SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2017 SPORTS Gross ends Brighton’s 34-year wait for top-flight win Just when Brighton feared a dominant first half would go unrewarded, up popped Brighton 3 Gross with his club’s first top-tier goal for 34 years. Bruno’s raking cross-field ball let March chip to the far post, where Allan Nyom was caught out. West Bromwich 1 The ball dropped over the veteran West Brom full-back, allowing Gross to control, cut inside, and squeeze the ball past Foster. BRIGHTON: Pascal Gross was Brighton’s There was even greater elation when Gross hero as the Seagulls clinched their first top- drilled his second of the day just moments flight win since 1983 with a 3-1 success after the break. Hemed trapped well into against West Bromwich Albion at the Amex his feet, fending off Ahmed Hegazi with his Stadium yesterday. German midfielder back to goal, before turning a smart ball Gross bagged a brace and laid on the third round the corner to split the West Brom for Tomer Hemed to give the Premier defence. League new boys their maiden three points Gross cantered through the centre, since last season’s promotion. drilling home to double the lead. Pulis Chris Hughton’s side had failed to find threw on all his three substitutes in a bid to the net in their first three league outings, reverse his side’s fortunes, but Brighton taking only one point in the process, but kept their cool and pounced again. Hemed they deservedly brought West Brom’s reached Gross’ teasing near-post delivery unbeaten start to the campaign to a halt. first, and nodded past the outstretched Shane Duffy had the ball in the net inside Foster. West Brom clutched at respectability 15 minutes but was flagged offside, follow- thanks to James Morrison’s late goal, Kieran ing up Solly March’s shot that was spilled Gibbs crossing in and Oliver Burke heading by Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster. back for the opening. — AFP MADRID: Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, top, is tackled by Levante’s Jefferson Lerma during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Kante returns to Madrid and Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, yesterday. — AP haunt Leicester SOCCER firing home from 25 yards. The two-goal lead lasted for quarter of Real held by Levante Leicester City 1 an hour when a penalty offered the hosts a route back into the match. Vardy seized on Azpilicueta’s weak back pass and was brought down by Courtois, who gave refer- Chelsea 2 as Marcelo sees red ee Lee Mason no choice but to point to the spot. The England forward converted the chance with a viciously struck penalty LEICESTER: A rare N’Golo Kante goal on his straight down the middle of the goal. MADRID: Real Madrid paid for the absence of unusually early 1300 (1100GMT) kick-off time for Madrid ramped up the tempo as the half return to Leicester gave Premier League Shakespeare brought on Kelechi Cristiano Ronaldo and a series of missed Real on the back of an international break, wore on, but had to rely on a set-piece to level champions Chelsea a 2-1 victory at the Iheanacho off the bench as his side chances by Gareth Bale as they were held 1-1 at Zidane left many of those who had been away nine minutes before half-time. Sergio Ramos’s King Power Stadium yesterday. Kante searched desperately for an equaliser. But it home by Levante yesterday. A slow start by a with their national teams in reserve. towering header was parried by Raul Fernandez, struck five minutes after half-time with a was Chelsea who went closest to another much-changed Real team was punished when Despite Ronaldo’s continued absence but Vazquez bundled home the rebound into an low shot that appeared to take City keeper goal as Hazard picked out Willian whose Ivi Lopez fired newly-promoted Levante into a through suspension, Bale and Isco were left on empty net. Kasper Schmeichel by surprise as it came shot rolled inches wide.