SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 13, 2017 Forget Allardici, Silva service key to Man Sam’s the ‘ Houdini’ City’s Champions dream

LONDON: once mused that if he had been MANCHESTER: David Silva’s comeback called ‘Allardici’ it might all have been so different, and given from injury helped inspire Manchester the chance to manage Real Madrid or Inter Milan he was sure City’s return to form last weekend, and he would have the medals to accompany the fashionable con- his fitness is likely to prove crucial to tinental sheen. Alas for ‘Big Sam’, when he finally did land his their Champions League qualification long-awaited glamorous chance as England’s manager last prospects. Silva, back from a fortnight year, he lost the job in undignified circumstances after only 67 out with a knee injury, was superb as days amid controversy and a newspaper sting. So it was his lot City beat an inept Crystal Palace 5-0, for then to throw himself back at the grindstone, back to the only their third win in nine Premier unglamorous role that had defined his managerial name in League matches. the first place. That victory has left Pep Guardiola’s Not flashy ‘Allardici’, a manager who always fancied he side fourth going into today’s home would have been a serial winner at the Bernabeu or San Siro, match against Leicester City, with a but once again good old ‘Fireman Sam’, the Midlander that three-point lead over fifth-placed unfancied, struggling Premier League clubs turn to when deep Arsenal and only the top four at the end in the mire. Tomorrow, if he can steer Crystal Palace to a point of the season qualifying for the from the basement showdown with Hull City, Allardyce will Champions League. Sergio Aguero is once again have protected his record of never having suffered making progress in his recovery from a relegation from the Premier League. Considering the other groin injury, although it may be too clubs he has overseen-Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, soon for him to make a comeback. In Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United and Sunderland-and often any case, City’s front three of Raheem the difficult circumstances in which he took charge, this feat Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sane tells of his considerable strengths. were in fine form without him last MANCHESTER: Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola applauds In 2002-03 at Bolton, he avoided relegation with a final-day Saturday, aided by the creativity of Silva the fans following the English Premier League football match between win. In 2008, he took over at Blackburn in December when they and Kevin De Bruyne. Manchester City and Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. were 19th. Sunderland were second bottom last season when Seven points from their final three Manchester City won the match 5-0. —AFP he arrived to bail them out. Now, it is Palace who are grateful to matches will guarantee City’s place in have Allardyce on board, even if it has been a curious adven- next season’s Champions League, a tar- in the first half tain Wes Morgan’s hamstring problem ture, ricocheting between the abysmal and the exhilarating, get they would be more than hopeful of against Palace showed he is a more will rule him out again. “Drinkwater has since he took the helm of Alan Pardew’s sinking ship just before achieving given that the Leicester game than able deputy, and he will continue a thigh strain and I don’t expect him to Christmas. Allardyce said he had been a “fool” when his brief is followed by matches against West for the season’s final three games. play again this season,” said England reign had ended by mutual agreement three months Bromwich Albion and Watford, both out Caballero had a run of Premier League Shakespeare. “We need to give him time earlier after he had been filmed allegedly offering advice on of form. Then again, reigning English matches for City between January and to get over it but it’s weeks rather than how to “get around” FA transfer rules. champions Leicester were struggling early April when Bravo was dropped, months.” — AFP Yet the 62-year-old is nobody’s fool when it comes to rescu- when City visited the King Power and remained philosophical when the ing lost causes and even though he lost six of his first eight Stadium in December, yet Jamie Vardy former Barcelona goalkeeper was then league matches in charge, once his familiar hallmarks of shrewd was still able to score a hat-trick in a 4-2 recalled. “I tried to be focused when signings, clever man management, intensive training and tacti- home victory. Claudio started to play again and I Matches on TV cal nous kicked in, the makeover was extraordinary. Palace won trained well,” said Caballero. “I kept my (Local Timing) six of their next eight, including wholly improbable victories at Professional Caballero professionalism. table-topping Chelsea and Liverpool and a 3-0 home win over Guardiola’s side do look a little more “Unfortunately he probably can’t ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Arsenal hailed as arguably the club’s finest Premier League settled now, though, with Vincent play until next season but I trained