CRICKET | Page 5 NBA | Page 7 We get more Leonard To Advertise here love in India rallies Spurs Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 than back past Thunder home: Afridi for easy win Monday, March 14, 2016 TENNIS Jumada II 5, 1437 AH Nadal fi res back GULF TIMES at dope-cover up allegations SPORT Page 10 FA CUP Watford stun Arsenal in FA Cup, Martial saves Man Utd ‘I’ve just arrived in England and to get there is exciting. I’m really happy for the fans... They deserve this kind of day’ Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger reacts in Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal (R) and West Ham his seat during the FA Cup match yesterday. manager Slaven Bilic (2ndL) walk off after the game yesterday. Adlene Guedioura celebrates scoring the second goal for Watford during their FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. AFP London olders Arsenal were dumped out of the FA Cup by Watford yesterday, while Anthony Martial’s 83rd-minute goal Hearned Manchester United a 1-1 draw with West Ham United. Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura ended Arsenal’s two-year reign as FA Cup holders as Watford won 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium to join Crystal Pal- ace and Everton in the semi-fi nals. Manchester United looked set to follow Arsenal out of the competi- tion after Dimitri Payet put West Ham ahead with a stunning free-kick at Old Traff ord, but French forward Martial spared manager Louis van Gaal from another wave of unfl attering headlines with a late volleyed equaliser. “Our fantastic run has come to an end on a day where we felt that our performance deserved a win,” said Ar- senal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side replied through substitute Danny Welbeck in the 88th minute. “Credit to Watford, they created Anthony Martial celebrates scoring the equaliser for Manchester United. few chances, but took them all. It’s sad because we gave everything.” a left-wing throw-in to Ighalo, who loss at Liverpool in the fi rst leg of Triumphant in the FA Cup in 2014 turned, held off Gabriel and beat Dav- their Europa League last 16 tie, United and 2015, Arsenal were beaten in the id Ospina with a low shot. welcomed West Ham to Old Traff ord competition for the fi rst time since a needing victory to rekindle their sea- 1-0 fi fth-round defeat by Blackburn PICTURE-PERFECT PAYET son. Rovers in February 2013. The visitors extended their advantage But Slaven Bilic’s visitors created It left them facing the prospect of 13 minutes later in stunning fashion as the better fi rst-half chances, with a trophyless season, with Wenger’s Guedioura met Deeney’s lay-off with a Emmanuel Emenike shooting wide side—booed off at the fi nal whistle— blistering strike that fl ew from his right from Andy Carroll’s lobbed pass and eight points off the pace in the Premier foot into the top-right corner. heading straight at David de Gea from League and 2-0 down to Barcelona Welbeck reduced the arrears in the Aaron Cresswell’s cross. ahead of Wednesday’s Champions 88th minute, fi nishing neatly after a West Ham took the lead in the 68th League last 16 return leg at Camp Nou. one-two with Mesut Ozil, but then minute when French playmaker Payet Wenger named a strong team to for squandered a golden chance to equal- confi rmed his status as one of the the visit of Watford, but despite dom- ise by shooting wide of an open goal players of the season by arcing a pic- inating possession Arsenal struggled from Kieran Gibbs’s pass. ture-perfect 30-yard free-kick over to create chances in the fi rst half, with “I have memories on television the wall and in off the left-hand post. Mohamed Elneny sweeping one eff ort of the old Wembley and watching But with nails being chewed to the over the bar. in Spain and seeing the fi nals of this quick by the home fans, Martial kept Arsenal centre-back Gabriel, mean- competition,” said Watford’s Spanish United in the competition by charging while, was very fortunate to escape manager Quique Sanchez Flores. in to convert Ander Herrera’s right- without even a booking after fl ying “Now it is a new Wembley. I’ve just wing cross with a close-range volley. into a two-footed challenge on Troy arrived in England and to get there is Michail Antonio almost restored Deeney with his studs raised. exciting. I’m really happy for the fans West Ham’s lead in stoppage time, but Watford made the breakthrough and they deserve this kind of day.” De Gea turned his low strike around in the 50th minute as Deeney fl icked Reeling from last Thursday’s 2-0 the post