Perfect Piller piles El Sherbini on birdies for becomes youngest Texas lead woman to win squash worlds SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 15 17 Bayern made to wait for historic fourth title Page 19 SAN SEBASTIAN: Real Madrid’s Welsh forward Gareth Bale (C) vies with Real Sociedad’s defender Yuri Berchiche (L) and defender Mikel Gonzalez (R) during the Spanish league football match Real Sociedad de Futbol vs Real Madrid CF at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian yesterday. — AFP Bale hits winner, Griezmann puts Atletico top MADRID: Gareth Bale’s thunderous header 10 min- lems this season with injury, but when is fit you chance to open the scoring on a rare start in recent goal deficit at Rayo Vallecano, Bale made the dif- create anything more of note before Griezmann utes from time inspired an under-strength Real notice,” Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane said of Bale. months as Geronimo Rulli turned away the ference again when he got across his marker to rode to the rescue early in the second-half. Madrid to a hard-fought 1-0 win at Real Sociedad “We could have scored earlier in the first-half, but Colombian’s effort at his near post. Madrid then bullet home a header from Lucas Vazquez’s cross. Indeed, Rayo could even have gone in front but yesterday. we had to work until the end against a difficult side. began to show their power from set-pieces as cap- Sociedad had barely offered any threat on goal for fine saves from Jan Oblak to deny Miku and However, Real remain a point behind Atletico “I am happy with the performance and to get tain Sergio Ramos and Bale saw headers fly just during the 90 minutes, but nearly snatched an Javi Guerra. Madrid at the top of La Liga after Antoine three points once again.” As well as the absent wide from corners before another powerful Bale equaliser in stoppage time as David Zurutuza’s Griezmann made a sensational and instant Griezmann scored a minute after coming on as a Ronaldo and Benzema, Madrid boss Zinedine header from Rodriguez’s inch-perfect cross also fell header was saved low to his right by Keylor impact after coming off the bench as he controlled substitute to hand them an equally nervy 1-0 win Zidane rested Marcelo, Dani Carvajal and Toni just the wrong side of the post as Madrid com- Navas. Atletico boss Diego Simeone also showed a loose ball on the edge of the area before thrash- over Rayo Vallecano. Barcelona are now three Kroos with one eye on the return leg of their pletely dominated the hosts before the break. The his priorities lie with the second leg of their ing a volley into the bottom corner for his 30th points adrift of Atletico, but can reclaim top spot Champions League semi-final against Manchester visitors continued to press after the break, but Rulli Champions League semi-final against Bayern goal of the season. Fernando Torres was intro- with victory away to Real Betis later. In the absence City on Wednesday. Without the other two mem- looked set to end their title hopes as the Argentine Munich in midweek as he made seven changes to duced at the same time as the French international of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim bers of Madrid’s star ‘BBC’ frontline, Bale was made brilliant save to deny Bale from another fine the side that beat the German champions 1-0 on and should have sealed the three points form a Benzema, Bale stood out with a brilliant individual charged with finding the goals and the Welshman Rodriguez cross. Wednesday. Angel Correa was one of those brilliant Griezmann pass 20 minutes from time, but display capped by the winner to register Madrid’s did everything but score in a fine first-half display. handed a rare start and his low drive forced Juan placed his shot too close to Carlos. Yet, despite a 10th straight La Liga win. Bale pulled his first effort wide on his weaker EQUALISER Carlos into an outstanding save after just six min- late Rayo onslaught, Atletico held out to record “I am happy for him because he has had prob- right foot before James Rodriguez wasted the Yet, a week after leading Real back from a two- utes. However, Atletico’s youngsters struggled to their 34th clean sheet of the season. — AFP Welbeck brings Wenger Noble brace makes it solace amid protests perfect 10 for West Ham CHANGE”, but the display was met with boos start for 17-year-old Jonathan Leko, the from other fans and chants of “There’s only one first player born in 1999 to start a Premier Arsenal 1 Arsene Wenger!” It confirmed that the club’s West Brom 0 League game, and the winger set up a supporters are divided