TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016 SPORTS Leicester are title favourites now, says Wenger BOURNEMOUTH: Arsene Wenger admits “When you play at the top, that’s a FAVOURITES Premier League for anybody is difficult to Gosling. The Arsenal was pun- Leicester are now favourites to win the long period, confidence drops a little bit. “I agree with you that Leicester now win. We had to win. We won. ished with only a yellow card but Howe Premier League title but insists his Arsenal Leicester running away and us playing are the favourites. We have a big game at “In our last three away games, we said: “I felt it was a red card. Had a very side’s challenge is back on course. The them next week, to make the game inter- home now against them, and I believe we played Liverpool, equalised in the last good view and thought it was two footed. Gunners’ 2-0 win at Bournemouth was esting, it was very important for us to win have enough quality and nerves to deal minute, we played at Stoke, 0-0, and we That kind of tackle has been outlawed. their first in five league games and moved today. “In one week, Leicester has beaten with that.” Arsenal went into Sunday’s came here today, and won, so I believe “You can’t do it. It was a straight red, a sim- Wenger’s side up to third place, five points Liverpool and Man City. So that means game having failed to score in their last that we have shown good performances.” ple decision. I was surprised when referee adrift of Leicester before next weekend’s suddenly they become the favourite in three league outingsa but secured the Ozil again impressed, capping a fine all- only produced a yellow. meeting between the two teams. the league. That makes our game on points through first half goals from Mesut round display with a goal. “I haven’t seen a replay but it was two- The Arsenal manager believes it was Sunday a very big one.” Ozil and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. “He has become a very important play- footed and Dan could’ve been seriously crucial his side ended their dismal recent He added: “We have been in a title race Wenger believes his side’s performanc- er, I think he has added fighting attitude. It injured on another occasion. That’s why I run but is convinced they will now meet and we are still in it. We cannot control es have not been getting the rewards was a top performance again,” said thought it was a straight red. It didn’t look Claudio Ranieri’s side with renewed belief. people’s opinions. they deserve but admitted his relief at Wenger of his influential German star. like it was under control.” “Yes, of course (we needed a win), for “We can just control our performances claiming all three points. “I think we need- Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was But Wenger took an opposite view. “I two reasons. One we haven’t won for a and to show that we believe in it, you ed to win the game. I do not want to be convinced his side’s chances were dented didn’t see it like that, honestly I felt even while, we had four games without a win,” know, and that we have the level to do it. too dramatic with making statements. A by the failure of referee Kevin Friend to at the start it was free-kick for us,” said the said Wenger. There’s still a very long way to go. football game away from home in the dismiss Mathieu Flamini for a foul on Dan Frenchman. — AFP Szczesny heroic as Roma snatch Samp win

MILAN: On-loan Arsenal goalkeeper ceded five defeats and a draw in their Wojciech Szczesny produced late heroics last six outings. But Montella remained as Roma held on to snatch a 2-1 win at defiant: “We definitely played better in home to Sampdoria on Sunday and main- the second half and I think in the end we tain their bid for a place in Europe next deserved the win. season. “I’m glad to have helped the “I want to remain positive but my team, but I would have preferred to make smile is bittersweet. I’m sorry for the fans fewer saves,” the Polish ‘keeper told and the players but I think if we look at Mediaset Premium. Edin Dzeko started our last three games we can say we on the bench and Radja Nainggolan was didn’t deserve just a point. “I can see the suspended for the visit of Sampdoria, light at the end of the tunnel.” whose coach Vincenzo Montella was once Roma spurned several chances to race a hugely popular striker with the club. to a healthy first-half lead, Bosnian mid- But with Sampdoria still struggling to fielder Miralem Pjanic notably nodding kickstart their season following wide of the target despite having time Montella’s recent arrival, the hosts were on his side when Florenzi fired over an rarely troubled in a one-sided opening inviting cross early on. Stephan El period that saw Alessandro Florenzi’s Shaarawy somehow ballooned over from header break the deadlock on the stroke 12 yards on Mohamed Salah’s cut-back of half-time. but just as form dipped towards half- Diego Perotti doubled the lead with a time, Florenzi pounced to head the superb volley minutes after the restart to deflection from an El Shaarawy’s drive claim his maiden Roma goal, but when inside Viviano’s far post. Minutes after Joaquin Correa’s deflected shot trickled the restart, El Shaarawy flicked a loose past Szczesny soon after, Roma’s confi- ball up for Perotti on the edge of the area dence dropped. Sampdoria came fight- and the former Genoa midfielder ing back in a thrilling last quarter hour promptly fired a volley past Viviano and that