Shamal shock joint leaders Al Wakrah in QBF League page 14 THURSday, DECEMBER 26, 2019 Vardy dilemma for City as CWC champions Liverpool lie in wait AFP games in 10 days with a trip to Fourth-placed Chelsea, London Newcastle on New Year’s Day, fresh from a 2-0 win away to before hosting Wigan in the Tottenham Hotspur marred Leicester City face runaway FA Cup on January 4. by allegation of racist abuse, leaders Liver- This presents Rodgers are at home to Southampton pool on Boxing Day knowing with a problem about how of- while Spurs will be without the their own title hopes are very ten to field Jamie Vardy, the suspended Son Heung-min much in the balance. league’s leading scorer so far for the visit of Brighton after Thursday’s match will see this season, given the striker is the South Korean’s red card the second-placed Foxes, the now aged 32. against the Blues. shock 2015/16 champions, Mikel Arteta’s reign as kick off 10 points adrift of Arsenal manager starts away Liverpool, who will arrive in to Bournemouth, while new the East Midlands fresh from Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti is winning a maiden Club World in charge at home to Burnley. Cup title following a 1-0 vic- Newcastle, managed by tory over Brazilian side Fla- former Old Trafford favour- mengo in Qatar. ite Steve Bruce, will look to One of the more remark- complete a league double over able statistics in English Manchester United with both football is that it is nearly sides presently level on 25 30 years since Liverpool points and looking to break were last crowned domes- into the top six. tic champions in what was United face Wat- then the First Division. ford, still bottom despite last But Premier League week’s win over Manchester silverware is now in sight United. following a successful “We’re halfway through 2019 that has also seen this season and we knew Liverpool take the Cham- this season was going to be pions League and UEFA a season of some ups and Super Cup trophies back Liverpool’s Brazilian Roberto Firmino lifts the trophy following the FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019 final against Brazil’s Flamengo at downs,” said Manchester to Anfield as well as the the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on December 21. (AFP) United manager Ole Gunnar Club World Cup. Solskjaer. One of the enduring pecu- mier League experimenting injury against Flamengo as Ju- Meanwhile reigning cham- liarities of the English game Leicester City are faced with a with a ‘winter break’ that will rgen Klopp’s side, unbeaten in pions Manchester City are that has not changed, howev- see all teams get a weekend off the Premier League this season, away to Wolves on Friday. er, is the packed programme problem about how often to field in February. bid to go 13 points clear and all of matches that take place But that pales into insig- but end the title-race before by Fixtures (1500 GMT unless during the Christmas and New English striker Jamie Vardy, the nificance compared to the the halfway stage. stated): Year holiday period. Bundesliga’s long-established “If anyone wants to think Thursday: Aston Villa v Norwich, The congested schedule is league’s leading scorer so far winter break. things are over before they Bournemouth v Arsenal, Chel- again causing headaches for The German top-flight are over we cannot stop them sea v Southampton, Crystal managers, with Foxes boss this season, given the striker is closes down for several weeks doing that, though it is not im- Palace v West Ham, Everton v saying the in December and January, portant to us,” said Liverpool Burnley, Leicester v Liverpool fixture list is a “nonsense”. now aged 32. with Rodgers saying the Eng- manager Klopp. (2000 GMT), Manchester United Leicester kick off against “The game is about money ed that Vardy, for all he has lish break was a “let’s pretend” “As a group we are pretty v Newcastle (1730 GMT), Shef- Liverpool at 2000 GMT on now. You can’t say it’s about scored 16 goals this term, had version. good at shutting the doors field United v Watford, Totten- Thursday before they play the welfare of players,” insist- “no chance” of being involved Liverpool will be without all around us to keep out the ham v Brighton (1230 GMT) West Ham on Saturday. ed Rodgers, himself a former throughout the festive period. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain after noise from outside,” the Ger- Friday: Wolves v Manchester They then complete four Liverpool manager who add- This season sees the Pre- the midfielder suffered an ankle man added. City (1945 GMT). Chelsea want to keep Willian faith against Southampton

