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SUNDAY, JANUARY 3, 2016 16 19

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MANCHESTER: United’s , centre, is brought down by Swansea City’s Leon Britton, left, as Federico Fernandez looks on during the English soccer match between Manchester United and Swansea City at Stadium, Manchester, England, yesterday. —AP Rooney’s gem gives Van Gaal new year cheer

But even more significantly the England another winless afternoon threatened. had another sight of goal as Rooney fired into the anxiety levels and with 20 minutes to go forward’s first league goal since October gave But van Gaal’s men managed to find the the side-netting. United were pegged back. Substitute Modou Man United 2 United their first win in nine matches and route to goal once more thanks to Rooney’s Having kept the home side at bay, Barrow gave Swansea an extra cutting edge moved them up to fifth place. third league goal of the season as relief flood- Swansea winger Wayne Routledge tested and, from his cross, Sigurdsson glanced home It was a badly needed three points for ed around Old Trafford. David de Gea with a volley and frustration the equaliser with a header which looped United manager van Gaal, who had been As they had done against Chelsea in their began to grow around Old Trafford. beyond David de Gea. Swansea 1 forced to deny he was considering quitting previous home stalemate, United tried to But two minutes into the second half Suddenly United were back to square one over Christmas. show more attacking intent from the start United finally went in front to change the but just when they needed him Rooney deliv- Four defeats and two draws in December with van Gaal employing a three-man context of the afternoon. ered. When Martial beat Angel Rangel and had contributed to a barren run which had defence and Ashley Young and Anthony Again Young was involved in a telling drove the ball low across the six-yard box, MANCHESTER: Wayne Rooney eased the seen United go out of the Champions League Martial as wing-backs in a bid to set up a first capacity as his cross was perfectly delivered Rooney flicked the ball home with the inside pressure on as the Manchester and slip out of the Premier League’s top four home win since November. for Martial, who had drifted into a more cen- of his foot to claim one of the more important United captain’s superb backheeled strike during the club’s worst run since 1990. They Young helped provided an attacking tral position, to score with a powerful down- goals of his long United career. secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Swansea could ill-afford another setback and Anthony threat but with only one out-and-out striker ward header from eight yards which bounced United still had 12 minutes and four of City yesterday. Martial headed United in front as they scored in Rooney, United still found genuine chances up and past Lukasz Fabianski to give the stoppage time to hold out, but with de Gea Rooney’s 77th-minute moment of magic only their 11th goal in 15 games. hard to come by before half-time. young Frenchman his eighth goal of the sea- making a fine save from Ashley Williams and took him ahead of Denis Law to become the United’s goal and points tally had been Morgan Schneiderlin made a rare foray son. goalkeeper Fabianski coming up from a cor- second-highest goalscorer in United’s history their lowest ever in the first half of a Premier forward inside the first minute to get in a shot With nothing to lose, Swansea began to ner to head just wide with the final touch of and he is now also the second-highest scorer League season and when Gylfi Sigurdsson which was blocked by Federico Fernandez, impose themselves. Andre Ayew’s header the match, van Gaal was at last able to cele- in the Premier League era with 188 goals. headed Swansea level with 20 minutes to go but it was another 20 minutes before United against a post from Sigurdsson’s cross raised brate a win. — AFP Koscielny downs Newcastle Toure and Aguero fire as Arsenal move at the top Man City’s title hopes sor, an easy first half, their midfield misfiring and their final ball often inaccurate. A perfect exam- season, with or without winning the cham- ple was a diagonal pass from Theo Walcott pionship, remains to be seen. But his team Arsenal 1 towards Olivier Giroud that almost sent the Watford 1 find themselves playing catch-up after a France striker through on goal, but was just too woeful away run that had seen them col- close to Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini, lect just three points from their previous who intercepted. When Arsenal gave them the six games on the road. They knew they could ill-afford a repeat Newcastle 0 ball, the visitors seized any chance to venture for- Man City 2 ward and after 15 minutes Cech had to dive to failure against a Watford side who have his right to parry a header by Georginio surprised many this season. But Almen Wijnaldum