saw Szczesny make several crucial into the bottom left-hand corner. Pjanic saves while the crossbar kept out a late then escaped down the right to skim the Mattia Cassani chance out as Roma held upright with the outside of his boot, but on to claim their third consecutive win. just as Roma looked to have gained com- Roma remain in fifth at 12 points behind mand, Correa’s shot deflected off Pjanic leaders Napoli, but after Fiorentina and to wrong-foot Szczesny at his near post. Inter Milan drew with Bologna and Dzeko replaced Maicon halfway through Verona respectively, Spalletti’s men are the second period and after losing con- one point behind Inter and two behind trol on the edge of the area turned to see Fiorentina in third. “We should have set- unmarked El Shaarawy pounce and fire tled things much earlier in the match, the loose ball just wide. but we held on for our third consecitive Veteran Antonio Cassano replaced NAPLES: Napoli’s Italian forward Manolo Gabbiadini (R) vies with Carpi’s Swiss defender Fabio Daprela (C) during the Italian football win and we’ve moved even closer to our Correa for the final 10 minutes and match SSC Napoli vs Carpi FC on Sunday at the San Paolo stadium in Naples. Napoli won the match 1-0. — AFP rival for the Champions League, so we spurned a great chance to level when have to be happy,” Spalletti told Sky Szczesny raced out to block, the Polish Sport. ‘keeper then getting low on Cassano’s Napoli and Juventus deflection from a Dodo drive. A Dodo cross FIVE DEFEATS in the dying seconds saw Cassani contort Sampdoria have now won just two of his body to fire a volley that beat Szczesny, their 12 games under Montella, and con- only to rattle the crossbar. — AFP record narrow wins

MILAN: Napoli and Juventus both recorded nar- week to prepare the match against Napoli,” hauled down Koulibaly. Higuain fired confident- row victories against relegation-threatened Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “But ly into the bottom left, scoring for the sixth suc- sides to remain first and second in Serie A on then there will still be another 13 matches left, cessive round. Juventus also extended its club Sunday ahead of their showdown in Turin next the season is long. It will be a really lovely battle, record winning streak to 14 in a row. The record weekend. Second-place Juventus, which beat a direct clash, but it will not decide the title.” in Serie A is Inter’s 17-match run in 2006-07. Frosinone 2-0, appeared to be on the verge of It was surprisingly hard work for Juventus but moving level at the top when Juan Cuadrado HISTORY Frosinone’s resistance was breaking down slow- broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute with the Elsewhere, AC Milan failed to make it three in ly, with Paulo Dybala hitting the post moments score still goalless in the Napoli-Carpi match. a row as it was held 1-1 against Udinese. before the opening goal. Alex Sandro’s ball was Gonzalo Higuain then converted a penalty Sassuolo drew 2-2 against 10-man and allowed to go across the face of goal for an against 10-man Carpi moments later for his 24th Chievo Verona won 2-1 at Torino, while Atalanta unmarked Cuadrado to curl into the far side of goal in 24 league matches this season as Napoli and Empoli ended 0-0. After matching its club the net. Juve sealed the result in stoppage time went on to win 1-0. record of seven consecutive victories against when Alvaro Morata burst through the middle “It’s a source of pride for us to be above Juve Lazio, Napoli’s team was looking to make history and unselfishly rolled it across for Dybala to fin- and we’re happy to be able to play this kind of against Carpi. ish off. Verona was bottom of the table but battle,” Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said. “If we Napoli could have had a penalty in the first unbeaten in its past four matches and finally draw at the end of a difficult game, OK, but I half for a clear tug on Jose Callejon’s shirt by recorded its first win of the season midweek. would not sign beforehand for it. I want to go Stefano Sabelli. Callejon was further upset early That round also saw Inter end a four-match win- there to play. They will be stronger than us but in the second half when he had the ball in the less run that had seen it fall off the top spot. we have to have the chutzpah to go to Turin and net but it was ruled out for offside. Verona had not beaten Inter in any competi- play football.” There was a touching moment It was Carpi’s turn to feel aggrieved in the tion in 24 years but it took a 3-1 lead just before before the match as Napoli fans held up prints of 56th when Paolo Bianco was sent off for a sec- the hour mark after headers from Filip Helander, Kalidou Koulibaly’s face in a show of support ond yellow card when it appeared to be more Eros Pisano and Artur Ionita following Jeison after the team’s defender was racially abused by Cristian Zaccardo’s foul than his on Lorenzo Murillo’s opener for Inter. Lazio fans in midweek. Insigne. Zaccardo appeared to be telling the ref- However, Mauro Icardi reduced the deficit in Napoli remained two points ahead of eree this as he and his teammates surrounded the 61st and Ivan Perisic leveled the match 12 Juventus, with Inter Milan missing the chance to the official but Bianco was dismissed. minutes from time. Both sides had chances to move third after a 3-3 draw at Hellas Verona. However, the referee got it right when he grab a winner in the final