Pharoah wins Sharapova lifts Preakness, in hunt Rome crown for Triple16 Crown 18 MONDAY, MAY 18, 2015 Messi hands Barca 23rd Liga title Page 19 MANCHESTER: Arsenal’s Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey (left) runs past Manchester United’s Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera during the English Premier League football match. — AFP Arsenal stay ahead of United Victor Valdes. pened since January 1994 — and as has target in the first half and when Giroud’s chorused the Stretford End, betraying their The result kept Arsenal two points above been their approach in recent major show- knock-down fell kindly for Alexis Sanchez fear that the Spain international is destined Man United 1 United in third place in the table and the FA downs, they were content to let their oppo- early in the second, the Chilean shanked a for Madrid. Cup finalists can secure a Champions nents attack them. shot high into the East Stand. When Arsenal did find a way past De League group-stage berth by winning at It led to a number of half-chances for The game was a last chance for Falcao Gea, Aaron Ramsey lobbing a shot over him home to Sunderland in their game in hand United, with Young, Radamel Falcao, Chris to impress the United fans after a frustrat- from Sanchez’s pass, Rojo was on hand to Arsenal 1 on Wednesday. Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to Smalling-captain in Wayne Rooney’s ing loan spell from Monaco, but he spent hook clear. Crystal Palace on Saturday meant that absence-and Juan Mata all threatening. much of the first half on his backside, the De Gea had to depart the fray moments United were already guaranteed at least a A slip at the other end by Phil Jones victim of a slippery pitch, and gave way for later after an awkward landing, enabling place in the Champions League play-off gave Arsenal a sight of goal, but despite former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie on the shaven-headed former Barcelona goal- MANCHESTER: Tyler Blackett’s late own round, which was the minimum require- being flat on his front, the United centre- the hour. keeper Valdes to come on for his United goal compromised Manchester United’s ment when Louis van Gaal took up his post back improvised brilliantly by swiping the The apologetic wave Falcao gave as he debut, four months after joining the club. hopes of automatic Champions League as manager last year. ball away from Olivier Giroud with his head. left the pitch suggested he will not be seen Valdes had not played a first-team game qualification as Arsenal drew 1-1 at Old But of more pressing concern is the It was United, though, who were making at Old Trafford again in a United shirt. for over a year and his first task was to pick Trafford in the Premier League yesterday. future of goalkeeper David de Gea, heavily the running, and they took the lead on the Giroud, Van Persie’s successor as Arsenal’s the ball out of the net after Walcott’s shot The hosts took the lead when Ashley linked with Real Madrid and who may have half hour. Young stood up a cross from the attacking figurehead, belatedly got in nicked off fellow substitute Blackett and Young crossed for Ander Herrera to volley already made his final United appearance left flank and with two defenders drawn to behind the United defence moments later, looped over him. home, but Arsene Wenger’s side earned a after being forced off by injury in the sec- the giant Marouane Fellaini, Herrera met but after neatly beating Marcos Rojo to Both sides had chances to win it, but point in the 82nd minute when Theo ond half. the ball flush on the volley at the back post Mesut Ozil’s cross, he was thwarted by De Giroud could only shoot into the side-net- Walcott’s shot nicked off Blackett and Arsenal were unchanged for the sixth to claim his eighth goal of the season. Gea. ting and Van Persie then ballooned over looped over United substitute goalkeeper game running-the first time that has hap- Arsenal failed to muster a single shot on “David de Gea, we want you to stay!” from Fellaini’s knock-down. — AFP EPL results/standings Toure hits double as Man City Manchester United 1 (Herrera 30) Arsenal 1 (Blackett 82-og); Swansea 2 (Sigurdsson 45, Gomis 64) Manchester City 4 (Toure 21, 74, Milner 36, Bony 90). head for Champions League Playing today: West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea Milner had put the visitors in control only for early on-the best of them scuffed wide from English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals the home side to draw level through Gylfi Neil Taylor’s cutback. against, points): Swansea 2 Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis. It was a ponderous opening from Manuel Chelsea 36 25 9 2 70 28 84 — champions But Toure’s second goal which, like his first, Pellegrini’s team, one epitomised by a particu- Man City 37 23 7 7 81 38 76 — Champions League owed much to an error by Swans goalkeeper larly sluggish start from £24.3 million ($38 mil- Arsenal 36 21 8 7 67 35 71 — Champions League Lukasz Fabianski, restored City’s lead in the lion) centre-back Eliaquim Mangala. Man Utd 37 20 9 8 62 37 69 — Champions League Liverpool 37 18 8 11 51 42 62 Man City 4 74th minute before midfielder Toure’s Ivory The former Porto defender wanted too Coast team-mate Bony-signed from Swansea much time to deal with a probing Swansea Tottenham 37 18 7 12 57 53 61 in January-struck in stoppage time. ball down the left channel and was dispos- Southampton 37 18 6 13 54 31 60 Swansea 37 16 8 13 46 48 56 There was a warm reception for Bony on sessed by Nathan Dyer to send the winger Stoke 37 14 9 14 42 44 51 SWANSEA: Yaya Toure scored twice while his return to Swansea, however he had to set- clean through. substitute Wilfried Bony reminded Swansea of Everton 37 12 11 14 48 49 47 tle for a place on the bench before eventually Dyer inflicted more humiliation on West Ham 37 12 11 14 44 45 47 what they were missing as Manchester City making an impact. Mangala when he cut back inside to leave the Crystal Palace 37 12 9 16 46 51 45 made sure of a place in the Champions Fit-again Gomis, who has excelled in his France international on his backside, yet West Brom 36 10 11 15 34 47 41 League with a 4-2 win at the Liberty Stadium absence for the Welsh club, was rewarded unfortunately for the Swansea man, City goal- Leicester 37 10 8 19 41 54 38 yesterday. with a first start in a month following his late keeper Joe Hart had judged his angles to per- Aston Villa 37 10 8 19 31 56 38 Victory assured City of a top-three finish in winner against Arsenal in Swansea’s previous fection, tipping a curled effort around the Sunderland 36 7 16 13 30 50 37 the Premier League and meant they will be match. post. Newcastle 37 9 9 19 38 63 36 among the trio of English clubs guaranteed The France international was heavily That save appeared all the more pivotal Hull 37 8 10 19 33 51 34 entry into the Champions League group involved in the game’s opening exchanges as four minutes later as Toure, receiving posses- Burnley 37 6 12 19 27 53 30 — relegated QPR 37 8 6 23 41 68 30 — relegated stage, with the fourth-placed club having to Swansea made the more purposeful start. Yet sion from David Silva on the edge of the area, enter a qualifying round instead. Note: top four teams qualify for next season’s Champions League; fifth-place team qualifies for his predatory instincts deserted him when drove a shot which beat Fabianski at his near Europa League; bottom three teams relegated to Championship. Goals from City captain Toure and James presented with three separate opportunities post. — AFP.