— AFP shock lead after just 12 minutes. Real respond- the bench, whilst Luka Modric and goalkeeper Bale then had a huge chance to turn the though a crowd of players to find the bot- ed thanks to Lucas Vazquez’s equaliser before Keylor Navas were left out the squad completely. game around, but was denied by a smart stop tom corner. half-time, but failed to break Levante’s However, Zidane defended criticism of his rota- from the Levante ‘keeper as he tried to curl the It was only the French midfielder’s third resistence despite incessant pressure as Bale, tion policy. “I am not going to revolutionise ball home with the outside of his left foot. Premier League goal, doubling Chelsea’s Matches on TV Marcelo and Toni Kroos came close in the sec- what I want to do with this team due to one bad The Welshman continued to be the focal lead after Alvaro Morata’s first-half header ond-half. And their frustration boiled over game,” said the Frenchman. point of the Madrid attack after the break, but, had opened the scoring for Chelsea. Jamie (Local Timings) when Marcelo was shown a straight red card for “I believe in this team and we need to play even after the introduction of Isco, Madrid Vardy’s penalty pulled one back for kicking out at Jefferson Lerma as the game better, nothing more than that.” The European missed Ronaldo’s cutting edge in the final third. Leicester but the Foxes fell to their third ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE entered stoppage time. “We can’t be happy champions were caught cold by a sluggish start A frantic finish saw Bale head inches wide from defeat of the season, while Chelsea cele- Burnley FC v Crystal Palace 15:30 with our performance, above all in the first-half,” as Levante went in front thanks to some awful Isco’s cross at the back post four minutes from brated a third successive win. beIN SPORTS HD 2 said Real boss Zinedine Zidane. Real defending. time. Marcelo then saw a fierce effort from the Belgian playmaker Eden Hazard was on beIN SPORTS HD 11 EN Madrid have now dropped points in their A Levante long-throw from the right was edge of the box turned behind by Fernandez, the bench after missing the start of Swansea City v Newcastle United 18:00 opening two home league games of the season, allowed to bounce inside Madrid’s six-yard box but the Brazilian appeared to kick out at Lerma Chelsea’s season after breaking his ankle beIN SPORTS HD 2 handing the early initiative in the title race to before Ivi spun and fired across Kiko Casilla into as he hit the ground and was shown a straight while training with his national team in beIN SPORTS HD 11 EN Barcelona. Barca could move four points clear of the far corner. The hosts were dealt another red card. June. Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater Real with victory at home to Espanyol later. “We blow midway through the first-half as Karim Despite their numerical disadvantage, Madrid was also among the substitutes following SPANISH LEAGUE don’t need to go crazy. We need to have Benzema limped off and with no other natural still nearly grabbed all three points as Toni his move from Leicester on transfer dead- patience and think about the next game, which striker on the bench, Bale was forced to play as Kroos’s effort from the edge of the area clipped Deportivo La Coruna v Real Sociedad 13:00 is just around the corner,” added Zidane. With an an auxiliary centre-forward. the outside of the post. —AFP line day. The Blues started brightly with beIN SPORTS HD 3 Morata forcing Schmeichel into a save in Athletic de Bilbao v Girona 17:15 the second minute. beIN SPORTS HD 3 Behind the Spanish striker, Cesc Celta de Vigo v Deportivo Alaves 19:30 Fabregas was linking well with Tiemoue Kane’s double beIN SPORTS HD 3 Bakayoko and Victor Moses while Marcos Villarreal CF v Real Betis 21:45 Alonso was making inroads on the left beIN SPORTS HD 3 flank. The Spanish wing back almost picked nails Everton out Morata with a cross from a tight angle, ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE but Leicester captain Wes Morgan inter- vened at full stretch to clear the danger. Internazionale Milano v Spal 13:30 It was midway through the first half beIN SPORTS HD 4 Everton 0 before the home side got a clear sight of Atalanta v US Sassuolo Calcio 16:00 goal, Vardy racing onto Riyad Mahrez’s beIN SPORTS HD 9 through ball and dragging his shot past the SS Lazio v AC Milan 16:00 far post. At the other end Morgan was beIN SPORTS HD 4 Tottenham 3 again called into action as Kante won the Udinese Calcio v Genoa CFC 16:00 ball and set Morata away. beIN SPORTS The Jamaica international slid in to send Hellas Verona v ACF Fiorentina 16:00 LIVERPOOL: Harry Kane placed his by-now customary the Spaniard’s shot out for a corner. An beIN SPORTS HD 10 August problems firmly behind him, scoring twice as uncharacteristic mistake from Kante, who Cagliari Calcio v Crotone 16:00 Tottenham’s emphatic 3-0 victory against Everton at gave the ball away from a short corner, beIN SPORTS Goodison Park announced a return to form for Mauricio almost cost his side as Mahrez broke.