minutes with Gilberto “The lads were great and now we have a awarded Napoli a penalty after Fabio Daprela also hitting the post for Verona. — AP Inked up Grosskreutz hoping ROME: Roma’s goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny saves a ball during a Serie A soccer match between Roma and Sampdoria at Rome’s Olympic stadium, Sunday. — AP to knock out ex-club Dortmund Stoke must take BERLIN: Stuttgart’s World Cup winner Kevin urinating in a Berlin hotel’s foyer and throw- tive games for the Turkish club for the rest of Grosskreutz is relishing his new club’s German ing a kebab at a fan in Cologne during sepa- 2015. Homesickness kicked in and more risks: Hughes Cup quarter-final at home to Borussia rate late-night incidents. The 27-year-old was Grosskreutz seized the chance to return to the Dortmund today as he looks to knock his ex- part of Germany’s World Cup squad, but didn’t with Stuttgart in January. STOKE: Stoke City players should start you’ve got to put balls into good areas club out. Such is Grosskreutz’s passion for play a single minute of Brazil 2014 and will be “I was made to feel super welcome in the taking more risks to end their four- with quality which, in recent weeks, we Dortmund that he has a tattoo of the city’s up against former Borussia team-mates he team and feel really well in the city and in the game winless streak in the Premier have been struggling to produce in skyline on his right calf and Borussia’s 2011 only waved goodbye to a few months ago. stadium,” he said. League, manager Mark Hughes said wide areas.” and 2012 German league titles celebrated in The right-back will be tasked with ensuring “In the league, it is all about staying up and after Saturday’s 3-0 drubbing at the Hughes said he felt his players would ink on his left shoulder. Dortmund’s Germany star Marco Reus has a we aren’t talking about anything else, but of hands of Everton. have earned a much needed breather “For me personally, it’s a special feeling to quiet game on the left wing and that striker course we want to try and take something out Stoke have failed to score in any of as they get a week off after Saturday’s run out against Dortmund,” Grosskreutz said Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fails to add to his of Tuesday.” He is not Stuttgart’s only ex- their matches during the losing streak league clash against relegation-threat- having made 178 league appearances for tally of 29 goals in all competitions this sea- Dortmund player looking forward to playing and have conceded nine goals in the ened Bournemouth. Hughes said their Borussia, whom he left in September. son. Grosskreutz has been a revelation since last season’s German Cup finalists. process. Hughes’ men have gone from cramped fixture list of playing 10 games “It was my club and I’m looking forward to signing for Stuttgart in January, helping his Australian goalkeeper Mitchell Langerak is fighting for the European spots in the since the start of 2016 was also taking seeing my friends again,” he said before new club to three wins in as many games, set to make his first start for Stuttgart having league in seventh place, just four points its toll on the players. adding “but we won’t be friends on the pitch”. after an unhappy three-month stint at been plagued with injury since his transfer off fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, “We are a little bit weakened with “I’m from there and really looking forward to Galatasaray when he did not play a competi- before the start of the season. Resurgent to 11th in the table with just 13 games injuries and the intensity of the games the game. “We’ll put everything in so that we tive game. Having been a Dortmund regular Stuttgart will test high-flying Dortmund, hav- left. “We were a little bit reluctant to put we’ve just been through, high-intensity can pull off a surprise. We want to reach the under Jurgen Klopp, Grosskreutz left at the ing won all of their last five matches since balls into good areas and get people to games against top teams, might just next round. start of the current season due to a lack of needing extra-time to beat Eintracht make good balls out of, at times, poor take the edge out of you,” the former “Dortmund have a world-class team, it’s opportunities under new coach Thomas Braunschweig 3-2 in the third round of the balls. Maybe we have got to be a bit Manchester City manager said. not for no reason that they’re second (in the Tuchel. “There won’t be much time for a chat, German Cup last December. more risky in our play,” Hughes told “But we’ve got a free week, which Bundesliga), but we believe in our chances.” but there are no personal reservations,” said League wins over Wolfsburg, Cologne, British media. “We were too reliant on we are thankful for, and we just need to According to Borussia’s CEO Hans-Joachim Tuchel. Grosskreutz switched to Istanbul’s Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt have cata- keeping possession, but sometimes get a bit of freshness back into the Watzke, Grosskreutz “embodied” what the Galatasaray in late August, but a problem with pulted 2007 German league champions you’ve got to attack the game and team, then we will be fine.” — Reuters club is about, even if he courted controversy the paperwork before the transfer window Stuttgart from the relegation places to 12th in during his six years as a Dortmund player by closed meant he could not play in competi- the Bundesliga table. — AFP