Established 1961 15 Sports Thursday, January 18, 2018 VAR system helps Leicester advance to FA Cup fourth round Leicester makes history as English football’s first beneficiaries LONDON: Leicester made history as English football’s already put Leicester ahead in the 43rd minute at the first beneficiaries of the Video Assistant Referee system King Power Stadium, running onto Islam Slimani’s pass after the replay technology was used to award their and firing home. Leicester’s reward for a comfortable second goal in a 2-0 FA Cup win over Fleetwood on win against their third tier opponents is a trip to Tuesday. Peterborough, also of League One, in the fourth round. When Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho ran onto a VAR, which has already been used in other competi- Riyad Mahrez pass to slot home in the 77th minute of tions around the world, can be called on to rule over the third round replay, his strike was initially ruled out goals, straight red cards, penalty decisions and cases of for offside. mistaken identity. But after a short delay while the attack was being Elsewhere, Cardiff set up a fourth round clash with analysed by the VAR assis- Premier League leaders tant Mike Jones, the deci- Manchester City as the sion was changed-replays Championship side won 4-1 showed Nigeria’s Iheanacho in their replay at fourth tier was just onside-and referee I didn’t know Mansfield. Jon Moss awarded a goal. With City boss Pep The VAR system was first if I was onside Guardiola watching from used in England earlier this the Field Mill stands, Bruno month for Brighton’s FA Cup or offside Manga put Cardiff ahead in third round tie against the 34th minute. Danny Crystal Palace and the Rose equalised for League Cup semi-final first Mansfield 60 seconds later. leg between Chelsea and But Neil Warnock’s side Arsenal. However, this was the first time it had actually dominated in the second half and Junior Hoillet put been needed to reverse a decision. them ahead in the 66th minute. “I didn’t know if I was onside or offside but I agree Anthony Pilkington made it three after 71 minutes totally now that I was onside,” Iheanacho said. and Hoillet’s second in the 89th minute ensured City “I was concentrating on the goal, I didn’t think if I will visit south Wales on January 28. Championship LEICESTER: Leicester City’s Nigerian striker Kelechi Iheanacho celebrates scoring the team’s first goal during the was onside or offside but Riyad told me that I was sides Reading, 3-0 winners against Stevenage, and English FA Cup third round replay football match between Leicester City and Fleetwood Town at King Power onside. “We just waited to see what the decision was.” Sheffield, who beat Carlisle 2-0, will meet in the fourth Stadium in Leicester, central England. — AFP Former Manchester City youngster Iheanacho had round. — AFP Ambitious Walcott joins Everton Falcao rescues from Arsenal Monaco after LONDON: Everton have signed Theo Walcott from Balotelli double Premier League rivals Arsenal on a 3-1/2 year deal with the forward saying he wants to take the Merseyside club to the next level. The 28-year-old, who joined PARIS: Radamel Falcao scored an injury-time Arsenal in 2006, scored 108 goals in 397 appearances equaliser to snatch Monaco a 2-2 draw with a Mario but has struggled to hold down a first-team place this Balotelli-inspired Nice on Tuesday, but Marseille season under manager Arsene Wenger. leapfrogged the Ligue 1 champions into second Neither club disclosed the transfer fee but British place by beating Strasbourg. media said Everton paid about 20 million pounds Monaco took a first-half lead at the Stade Louis ($27.59 million) for the England international, who II through Adama Diakhaby, but Balotelli turned in completed a medical yesterday. “I’m very ambitious and an equaliser less than two minutes into the second I’ve come here because I want the club to push to the period. The enigmatic Italian completed his double in next level,” Walcott told Everton’s website. (www.ever- the 68th minute, but Falcao stabbed in on his return tonfc.com). “And with the players that have come in, I from injury in the second minute of added time. feel like the next level can be reached.” “That’s Falcao. He’s a forward who takes chances, Everton have won the league title nine times but not like Balotelli. That’s what great strikers do,” said since 1987 and their last major trophy was their fifth FA Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim. The point extended Cup in 1995. “The club has won trophies but I want Nice’s unbeaten run to seven league games, while them to win trophies