SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2013 SPORTS Fergie exit takes pressure off referees: Wenger

LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene replied: “That is a question you should- “You know that when you go to at Old Trafford is to control the game, had him and his family in my house, Wenger says that the referee for his n’t ask me, but the referees. Sunderland the crowd plays every ball, which means take the ball, keep the but Arsenal beat me to it,” Moyes told side’s game at Manchester United will “Every year there is a company who when you go to Everton the crowd ball and have more possession than reporters ahead of the Arsenal game. feel less pressure now that Alex makes the table reasoned without the plays every ball. Then in London, the they do.” Aaron Ramsey continued his “He has played really well. He now sees Ferguson is no longer in the opposi- referees’ mistakes, so check that.” crowd is a bit more relaxed.” Arsenal go stunning form by scoring the only goal himself as one of their really important tion dug-out. Today’s Wenger added, with a smile: “I think into the game as the Premier League of Arsenal’s mid-week win away to players and has not let them down encounter at Old Trafford will mark the the referees were absolutely relaxed leaders and could move 11 points clear Dortmund in the Champions League with the goals he has scored.” first time that the two teams have met and happy to go there.” of United if they defeat the reigning and United manager David Moyes has Moyes also claimed that United with someone other than Ferguson in He went on: “I expect the referees to champions. revealed that he came close to signing turned down an opportunity to sign charge of United since August 1986, make the right decisions. I never have Back-to-back victories over the Welsh midfielder during his time at Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid during following the 71-year-old’s retirement preconceived ideas. “It is down to the Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund have Everton. the close season before the German in May. referee to make the right decisions, to strengthened the London club’s self- United and Everton both had £5 playmaker moved to Arsenal in a £42.4 Wenger endured several defeats at protect the players and to give the belief and Wenger says that his side million ($8 million, 6 million euros) million club-record deal. Ferguson’s hands and he has suggest- free-kicks you deserve. will go to Manchester intending to bids for Ramsey accepted by Cardiff “We weren’t close to buying him,” ed that the long-serving Scot’s pres- “There (at Old Trafford) pressure dominate the game. “Yes, we believe City in 2008 and Moyes believed he said Moyes. “Something was mooted ence may have put pressure on match comes as well from the crowd when we can get a result,” he said. “We go was coming to Goodison Park, only for but we had Shinji Kagawa and Wayne officials to favour United. When asked they go for every ball and put the ref- there, like we go everywhere, to con- the then 17-year-old to elect to join Rooney. It wasn’t something we how Ferguson’s absence would affect eree under pressure, and that is a bit trol the game and to win the game. Arsenal. required at that time and we were matters yesterday, the Frenchman more in the north than in the south. “We still think the best way to win “I was very close to signing Aaron. I looking at different positions.” — AFP Ronaldo fires hat-trick for five-star Madrid

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo scored his third hat-trick of the season and Gareth Bale provided another assist as Real Madrid continued their impressive form with a 5-1 win over Real Sociedad yesterday. Ronaldo opened the scoring from Karim Benzema’s pass on 12 minutes before returning the favour for the Frenchman to slot home six minutes later. The Portuguese added the third from the penalty spot before Bale played in Sami Khedira to make it 4-0 after MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s Spanish midfielder Javi Martinez (L) and Augsburg’s just 36 minutes. Antoine German midfielder Daniel Baier vie for the ball during German first division Griezmann restored some pride for football match FC Bayern Munich vs FC Augsburg in the southern the visitors with his sixth goal in his German city of Munich yesterday.— AFP last three league games after the break. But Ronaldo rounded off the Europe champs Bayern break scoring with a sensational free-kick to take his tally for the season to 24 30-year-old league record goals in just 17 games. Victory moves Real to within two points of BERLIN: European champions Bayern Munich Jupp Heynckes last season. Heynckes stood neighbours Atletico Madrid and set a new record for the longest unbeaten run down in May, with his side unbeaten in their three of leaders Barcelona with the in Bundesliga history with a 3-0 victory at previous 25 league games, after Bayern won top two both in action today. MADRID: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, right, celebrates his third goal with teammates during a Spanish home to Augsburg yesterday. the treble of European, cup and Bundesliga “We scored very quickly and so La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Bayern have now gone 37 league matches titles last season. Bayern also extended their things went very well. The truth is Spain, yesterday. —AP since their last defeat, at Bayer Leverkusen in lead at the top of the table to four points as that after going ahead 4-0, we bother me that much.” line picked out Benzema inside the With the game already won, October 2012, breaking Hamburg’s previous second-placed Borussia Dortmund went relaxed a bit and played more slow- Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema box and he stroked home his Real’s intensity dropped a little record of 36 from January, 1983. down 2-1 at VfL Wolfsburg. ly in the second-half,” Ronaldo told started together up front for the eighth goal of the season. after the interval and Griezmann “The record is unbelievable, it’s not easy