Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, December 27, 2017 Lingard rescues Man Utd as Burnley add to Mourinho woes Ashley Barnes fired Burnley ahead in the first-half LONDON: Jose Mourinho’s troubles mounted as soaring into the top left-hand corner. Manchester United needed a 91st minute equaliser from After Mourinho had been enraged by his team conced- substitute Jesse Lingard to rescue a point in a thrilling 2-2 ing a late equaliser at Leicester at the weekend, the United draw with Burnley yesterday. manager must have been equally angered by the first half First-half goals from Ashley Barnes and Steven Defour effort here. Lingard reduced arrears with a sublime finish, had put Burnley on course for their first victory at Old back-heeling Young’s right-wing cross past his marker Trafford in over 55 years. But, after pulling United back Kevin Long and into the corner of the Burnley net to set into contention with his first goal on 53 minutes, Lingard up the grandstand finale. But there was no disguising the struck a dramatic equaliser in the first of five added min- setback this draw handed Mourinho, with a handful of utes. A Juan Mata free-kick was only cleared to the edge supporters booing the team off at the interval. of the area by Ben Mee and Ashley Young’s shot took a Even before doubling their lead, Burnley might have kind defection, into the path of Lingard who converted had a second when Arfield’s first-time volley clipped the clinically through a crowded area. bar on its way over the home goal. United handed a first Second placed United are start since early April to now 12 points behind runaway Zlatan Ibrahimovic, back from leaders Manchester City, who his knee ligament injury, and can extend their advantage at he partnered Lukaku up Newcastle today. Burnley front. took barely two minutes to Lingard scores But it was not until the take the lead, from a free-kick midpoint of the first half that conceded by Marcos Rojo, with back-heel United put the visitors under who was booked for his trou- any pressure when Paul ble, after he brought down flick in 53rd Pogba’s goal bound header Jeff Hendrick as he sprinted was turned away, one-hand- down the left. minute ed, by Nick Pope. Icelandic international United responded more Johann Berg Gudmundson quickly, after going down to a took the set-piece which second goal, and within sec- badly exposed United’s current defensive frailties as the onds defender Ben Mee was required to clear a Marcus ball struck Romelu Lukaku in the chest and, with his team Rashford effort of the Burnley line. Mourinho responded mates slow to respond, it was left for Barnes to poke the with a double substitution at the break, bringing on ball in from close range. Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Ibrahimovic and Rojo, Worse would follow after 36 minutes when Ashley and the move almost paid instant dividends. Young’s 50th MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s English striker Marcus Rashford (C) tangles Burnley’s English-born Young tripped Scott Arfield, 25 yards out and dead centre minute cross was met by Lingard who somehow struck his Scottish defender Phil Bardsley (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester in front of the United goal, presenting Defour with the per- shot against Pope from inside the six-yard area then saw United and Burnley. — AFP fect opportunity to send a magnificent right-foot free-kick the ricochet loop up, hit the bar and fly to safety.—AFP Chelsea close on United after Schmeichel Brighton win own goal gives LONDON: Alvaro Morata struck his 10th goal of the Watford 2-1 win Premier League campaign as Chelsea secured a 2-0 victory over Brighton that moved Antonio Conte’s side to within one point of second-placed over Leicester Manchester United. After struggling to break down Chris Hughton’s side WATFORD: Watford snapped their four-game during a poor first half, the Blues took control with losing streak and celebrated their first Premier Morata heading the opening goal immediately after the League win in seven matches after an own goal restart before Marcos Alonso added the second on the by keeper Kasper Schmeichel gave them a 2-1 hour. The home side dominated the second period and home win over Leicester City yesterday. the margin of victory could have been much more con- Schmeichel made a simple mistake at the far vincing if Conte’s team had taken their chances. The post in the 65th minute as an Abdoulaye game, though, provided further evidence of the impor- Doucoure cut-back from a tight angle came off tance of Morata to Conte’s side, who struggled to break his chest and trickled under him over the