Sports FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016 Cech, Koscielny blows add to Arsenal woe

Saturday.” The double injury blow will have “It looks a bit like a confidence issue. We and he started to tire,” the Frenchman said. blackened Wenger’s mood yet further after have to focus on our job and come back, “He played against a very young left-back a result that left Arsenal six points below reminding ourselves that we have some and I thought Welbeck could give him Arsenal 1 leaders Leicester City in quality as well. Analyse it well and bounce some problems with his runs behind. third place. It was Arsenal’s third defeat in a back. We have a big game in three days. “These kind of decisions don’t mean row, after previous losses at the hands of “At the moment I am more worried about that Campbell did badly. I think he did Barcelona and Manchester United, and saw our results (than the title race). We just lost quite well tonight (Wednesday), but there Swansea City 2 them booed off by their own fans at the three games and that is always a very diffi- was room on that flank to be very danger- . cult moment for the team. ous with pace. “We have to take the fans on Wayne Routledge cancelled out Joel “At the moment we don’t dream, we are our side. They were ready to support us : Arsenal will be without goal- Campbell’s early opener for Arsenal before realistic. We must come back to what we tonight. “They were quite good, but we keeper Petr Cech and centre-back Laurent Ashley Williams bundled in a 74th-minute do well and do the basics.” faded in the game and you could see in the Koscielny for tomorrow’s trip to Tottenham winner. “It is a very unlucky defeat because last part we had a lack of movement to cre- Hotspur, manager Arsene Wenger revealed we created many chances and we were ‘NOT IN THE MOOD’ ate dangerous situations. “We will not talk after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Swansea City. unlucky in our finishing,” said Wenger, Wenger defended his decision to send about titles tonight. I’m not in the mood. “Cech got a muscular problem at the whose side hit the woodwork three times. Danny Welbeck on for Campbell in the sec- It’s a big disappointment.” Swansea’s win end of the game,” Wenger said. “He will not “The two shots on target they had in the ond half, a move that drew derision from was all the more remarkable given they play on Saturday. I have full faith in (David) whole game were the two goals. It’s a very Arsenal fans and cries of “You don’t know were without head coach Francesco Ospina.” On Koscielny, he added: “He has a disappointing result and the players are what you’re doing!” Guidolin, who had been admitted to hospi- calf problem as well. He will not play on very down. We have to respond to that. “Campbell has not played for a while tal with a lung infection. — AFP