really Man City v Leicester City 14:30 showing. All this featured excellent performances from three Kompany’s return to fitness giving the hard for this opportunity.” Leicester beIN SPORTS HD 2 key Allardyce signings-Luka Milivojevic, and defense a much more solid look. have assured their safety in the Premier Middlesbrough v Southampton 17:00 Jeffrey Schlupp. Up front, Allardyce freed the talent of Wilfried Kompany, troubled by a series of injury League with 22 points gained in 10 beIN SPORTS HD 8 Zaha as Christian Benteke rediscovered his confidence. problems over the last three years, has domestic games since Craig Bournemouth v Burnley 17:00 Even their recent alarming three-match losing slump cannot completed 90 minutes in each of City’s Shakespeare took charge following the beIN SPORTS HD 12 EN quite persuade Eagles fans that Allardyce will not be the safest surprise sacking of title-winning manag- Sunderland v Swansea City 17:00 last five matches, suggesting that his beIN SPORTS HD 2 pair of hands around for Sunday’s huge fixture. Palace chairman troubles may finally be behind him. City er . But the current Foxes Steve Parish has praised his remarkable influence, noting after boss will have to complete his audition Stoke City v Arsenal 19:30 manager Guardiola is without first- beIN SPORTS HD 2 the preposterous win at Chelsea: “Sam’s management style is choice goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, out for a longer-term contract without mid- very inclusive, he builds a team around him that do all the right for the rest of the season with a calf fielder Danny Drinkwater, who has been SPANISH LEAGUE things. He’s worked incredibly hard.” The England debacle may injury, but his absence hasn’t hurt his ruled out for the rest of the season. Espanyol v Valencia 17:00 well mean it is too late for Allardyce to be given the chance to team’s prospects unduly, given the Shakespeare could also face a crisis in beIN SPORTS HD 3 be the serial winner he always thought he could be given the Chile international’s erratic displays. central defense, where Robert Huth is a Osasuna v Granada 19:30 right tools. — Reuters Willy Caballero’s fine save from major doubt with a foot injury and cap- beIN SPORTS HD 3 ITALIAN LEAGUE ACF Fiorentina v SS Lazio 19:00 Wenger aims to silence critics with Euro push beIN SPORTS Atalanta v AC Milan 21:45 beIN SPORTS STOKE-ON-TRENT: There is nothing Arsene and the Gunners, and are at West Ham Concentrate Wenger relishes more than confounding his tomorrow. The Chile star scored at Southampton to GERMAN doubters and the Arsenal manager will know But while Wenger cannot wait to say ‘told being his Premier League goal tally for the Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim 16:30 today whether he has a strong chance of you so’ to his critics Gunners defender season to 20, and 14 of those have been in beIN SPORTS doing so once again. Wenger’s side travel to Shkodran Mustafi is still concerned his team away games. “I think it will give us hope, SC Freiburg v FC Ingolstadt 04 16:30 Stoke having boosted their chances of quali- may have left it a little too late. “I wish we because if we keep the pressure on the other beIN SPORTS fying for the Champions League - a task that found that before,” he said of Arsenal’s recent teams, maybe they will have an unlucky game Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Koln 16:30 looked a lost cause just a few weeks ago by revival. “But now we have three games and or drop points somewhere,” Arsenal goal- beIN SPORTS winning 2-0 at Southampton on Wednesday. we have to give everything to try and get keeper Petr Cech said. “We need to make sure Schalke 04 v Hamburger SV 16:30 That left Arsenal in fifth place in the everything out of all the games. Hopefully at we are ready to take advantage of that. We beIN SPORTS Wolfsburg v Monchengladbach 16:30 Premier League, three points behind the end we’ll reach our goals.” Arsenal will concentrate on our games, we go game-by- beIN SPORTS Manchester City in the slot directly above. finish the campaign with home games game and we have to win all of them to give FSV Mainz 05 v Eintracht Frankfurt 16:30 City will have played their home game with against relegated Sunderland and then ourselves a chance. Then we will see what beIN SPORTS West Bromwich Albion by the time Arsenal Everton, but first they must focus on ending happens.” Arsenal will be facing a Stoke side FC Augsburg v Borussia Dortmund 16:30 kick off at Stoke, but a Gunners victory is sure their poor run at Stoke. Although they have with just one win from their last nine games, beIN SPORTS to stoke up the pressure on Liverpool, who not won there since 2010, losing on four of yet City manager is confident SV Darmstadt 98 v Hertha Berlin16:30 are currently in third. Jurgen Klopp’s side are their eight visits, Wenger’s men will be hope- his players will rise to the occasion. “It’s going beIN SPORTS four points better off than Arsenal, but cru- ful of ending that sorry sequence so long as to be a good atmosphere, it always is when RB v Bayern Munich 16:30 cially have played one fixture more than City Alexis Sanchez is in the team. Arsenal come to town,” Hughes said. — AFP beIN SPORTS