to It was Dortmund’s second defeat of the Gol TV. “Overall, I am satisfied with fourth consecutive game after It was 3-0 before the half-hour thought he should have won a go 37 games without defeat. Congratulations week after losing to 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the way we played, although we combining for 12 goals and eight mark as Markel Bergara was harshly penalty on the hour mark as he to the club,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, the Champions League. are not yet at 100 percent, we keep assists in the previous three. And it penalised for handling Ronaldo’s looked to have been clipped as he who took charge in June. After Germany winger put winning.” didn’t take the hosts long to get fiercely struck effort and the former rounded Diego Lopez. Just 60 sec- “I have noticed that every game is a lesson Dortmund ahead with a thunderbolt of a free Another stunning display from into their stride as Ronaldo fired a Manchester United man stepped onds later, though, the Frenchman for me in understanding my team.” kick on the stroke of half-time, Wolves hit Ronaldo led to calls from the dipping long-range effort off the up to double his tally for the after- did notch a consolation with a love- Guardiola’s Bayern face their biggest test in a back to pick up their fourth straight victory to Bernabeu crowd for him to win the top of the crossbar after just eight noon. ly chipped finish over Lopez from fortnight when they travel to second-placed leave them fourth. Ballon d’Or, but he insists he is not minutes. Bale then passed up his first big Carlos Vela’s pass. Griezmann could Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of last season’s Swiss defender Ricardo Rodriguez concerned by whether he is The Portuguese did then open opportunity when he side-footed even have had a second moments Champions League final. smashed home a free kick before Croatia crowned the world’s best player for the scoring four minutes later wide after being played in by the later when he prodded just wide of “Dortmund will be a good, good test for striker Ivica Olic hit a great goal in off the far a second time come January. “I when he controlled Benzema’s impressive Luka Modric. However, the far post. Typically, however, us and our level,” added Guardiola. Guardiola post with 20 minutes left. don’t want to talk about the Ballon clever low cross inside the area the Welshman made amends nine Ronaldo was to have the final say also set a personal record as he celebrated his “We gave away too many free-kicks, which d’Or. I give my answers on the field. before smashing the ball past the minutes before the break when he as he rattled home a wonderful 25- 12th league match without defeat-the best allowed the opposition some practive in tak- It is something that doesn’t depend helpless Claudio Bravo. And provided his fifth assist in four yard free-kick 14 minutes from start by a new Bundesliga coach in the ing them,” lamented Dortmund coach Jurgen on me and, therefore, it doesn’t Ronaldo turned provider moments games by playing in Khedira to fire time to seal his 23rd hat-trick for league’s history with 32 points. The Klopp, adding centre-back Neven Subotic has later as his cut-back from the by- home from the edge of the area. Madrid. —AFP Champions League holders opened the scor- a suspected cruciate knee injury. ing at Munich’s Allianz Arena when Germany “Olic’s goal was a dream. It should have centre-back Jerome Boateng headed home been blocked, but that didn’t happen. Neven from a corner after just five minutes. Subotic’s injury is terrible news.” Qatar to fix France winger Franck Ribery then Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen are level smashed home a direct free-kick on 42 min- with Dortmund on 28 points after beating World Cup utes before Germany’s Thomas Mueller net- Hamburg 5-3 with South Korea’s star striker ted a penalty in the fifth minute of injury Son Heung-Min scoring a hat-trick. time. Son scored after nine and 16 minutes labour laws, Bayern, who have won 31 of their last 37 before hitting his third on 55 minutes, before Bundesliga matches, were without Germany’s setting up Stefan Kiessling for Leverkusen’s says Blatter Bastian Schweinsteiger, who will miss the fourth. forthcoming internationals against Italy and Schalke bounced back from their DOHA: Qatar will introduce reforms to protect the England with an ankle injury. Champions League defeat at Chelsea as they country’s army of migrant labourers working on the It was Bayern’s second milestone of the came from behind to beat Werder Bremen 3-1 2022 World Cup after an international outcry over condi- week after they equalled Barcelona’s record with Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng tions, FIFA chief Sepp Blatter said yesterday. from the 2002/03 season of nine consecutive netting two headers. The energy-rich Qataris, already facing pressure to Champions League wins with a 1-0 at Viktoria Hertha Berlin stayed seventh after their 3- switch the football showpiece to the winter to escape Pilsen. 2 win at Hoffenheim with Colombia’s Adrian the blistering summer temperatures, have been widely Breaking records is nothing remarkable for Ramos scoring two goals, including the win- lambasted by trade unions and human rights groups Bayern these days having set or equalled 25 ning goal when he headed the winner six over their treatment of Asian workers employed on the league records under Guardiola’s predecessor minutes from time. —AFP multi-billion-dollar World Cup construction programme. Britain’s Guardian newspaper earlier this year claimed labourers were facing “modern-day slavery” and were SOUTHAMPYON: Southampton’s Rickie Lambert, centre, scores his side’s second goal paying with their lives. But Blatter, who met the Qatar Cardiff City’s joy cut of the game from the penalty spot against Hull City during the English Premier emir and prime minister on Saturday, said the issue of League match at St Mary’s, Southampton, England, yesterday. — AP working conditions was being addressed. short at Aston Villa “They are aware of some problems and they are reac- tive,” said Blatter, without giving details of the planned over their local rivals, but Villa seemed Saints romp to victory changes in legislation. “The labour laws will be amended determined to burst their bubble in the and special attention will be paid also to inspections of the workers’ accommodation.” Aston Villa 2 game’s early stages at . over tame Hull With around 1.8 million foreign workers squeezed Karim El Ahmadi tested Cardiff goal- into the tiny Gulf state, Blatter said the government had keeper David Marshall after only five min- in the 16th minute. already held talks with international trade unions and utes, while Marshall also had to saved from Lambert, who has had a meteoric rise from Cardiff City 0 human rights groups who had investigated claims that Yacouba Sylla after the Mali midfielder Southamton 4 playing in League One for Bristol Rovers four labourers were not being paid while also having pass- played a neat one-two with Christian years ago to being selected for England, set him ports confiscated. “I would say that they are ready to Benteke. The visitors were quick to react, up, outjumping two Hull defenders and face the labour problems,” said the FIFA president. But BIRMINGHAM: Late goals from Leandro however, with Kozak almost heading the Schneiderlin was on hand to head the ball into the net. Lambert, who has been at Saints since he insisted that it was not the job of FIFA to intervene in Bacuna and Libor Kozak saw Aston Villa ball into his own net as he tried to clear a Hull City 1 joining from Rovers when Southampton were the laws of Qatar. “We are not responsible for the laws, beat Cardiff City 2-0 yesterday to end a run long ball, before Villa goalkeeper Brad also in League One, doubled their lead on the but we are happy to see those laws will be amended. of four Premier League games without vic- Guzan was forced into action to thwart half hour from the penalty spot after Lallana “The commitement that I have received today from tory. Villa had not scored since a 3-2 suc- Gunnarsson. was brought down by Hull ‘keeper Steve Harper. all the parties means that I’m convinced that it’s like we cess over Manchester City on September The two sides could not maintain the SOUTHAMPTON: Southampton’s impressive Lallana then illustrated why he had caught say in football-they are playing forward now, they will 28, but Bacuna’s free-kick and Kozak’s Premier League form continued unabated yes- Hodgson’s eye as he scored a superb solo goal. frantic early pace though, and the game solve the problems which exist.” header brought Cardiff back down to earth lost intensity until Marshall was called terday as they moved into third after thrashing Lambert fed him the ball 35 yards out and Hull 4-1 for their fourth successive win to Meanwhile, Blatter also explained that more consul- following their 1-0 win over local rivals upon to produce a flying save to turn away looked to be going nowhere when he initially Swansea City. extend their unbeaten run to seven. drifted out to the left where he retained posses- tations are needed ahead of moving the 2022 World Cup a header from Kozak shortly after half-time. Their terrific run-which has seen them only away from the blistering summer heat of the Gulf to the Victory lifted Villa above their oppo- sion beating two defenders before cutting Villa finally made the breakthrough in the concede two goals in their 11 games-has winter months. “There is no doubt that the World Cup in nents into 10th place in the table, with inside Egyptian international Ahmed 76th minute, with Bacuna curling a delight- attracted the attention of England manager Roy Elmohamady and unleashed a shot which beat 2022 will be organised in Qatar and this decision is not Cardiff slipping one place to 13th. Villa ful free-kick over the wall and into the net Hodgson who called up three of them to his Harper. Hull briefly threatened to make some- reversible,” Blatter told reporters. made two changes to the team that drew after he had been dragged back by Gary squad for the upcoming friendlies. thing of a game of it when Saints Kenyan inter- He added that Qatar was “willing and able to organise 0-0 at West Ham United last weekend, with Medel. Two of them got on the scoresheet in the national Victor Wanyama lost possession close the World Cup in July” as initially planned. “If it’s possible form of Rickie Lambert and , his a Kozak replacing injured striker Andreas It was the Dutchman’s second such goal to goal, though to be fair he had his back to to play at another date, it will be better but they will not stunning individual effort, as Saints moved to Weimann and Aleksandar Tonev taking the of the season, following his dead-ball effort goal when ‘keeper Artur Boruc passed him the play the World Cup in January or February.” Blatter said place of the ill . in the victory over Manchester City. Czech within one of their best sequence of Premier ball. However, that was a false dawn as the League wins set back between January and Saints tore apart the Hull defence with both this was not possible because of a clash with the 2022 Aron Gunnarsson was drafted into the Republic targetman Kozak killed off Winter Olympics. Cardiff starting XI in place of Jordon Mutch, Cardiff’s hopes of a comeback eight min- March 1999. Lallana and Schneiderlin going close to dou- Southampton, whose appointment of bling their tallies and a fourth duly arrived as On Friday in the United Arab Emirates, he had said having come off the bench in the win over utes later, looping a header home after Argentinian Mauricio Pochettino as coach last Steven Davis wrapped up a superb perform- the World Cup “can only be done in November- Swansea last weekend. Cardiff had waited Matthew Lowton directed the ball back season has proved an inspired one, made a ance from the hosts with a goal two minutes December” but he did not mention those dates in Doha two years and nine months to enjoy victory across goal. — AFP bright start and were rewarded with a goal by from time. — AFP yesterday. —AFP