SUNDAY, JANUARY 22, 2017 SPORTS West Brom volleys leave Sunderland rock bottom

Baggies showed no mercy to David Moyes’ modest Sunderland line-up. West Brom 2 West Brom’s opener came on the half hour when their captain Fletcher controlled a ball on his chest from a poorly cleared corner before volleying it left-footed from Sunderland 0 the edge of the area. Sunderland were left with only themselves to blame for having failed to clear the corner and for giving the BIRMINGHAM: Clinical first-half volleys Scot so much time unchallenged. from Darren Fletcher and Chris Brunt gave Brunt then made it 2-0 on 36 mins after buoyant West Brom a 2-0 win over a fine run and shot from Matt Phillips saw Sunderland yesterday, leaving the visitors Vito Mannone forced into a desperate save. bottom of the Premier League. The rebound was fired onto the crossbar For Tony Pulis’s West Brom this was three by Nacer Chadli before Brunt produced a wins from four Premier League games and stunning finish from just inside the box. leaves them in a lofty eighth place on 32 Moyes’ men came out in the second half points. The visiting fans chanted “Are you with more fight in them and Adnan Januzaj watching Ellis Short” for much of the sec- and Jermain Defoe both produced decent ond half, directed at their owner, the efforts while Jack Rodwell’s shot from dis- American equity fund manager who is try- tance was easily dealt with by Ben Foster in ing to sell the club which is winless in five the West Brom goal. league games. Pulis’s first capture of the transfer win- Powerful West Brom have made a habit dow, Jake Livermore-capped once by of seeing off weaker opponents and after a England when he was at Spurs-made a live- 4-0 thrashing by Spurs and defeat to Derby ly cameo appearance for an upbeat West in the FA Cup in their last two outings the Brom. — AFP

ANFIELD: Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino (L) heads the ball to score a goal during the English Premier League ootballf match Ramos saves Madrid between Liverpool and Swansea City at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England yesterday. — AFP as fans target Ronaldo

MADRID: Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos struck twice within eight first-half Sigurdsson strike minutes to get the European champions back to winning ways with a 2-1 victory Matches on TV over Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu yes- (Local Timings) terday. Madrid’s 40-game unbeaten run had come to a crashing halt with back-to- ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE stuns Liverpool back defeats to Sevilla and Celta Vigo in the past week, but after a nervy start Ramos Southampton v Leicester City 15:00 ensured they opened up a four-point gap BeIN SPORTS the second leg of a League Cup semi-final at from eight yards. Astonishingly, Llorente scored at the top of the table. Arsenal FC v Burnley 17:15 Anfield on January 26 last year. again from Swansea’s next attack, barely four Ramos opened the scoring with a tower- BeIN SPORTS Liverpool 2 Philippe Coutinho, now fully recovered from minutes later. Olsson and Carroll combined ing header from a Toni Kroos corner on 35 Chelsea FC v Hull City 19:30 injury, made his first league start since down the left, and the former Tottenham man minutes. And the Spanish international November after playing for 65 minutes in crossed for the Spain striker to climb between soon took his career tally to 50 La Liga Wednesday’s FA Cup win at Plymouth, but Lovren and Klavan, planting a downward head- goals by bundling home another Kroos SPANISH LEAGUE Swansea 3 showed only occasional sparks of creativity dur- er past Simon Mignolet. delivery despite standing in an offside posi- Osasuna v Sevilla FC 14:00 ing a tepid first half. Liverpool, however, pulled a goal back within tion. Juanpi got Malaga back into the game It was Swansea, for all the pressure they had three minutes. James Milner crossed from the just after the hour mark and could even BeIN SPORTS LIVERPOOL: Gylfi Sigurdsson’s decisive goal to absorb, who came closest to scoring before left, the ball drifted over Olsson, and Firmino have snatched a point but for a fine save Bilbao v Atletico de Madrid 18:15 boosted Swansea’s hopes of Premier League the interval. Midfielder Tom Carroll, signed from guided a header into the bottom corner of the from Keylor Navas to deny Chory Castro BeIN SPORTS survival as they inflicted Liverpool’s first home Tottenham during the week, ran in from the left net. Swansea continued to threaten but Klopp’s soon after. Second-placed Sevilla and Real Betis v Sporting Gijon 20:30 defeat for almost a year with a 3-2 triumph at on to Sigurdsson’s pass infield and struck the side equalised with little more than 20 minutes Barcelona, a further point adrift in third, BeIN SPORTS Anfield yesterday. outside of the near post from a tight angle, via a to go courtesy of a superbly constructed goal. can close the gap when they travel to Iceland international Sigurdsson, who has deflection off Dejan Lovren. Georginio Wijnaldum controlled a pass down Osasuna and Eibar respectively today. Real Sociedad v Celta de Vigo 20:30 repeatedly been linked with a move away from Both Carroll and fellow debutant Martin the left touchline, and