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Clippers Dortmund silence Jazz shocked 17 at18 home SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2014 Pennetta to face Radwanska in Indian Wells final Page 16 BIRMINGHAM: Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Willian (right) vies with Aston Villa’s Dutch-born Moroccan midfielder Karim El Ahmadi (left) during the English Premier League football match. — AFP Chelsea falter in EPL title race games in hand. Meanwhile, it meant back-to-back home vic- on and, after cutting in menacingly from the Schurrle and Demba Ba for Torres and Oscar on Tempers flared in stoppage-time when tories for Villa for the first time in four years as left, his low 20-yard strike flashes inches past 67 minutes in a bid to spark his team into Aston Villa 1 Mourinho took his protestations over Ramires’ Paul Lambert’s side climbed into the top half of Brad Guzan’s near post. action, yet a minute later Chelsea’s cause was red card onto the pitch before receiving his the table. Four minutes later he teed up compatriot dealt a hefty blow following Willian’s dismissal. marching orders from referee Chris Foy. Mourinho had recalled the fit-again Oscar just inside the area for a whipped effort Already on a caution for a first-half two- It was a bitter end to a frustrating match for Fernando Torres for Samuel Eto’o up front, which curled narrowly wide of the right wood- footed lunge on Leandro Bacuna, the midfield- Chelsea 0 Mourinho, who watched his lacklustre side while Brazil duo Willian and Oscar were also work. er could have few complaints following a labour in vain to break down Villa before suc- restored. Villa were close to taking the lead when needless tug on Delph in the centre of the cumbing to Delph’s winner. This was a contest where Villa had to play Benteke’s audacious scissor kick from outside pitch. As well as their games in hand, Manuel with a no-holds-barred intensity to match the the area flashed wide. The Blues had the ball in It fully shifted the momentum into Villa’s BIRMINGHAM: Leaders Chelsea surrendered Pellegrini’s City have a superior goal difference leaders and Chelsea were given an early insight the net just before the break when Matic bun- favour and Chelsea were made to pay with the initiative in the Premier League title race to Chelsea and Mourinho could be forgiven for into what lay in store when a Nathan Baker dled home at the far post from John Terry’s eighth minutes left when midfielder Delph fed as they had two players and boss Jose feeling he is cursed at Villa Park-the only top- lunge on Eden Hazard earned the defender a flick-on yet, after consulting with assistant Marc Albrighton before meets his return cross Mourinho sent off in a shock 1-0 defeat at flight ground in England at which he has not booking. Peter Banks, Foy ruled the midfielder had con- with a stunning improvised backheel which Aston Villa yesterday. Fabian Delph’s flicked won. It was Villa who created the game’s first trolled the ball with his forearm. crept inside the far post. strike in the 82nd minute, either side of dis- The Portuguese could have few complaints opening when a well-worked move in the 10th Villa were always a danger on the counter Petr Cech then pushed another Delph strike missals for Willian and Ramires, stopped the with the result though after an insipid perform- minute ended in Delph crossing for Christian though and Benteke was unlucky to see an onto his crossbar before Ramires saw a straight Blues maintaining their advantage over sec- ance from his team in which they created only a Benteke yet the striker could only head over effort from the edge of the box curl wide after red for an ugly two-footed stamp on Karim El ond-placed Manchester City, who are now spate of openings, a disallowed goal for a hand- the crossbar. a one-two with Andreas Weimann. Ahmadi, which then resulted in Mourinho also just six points behind Chelsea with three ball by Nemanja Matic the best of them. Willian posed the Blues’ biggest threat early Mourinho reacted by introducing Andre being dismissed for his protests. — AFP Silva, Dzeko kickstart Coleman leaves it late to sink Cardiff Man City title charge continue Everton’s recent dominant home form early in the second half. Everton 2 After 58 minutes, the 20-year-old ran onto out of the Champions League at Barcelona’s hands more of the ball than they might have expected, Leon Osman’s through ball down the left in mid-week. Pellegrini made four changes to the while Bruce reacted by bringing on forward Sone flank and past Gary Medel before cutting in Hull 0 team beaten 2-1 in Wednesday’s game at the Camp Aluko for defender Maynor Figueroa at half-time. towards the near post and scoring via a shot Nou, including