TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015 SPORTS City cannot afford any more slip-ups LONDON: Manchester City’s chances of winning the Premier League title for the third time in four seasons will almost certainly end if they lose at Stoke City and Chelsea beat Everton tomorrow. The gap between the leaders and the cham- pions widened to seven points on Saturday when Chelsea won 2-1 at Aston Villa and City drew at home with Hull City, needing a stop- page-time free kick from James Milner to grab a point from a 1-1 draw. With 14 matches to play, Chelsea have 56 points and City 49, followed by Southampton on 45, Manchester United on 44 and Tottenham Hotspur on 43. Spurs are at Liverpool on Tuesday while Southampton host West Ham United and SPAIN: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring during Manchester United face Burnley at Old Trafford the Spanish League football match against Bilbao. — AFP tomorrow. Southampton and Spurs maintained their challenges for Champions League football by Barcelona winning on Saturday, with Saints needing a stoppage-time goal from Sadio Mane to beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0. Two goals from Harry Kane gave Spurs a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in a thump Bilbao thrilling north London derby. United also scored in stoppage time, Dutchman Daley Blind emulating Milner by sal- BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi point-blank range by Iraizoz. “I am very vaging a late point for his team in a 1-1 draw. was at the heart of another devastating self-critical and I get angry with myself “We can’t really afford too many more slip-ups if attacking show as they thumped Athletic but I knew that the goal was going to any. Chelsea have a big lead now, but we know, Bilbao 5-2 in La Liga on Sunday to move come,” said Suarez. more than anyone, you have to keep going to within a point of leaders Real Madrid. “The save that Gorka made against the death and anything can happen,” Milner told The Catalan side took full advantage me was amazing. I wasn’t nervous but I reporters. of Real’s 4-0 derby defeat by champions do get worried when I feel I am not help- “But I think we have got to be pretty much Atletico Madrid on Saturday with a daz- ing the team.” faultless between now and he end of the season zling display that moved them onto 53 to get close.” Stoke stunned City when they won points, three ahead of Atletico. CLINICAL FINISH 1-0 at the Etihad in August and although the last Earlier Valencia’s Pablo Piatti set them Mikel Rico pulled a goal back for the four league matches between the two at the on the way to a 2-1 victory at Espanyol as hosts in the 59th minute but their cele- Britannia have been drawn, City must win and they moved up to fourth by leapfrogging brations had barely died down when hope Chelsea slip up to stay in the title hunt. Sevilla who slumped to a 2-1 defeat at Oscar De Marcos put the ball into his Arsenal will be hoping to bounce back from their loss at Spurs with a win over bottom- Getafe. own net after Messi knocked a cross placed Leicester City who will have Nigel Messi had a hand in all five goals and goalwards. Pearson in charge despite widespread specula- has been in inspired form in a nine- Messi was at the heart of most of tion he had been sacked as manager on Sunday. match winning streak in all competitions Barca’s play and set up Neymar for a clini- Leicester have not won at Arsenal for nearly for Barca since a defeat by Real Sociedad cal finish after 65 minutes. Athletic kept 42 years and been beaten there on their last sev- which led to a reported bust-up between attacking with Aritz Aduriz scoring but en league visits. Managerless QPR, one place coach Luis Enrique and the Argentina then they had Xabier Etxeita dismissed and two points above Leicester, will be seeking forward. for a high tackle on Suarez. to avoid a 12th successive away league defeat at “It is a privilege to play alongside two Substitute Pedro Rodriguez scored Sunderland, while Alan Pardew, who left phenomenons (in Messi and Neymar) Barca’s fifth from close range with Messi Newcastle United six weeks ago, will be looking and I need to enjoy it,” Barcelona striker again playing a part in the build up. to continue Crystal Palace’s revival when his old LONDON: Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero controls the ball during the English Premier League Luis Suarez told reporters. “We knew that Barcelona coach Luis Enrique rotated his team visit Selhurst Park tomorrow. — Reuters soccer match in this file photo. — AP it was going to be a difficult game but squad by bringing Ivan Rakitic and Xavi we got early goals that helped, although into midfield while Jeremy Mathieu they (Athletic) did keep fighting to the played instead of Javier Mascherano at end.” Barca took the lead from a Messi centre half. With Athletic going out to Lyon stay top after PSG draw free-kick that deflected off the wall and attack it meant an open game where wrong-footed keeper Gorka Iraizoz after the quality of Barca’s forward moves PARIS: Olympique Lyonnais stayed top of Ligue 1 Clinton Nije had put Lyon ahead in the 31st minute. failed to clear the ball but Ibrahimovich held his 15 minutes. The Argentine then played in shone through. They played with the with a fine defensive performance to seal a 1-1 Lyon moved two points ahead of Olympique de nerve after his first effort was saved to lash his sec- Suarez who fired home from 20 metres rhythm and intensity to their passing home draw with Paris St Germain on Sunday. Marseille who are on 48 points, level with champi- ond spot-kick high into the corner of the net. The to lift the pressure off the Uruguay for- game that had been missing since their Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich’s twice-taken ons PSG in third place after 24 games of the season. penalty was ordered to be re-taken after Lyon play- ward who had not scored in six games golden spell under former coach Pep 69th-minute penalty earned PSG a point after Nije put Lyon ahead with a firm finish after PSG had ers encroached in the area. — Reuters and earlier had a header saved from Guardiola. — Reuters Spanish, Portuguese leagues take third-party ban to EU MADRID: The Spanish and Portuguese ate revenue for anonymous individuals professional football leagues announced who just want to get their hands on yesterday their intention to challenge some of the money in football”. FIFA’s ban on third-party ownership of Third-party ownership has already players to the European Union’s competi- been banned in the English Premier tion commission. “The prohibition of League, but it remains a common prac- third-party ownership constitutes an tice in South America as well as in Spain economic agreement that restricts the and Portugal, where the majority of economic liberty of clubs, players and South Americans take their first step into third parties without any justification or European football. proportionality,” the leagues said in a However, advocates of the system joint statement. believe it provides a crucial lifeline for “This ban damages the clubs, princi- financially poorer clubs to be able to pally those with less economic resources, compete. The Spanish and Portuguese preventing them from sharing with third leagues argue that an outright ban parties the economic rights of the pro- would infringe the competition regula- fessional players in their squads and to tions enshrined in article 101 of the manage their financial obligations in the Treaty of the Functioning of the most prudent form.” European Union. Moreover, they claim The leagues claim that the complaint that the training of young players will be could lead to a multi-million euro fine for affected by the loss of income and that FIFA, as well as compensation for the third-party ownership is currently carried clubs, players and third parties affected. out legally in the majority of professional The practice allows investors to buy all leagues across the world. or a percentage share of a player’s rights Under FIFA’s proposals, existing agree- and then receive their share of an often ments with third parties will be allowed lucrative transfer fee when they move to continue until the end of their con- between clubs. tractual obligation and any new agree- FIFA announced in December that ments before the new law comes into third-party ownership would be out- force will be subject to a one-year time LYON: Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender David Luiz (right) vies with Lyon’s French midfielder Jordan Ferri (left) during the French L1 foot- lawed from May this year, hoping to limit. ball match. — AFP bring an end to a system critics have The Portuguese super agent Jorge labelled corrupt. Mendes, who counts on Cristiano UEFA president Michel Platini has Ronaldo, James Rodriguez and Jose dubbed the practice a danger to the Mourinho amongst his clients, has Confident Barca target game, saying many players were no labelled FIFA’s move to ban the practice longer in control of their own sporting as “catastrophic” and insisted it will be careers and often transferred to “gener- thrown out by the courts.