looped in a cross that Whilst Ramos was riding to Real’s rescue, BeIN SPORTS the Welsh club, struck with 16 minutes left after Olsson, brought in from Norwich, performed Firmino gathered on the chest under pressure Cristiano Ronaldo endured another forget- SD Eibar v FC Barcelona 22:45 Paul Clement’s side had let a two-goal lead slip solidly, with the Swedish full-back making one from two Swansea defenders, before hooking a ful afternoon in front of goal and was even BeIN SPORTS against title-chasing Liverpool. positive attacking run that ended when he was first-time shot past Lukasz Fabianski. whistled by the Madrid fans early on after a Fernando Llorente had scored twice in the bodychecked by Ragnar Klavan. Yet having worked their way back into the sluggish start to 2017. first seven minutes of the second half for One excellent turn from Coutinho just after match, Liverpool fell behind again amid chaotic Ronaldo shot straight at Carlos Kameni ITALIAN CALCIO LEAGUE Swansea, but Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino the half-hour mark allowed him to create a defending. Carroll charged into the penalty area with just the Cameroonian to beat and Juventus FC v SS Lazio 14:30 responded with a double of his own. chance for Firmino, who would have scored but after taking on Llorente’s pass and, as Klavan Karim Benzema headed just over as Madrid BeIN SPORTS Swansea showed great spirit to come back for Alfie Mawson’s block. slid in to challenge, the ball ran loose for started brightly. and earn both the Welsh club’s first-ever league Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s frustration Sigurdsson to steer beyond the exposed However, the hosts suffered an early Bologna FC v Torino 17:00 win at Anfield and their first under Premier grew as Swansea went ahead with little more Mignolet. injury blow when left-back Marcelo limped BeIN SPORTS League victory under new manager Clement. than two minutes of the second half played. Swansea had more nervous moments to off with a thigh injury and could have been Genoa CFC v Crotone 17:00 In doing so, they lifted themselves off the come, with Fabianski blocking substitute Divock behind midway through the first half when BeIN SPORTS foot of the Premier League table and out of the LLORENTE AT THE DOUBLE Origi’s shot on the turn following a Milner cor- Castro’s driven effort came back off the bottom three, at least for a few hours. Not for the first time this season, Liverpool ner, and then watching helplessly as Adam post. Ignacio Camacho was also inches Empoli v Udinese Calcio 17:00 Liverpool, playing their eighth match in 25 conceded from a set-piece; Sigurdsson’s corner Lallana looped a header against the bar. But the away from giving the visitors the lead when BeIN SPORTS days, paid for sloppy defending, and missed the was headed down by Federico Fernandez, visitors, denied victory by an Everton stoppage- his backpost header flew across the Madrid Citta v Internazionale 17:00 chance to put pressure on leaders Chelsea, los- Wayne Routledge blocked off the defender and time equaliser on their last visit to Merseyside in goal. However, Ramos looked to have set- BeIN SPORTS ing at home for the first time since Stoke won the ball bounced loose for Llorente to prod in November, hung on to all three points. — AFP tled Real’s nerves when he leapt highest to Pescara v Sassuolo Calcio 17:00 power home Kroos’s outswinging corner 10 minutes before the break. BeIN SPORTS And eight minutes later Ramos had his Atalanta v UC Sampdoria 20:00 Carroll brace fires eighth goal of the season, albeit in scrappi- BeIN SPORTS er fashion, as he appeared to be offside AS Roma v Cagliari Calcio 22:45 Hammers past Boro when tapping home Kroos’s low free-kick. Malaga are yet to register a point in BeIN SPORTS three games under new boss Marcelo Romero since former Tottenham Hotspur GERMAN BUNDESLIGA manager Juande Ramos’s surprise Bayer 04 v Hertha Berlin 17:30 Middlesbrough 1 December resignation. Yet they didn’t let their heads go down BeIN SPORTS and were back in the game 18 minutes into FSV Mainz 05 v FC Koln 19:30 the second half when Juankar’s initial effort BeIN SPORTS West Ham 3 was well saved and Juanpi tucked home the rebound. FRENCH LEAGUE Seconds later Navas was called into MIDDLESBROUGH: Andy Carroll scored twice as West Ham action to prevent Malaga equalising as AS Monaco FC v Lorient 17:00 added to Middlesbrough’s struggles in the Premier League Castro tore through the Madrid defence BeIN SPORTS with a 3-1 win at the Riverside Stadium yesterday. and his powerful effort was turned to safe- Saint Etienne v Angers 19:00 The England international sent a thumping header beyond LONDON: Crystal Palace’s Scottish midfielder James McArthur (C) goes down under a ty by the Costa Rican. Victor Valdes to give the Hammers, who were again playing BeIN SPORTS challenge from Everton’s English defender Leighton Baines (L) during the English At the other end Kameni nearly gifted without want-away France playmaker Dimitri Payet, a ninth- Lyonnais v de Marseille 23:00 Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park Real the breathing space they craved as a minute lead. Christian Stuani finished off a superbly construct- in south London yesterday. — AFP