Kristoffersen Inter moves 4 pts wins World Cup clear with 4-0 slalom16 race win19 at Udinese MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2015

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BIRMINGHAM: Arsenal’s Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech (2L) watches as Arsenal’s German defender Per Mertesacker jumps to clear the ball during the English football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England yesterday. Arsenal won the match 2-1. — AFP Arsenal on top as Villa capitulate again

Olympiakos Piraeus, swiftly brought more week heroics when they managed, against area by Alan Hutton. From the spot, Giroud game,” he said. “We believe we have an gloom to Villa Park after eight minutes. the odds, to qualify for the knockout phase of converted his 14th goal of the season and opportunity to win the title,” man of the match Arsenal 2 Mesut Ozil then produced his 13th assist of the Champions League once again. 50th Premier League goal in all for Arsenal in Ramsey told Sky Sports. “We have shown what the season to allow Aaron Ramsey to slot The defeat left Villa stranded at the foot of 113 appearances, a landmark reached quicker we are capable of and have to continue now, home a goal in the 38th minute and enable the table on six points from 16 games, six for the Gunners only by and Thierry in what is a busy part of the season. We have Arsenal to move on to 33 points, one point adrift of 19th-placed Sunderland. It was not Henry. Arsenal, in effortless command, struck to maintain our focus and belief.” After being Aston Villa 0 clear of Manchester City and Leicester City. just Giroud who was able to celebrate a land- again thanks to the industry of Ramsey, who booed off at halftime, Garde’s men huffed and Leicester have the chance to regain the mark achievement. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr won the ball not far outside his own box from puffed a little more convincingly after the leadership when they entertain Chelsea today. Cech equalled David James’s all-time Premier to set up a dazzling counter, break, Scott Sinclair heading over and Villa improved in the second half as Arsenal League record with his 169th clean sheet, in then sprinted up the field to get on the end of Leandro Bacuna curling one close as Arsenal : Arsenal eased to a comfortable 2-0 took their foot off the gas but manager Remi 349 games, prompting Wenger to hail him as Ozil’s unselfish square pass and double the dozed, content to let the dismal home side victory at Aston Villa yesterday to soar to the Garde, who as a player was once signed by “an absolute all-time great”. lead. continue to meander in possession. Adama summit of the Premier League and leave their Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, could only hear Giroud’s splendid week quickly gained a Ozil was also singled out for praise from Traore came closest to scoring for Villa in the hapless opponents rooted at rock bottom. A the grumbles of discontent as his side went a new sheen when Arsenal were awarded a Wenger. “I must say that Mesut is an absolute dying seconds but their plight is worsening 50th Premier League goal from Olivier Giroud, club-record 15th league game without a win. penalty, which referee Kevin Friend took a complete collective player. Sometimes, he’s after a ninth straight league game at Villa Park a penalty converted four days after his “Overall for us, it was a great week,” Wenger while to consider before adjudging that Theo frustrated that he doesn’t get the same balls without a win, their worst home league Champions League hat-trick against said on Sky Sports, referring to his side’s mid- Walcott had been bundled over unfairly in the back but he’s a very important link in our sequence. — Reuters Origi rescues Subs Mitrovic, Perez ragged Liverpool end Tottenham run At the other end, Papiss Cisse inadver- with his West Brom counterpart Tony Pulis during a tently blocked a goal-bound effort from bad-tempered second half, greeted the equaliser Tottenham 1 team-mate Siem de Jong with his face, but Spurs were soon back on the front foot, Dier Liverpool 2 by punching the air. But the loss of Lovren will be of serious concern to the Liverpool manager, dragging a shot wide from outside the box. whose side looked set for defeat until Origi-the Elliot denied twice in the space Croatian’s replacement-intervened. Newcastle 2 of two minutes, first springing to his left to Another significant talking point was the off- paw away a shot from the edge of the box West Brom 2 side decision that denied Olsson just before the and then tipping a prodded effort over the interval. The West Brom defender thought he had bar following a flick-on by Kane. given the visitors a 2-1 lead when he sneaked in LONDON: Substitutes Aleksandar Mitrovic unattended at the far post to volley in Gardner’s and Ayoze Perez scored late goals as PEREZ POUNCES LIVERPOOL: Divock Origi scored his first Premier free-kick. Newcastle United ended Tottenham But from the corner that followed the League goal in the 96th minute to earn Liverpool a Hotspur’s 14-game unbeaten Premier second chance Spurs took the lead as Dier 2-2 draw in a heated match against West Bromwich SPECIAL MOMENT League run with a dramatic 2-1 