WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015 SPORTS Slick Arsenal top style charts, not the league

LONDON: If honors were handed out for Arsenal have collected nine wins from 10 Five consecutive last-16 exits in the without the ability to grind out results the missing ingredient before the start of stylish football Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal Premier League matches, drawing the Champions League offer more ammuni- when off form and, more importantly, next season which will start, should they would clean up. The Gunners were at other one 0-0 at home to champions tion to those who say Wenger’s tactics are before the pressure is off. beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup final, with a their irresistible best at times in a 3-1 vic- Chelsea. It is title-winning form and they inadequate when up against the game’s He talks about “quality” as being para- Community Shield curtain-raiser against tory at Hull City on Monday that guaran- are playing with a panache that Chelsea smartest coaches. mount, whereas Mourinho’s simple Chelsea? teed an 18th consecutive season in the have not matched this season-all with the Wenger points to injuries early in the mantra is “winning”. “The target is always “I’m not a prophet. That is unpre- Champions League. likes of England trio Jack Wilshere, Theo season to explain his side’s slow start quality,” Wenger said. dictable and nobody knows how strong With the impish Santi Cazorla con- Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on which ultimately left them too far behind “We work very hard to get the quality the team will be at the start of the sea- ducting an orchestra containing the likes the sidelines nursing injuries. Chelsea to make a real fight of the title. of our game very high and I do not see son,” Wenger said. of Chile’s Alexis Sanchez, Welsh wizard Yet, there is a nagging sense of “same However, those kind of excuses for the myself telling the team that we don’t “What’s important is that you go out of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil, Arsenal old Arsenal”-the team belatedly firing on bad spells that afflict Arsenal at some want quality. It can happen that you play the season by thinking we have made picked off a struggling Hull side with a all cylinders long after the title race was stage every season are wearing thin. well and don’t win the games but after 38 progress, we have moved forward and degree of nonchalance few teams can won at a canter by a meaner, more street- games the quality always dictates the that the confidence is high. match. Sanchez’s second goal, and his wise outfit. There was evidence in FANTASY FOOTBALL result. “Not always but most of the time.” “We need to start strong again next side’s third, just before halftime was Arsenal’s tame performance against Wenger knows that for all the fantasy Should they pip Manchester City for the year. Who will be there fighting for the Arsenal’s 100th of the season. Since losing Chelsea last week that they are still light- football his side are capable of, they will runners-up spot it would seem to largely championship next season? It’s difficult to to Tottenham Hotspur in February, weight when up against the very best. not get the better of Mourinho’s Chelsea justify that comment, but will Arsenal find know.” — Reuters Cruel exit for Wanderers

BEIJING: Holders Western Sydney Wanderers Shuhei Akasaki after eight minutes only for were cruelly knocked out of the AFC Lee Woong-Hee to equalise before half-time. Champions League yesterday when they beat FC Seoul then took the lead six minutes favourites Guangzhou Evergrande but were into the second half after Osmar Barba’s undone by an injury-time winner elsewhere. header was deflected into the Kashima net Tony Popovic’s men, who lifted the title off defender Gen Shoji. last year on debut, looked to have extended Kashima’s Gaku Shibasaki restored parity their Asian fairytale when goals from Mark in the 79th minute but with both teams chas- Bridge and Tomi Juric gave them a 2-0 upset ing the winner they needed to go through, win. With Kashima Antlers and FC Seoul Molina was the hero when he struck in the locked at 2-2 on the final evening of Group H, first minute of injury time. the Wanderers seemed to have done enough Meanwhile in West Asia, UAE’s Al Ahli to prise themselves off the bottom and reach joined their Saudi namesakes in the last 1with the last 16. late games from Group D after a thrilling 3-2 And there were broad smiles when the victory over Iran’s Tractorsazi Tabriz at the Al- final whistle sounded in rain-sodden