line, down Everton three days previously when the Spain allowing the home side to complete their come- international served a one-match suspension. Conte back after falling behind. wasted no time in restoring Morata to his starting line- up and the Chelsea head coach was forced into a Leicester dominated the opening half and change at the other end of the pitch with Gary Cahill looked set to extend their unbeaten away run to coming in for Andreas Christensen, who was ruled out eight games when Riyad Mahrez gave them the with illness. lead with a firm header after Marc Albrighton’s Brighton arrived at Stamford Bridge having been cross from the left. lifted by the weekend win against Watford, their first But Watford equalised against the run of play victory in eight games. But with meetings with on the stroke of halftime as Mali defender Molla Newcastle and Bournemouth-both teams in the bottom Wague bundled in his first Premier League goal half of the table-to come over the holiday period, LONDON: Brighton’s Austrian defender Markus Suttner takes a freekick during the English Premier League from close range before Tom Cleverley’s inswing- Albion manager Chris Hughton opted to make four football match between Chelsea and Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge in London. —AFP ing free kick led to the home team’s winner. changes to his line-up. Saturday’s matchwinner Pascal Earlier, West Bromwich Albion failed to make Gross was held back on the bench, along with winger the most of their opportunities in front of goal as Anthony Knockaert and skipper Bruno Saltor. The wing-back sped into the Albion area before drawing a to beat Ryan despite the keeper getting his hand to the they were held to a goalless draw by Everton in changes, though, appeared to have little effect on good save from keeper Mat Ryan. ball. The pressure that had been building on the home the Premier League yesterday. Hughton’s side, who quickly demonstrated they were Brighton held their shape and showed the defensive side lifted immediately and Hazard almost added a sec- The hosts made a blistering start at the capable of making life hard for Conte’s men. And had organisation that has underpinned their progress dur- ond four minutes later when he sent a shot narrowly Hawthorns and could have broken the deadlock striker Tomer Hemed not mistimed his jump when he ing the first half of the season. Hazard was closed down wide. Ryan was then forced to twice deny Alonso, first from a whipped cross by Jay Rodriguez but strik- rose to meet Markus Suttner’s cross, they might have quickly whenever he embarked on a run and Morata from a free-kick and then when the left-back connect- er Salomon Rondon missed the target from close taken an early lead. was well shackled by the Brighton centre-backs Lewis ed with a near-post header from the resulting corner. A range in the sixth minute. Dunk and Shane Duffy. However, the visitors offered second goal was inevitable and it came in the 60th Defender Craig Dawson headed another West CHELSEA STRUGGLE little going forward and when Chelsea made the perfect minute when Alonso finally found a way past Ryan, this Brom chance over the bar from inside the six- Chelsea struggled to find their momentum although start to the second half, the outcome was never in time with a header from Fabregas’s corner. Brighton yard box as Everton continued to struggle they should have gone ahead in the 19th minute when question. Conte was clearly unhappy with his side’s had barely got out of their own half and Chelsea should against crosses put into the penalty area for the Antonio Rudiger headed Cesc Fabregas’s cross into the first half display but the Italian could not have been have killed the game off quickly but were guilty of fail- majority of the encounter. Everton, who were path of Tiemoue Bakayoko, who stabbed the ball wide more pleased with their response at the start of the ing to convert a succession of good chances. without their top scorer Wayne Rooney, lacked from just four yards out. second period. Dunk pulled off a superb goalline clearance to the attacking firepower to test West Brom goal- Fabregas was also the architect of Chelsea’s other Just 40 seconds had elapsed when Cesar Azpilicueta deny Hazard and then Bakayoko produced his sec- keeper Ben Foster but a resolute defensive dis- main chance during the opening 45 minutes when he floated the ball over the Brighton defence towards ond miscue of the match when he sliced wide after play on the other end of the pitch ensured they chipped a pass into the path of Victor Moses as the Morata, whose close-range header was strong enough being set up by Hazard’s backheel.