now,” added Walcott. “The man- Monaco will still slip out of the three Champions Theo Walcott ager (Sam Allardyce) is very hungry... I’ve had a couple League places if Lyon win at Guingamp today. of chats with him and straightaway I felt that hunger Marseille’s third straight victory leaves them sec- and that desire that he wanted from me. I need that and “It felt like it was time for me to move on (from up for this year’s World Cup in Russia. He has made 47 ond, nine points adrift of runaway leaders Paris I wanted that.” Arsenal). It was sad but it’s exciting at the same time appearances for his country, scoring eight goals. Saint-Germain and one point clear of Monaco, while Walcott, who was a hot property when he joined and I want to reignite my career and push Everton to Everton manager Sam Allardyce was keen to bolster Nice stay sixth. The away team were the better side Arsenal from Southampton in 2006 aged just 16, has win things as they have done before,” he added. his attacking lineup and the arrival of Walcott, along early on without creating any clear-cut chances, made only six substitute appearances in the league this “I want to be part of something and I feel like this with Turkish striker Cenk Tosun who signed for the club with Balotelli curling a long-range free-kick wide season and has featured in a total of 16 games across place will offer me that.” The winger will be keen to re- earlier this month, will boost their frontline in the sec- and Pierre-Lees Melou firing straight at Danijel all competitions. establish himself as a starter and earn an England call- ond half of the season. —Reuters Subasic from the edge of the box. But Monaco forged ahead against the run of play in the 33rd minute as Diakhaby took advantage of a stroke of luck to net his second goal in three games. A hopeful ball forward ricocheted off Monaco Ronaldinho winger Thomas Lemar and fell perfectly for Flanagan Diakhaby to send the ball into the roof of the net, with Nice appeals for handball against Lemar retires from waved away by the referee. sentenced Nice continued to play the better football after football the restart, though, and Balotelli, who also scored for assault twice in a 4-0 thrashing in September’s reverse fix- ture, stretched to divert a low Allan Saint-Maximin SAO PAULO: Brazilian World Cup winner cross in at the near post. The former Manchester LONDON: Liverpool defender John Flanagan Ronaldinho has formally confirmed his retire- City and Inter Milan striker went agonisingly close was sentenced to rehabilitation and 40 hours of ment from football, more than two years since to completing a turnaround, but couldn’t get enough unpaid work yesterday, having pleaded guilty to his last appearance as a professional, reports in contact onto another dangerous Saint-Maximin attacking his girlfriend. The 25-year-old full- Brazil said Tuesday. cross into the area. The game continued to open up back admitted an offence of common assault by The 37-year-old former Paris Saint-Germain and Lemar, linked with a January move to either beating at a hearing on January 2. and Barcelona star, a key member of the Brazil Liverpool or Arsenal, was denied by a brave block Liverpool Crown Court heard that he kicked side which won the World Cup in 2002, last from Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri. Balotelli did his partner Rachael Wall in a central street in the played in 2015 during a brief stint with put Lucien Favre’s visitors ahead midway through northwest English city in the early hours of Fluminense. However his brother and agent the second half, as he powered forward before see- December 22. District judge Wendy Lloyd sen- Roberto Assis said he would not play again and ing a deflected effort loop over goalkeeper Subasic tenced Flanagan to a 12-month community order, would now concentrate on tribute events. and into the net. which includes 15 rehabilitation activity days, 40 “He stopped, we’re going to do something It was Balotelli’s 18th goal of the season, despite hours of unpaid work, £85 court costs ($117, 96 really big, nice, after the World Cup in Russia, having missed much of the campaign through injury euros) and an £85 victim surcharge. probably in August, we’ll do several events in and suspension. “It’s his first match since December. “You are, of course, a young man of previous Brazil, Europe and Asia, and of course, we’re He was a bit behind following the short winter good character and therefore it’s undoubtedly watching a game with the Brazilian team,” break,” said Nice coach Lucien Favre.—AFP sad that you have brought yourself here by your Assis said.