south- Rashid Stadium in Dubai. ern China-until news filtered through of Al Ahli owed the win to their captain Mauricio Molina’s late winner for FC Seoul. Ahmed Khalil who produced two good head- That 3-2 win over Kashima puts Seoul ers in the final 15 minutes to help his team through as the second team in Group H, prevail in a tough match that saw the Iranians behind Fabio Cannavaro’s Guangzhou who twice squander a one-goal advantage. The finish top despite their second defeat of the result eliminated Uzbekistan’s Nasaf who competition. The Wanderers’ exit completed a could only manage a goalless draw against chastening evening for Australian fans, whose Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli who had qualified a national side won the Asian Cup in January, fortnight ago. after Brisbane Roar went out tamely with a 2- Mehrdad Bayrami put already-eliminated 1 loss to Urawa Reds. Playing their last game Tractorsazi ahead in the 21st minute but of Group G, Brisbane needed a big win to Brazilian Everton Ribeiro equalised for the have any chance of advancing, but their UAE side in the 58th before Saman hopes slumped when Shinzo Koroki opened Narimanjahan reclaimed the lead for the visi- the scoring on 24 minutes. tors a short while later. Yuki Muto scored Urawa’s second after But with Khalil first heading home in the half-time and although Brisbane pulled one 78th minute and then again in the 88th, Al back through Andrija Kaluderovic, the night Ahli sealed second place in the group to ended miserably for the A-League champi- make the last 16 for the first time. ons. Beijing Guoan finished top of the group In Group C, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal beat after a 1-1 draw with Suwon Samsung, who Qatar’s Al Sadd 2-1, while Iran’s Foolad also go through to the knock-outs as the sec- Kouzestan edged past Lokomtiv Tashkent 1-0. HULL: Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez (left) attempts to shoot past Hull City’s English goalkeeper Steve Harper during the English ond-placed team. Al Hilal and Al Sadd had already secured their Premier League football match. — AFP Much of the night’s drama was in Kashima, last 16 berths, but this win saw the Saudi side where the hosts opened the scoring through top the group with 13 points. — AFP Sanchez double shatters Hull

Arsenal on Monday, told Sky Sports: “Of course further behind thanks to another deflected we want to win the title next year (season), but strike. Cazorla’s raking pass from the left-back Hull 1 second place this season is for now the most area was superbly controlled by Ramsey before important thing.” the Wales midfielder’s shot hit Robbie Brady and A run of eight successive wins ended with a spun past Harper and into the corner. goalless draw against Chelsea, but Arsenal man- It got worse for the hosts in first half stop- Arsenal 3 ager Wenger kept faith with the same team from page-time when Tom Huddlestone was caught that fixture and saw his side enjoy a comfortable in possession and Ramsey’s through ball sent victory. This fixture came six days after Hull put Sanchez clear. The forward touched the ball LONDON: Alexis Sanchez scored twice as in an impressive display to beat Liverpool at the wide of Harper before stroking the ball into the Arsenal all but secured a top-four finish in the KC Stadium, their second successive win after a empty net. Hull were in danger of being blown Premier League for the 18th consecutive season victory over Crystal Palace. away but, to their credit, they improved dramati- with a 3-1 victory at struggling Hull on Monday. That six-point haul served to give the Tigers a cally in the second half. Arsene Wenger’s side swept into a three-goal vital boost in the fight for survival, but wins on Bruce sent on David Meyler in place of half-time lead thanks to Sanchez’s double and a Saturday for Leicester, Sunderland and Aston Livermore and the Republic of Ireland interna- strike from Aaron Ramsey before Stephen Quinn Villa did Hull few favours. tional was involved as Hull pulled a goal back in pulled one back for Hull after the break. Arsenal were dominant from the start and the 56th minute. The victory put third-placed Arsenal nine Hull contributed to their own downfall by sur- Meyler forced the ball out wide to Ahmed points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, who have rendering possession too easily. Sanchez scored Elmohamady and the Egyptian’s cross was head- only three matches remaining and a vastly inferi- in the league and FA Cup meetings with Hull this ed down and into the net by Quinn for his first or goal difference