FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 2 Man City bounce back to beat Saints and close in on Liverpool Monday, December 31, 2018 CRICKET Rabia II 24, 1440 AH India take 2-1 lead GULF TIMES with big win in Melbourne Test SPORT Page 7 TENNIS/FOOTBALL QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN FOOTBALL Queiroz all praise for Qatar By Anil John nalists at a press conference in Doha. Doha Iran and several Asian Cup-bound teams, including China, have used Qatar’s excellent facilities to train and he Iranian football establish- play friendly matches before the tour- ment should take a leaf out of nament that kicks off on January 5. Qatar’s book when it comes to Iran, who are still in Qatar, would be support for the national foot- taking on Qatar behind closed doors Tball team, legendary Portuguese coach today, but Queiroz said the squad is Carlos Queiroz said yesterday. still a works in progress because of the The 65-year-old Queiroz, who has Iranian federation’s tendency to “cut managed Real Madrid and his native corners”. Portugal besides the UAE and South “They cut corners and expect me to Africa, has been in charge of Iran since come up with a magic decision. To- 2011, but reckons that the federation is morrow is our last game before the not giving the team the backing they Asian Cup starts and I’ll have to make deserve. some experiments. I’ll have to think He is particularly miff ed at the way about a few things before our fi rst the authorities refused permission for game (against Yemen on Jan 7).” the team to play three friendly matches He said, in sharp contrast, Qatar are that left them short of practice head- nicely placed. ing to the Asian Cup in the UAE next thank the Qatar Football Association “They have brought in players like month. for hosting us in Doha. Without Qa- Xavi and the best of coaches to Aspire. He said Iran would have played only tar’s help we couldn’t have managed to They have made tremendous progress fi ve matches before the continental play even fi ve matches before the Asian under Coach Felix Sanchez. They are a tournament while they should have Cup. Ideally we should have played at completely diff erent team,” added the played at least 10. “First of all I’d like to least 10 matches,” Queiroz told jour- master tactician. Qatar captain Hassan al-Haydos (centre) leads a training session ahead of today’s friendly match against Iran. Gulf Times 2 Monday, December 31, 2018 FOOTBALL PREMIER LEAGUE Man City bounce back as Pogba shines again for Utd City’s shock run of three losses in four games has allowed the unbeaten Liverpool to close in on a first title since 1990 AFP POINTS TALLY Manchester, United Kingdom P W D L Pts anchester City cut Liver- Liverpool 20 17 3 0 54 pool’s lead at the top of the Man City 20 15 2 3 47 Premier League to seven Tottenham 20 15 0 5 45 points with a 3-1 win at MSouthampton as Paul Pogba shone Chelsea 20 13 4 3 43 again for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man- Arsenal 20 11 5 4 38 chester United by scoring twice in a 4-1 Man United 20 10 5 5 35 victory over Bournemouth yesterday. City’s shock run of three defeats in Wolves 20 8 5 7 29 four league games has allowed the un- Leicester 20 8 4 8 28 beaten Liverpool to close in on a fi rst ti- Watford 20 8 4 8 28 tle since 1990 with the sides set to meet Everton 20 7 6 7 27 at the Etihad on Thursday. But after Ju- rgen Klopp’s men thrashed Arsenal 5-1 West Ham 20 8 3 9 27 on Saturday to open up a nine-point Bournemouth 20 8 2 10 26 lead, the champions responded despite Brighton 20 7 4 9 25 an early scare at St Mary’s. “We knew it, that with the position Crystal Palace 20 5 4 11 19 of Liverpool, if we drop points then it is Newcastle 20 4 6 10 18 over, it is fi nished,” said City boss Pep Cardiff City 20 5 3 12 18 Guardiola. “It would be almost impos- sible. Of course they are going to drop Southampton 20 3 6 11 15 points but not too many.” Burnley 20 4 3 13 15 Charlie Austin wasted a great chance Fulham 20 3 5 12 14 to give Southampton the lead before David Silva slotted home Bernardo Huddersfield 20 2 4 14 10 Silva’s cross to put the visitors in front. However, just as in defeats to Crystal Ham 2-0. Sean Dyche dropped former Palace and Leicester, City surrendered England number one goalkeeper Joe the lead when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg Hart to the bench for the fi rst time blasted high past Ederson eight min- in the