bringing in Dzeko in place of It sent out a positive message and Hull took the Cardiff 1 deflected off Steven Caulker. injured striker Sergio Aguero. game to their visitors. Shane Long’s smart turn and But within 10 minutes, Peter Beyond taking the lead, Steve Bruce’s Hull could shot from 18 yards after good work from James Whittingham’s superbly-placed free-kick into Man City 2 hardly have wished for a more encouraging start as Chester was beaten away by Hart, before the the Everton six-yard area found the chest of City were a man down after 10 minutes. England goalkeeper denied Jelavic, who mishit his LIVERPOOL: Seamus Coleman’s stoppage- Cala who guided the ball past the stranded Nikica Jelavic had already caused problems for shot from Aluko’s inswinging free-kick. time strike earned Everton a dramatic 2-1 vic- Tim Howard into the corner of the Everton the City defence with his physical presence and he Hull were increasing the pressure and the hosts tory over Cardiff at Goodison Park yesterday goal. Seeking a seventh consecutive home LONDON: David Silva inspired 10-man Manchester capitalised on a moment’s hesitation by Kompany. were convinced that they deserved to be awarded to keep his side in the hunt for European victory that would have improved their City to a 2-0 victory at Hull City yesterday that kept The City captain’s response was to haul the a penalty after George Boyd went down in the area the visitors’ Premier League title fate in their own Croatian to the floor and, as the last defender, a red following a challenge from Hart. football. chances of a fifth-placed finish and European hands. Spanish midfielder Silva scored a stunning card was inevitable, ruling the Belgian out of next Hart clearly believed that Boyd had dived, and Roberto Martinez’s team looked set to be football next season, Kevin Mirallas almost opener in the 14th minute at the KC Stadium and weekend’s home match against Fulham. was booked for angrily confronting the Hull substi- frustrated after Juan Cala cancelled out shot Everton into an early lead, shrugging set up a late Edin Dzeko strike as City survived the Pellegrini adjusted his team by dropping Javi tute. With 18 minutes remaining, City mounted Gerard Deulofeu’s opener for the hosts. aside Caulker and seeing his shot saved tidily early dismissal of captain Vincent Kompany. Garcia into defence alongside Martin Demichelis, their first attack of the second half and they should Cala’s goal seemed likely to earn Cardiff a by David Marshall. Victory for Manuel Pellegrini’s men represents and the visitors’ response was almost instant. have killed off the game. priceless point in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Leighton Baines’ resulting corner caused the first step in their task of reeling in league lead- Silva’s deflected shot found its way to efforts to keep the Welsh club in the Premier confusion in the Cardiff area and a ricochet ers Chelsea. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has HART ENRAGED Fernandinho 10 yards out, but the Brazilian some- League. But deep into stoppage-time substi- struck Sylvain Distin before narrowly clearing been at pains to stress that the advantage lies with After Hull failed to close City down quickly, Yaya how managed to shoot wide. tute Aiden McGeady crossed from the left, the bar. City, but, with points on the board, few genuinely Toure’s neat pass found Silva in a central position, Dzeko was then guilty of squandering a similar- Gareth Barry kept the ball in play with a com- But it was a resilient display by Cardiff, believe he would readily swap places. 25 yards out, and the Spaniard’s left-foot strike left ly inviting opportunity when, after being put mitted run and header and Coleman saw his often featuring five men in defence, and one Mourinho’s mind games aside, the pressure on goalkeeper Allan McGregor helpless. through by Gael Clichy, he could only fire straight miscued attempt wrong-foot goalkeeper that threatened Everton with a number of City is palpable as they look to play catch-up after City were close to doubling their advantage at McGregor as the Hull goalkeeper rushed off his David Marshall and fly into the goal. half chances on the break. seeing two other chances of silverware vanish in when a half-clearance found its way to Pablo line. That moved Everton back up to sixth The better opportunities fell to the home less than a week. Zabaleta and the Argentine’s volley crashed off the But the Bosnia and Hercegovina striker atoned place, while Cardiff dropped to second bot- side, nevertheless, with Seamus Coleman’s Pellegrini’s side lifted the League Cup at the underside of the bar and onto the goal-line before in the 90th minute, latching onto a fine through tom, three points from safety.