Dybala Stuns ROMA in Another Heated Clash
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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2016 SPORTS Arsenal doesn’t have a Chelsea block: Wenger LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger Mertesacker’s lunge had merited “a red dismissed suggestions that his side have a card without any discussion”. mental block regarding London rivals Chelsea following a 1-0 home defeat that ‘Follow the captain’ carried an air of deja vu. Arsenal were bid- Wenger reacted to Mertesacker’s dis- ding to return to the top of the Premier missal by sending Gabriel on for striker League table in Sunday’s game, but they Olivier Giroud, which drew a chorus of boos were left in third place after Per from the home supporters. But he was Mertesacker was sent off and Diego Costa unrepentant, saying: “Do you want to make scored to give Chelsea a clinical 1-0 victory. a poll for every decision to see who does Arsenal have not beaten Chelsea in what? I make the decision and for me it was nine league games and have not scored a normal decision.” against them in the league in nine hours While Arsenal were left three points and 32 minutes, but Wenger said that below leaders Leicester City, Chelsea put Mertesacker’s 18th-minute dismissal, for a seven points between themselves and the last-man foul on Costa, meant it impossi- bottom three to ease any worst-case-sce- ble to compare the game with previous nario relegation fears that their fans may be fixtures. harboring. The champions, unbeaten in sev- “I think today (Sunday) was a special en league games since Jose Mourinho’s dis- game. We played with 10 men, we were 1-0 missal, remain 14 points below the top four, down straight away. Normally you lose a but Captain John Terry said that Champions game like that 3-0 or 4-0,” he told reporters League qualification was still “doable”. at the Emirates Stadium. “When you have “If the captain says yes, then we’ll follow to chase the game, (there’s) nothing more the captain! You always follow the captain,” dangerous than being down to 10 men. Hiddink said in response. “It’s a gap. If you Overall we come out with a lot of regret see the results in the Premier League, you because we feel we couldn’t play with our see how competitive all the teams are, team. “And looking at Chelsea today, I think whether you’re down at the bottom or high there was a lot of room to beat them if we in the ranking. “All teams can beat all had played with 11 players.” teams. With this gap, it’s difficult to go into Mertesacker was shown a straight red fourth position, but when the captain is TURIN: Juventus’ Paulo Dybala (left) is challenged by Roma’s Daniele De Rossi during a Serie A soccer match, at the Juventus stadium. — AFP card for felling Costa after he had latched saying that, I will follow my captain.” onto a through-ball from Willian. The Hiddink also revealed that Costa, with- Chelsea striker immediately made his side’s drawn in the 68th minute, would undergo numerical advantage count by converting tests on a knee injury. “I don’t know if it’s Dybala stuns Roma in Branislav Ivanovic’s cross with a near-post slight or more severe, but we’ll check on it,” volley in the 23rd minute. Costa had goad- said the Dutchman. “It was a little bit on the ed Gabriel into kicking out at him in knee.” Arsenal host second-tier Burnley in September’s reverse fixture, earning the the FA Cup at the weekend before resum- another heated clash Arsenal centre-back a red card, and Wenger ing their title challenge at home to told a TV interviewer: “He has got two Southampton on February 2 and Wenger (Arsenal) players sent off this season.” said that time was on his team’s side. “There TURIN: Argentina striker Paulo Dybala hit his Juve’s game-winning strategy, but admitted: “Our will do his international career, and Roma’s Addressing the print media shortly after, is a long way to go,” said the Frenchman, 12th goal of the Serie A campaign as Juventus priority is to get down to working a certain way. league campaign, little good. It made for a nerv- the Arsenal manager backtracked, saying who welcomed Alexis Sanchez back after maintained their impressive home record over When we start playing and doing well, then we ous opening period and it took Roma 18 min- that he had only been stating “facts”, but two months out with a hamstring injury. Roma with a nervous 1-0 win in Turin on Sunday. can start to talk about our objectives and (our utes to fashion a chance, Alessandro Florenzi maintained that referee Mark Clattenburg’s “What we take from today is that we are Juve had won their last four league meetings at position in) the league table.” With Spalletti testing Gianluigi Buffon with a dipping shot that decision had been “harsh”. Chelsea’s interim disappointed, but have a lot of positives home with Roma, scoring at least three goals on deploying a new 3-4-1-2 formation that saw the veteran ‘keeper scooped up with ease. manager Guus Hiddink said that from our attitude and spirit.” — AFP each occasion. Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan move up Mandzukic was in the spotlight moments At the end of a frustrating encounter that behind strikers Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah, after the restart, the Croatian cautioned for could spell trouble for Roma defender Daniele Juve failed to score in the opening half of a league throwing his arm into the face of Antonio De Rossi-suspected of racially abusing Juve’s game for the first time since November when they Rudiger, who crumbled to the ground. Roma Croatian striker Mario Mandzukic-Dybala sent put three, second-half goals past Palermo. breathed a sigh of relief when De Rossi blocked the stadium wild when he ran on to Paul Pogba’s Sami Khedira’s drive into the box after Salah had short through ball to beat Wojciech Szczesny ‘Shut up, shitty gypsy’ given possession away cheaply to Dybala in with a crisp angled strike. But it took only minutes for the game’s first midfield. Roma eventually found their stride Juve’s 14th win and 11th consecutively flashpoint, Juventus winning a free kick after De and for a while Buffon was the busier of the two means they remain second but the champions Rossi was cautioned for an off-the-ball stamp on ‘keepers. Dzeko got his head to Miralem Pjanic’s have closed the gap on Napoli, 4-2 winners over the foot of Mandzukic, who crumbled to the long drive into the area but it went nowhere and Sampdoria earlier Sunday when striker Gonzalo ground in apparent pain. It was then that televi- a half-volley from Nainggolan was deflected Higuain hit his 21st goal in as many games, to sion cameras allegedly caught the Italy defender over the crossbar for a corner. Allegri replaced two points. “To win these type of games, you mouthing an insult, with reports on several Stephan Lichsteiner midway through the second have to strike at the right moment,” said a smil- Italian websites claiming De Rossi said: “Shut up, period and minutes later the Colombian’s high ing Juve coach, Massimiliano Allegri. shitty gypsy.” ball found Pogba on the edge of the area. “Paradoxially, in the opening half hour Dybala Both coaches played down the incident, Pogba set up Evra for a snap shot on the left was nowhere to be seen. Then he was brilliant to although Spalletti did not deny the accusation, flank but Roma ‘keeper Wojciech Szczesny pulled score the winning goal for us in the closing adding: “He (De Rossi) didn’t put his hand up to off a great save to block from the Frenchman. stages.” Roma remain fifth but are 12 points off his mouth, but I will tell him to do that next time. Minutes later Juve finally got the breakthrough, the pace after what was Luciano Spalletti’s sec- “In difficult moments like that, certain manners Pogba holding the ball up well amid a panicked ond game in charge following the sacking of can go amiss. But Mandzukic was taking the piss Roma defense to set up Dybala for a first-time strike Rudi Garcia two weeks ago. out of all the (Roma) players during the game.” that zipped past Szczesny and into the far bottom The Italian denied his team had come to stifle If confirmed, De Rossi could expect a ban that corner. — AFP Zidane ‘proud’ despite dent in Real title hopes MADRID: Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insisted he was proud of his side’s display despite slipping further behind Barcelona in the La Liga title race with a 1-1 draw at Real Betis on Sunday. Zidane had cruised to victory in his first two games in charge since replacing MONCHENGLADBACH: Dortmund’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Rafael Benitez earlier this month, scoring five (left) and Moenchengladbach’s Swedish defender Oscar Wendt vie during the goals against Deportivo La Coruna and German first division football Bundesliga match Borussia Moenchengladbach vs Sporting Gijon. Borussia Dortmund. — AFP However, Los Blancos were stunned by Alvaro Cejudo’s early opener and, despite dom- Battle between Germany’s inating the majority of the match, could only reply through Karim Benzema’s 21st goal of the top goal scorers heats up season 19 minutes from time. “I am very proud of what they did tonight, we’re just missing BERLIN: While the Bundesliga title-race may net at Gladbach’s Borussia Park on a rare below- two more points,” said the Frenchman.