Pakistan resolves Benteke hands row over Amir Liverpool victory 17 over19 Leicester SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2015 Djokovic, Federer in race to be first $100m man Page 16 STOKE-ON-TRENT: Stoke City’s US defender Geoff Cameron (R) vies with Manchester United’s English defender Chris Smalling duringthe English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Manchester United at the Britannia Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, central England yesterday. — AFP Man Utd loses 4th in row at Stoke Van Gaal woes deepen in the second half they could not repair the still thought he was the man to turn around and he would have been surprised by his Attempting to knock a bouncing ball back damage. United’s season and whether he had the side’s early dominance. to his goalkeeper David de Gea with a div- Stoke City 2 Dutchman Van Gaal has now overseen a support of United’s hierarchy. The 20-times English champions have ing header, Memphis Depay only succeeded seven-match winless run in which United “It’s more difficult because I’m also part traditionally been associated with swash- in gifting the ball to Stoke right back Glen have been eliminated from the Champions of the four matches we have lost and so buckling attacking football, but apart from a Johnson who crossed for Bojan to stab League and fallen out of the Premier people are looking at me,” Van Gaal told Sky brief flurry after the break when Van Gaal home. Man Utd 0 League’s top four after successive defeats by Sports. “It’s another situation, we have lost brought his captain Wayne Rooney off the It got even worse for United when Bournemouth, Norwich City and Stoke. the fourth game, we will have to wait and bench, they were woefully short of belief or Bojan’s free kick was blocked and with no Having criticised the media and stormed see,” he added with a lingering glare leadership. defender closing down Arnautovic he thun- angrily out of his pre-match news confer- towards the reporter. Van Gaal looked powerless as he dered a shot past De Gea. LONDON: Louis van Gaal hinted that he ence on Wednesday, there was an air of res- United, down to sixth in the Premier clutched his notes while sitting uneasily on England striker Rooney spiced up could vacate the Old Trafford hot seat after ignation about Van Gaal’s comments after League, face struggling champions Chelsea the bench next to assistant Ryan Giggs. United’s attack after the break but watching Stoke City swat aside his timid the loss-United’s fourth in a row in all com- at Old Trafford on Monday and few would The biggest indictment of the malaise Marouane Fellaini wasted their best chance Manchester United team 2-0 in the Premier petitions. be surprised if Van Gaal was no longer in afflicting England’s biggest club was Van when he shot straight at Stoke keeper Jack League yesterday. “The club doesn’t have to fire or sack me- charge. Gaal’s belief that his expensively-assembled Butland from close range. Goals from Stoke forwards Bojan Krkic sometimes I do it by myself,” the former Stoke manager Mark Hughes had spoken team “did not dare to play football in the At the final whistle Van Gaal gave a brief and Marko Arnautovic punished United for Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager told this week of his days as a marauding United first half.” wave to United’s travelling fans. The next a dreadful start at a blustery Britannia reporters. striker under Alex Ferguson when the side Stoke’s opener after 19 minutes summed few days will reveal whether it was his part- Stadium and although the visitors improved Minutes earlier, he had been asked if he approached every game expecting to win it up a truly awful first half for United. ing gesture. — Reuters Oscar slip denies Hiddink Everton stun Newcastle opening Chelsea victory with late Cleverley goal much a factor in their slide towards the relega- Kevin Mirallas’s powerful strike was kept tion places. out by Newcastle goalkeeper Rob Elliot. Chelsea 2 Twice the visitors had decent chances to open Newcastle 0 Martinez’s men enjoyed total dominance of the scoring. Both efforts fell to live-wire Nigerian possession in the early stages, but forward Ighalo, his first an instinctive volley that Newcastle almost went in front against the flashed wide and the second a delicate header run of play through Aleksandar Mitrovic, that failed to trouble Thibaut Courtois. Everton 1 who should have done better than head Watford 2 Hiddink had suggested that he might turn to tamely wide from Daryl Janmaat’s cross. graduates from Chelsea’s impressive youth acad- As the game began to open up Everton emy to give the club an injection of vim, but he winger Aaron Lennon drilled a low effort at kept faith with the stalwarts against Watford and