from a right-wing cross by Moussa Abdi, one of the few Watford goal-scorers LONDON: Arsenal moved two points clear at the Sissoko. Aleksandar Mitrovic returned the loose WATFORD: Manchester City maintained this season other than the prolific pairing top of the Premier League table after Laurent ball into the centre, but Jack Colback’s scooped their Premier League title challenge after of Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, sounded Koscielny’s second-half winner secured an effort was easily held by Cech. That made the ending their away-day blues with a stirring an early warning when he drove just over unconvincing 1-0 win over Newcastle United yes- crowd uneasy, and they were worried again after late comeback that saw them win 2-1 at within two minutes. terday. The Frenchman’s 72nd-minute winner 25 minutes when Ayoze Perez shot a foot over Watford yesterday. Ighalo almost began the new year how masked a stuttering display, but if the sign of an Cech’s crossbar from an angle. Two goals in as many minutes from tal- he had ended 2015 when he came close to effective team is that they win even when below Just before half-time, Cech had to save twice, ismans Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero kept scoring for the seventh game in succession their best, then Arsenal justified their status as first from an overhead kick by Mitrovic as Hector City in touch at the top of the table when it in the 13th minute. favourites to take the title. Mesut Ozil, featured Bellerin’s attempt at a clearing header dropped LONDON: Newcastle United's Dutch mid- appeared that they were destined for The Nigerian striker’s clever turn saw on the programme cover celebrating his goal in short and then after Koscielny miskicked, the fielder Vurnon Anita clashes with Arsenal's defeat. Aleksandar Kolarov had headed him wriggle clear of Nicolas Otamendi, but the 2-0 win against Bournemouth in the final goalkeeper rushing out to block from Wijnaldum. French striker Olivier Giroud during the Ben Watson’s corner into his own net and his low shot was kept out by ’s match of 2015, did his best to inspire his team- The first-half statistics showed four efforts on English Premier League football match the visitors were struggling for ideas outstretched foot. mates again, but Arsenal were flat and unin- target by Newcastle and none from Arsenal and between Arsenal and Newcastle United before Toure and Aguero struck in quick City boast a plethora of attacking spired. However, though lacking their usual flu- it was five by the Magpies soon after half-time as yesterday. —AFP succession to steal victory. It was City’s first options, but were struggling to find any ency and looking vulnerable once again in Cech raced out of his goal again to smother a win on the road since September 12 and And finally, in the 72nd minute, they had the fluency or provide Aguero with any serv- defence, they rode their luck and dug out a victo- shot from Wijnaldum. Moments later, the Czech kept them three points behind leaders reward for their patience. As Ozil’s corner curved ice. However, the Argentine striker was ry while Leicester City, level on points at kick-off, could only watch as Mitrovic volleyed wide from Arsenal. in from the right, Giroud missed his first attempt at inches away from handing the visitors a could only draw with Bournemouth. Newcastle, Perez’s flick when scoring looked easier. Despite the shadow of Pep Guardiola 19th-minute lead when he narrowly failed who had conceded 14 goals in their previous Arsenal’s first shot on target arrived in the a header, but won the second, and with the ball looming large over Manuel Pellegrini, the to connect with a header after Watford three visits to the Emirates Stadium, had the 50th minute, Elliot saving Aaron Ramsey’s effort looping towards goal, Koscielny stole in behind Manchester City manager has been tipped goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes repelled a majority of the chances this time, but found Petr from Ozil’s pass. The Arsenal fans, to their credit, Perez to volley home his third goal of the season. almost doubled the lead with a by his Watford counterpart Quique shot by . The visitors were Cech unbeatable. They remain in the relegation continued to back their team, preferring to take Sanchez Flores to win the league title. zone. After a minute’s applause for former out their frustrations on referee Anthony Taylor fierce shot that was blocked by a knot of defend- slowly finding their feet, Fernando seeing ers, while Mitrovic headed onto the roof of the net Whether the Chilean will still in be in his close-range shot blocked by Gomes fol- Newcastle goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek, who died on for what they regarded as leniency towards time- charge at the Etihad Stadium come next December 29, Arsenal gave Rob Elliot, his succes- wasting by Newcastle. as Newcastle looked for an equaliser. — AFP lowing ’s slaloming run. — AFP