in their views about the chance for Gardner that the midfielder manager’s future, but they are unanimous in headed wide. But West Ham belatedly sharing a sense of frustration over their club’s stirred and after Aaron Cresswell’s low failure to challenge for the title. cross from the left narrowly eluded the Norwich 0 That feeling was underlined by club captain West Ham 3 Mikel Arteta, who admitted in his match pro- sliding Diafra Sakho, they went ahead in gramme notes that Arsenal had passed up their the 34th minute. best chance in five years to claim the title. As West Brom looked to launch a break LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger Some of the reasons for that failure were evi- WEST BROMWICH: West Ham United from a West Ham corner, Winston Reid faced supporter protests before Danny dent during a disjointed first-half display when captain Mark Noble scored twice for the won a tackle in midfield that sent the ball Welbeck’s goal secured a 1-0 home victory over Wenger’s side struggled to find any momentum second game running as his side beat out to Payet on the right and his delicately Norwich City yesterday that moved his side up against a Norwich team who created the better West Bromwich Albion 3-0 yesterday to go weighted cross was headed in by Senegal to third place. Welbeck scored three minutes chances despite enjoying only limited posses- fifth in the Premier League. After midfielder Kouyate. Kouyate turned after appearing as a 56th-minute substitute to sion. Wenger acknowledged before the match Cheikhou Kouyate had headed in a cross provider in first-half injury time as West move Arsenal eight points clear of fifth place in from Dimitri Payet, who registered his the Premier League and strengthen their bid to that the only way to win round his critics is by Ham doubled their lead, racing down the qualify for the Champions League. delivering results on the pitch, although he did 10th assist of the season, Noble scored left and crossing for Noble, whose heavy Defeat at the Emirates Stadium left Norwich mount a spirited defence of his record in the either side of half-time at the Hawthorns, first touch did not prevent him from pok- second from bottom, two points from safety, decade since the club moved to the Emirates, mirroring his brace in the 3-1 win over ing home right-footed. With Angelo but with a game in hand on fourth-bottom pointing out the financial constraints he was Watford. Victory took Slaven Bilic’s side Ogbonna preventing Salomon Rondon Newcastle United. forced to work under. above Manchester United on goal differ- from reaching Gardner’s left-wing cross 11 Victory brought relief to Wenger, whose He also illustrated his loyalty to the club ence and saw West Ham make it 10 games minutes into the second half, Pulis turned decision to introduce Welbeck changed the by stating that he had committed himself to unbeaten in the top flight for the first time to his bench. Striker Saido Berahino and game, and his players, who were booed off fol- the club to satisfy a demand for stability from since 1985. midfielder Sandro both went close after lowing a scoreless first half that was marked by the banks that funded the development of Tony Pulis’s West Brom, now without a entering the fray-the former scuffing wide, the new stadium. a display of dissent from some home fans. win in seven games, remain 13th. West the latter shooting off-target from 25 The protest occurred in the 12th minute, sig- But the Frenchman needs to deliver results Brom had shot a big hole in Tottenham now and until the introduction of Welbeck, it yards-but the hosts would come no closer. nifying the 12 years since the club last won the Hotspur’s titles hopes by drawing 1-1 at Instead it was West Ham who had the last league, but provoked a mixed reaction, and appeared as though an uncomfortable after- noon was likely to get even worse for him. LONDON: Arsenal’s French defender Laurent Koscielny heads White Hart Lane last Monday and they word, with Payet driving into West Brom ter- then a more muted response when it was started brightly, with Craig Gardner’s repeated 12 minutes from time. Arsenal were forced to rely on the reactions the ball during the English Premier League football match ritory and slipping the ball wide to Andy A number of posters were held up around of goalkeeper Petr Cech to deny Nathan between Arsenal and Norwich at the Emirates Stadium in curler testing West Ham goalkeeper Carroll, whose lofted cross was emphatically the ground declaring that it was “TIME FOR A Redmond as early as the sixth minute.—AFP London yesterday.— AFP Adrian.