NEWCASTLE: Everton midfielder Tom Elliot, while Newcastle came close at the LONDON: Diego Costa scored twice as Chelsea they combined for the opening goal in the 32nd Cleverley headed a dramatic stoppage- other end when Georginio Wijnaldum’s were held to a 2-2 draw by Watford at Stamford minute. time winner to seal a 1-0 victory at header flew wide from Moussa Sissoko’s Bridge yesterday in Guus Hiddink’s first game in Newcastle that left the hosts languishing in cross. charge as temporary manager. HAZARD IMPACT the relegation zone yesterday. Lukaku was well policed by the Costa put his side ahead and his second goal Willian’s right-wing corner was knocked on by Roberto Martinez’s side looked to have Newcastle defence in the first half. But he mid-way through the second half rescued a point a combination of John Terry’s head and Gary squandered their dominant display with a nearly reached the landmark three minutes after a Troy Deeney penalty and an Odion Ighalo Cahill’s shoulder to Costa, who volleyed home series of missed chances until Cleverley after the interval when Seamus Coleman’s effort had put Watford ahead. from close range. It was his first goal in over a popped up with his perfectly timed inter- cross flew across goal and just past the for- But had Oscar not skied a penalty high over month. vention to stun St James’ Park. mer Chelsea forward. LONDON: Chelsea’s Spanish midfielder Cesc the bar with 10 minutes remaining, Hiddink But the Blues managed to shoot themselves Cleverley’s first goal of the season gave That close shave was followed by an might have marked his return to west London in the foot three minutes before the break when Fabregas (L) vies with Watford’s Nigerian Everton their first win in five league match- even better chance for Lukaku, who turned with victory. Hiddink is back at the club after a an innocuous corner from Ben Watson was mis- striker Odion Ighalo during the English es and shattered Newcastle’s three match Chancel Mbemba and saw his strike turned previous stint in charge in 2009 as Chelsea judged by Nemanja Matic, who allowed the ball Premier League football match between unbeaten run. away by Elliot. Elliot was working overtime attempt to recover from Jose Mourinho’s to bounce off his arm. It was a clear penalty and Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge in Newcastle are third bottom, behind now and he made another good stop to departure. The early signs suggest that he visiting captain Deeney despatched the spot-kick London yesterday. — AFP Norwich on goal difference. The only deny Lennon. Penned into their own half intends to adopt a more adventurous approach with consummate ease. left-footer clipping Cahill and zipping past a Everton player who left frustrated was for long periods, Mitrovic wasted a rare than his predecessor, with Oscar, Willian and John Mikel Obi, one of three survivors from slightly embarrassed Courtois. Romelu Lukaku, who would have entered Newcastle chance when he headed Pedro Rodriguez encouraged to get forward in Hiddink’s previous reign-the others being Terry England’s festive games have a habit of pro- the Goodison Park history books if he had Sissoko’s cross wide from six yards. support of lone striker Costa here. The proac- and Branislav Ivanovic-replaced Cesc Fabregas at ducing goals and this one did not disappoint as scored for a ninth successive match. Ramiro Funes Mori saw his header tive approach almost reaped dividends within half-time. the Blues restored parity within nine minutes. Belgian striker Lukaku would have pushed away by Elliot, but Everton’s pres- four minutes when Pedro flashed in a cross But it was the visitors who restarted the game Willian bisected the Watford rearguard and Costa joined Everton legend Dixie Dean on that sure was finally rewarded in the most dra- from the right. on the front foot and deservedly took the lead 11 steamed through, taking a touch and lofting the milestone mark he set in 1924, but he drew matic fashion. Costa, outjumping Allan Nyom, was first to minutes into the second period. Ivanovic, shorn ball over Gomes. a disappointing blank. With torrential rain With just seconds left in the third the ball, but his header cleared the crossbar of of any confidence this season, was pulled out of Eden Hazard entered the fray with 16 minutes having lashed Tyneside all day, Everton minute of stoppage-time, Newcastle could- Hornets goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes. Though position following the run of Deeney. to play and was immediately in the action when made the more positive start on a slick sur- n’t deal with a cross and Cleverley looped a much has been made of Chelsea’s attacking This allowed Ighalo the freedom to race into he was hauled down by Watford substitute Valon face.