AFP With Chelsea’s two- London Chelsea’s Brazilian window transfer ban hav- midfielder Willian ing been halved, leaving the Willian’s performance at during the EPL match club to bring in new recruits the Tottenham Hotspur Sta- against Tottenham next month, Giroud is likely dium last weekend highlight- Hotspur in London on to leave in a bid to find the ed just why is Sunday. (AFP) regular football he believes keen to see the Brazilian’s fu- will boost his chances of being ture at Chelsea resolved. a member of hosts France’s While much of the focus squad for Euro 2020. this season has been trained Pedro has been reduced to on the outstanding contribu- a fringe player and is also ex- tion of the youngsters in Blues pected to move on at the end manager Lampard’s squad, of the season. Willian’s performances on the Willian, though, is a dif- New Zealand’s Ross Taylor wears a Christmas cap during training ahead of the second cricket Test against right of a front three have been ferent matter and while Chel- Australia in Melbourne on Wednesday. (AFP) consistently excellent. sea are notoriously reluctant The winger appeared to to offer extended deals to have lost his way in recent players over the age of 30, the seasons, particularly last term Brazilian could become an Kiwis make two changes when he struggled for consist- exception. ency under Maurizio Sarri and For his part, Lampard has appeared in danger of leaving made it clear he wants the for Boxing Day Test the London club. South American to stay. This campaign has been And while the manager different, though, and Lampard has no intention of shifting AFP Williamson also confirmed “Perth was tough and Aus- will hope the player can inspire his policy of promoting young Melbourne Blundell, usually a middle- tralia are very good and tactical- a return to home form when players, he knows the value of order batsman, would open ly sound,” he said after his team Southampton visit Stamford Premier League. Willian’s work ethic had experience. New Zealand made two alongside Tom Latham in were put through their paces in Bridge on Thursday following The task of bedding in a been questioned previously, “He’s a very important changes Wednesday for the place of the out-of-form Ravel. the nets on Christmas Day. Chelsea’s impressive 2-0 defeat number of graduates from the with his failure to track back member of the club and of Boxing Day Test against Aus- “He’s a positive player and “It’s important we learn of Jose Mourinho’s Spurs. club’s academy against the and support his full-back at course I want it to be done but tralia with fast bowler Trent a smart cricketer so it’s just from some bits of Perth but Willian was certainly the backdrop of the pre-season times highlighted last season. obviously both sides have to be Boult back from injury and trying to adapt to the condi- turn our focus to Melbourne stand-out performer in a dis- transfer embargo has inevita- This time around, there happy for that,” said Lampard Tom Blundell replacing Jeet tions. It’s important he goes and changing conditions and play Lampard admitted was bly presented challenges. can be no doubt about his when asked last month about Ravel at the top of the order. out and plays his natural perhaps not be too reactive to probably his side’s best of the Willian, though, has main- willingness to put in the hard Willian’s future. The dangerous Boult game,” Williamson told re- that performance.” season after a worrying run of tained impressively high lev- yards. Chelsea captain Cesar missed the first Test in Perth, porters of Blundell. Williamson was also keen form that had brought four de- els, appearing rejuvenated And he has strengthened Azpilicueta faces a late fitness where his team crashed by “He’s been a very good to ensure his players do not feats in the previous five Pre- under the club’s new manager. his hand in his contract ne- test following a hamstring 296 runs, with a rib injury that player for a long time and he’s get carried away with playing mier League games, included Certainly Lampard ap- gotiations with the club as he problem sustained at Spurs. also kept him out of their final a mature head ... it’s a really in front of such a big crowd. home losses to Bournemouth pears to have found the key seeks a new deal that will keep Meanwhile the Saints, clash against England. exciting opportunity for him.” “I guess there’s a sense of and West Ham. to drawing the best out of the him at Chelsea beyond the end flirting with the relegation But he has worked his way New Zealand have had romance about being involved There were always going 31-year-old whose work on the of this season. zone, could be without Shane back to fitness, desperate to 10 days to recover from their in the Boxing Day Test ... at the to be frustrating periods for right has contributed to strik- Willian’s existing deal runs Long for the whole of the play in the Black Caps first Perth day-night Test thrash- same time it’s about removing Lampard and his players in er Tammy Abraham making out at the end of the current busy Christmas programme Boxing Day Test at the Mel- ing, which saw their batsmen a little bit of that and bringing what is a season of transition such a significant impact in his campaign, along with those of because of a knee injury the bourne Cricket Ground since skittled for 166 and 171. the focus back to the cricket for for Chelsea, who are nev- breakthrough season at west fellow thirty-somethings Pe- striker suffered during last 1987, with a crowd of more Williamson said they had and making those improve- ertheless now fourth in the London club Chelsea. dro and Olivier Giroud. week’s win at Aston Villa. 75,000 expected on day one. learned from their mistakes. ments we need to.”