harmless backpass rolled under his foot, BeIN SPORTS ed team move to draw Boro level before the half hour, but but he recovered just in time to clear off Carroll struck again two minutes before the break with substi- the line and then deny Ronaldo’s follow- AFRICAN NATIONS CUP tute Jonathan Calleri sealing the victory at the death. up effort. And a frustrating afternoon for Slaven Bilic’s men have now won five of their last seven Coleman deepens crisis Cameroon v Gabon 22:00 Ronaldo was rounded off 14 minutes matches to climb into the top half of the table, but Boro from time when his sweetly struck volley BeIN SPORTS remain in 16th place after a fifth straight game without a win. for Allardyce and Palace came back off the post before Kameni Guinea-Bissau v Burkina Faso 22:00 Payet’s refusal to play for West Ham amidst his desire to return got down low to again deny the reigning BeIN SPORTS to Marseille has seen the Frenchman forced to train with the and Everton’s Belgian international midfielder World Player of the Year for a third time club’s Under-23 squad and he was again left out the first-team Kevin Mirallas-who had had a penalty appeal late on. —AFP squad for the trip to Boro. Crystal Palace 0 turned down-then forced Palace goalkeeper But despite the absence of their influential midfielder, West Wayne Hennessey into a decent save. The Welsh Ham quickly found their stride with Michail Antonio slicing international goalkeeper, though, could do wide on the volley from Aaron Cresswell’s cross. nothing about Romelu Lukaku’s shot from 12 The visitors went ahead soon after as Carroll rose to meet Everton 1 yards out-after receving a perfectly threaded Manuel Lanzini’s inswinging corner and plant a thumping pass from Gareth Barry-but it rebounded off the header past a helpless Valdes to get on the scoresheet for the post. Ross Barkley went close early in the sec- second game running. Aitor Karanka’s Boro are the league’s LONDON: Seamus Coleman’s late strike gave ond-half, although he could have done better lowest-scoring team but they hit back on 27 minutes through Everton a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace yesterday by squaring it to Lukaku who was better-placed. Stuani as the Uruguayan side-footed home Calum Chambers’ to leave the losers without a win under Sam Everton then went close again through pass following a passage of slick play from the hosts. Allardyce in five Premier League matches and Barkley after Coleman’s curled effort was West Ham regained the lead before the interval when third from bottom of the table. The Irish interna- palmed away by Hennessey and fell to the Carroll pounced to slot in the rebound after Valdes had kept tional’s goal four minutes from time was no England international. Barkley kept on battering out a fierce long-range drive from Antonio, West Ham’s lead- more than the visitors deserved-recording wins away at the Palace goal but the results didn’t ing scorer with eight goals this season. in their first three league matches in a calendar improve as he went one-on-one with Antonio then headed over at the start of the second half year for the first time since 2008 — having pep- Hennessey but missed again. while Lanzini fluffed a one-on-one with Valdes having been pered the Palace goal with 16 shots prior to Palace barely managed to get out of their slipped in by Carroll. Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Darren that. Palace, with just one win in their last seven own half. However, they went close to stealing Randolph turned behind a firm header from Boro’s Marten de league matches and only one clean sheet in the three points but Joel Robles pulled off a Roon as Adama Traore was proving a handful down both their last 22, dropped into the bottom three smart save from Benteke’s header. The visitors, flanks. And the Hammers were fortunate not to concede a when Swansea pulled off a thrilling 3-2 win over though, were not to be denied and all their fluke equaliser when Cresswell smashed an attempted clear- Liverpool earlier yesterday. Things look even pressure paid off with Coleman deftly lifting the ance straight into Stuani, with the ball looping off the bar and bleaker for Palace and Allardyce as their run-in ball over Hennessey to break the deadlock four away to safety. Karanka introduced new signing Patrick will see them play the present top five in their minutes from time after being found by Tom MADRID: Real Madrid’s French defender Raphael Varane (C) vies with Malaga’s Bamford, who scored 19 goals in 44 appearances while on last nine games. Palace pressed early on, Davies. Palace players and Allardyce were furi- defender Jose Luis (L) and Malaga’s midfielder Recio (R) during the Spanish league loan from Chelsea in 2014-15, with 10 minutes play but West Christian Benteke going close with his glancing ous as they had a player down at the time of the football match Real Madrid CF vs Malaga CF at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Ham wrapped up the points with Calleri’s deflected effort header clipping the crossbar. move and Everton didn’t put the ball out whilst Madrid yesterday. — AFP deep into stoppage time. —AFP Palace’s bright start, though, petered out the referee allowed play to carry on. —AFP