away victo- stole in front of his marker at the near post Albion yesterday. Liverpool captain Jordan Linesman Roger West did not raise his flag and ry yesterday. Eric Dier’s 39th-minute header to glance Christian Eriksen’s left-wing cor- Henderson marked his first league start since only a couple of Liverpool players made any kind set Spurs on course for a win that would ner past Elliot. August by finishing a superb move with a sweet of appeal. But West then called referee Craig have seen them supplant Manchester Danny Rose could have extended Spurs’ half-volley to give the home side the lead mid-way Pawson over towards him and, after a delay, the United in fourth place in the table, only for lead before the interval, but when Eriksen’s through the first half. goal was disallowed. Mitrovic to poke home a 74th-minute shot deflected into his path via Fabricio Craig Dawson equalised for Albion after half an Television replays showed that it was the cor- equaliser just two minutes after coming on. Coloccini’s backside, his shot bisected the hour, turning in the loose ball after goalkeeper rect decision, with four Albion players in an offside Worse was to follow for the hosts as goal and the sliding Kane. Simon Mignolet had failed to deal with a corner. position as Gardner took the free-kick, but it was Perez struck a stoppage-time winner that Newcastle manager McClaren resisted Liverpool looked uncertain whenever defending unclear how Pawson and West had managed to saw Newcastle register a third successive the urge to make any changes at half-time ANFIELD: Liverpool’s Croatian defender league win at -something and saw Cisse go close early in the second set-pieces and almost went behind right on half- spot it. That incident came after Liverpool had tak- Dejan Lovren (L) rises to win a header time as Jonas Olsson volleyed in Craig Gardner’s en the lead with a lovely goal, only to lose it as a they last achieved in 1911 — and, more period when he drilled narrowly wide with against West Bromwich Albion’s Northern importantly, lifted Steve McClaren’s men his left foot from Moussa Sissoko’s pass. free-kick, only to be correctly ruled offside after a result of some sloppy defending at a set-piece. The Irish defender Gareth McAuley (R) during long delay. The Sweden centre-back was not to be opening goal came when Christian Benteke laid out of the relegation zone. Spurs continued to probe at the other end, the English Premier League football match Spurs were seeking to go 15 successive however, with Elliot fully extended by a 25- denied a goal, though, rising at the near post to the ball back to Alberto Moreno, whose angled between Liverpool yesterday. — AFP glance in Chris Brunt’s corner with 17 minutes left. cross was headed down by Adam Lallana for top-flight games without defeat for the first yard effort from Kane and also obliged to There followed a sour incident as Dejan Lovren was Henderson to sweep in on the half-volley. earlier prevented a deflected Gardner cross-shot time since 1967, but instead succumbed to field a couple of long-range attempts from carried off on a stretcher with his leg in a brace It was a special moment for Henderson, who from sneaking in at his near post, failed to reach a their first loss since a 1-0 reverse at United Eriksen. after a challenge by Gardner, who followed has missed three months of the season with two corner as he collided with Benteke and Salomon on the opening day, leaving Mauricio McClaren sent on Mitrovic for Cisse with through and caught the centre-back on the knee. separate foot injuries. Liverpool should have been Rondon worked the loose ball to Dawson, who Pochettino’s side three points below the 18 minutes left and the combative Serbian But towards the end of eight minutes of time in front before their captain’s 21st-minute goal as prodded in. Liverpool struggled to impose them- Champions League places. Harry Kane was striker made an immediate impact, poking added on for Lovren’s injury, Origi’s deflected 25- Philippe Coutinho blazed over from 15 yards after selves in the second half. Lovren saw a glancing one of several first-team players recalled by home from right on the line after Chancel yard shot prevented Liverpool from succumbing to Gareth McAuley had headed ’s diagonal header deflected wide from James Milner’s free- Pochettino following Thursday’s 4-1 Europa Mbemba’s stooping header was parried by a second straight defeat after last weekend’s 2-0 chip straight to the Brazil international. But any kick, but chances were otherwise hard to come by. League win over Monaco and he showed Hugo Lloris. Mitrovic squandered a chance loss at Newcastle United. hopes Liverpool might have had of a comfortable Albion went in front from another corner in the his intent with a low first-minute shot that to put Newcastle ahead when he failed to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who had afternoon disappeared as Albion equalised nine 73rd minute, as Olsson scored, only for Origi to forced Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot to apply a touch to Sissoko’s inviting cross in been involved in a number of touchline disputes minutes after going behind. Mignolet, who had have the last word. — AFP save one-handed. the final minute. — AFP