, which is expected to gar- Bayern Munich is one of the most suc- range shot was saved easily by ner huge crowds in the football-crazed Gulf cessful football clubs in Europe and the Stockdale as Hull ended the half nation, will take place at the Kuwait SC world, with 5 UEFA Champions League titles having had seven shots to the visi- Stadium in Kuwait City on January 13, 2014. in its resume - the last won in the 2013 UEFA KINGSTON UPON HULL: Hull end- tors’ two. Kick-off time is set at 6:00 pm. Champions League Final last May. It also ed a disappointing run of form in Hull kept up the pressure on “Bayern Munich is scheduled to arrive holds the record for most German league emphatic style yesterday as they Fulham straight after the break, from Qatar on the match’s day”, said Muayad championships with 23 trophies. Its latest recorded their best-ever result in Huddlestone again going close Al-Shehab, chairman of the higher commit- accomplishments came last week when the the Premier League with a 6-0 with a fine effort that crept over tee that is organizing the match, in a state- team was crowned the 2013 FIFA Club World hammering of struggling Fulham. the bar. Stockdale then did bril- ment published yesterday. He added that Cup Champions after defeating Africa’s Hull, who had won just twice since liantly in denying first Yannick the German team has also requested to use champions Raja Casablanca in Morocco. HULL: Hull City’s George Boyd (centre) battles for the ball with September prior to the game, Sagbo and regathered himself to Kuwait club’s training facilities. According to Kuwait SC is a three-time AFC Cup cham- Fulham’s Giorgos Karagounis, (left) and Elsad Zverotic during their scored all their goals in the sec- save from the rebound which fell Al-Shehab, Kuwait SC have signed a 1.100 pion, and the reigning champion after win- English Premier League match at the KC Stadium yesterday. — AP ond-half to move seven points to Slovenian Robert Koren-but his million Euros (KD426,935)contract with ning last season’s trophy. It is the third most clear of the relegation places while efforts were to be in vain seconds four defenders and somehow man- year goal drought and he stopped Bayern Munich to play a friendly match fea- successful club in Kuwait with 33 domestic turing all of its stars, including French inter- titles - coming only after archrivals Al-Arabi the visitors remain third from bot- later. Huddlestone’s corner was aged to shrug them all off to beat by the dugout during his celebra- national Frank Ribery who is a nominee to and Al-Qadsia. Bayern Munich would tom with their defense once again Stockdale. Hull had the bit tions to have a lock of it cut by a only cleared as far as Elmohamady, win the FIFA Ballon d’Or, the most presti- become the third high-profile European having let them down. They have who made no mistake from the between the teeth and while in the member of the backroom staff. If conceded 41 goals in 19 games, gious individual’s award given for the best football team to play a friendly match in edge of the box with a crisp effort. first-half nothing could beat Fulham hoped Hull’s desire for player in the previous season, and which recent years in Kuwait. the worst in the Premier League, From then on Fulham wilted Sotckdale, now everything they goals was sated they were to be and must hope to get positive coincidently is set to be named on the same On March 2012, Real Madrid, featuring and Hull rubbed in their all-round tried came off-Huddlestone crown- sorely disappointed as Matty Fryatt day of the match. mega stars including Christiano Ronaldo, results at home to fellow relega- superiority with two goals in three ing a dynamic performance with a poked home the fifth after Tickets will be available at affordable defeated the Kuwait National team 2 - 0. tion candidates West Ham and minutes around the hour mark as fine effort in the 67th minute to Huddlestone’s extraordinary 40- prices “because the goal is to lure crowds Kazma SC hosted Real Madrid’s archrival, Sunderland early next year to ease first the impressive Koren got on make it 4-0. yard free-kick had been tipped back to the stadium and allow them to Barcelona, on December 2009 in a friendly their plight. the scoresheet, converting Sagbo’s Huddlestone, who moved from onto the bar by Stockdale. There watch the world’s top footballers play”, said match held as part of the Kuwaiti club’s 45th Hull dominated the first-half cross.