to the Gunners, and effectively season and the Chile winger was the first Arsenal league goal since March 2013. guaranteed their qualification for the player to test Steve Harper in the hosts’ net. The travelling Arsenal fans warmly greeted Champions League. Sanchez swapped passes with Mesut Ozil and the introduction of midfielder Jack Wilshere as In stark contrast, Hull are in severe danger of his shot from 20 yards was spilled by Harper the England international came off the bench for RIYADH: Saudi Al-Hilal’s Mohammed Al-Shalhoub (left) competes for the ball against relegation after dropping below Leicester to before Michael Dawson slid in to clear the ball a first appearance since November following his Qatar’s Al-Sadd club player Muriqui (right) during their AFC Champions League 17th-one point and one place above third bot- with Olivier Giroud waiting to capitalise. recovery from a knee injury. Group C football match. —AFP tom Sunderland, who have a game in hand. Sanchez was given another shooting chance Arsenal twice went close to restoring their Arsenal’s win came too late to alter the des- when he went down after a foul by Jake three-goal cushion in the closing stages but tiny of the title, won by Chelsea last weekend, Livermore and the Arsenal star picked himself Harper saved with a foot to keep out Cazorla’s Luis Enrique shining in but left them well-placed for their FA Cup up to curl his free kick beyond Harper, with the deflected drive before James Chester, apparently defence against Aston Villa at Wembley later this help of a huge deflection off Michael Dawson in using an arm, blocked Wilshere’s first-time effort Guardiola’s shadow month. Santi Cazorla, who had a fine match for the defensive wall. Five minutes later, Hull were on the line. — AFP BARCELONA: Despite the presence of Lionel Yet, Enrique has also been his own man and Messi and 14 World Cup winners, the attention statistically made an even better start to his Mayweather ready to will be on the touchline as much as the pitch Barca coaching career than Guardiola, winning when Pep Guardiola leads his Bayern Munich 48 of his first 56 games in charge to Guardiola’s side into the stadium he called home for so long 40. The forward triumvirate of Messi, Luis Suarez grant Pacquiao rematch today. Guardiola has been to Barcelona’s Camp and Neymar have already surpassed the 100- Nou hundreds of times, as captain during an 11- goal record set by the Argentine, Thierry Henry year playing career and most memorably in win- and Samuel Eto’o six years ago with 108 goals LOS ANGELES: Floyd Mayweather has said he is Orthopedic Clinic said. ElAttrache is one of the Bryant. Pacquiao’s camp have complained that ning 14 trophies in a four-year spell as the club’s between them this season despite Suarez miss- most successful ever coach. The last time he was ing the first two months of the season due to willing to grant Manny Pacquiao a rematch fol- most respected surgeons in North America, hav- the Nevada State Athletic Commission barred the there, for Barca’s Champions League win over suspension. Most significantly Enrique has lowing the Filipino boxer’s disclosure that a ing operated on New England Patriots quarter- fighter from receiving treatment for the injury Manchester City in February, he sat in his seat, a changed Barca’s somewhat dogmatic style under shoulder injury hampered his performance in last back Tom Brady, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher using an anti-inflammatory injection approved season ticket in the stands next to his father. Guardiola for more varied sytle that relies less on weekend’s world title showdown, ESPN reported Zack Greinke and Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. — AFP This midweek, though, he will experience the yesterday. vast concrete bowl of a ground from a different ESPN reported that Mayweather had told angle, as the opposition coach as Bayern travel journalist Stephen A. Smith in a text message to Catalonia in the first-leg of their Champions that he was ready to don gloves once again after Murray in race to League semi-final. Pacquiao recovers from surgery to repair a rota- His visit couldn’t have come at a better time tor cuff. “I will fight him in a year after his surgery,” for his former teammate and friend Luis Enrique. Mayweather said in the text message, according adjust to Madrid The Barca boss has followed in Guardiola’s foot- to ESPN. steps throughout his playing and coaching Mayweather’s apparent readiness to step into MADRID: Andy Murray was working yesterday Open just a few weeks to go. career. Enrique became captain