to send the tie to a replay. Gulf Times 2 Monday, March 14, 2016 FOOTBALL LIGUE 1 ANALYSIS Home dominance leaves PSG looking Ibra nets four as abroad for kicks AFP gests that PSG are the country’s Paris best supported team, with aver- age crowds of over 46,000 sell- ing out the Parc des Princes. long with the satisfaction The reality, though, is some- stylish PSG seal of reaching the Champi- what diff erent. Many season ons League quarter-fi - ticket holders only turn up for nals last midweek, Paris the biggest games, leaving thou- ASaint-Germain may also have felt sands of empty seats and little of considerable relief at prolonging the once raucous atmosphere the their European adventure. rest of the time. After all, a failure to make it That contrasts with the way four consecutive appearances things used to be, even in the last title in record time in the last eight of Europe’s elite decade when PSG plunged the club competition would have depths of mediocrity. ‘To score nine goals is magnificent. But this is only the first step of the season, it’s not over’ made for a rather anti-climactic Players and offi cials alike have end to the season. expressed frustration at a sup- PSG celebrated winning a fourth port who often only make them- successive French title on Sunday, selves heard to whistle their team their sixth overall, with a 9-0 vic- on the rare occasions when they tory at bottom side Troyes. are not winning, or not winning Laurent Blanc’s team are the well enough. earliest champions in the history “Sometimes the crowd at the of the French game, with eight Parc can be too calm, and some of matches and two months of the the whistles...I don’t understand season remaining. them,” Paris president Nasser al- “We have been top right from Khelaifi had told Le Figaro. the start. I don’t know if we’ll Blanc’s side deserve better, ever manage to repeat such a but there is not much they can performance,” said Blanc this do when opposition teams occa- weekend. sionally rest key players in Paris, Paris will now hope to go and accepting defeat before the game complete a clean sweep of the has begun. domestic trophies for the second PSG are not playing in the year running, with a French Cup same league as the rest of France, semi-fi nal at Lorient and the such a monster have they be- League Cup fi nal against Lille to come since the Qatari takeover come in April. of 2011. That is certainly not to be Talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, sniff ed at, but they measure in possibly his last season in themselves now against the France, has again gone past the continent’s best in the Champi- 30-goal mark, while the arrival ons League, and there will be no of Angel Di Maria and emergence euphoria at winning a league in of Lucas Moura have helped take which their domination has be- PSG to another level at times. come abysmal. But the rest of the continent Before a 2-1 defeat at Lyon looks down on the lack of com- two weeks ago, they had gone a petition in Ligue 1 and an ap- record 36 Ligue 1 games unbeat- pearance in the semi-fi nals of the en since March 2015, and despite Champions League for the fi rst that solitary loss, PSG are on time since 1995 is necessary for course to break their own record PSG to be fully respected abroad. for the highest points total in However, Paris have been France’s top fl ight. quick to stress that their do- These are heady times to be mestic dominance is not all their a supporter of the French capi- fault, with the failings of their tal’s only top-fl ight side, and yet potential rivals also to blame. even they seem to regret the fact “We have done our job. Our their team’s superiority is so em- rivals have not done what they phatic. needed to do against the oth- A quick glance at the French er teams in order to keep up,” league’s attendance records sug- Blanc said. Paris St Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after a goal against Troyes during their French Ligue 1 match at Stade de l’Aube stadium yesterday. QATAR STARS LEAGUE Reuters league with eight games still to play. Results er’s own goal in the 58th minute securing Paris The championship is the sixth in the PSG’s 24th league win of the season. club’s history and the fastest-ever Ligue 1 Troyes 0 PSG 9 Troyes substitute Lossemy Karaboue victory, breaking the record set by Gerard Nantes 2 Angers 0 was sent off for denying Cavani a goals- 5 Things we learnt our goals from Zlatan Ibrahi- Houllier’s Olympique Lyonnais in 2007, coring opportunity only 10 minutes after movic spurred Paris St Germain who won the title after 33 matches.