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MONDAY, APRIL 3, 201716 17 Rampant Celtic roar to Scottish title Page 19

LONDON: Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez (R) vies with Manchester City’s Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero (C) and Manchester City’s Spanish midfielder (L) during the English football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in London yesterday. — AFP Respite for Wenger as Arsenal hold City

Arsenal’s fans, but after four defeats in five Premier lot in the first half because we did not make those post and David Silva forced Ospina to parry with forced off by an Achilles injury at the break, with League games, the point was welcome. “We were passes together.” Wenger again faced protests from the rebound, Arsenal looked set for a long after- Gabriel taking his place. Guardiola, meanwhile, Arsenal 2 not completely at our best because of the pressure, some Arsenal fans, this time in the form of an noon. They worked a foothold, however, Mesut Ozil tightened things up by introducing Yaya Toure but we showed mental strength and did not lie advertising van parked outside the ground and putting a tame shot straight at Willy Caballero, for Raheem Sterling and moving De Bruyne to down,” Wenger said. leaflets about the launch of a #NoNewContract Nacho Monreal lashing over from a corner and the right flank. Arsenal had threatened in first- His side remain seven points below City-who social media campaign. City’s team featured the Alexis Sanchez curling centimetres wide. half stoppage time, Walcott stabbing over from Man City 2 occupy the fourth and final Champions League novelty of Jesus Navas at right-back, but there was It took a last-ditch sliding challenge from Sanchez’s pass, and eight minutes into the sec- berth-in sixth place, but they retain a game in hand. nothing new about the huge boulevards of space Fernandinho, meanwhile, to prevent Sanchez ond half they levelled when Mustafi rose to head City were prevented both from reclaiming they found between the members of Arsenal’s applying the finishing touch to Ozil’s flick. in Ozil’s corner. LONDON: Arsenal earned beleaguered manager third place from Liverpool and eating into back four. It took City less than five minutes to Wenger’s men equalised in the 40th minute when While Wenger sent on and Alex Arsene Wenger a measure of respite by twice hit- Chelsea’s advantage following the leaders’ shock draw blood as Kevin De Bruyne’s hopeful pass former Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy played Iwobi for Walcott and Danny Welbeck in search of a ting back to hold Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace. But from deep inside his own half sent Sane scamper- Walcott onside from Mustafi’s header and the third goal, it was City who came closest to finding a the Emirates Stadium yesterday. Pep Guardiola Guardiola’s men, who have now drawn their last ing clear. The Germany winger outpaced Hector England man bundled a shot past Caballero. But winner. Ospina was obliged to parry a booming twice saw his City side go ahead, through Leroy three league games, will have an opportunity to Bellerin and skipped past David Ospina deputis- in testament to Arsenal’s recent travails, parity Fernandinho drive and field a header by Aguero, Sane and then Sergio Aguero, but Arsenal respond- close to within eight points of the summit when ing in goal for the injured Petr Cech-before rolling would exist for just 131 seconds. who had also headed wide from Navas’s cross ed each time via goals from and they travel to Chelsea on Wednesday. in his eighth City goal. De Bruyne’s dart into the box was halted by the moments before Mustafi’s equaliser. City wanted a Shkodran Mustafi. “We didn’t play in the first half,” Guardiola said. sliding , but Silva collected the penalty in stoppage time after the ball brushed Victory would have been a welcome tonic for “After the goal, we forgot to play. The desire went. KOSCIELNY INJURY loose ball and laid it off to Aguero, who crashed a Monreal’s arm as he attempted a stooping header, Wenger, who has come in for heavy criticism from In the second half, we played more. We suffered a When De Bruyne bent a low shot against the low, angled drive beneath Ospina. Koscielny was but referee Andre Marriner said no. —AFP Real consolidate first place with Alaves win

BARCELONA: Real Madrid tightened their grip on top spot by beat- ing Alaves 3-0 at home in yesterday to provisionally move five points ahead of nearest challengers Barcelona despite coach Zinedine Zidane making a string of changes in defence. Karim Benzema put Real ahead in the 31st minute while appear- ing to be offside in the build-up to the goal but Alaves still caused the leaders a few headaches before goals from and Nacho in the 85th and 88th minutes sealed the points. Sevilla slipped out of the top three after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to struggling Sporting Gijon in the early game. Real were dealt an early setback when Raphael Varane had to go off with a hamstring problem in the 11th minute which forced Zidane to rejig his defence, moving Nacho to centre back and switching Danilo from right back to left back to accommodate sub- KEY BISCAYNE: Roger Federer, of Switzerland, kisses his trophy after defeating Rafael stitute , who set up the breakthrough goal. Nadal, of Spain, during the men’s singles final tennis match at the Miami Open, yesterday, Carvajal received a pass from Benzema on the right and cut in Key Biscayne, Fla.—AP inside to send the ball bouncing back to the Frenchmman who lashed it into the net. Zidane had rested goalkeeper Keylor Navas, captain and Marcelo, and was missing Casemiro Federer downs Nadal through suspension, but opted for a highly attacking formation, starting playmaker Isco in the midfield three behind his first choice attacking trio of Gareth Bale, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Alaves to win Miami Open spurned two clear chances to level in the second half before Isco killed off their hopes by smashing home a perfectly weighted pass from Ronaldo on the counter, while Nacho bundled in the third goal MIAMI: Roger Federer defeated long-standing point of the set that one of them was able to rival Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 to win the Miami get ahead. Nadal could only find the net from a moments later, pouncing after Bale had smacked the crossbar from a Open yesterday and continue his outstanding Federer backhand and the Swiss grabbed a 5-3 free-kick. Real top the standings on 68 points after 28 games start to the year. lead and he comfortably held the next game to although champions Barcelona, who have 63 also from 28, can peg Since returning from his six month injury secure the first set. them back when they visit later on Sunday. Real will then lay-off, the 35-year-old Federer has also won the There has always been a marked contrast have an extra game in hand against Celta Vigo due to be played in Australian Open and Indian Wells and he heads between Federer and Nadal’s differing styles May. Sevilla find themselves outside the top three for the first time into the clay season as, once again, the domi- and with time it has become further accentuat- since November after being held goalless by relegation-threatened nant presence on the ATP Tour. ed. Nadal was working hard in the 83 degrees Sporting Gijon, with the hosts dropping points for the fourth consec- Federer has beaten Nadal in all of those afternoon heat, thrusting himself into his shots utive league game. Jorge Sampaoli’s Sevilla side dominated posses- events this year and has now won his last four while the elegant Federer’s poise appeared sion and had 17 goal attempts but lacked a cutting edge, particularly meetings between the pair. The Spaniard was almost casual. after the break when they launched repeated assaults on the visiting playing in his fifth Miami final but remains with- The second set took an almost identical area but could not get past the impressive Ivan Cuellar in goal. out a win in the Masters series event. path, albeit with fewer openings to break for Sevilla slide to fourth spot on 58 points, level with Atletico The first set was a tight affair with both play- both players until Federer again pounced, to Madrid, who leapfrogged them on goal difference after beating MADRID: Real Madrid’s midfielder Isco (R) vies with Deportivo Alaves’ midfielder Edgar ers having their opportunities to break but it grab a 5-4 lead when Nadal went long returning Malaga 2-0 on Saturday. Sevilla have surrendered a nine-point lead Mendez during the Spanish league football match Real Madrid CF vs Deportivo Alaves at was not until the eighth game and 10th break a fine backhand. — AFP over Atletico in the space of four games. — Reuters the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid yesterday. — AFP