after Guardiola’s the ring with Pacquiao once more appears to to make a one-day turnaround from slow, heavy “It’s nice to win events at any level. I hope I departure and started his managerial career by contradict remarks he made in the aftermath of conditions in Munich to the high-altitude, faster- can have a good run at one of the next two succeeding his former teammate as Barca B his victory in Las Vegas on Saturday, when he coach when Guardiola took over the senior team bouncing clay of the Spanish capital in order to events, either here or Rome, and get myself insisted he planned to retire after one more fight be ready for an opening challenge at the Madrid ready for the French.” Murray’s Munich win also in 2008. That pattern continued when Barca in September. called on a former legend and fan-favorite to Masters. The third-ranked Scot arrived after win- marked a standout first week with new coach “My last fight is in September, and then it’s ning his first clay title in Munich in a delayed Jonas Bjorkman, with the experienced Swede spark an under-achieving squad after a trophy- Barcelona’s coach LuisEnrique less season by hiring Enrique, just as they had time for me to hang it up,” said Mayweather after Monday final, but was facing a race against time coming aboard to pick up the team slack due to when Guardiola supplanted Frank Rijkaard. possession. The two bedrocks of the midfield in his unanimous decision victory. The 38-year-old, to adjust to the totally different courts of the pregnancy of groundbreaking female coach Almost 12 months later Enrique stands on the Guardiola’s era of Andres Iniesta and Xavi have who is just one win away from matching Rocky Madrid’s Caja Magica. “(Winning on Munich clay) Amelie Mauresmo. brink of matching Guardiola’s biggest achieve- only started together four times this season. Marciano’s 49-0 record, has previously said he has is obviously a positive for me, it was a goal that I “There were a lot of rain delays, but the posi- ment by delivering the treble in his first season in Instead of their metronomic ability in posses- no desire to move past the heavyweight’s had for this year,” said Murray, who can boast of tives were that we also got to spend quite a lot charge. As well the pursuit of a fifth European sion, Enrique has looked for a more direct revered unbeaten benchmark. only a trio of quarter-final placings since Madrid of time at the site getting to know each other Cup, Barca hold a two-point lead in La Liga with approach with physically superior midfield play- However while it is doubtful that any rematch changed to clay in 2009. Murray beat German and him getting to know the team well too,” three games to play and will host Athletic Bilbao ers in Ivan Rakitic and Rafinha looking to feed with Pacquiao could generate the levels of inter- Philipp Kohlschreiber in the three-hour German Murray said of his opening week with Bjorkman. in the final of the Copa del Rey at the end of the the front three quickly. est and income seen in their first encounter, it final and could run into his opponent in the sec- Murray was heading quickly to the practice month. There has also been a dramatic improvement would still earn enough to be a money-spinning ond round on Wednesday should Kohlschreiber courts for an acclimatising hit-out on the Madrid The similarities to Guardiola’s first season are in defending set-pieces, a perennial weakness in duel. Pacquiao’s camp on Monday issued a state- defeat qualifier Alejandro Fall in the first round. clay. “Conditions last week were very different to striking. Propelled by a star front three, Barca top recent years, but which hasn’t cost the Blaugrana ment confirming that the Filipino had suffered a “It was an extremely tough match and a dramat- what they are here. Obviously I think a little bit scored and conceded least in La Liga, beat a single goal since October. With the political “significant” muscle tear in his shoulder. ic finish. That always makes it a little bit nicer,” more altitude here. But it’s been very warm. Last Athletic in the Cup final and overcame French uncertainty of club elections coming at the end “We have an MRI scan that confirms he has a Murray said of his success. “This gives me a little week it was very cold a lot of the days and rain- and English opposition as well as Bayern on the of the season, Enrique’s future as coach next year rotator cuff tear. He has a significant tear,” sur- bit more confidence obviously with the French ing.—AFP way to the Champions League. remains up in the air despite his success. —AFP geon Neal ElAttrache of the Kerlan Jobe