league this season and was re- utes before half-time. warded with a rare clean sheet as fi rst The game swung back in back in half goals from Chris Wood and Dwight City’s favour just before the break as McNeil secured a vital three points. James Ward-Prowse turned Raheem Sterling’s cross into his own net before ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS Alex McCarthy couldn’t keep out Ser- Burnley 2 (Wood 15, McNeil 34) West gio Aguero’s header. Guardiola’s men Ham 0; Crystal Palace 0 Chelsea 1 (Kante should have added to their advantage as 51); Manchester United 4 (Pogba 5, 33, Aguero hit the bar and McCarthy made amends by denying Gabriel Jesus. Rashford 45, Lukaku 72) Bournemouth Fernandinho had been badly missed 1 (Ake 45+2); Southampton 1 (Hojbjerg in City’s recent defeats, but his return 37) Manchester City 3 (D Silva 10, Ward- from injury made a huge diff erence in Prowse 45-og, Aguero 45+3) midfi eld and Southampton ended with Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero (second right) celebrates with Vincent Kompany after scoring against Southampton in the Premier League. (Reuters) Played Saturday: righton 1 (Locadia 10 men after Hojbjerg was shown a 59) Everton 0; Fulham 1 (Mitrovic 90+1) straight red card for scything down the fi ve minutes owed much to the brilliant fi nish put United 3-0 up. Nathan Ake four as Chelsea ground out a 1-0 win at “He is improving, especially in his Huddersfield 0; Leicester 0 Cardiff 1 Brazilian fi ve minutes from time. skill of Marcus Rashford who dribbled reduced Bournemouth’s defi cit before Crystal Palace thanks to N’Golo Kante’s movement without the ball,” said Sarri. (Camarasa 90+2); Tottenham Hotspur Pogba had scored just one goal from beyond two Bournemouth defenders half-time, but Pogba turned provider winner. The French World Cup winner “Today his movement was really very 1 (Kane 22) Wolverhampton Wander- open play in the Premier League this before crossing for Pogba to tap into an for substitute Romelu Lukaku to make has been encouraged by Maurizio Sarri good and done with the right timing.” ers 3 (Boly 72, Jimenez 83, Costa 87); season under Jose Mourinho, but con- empty net. it 4-1 and only the post denied Pogba a to get into more goalscoring positions Southampton are now above the rel- Watford 1 (Doucoure 82) Newcastle 1 tinues to fl ourish since the Portuguese’s Pogba then powered home a header fi rst ever hat-trick. with Jorginho occupying Kante’s usual egation zone only on goal diff erence (Rondon 29); Liverpool 5 (Firmino 14, 16, departure with his second double in from Ander Herrera’s inviting cross Despite Solskjaer’s 100% record, holding midfi eld role for the Londoners as third bottom Burnley secured just a 65-pen, Mane 32, Salah 45+2) Arsenal 1 four days. The Frenchman’s opener on before Rashford’s outside of the boot United remain eight points off the top this season. second win in 13 games by beating West (Maitland-Niles 11) SPOTLIGHT GUARDIOLA WARNS DEFEAT AGAINST LIVERPOOL Injuries a worry for Sarri WILL MEAN TITLE RACE IS ‘OVER’ FOR CITY Southampton: Pep Guardiola into City’s play was ended by a and Leicester reverses. “How the title.” has warned his Manchester City James Ward-Prowse own goal can I doubt them?,” he said. City may again be without as Chelsea beat Palace side a failure to beat Liverpool and a Sergio Aguero header “Football is like this. We make Kevin de Bruyne against Liver- at the Etihad Stadium yesterday just before half-time that left 30 exceptional minutes again, pool because of the influential AFP will eff ectively mean their title City 3-1 up. especially without the ball, we playmaker’s muscle problem, London challenge is “over”. Saints’ frustrations boiled create chances to go 2-0 or 3-0, but Guardiola rejected sugges- Reigning champions City over with a red card for Hojb- we concede one goal. tions that a defeat of South- revived their bid to retain the jerg after a wild challenge on “Against Crystal Palace and ampton had sent a message to aurizio Sarri said Premier League trophy with a Fernandinho late in the game. Leicester they were happy with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverppol side. Chelsea’s lengthen- 3-1 win away to Southampton “We knew it, that with the 1-1 and they found a second “We’re not here to send a ing injury list is caus- on Sunday that followed shock position of Liverpool, if we drop one, I always judge our inten- message,” he said.