Antonio ruins birthday boy Pochettino’s bid for top

Whatever the cause, Slaven Bilic’s side made a blistering start and stunned West Ham 1 the lacklustre visitors with a goal in the seventh minute. From Pochettino’s point of view it was a disappointing one to concede as a corner reached Tottenham 0 Antonio, who had easily escaped Chadli’s attempt to mark him, and the winger had time and space to bury his header past a weak attempted save LONDON: Michail Antonio ruined from Hugo Lloris. Mauricio Pochettino’s birthday as the West Ham winger sealed a 1-0 win that TOOTHLESS stopped Tottenham taking over at the Lloris partially redeemed himself top of the Premier League on when he sprang across goal to keep out Wednesday. Pochettino hoped to cele- Mark Noble’s powerful long-range brate his 44th birthday by mastermind- effort. ing the victory that would put his club Pochettino’s men had thrashed the MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Juan Mata, second from right, scores his side’s first goal of the game, dur- in pole position in the English top- Hammers 4-1 in November, but the ing the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Watford, at Old Trafford, in flight for the first time since August hosts were unbeaten at home since Manchester, England, Wednesday. — AP 2009. August and it was easy to see why as But Antonio struck early in the first their relentless pressing rendered half at Upton Park and Tottenham were Tottenham toothless in attack. Mata gives Man United’s unable to respond as they suffered an Standing arm crossed with a furrowed untimely first defeat in seven league brow on the touchline as rain lashed games. down, Pochettino was hardly having Leicester’s draw against West the best of birthdays and there was little top-four chase flight Bromwich Albion on Tuesday had sign of his players, who failed to muster paved the way for second placed a shot on target in the opening 30 min- Smalling still unavailable following a shoulder injury. Tottenham to seize the initiative as they utes, lifting his mood. United’s vigour caused Watford early concern, with a chase a first league title since 1961. As he has so often this season, Man Utd 1 panicked Jose Holebas slicing Daley Blind’s left-wing cross However, the last time Tottenham Dimitri Payet was at the heart of all West towards his own goalkeeper, and Martial misdirecting a free were top in March was way back in 1964 Ham’s best moves and he brought Lloris header wide after ’s cross found him at the far and they couldn’t end that sequence into action at the end of another inci- post. following a tame display that left them sive raid. Ighalo’s alertness provided a test for the home defence. three points behind Leicester ahead of Pochettino’s team finally showed Watford 0 Blind did well to deflect one effort past the post, and then Saturday’s north London derby against signs of recapturing their recent swag- was relieved to see the striker blast straight at goalkeeper third placed Arsenal, whose loss against gering form in the second half and Erik after giving the ball away 30 yards from goal. Swansea on Wednesday was the only Lamela threatened when he headed MANCHESTER: Juan Mata’s late free-kick earned Morgan Schneiderlin volleyed inches wide for United bright spot for Pochettino. wide from Trippier’s cross. Manchester United a 1-0 home win over Watford on from just outside the penalty area, having connected sweet- West Ham’s victory kept them in the The key moment came when Toby Wednesday, a fourth successive victory that lifted their ly with Troy Deeney’s headed clearance from a Mata free- hunt for a top four finish as they try to Alderweireld’s long-range strike was hopes of Champions League qualification. kick. mark their final season at Upton Park by parried by West Ham goalkeeper Adrian Mata struck seven minutes from the end against a In defence, Fosu-Mensah was having a testing time. One securing an unexpected Champions into the path of Harry Kane, but the Watford side who deserved at least a point and who missed superb challenge on Ighalo was followed by a poor one on League place. England forward, usually so lethal in a host of chances, with Odion Ighalo the biggest culprit. Etienne Capoue just outside the penalty area, for which the Pochettino made four changes from front of goal, made a complete hash of United’s teenage striker was unable to Dutch teenager was rightly booked. the team that came from behind to his effort. Tottenham defender Kevin keep up the remarkable form that had brought him four Moments later, Deeney beat Fosu-Mensah to flick on defeat Swansea on Sunday, with Kieran Wimmer, already on a booking, might goals in his first two games at senior level. Capoue’s cross and Ighalo’s shot on the turn rolled inches Trippier, Ben Davies, Ryan Mason and have feared a red card after tripping But ’s side still managed to grind out a vic- wide with De Gea beaten. Nacer Chadli selected in a bid to keep Emmanuel Emenike, but referee Andre tory that allowed them to close the gap on the Premier By now, Watford should have been in front. Blind’s his side fresh. Marriner instead gave a foul against the League’s top four, all of whom dropped points in the mid- under-hit back-pass allowed Ighalo to run clear of Fosu- But the changes did little to aid Hammers striker. week matches. Mensah, and it was as well for the home side that De Gea Spurs, who may also have underesti- Pochettino sent on Dele Alli and Son Van Gaal stuck with Rashford in attack, with the fit-again stood up to make the block. United’s back line was fraying at mated the level of motivation in a West Heung-min in the closing stages, yet returning wide on the right. the edges. De Gea saved them again when Blind allowed Ham side fired up by their vociferous the birthday boy’s party was destined to He gave another teenager a full debut at centre-back, as Guillermo Varela’s pass to run through to Ighalo, who still fans to upstage their hated London end up a damp squib as Spurs ran out of Tim Fosu-Mensah came in for , with Chris could not find a way to score.—AFP rivals. steam. — AFP