Magic Johnson Barca thrash inspires Australia Cordoba 5-0 to Gabba win SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 201416 18 Morgan replaces Cook as England World Cup captain Page 16 BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa’s Zaire-born Belgian striker Christian Benteke (right) vies for the ball with Manchester United’s English midfielder Ashley Young during the English Premier League football match. — AFP United frustrated by 10-man Villa Young. It ended a run of six successive vic- van Persie should have done better when from Benteke. stances with a third of the game remaining. tories for van Gaal’s side as they lost ground he failed to connect with Young’s cross, yet The pair combined again from the result- Young and Agbonlahor hurtled towards Aston Villa 1 on second placed Manchester City, who had it was Villa who deservedly took an 18th- ing corner with Delph’s delivery met with a one another as they vied for a 50/50 chal- earlier moved level on points with leaders minute lead courtesy of Benteke. thumping header from the Belgium interna- lenge, yet it was the former who was left Chelsea, who face Stoke tomorrow. The gap Little appeared on as Fabian Delph’s free- tional only for goalkeeper David De Gea to crumpled in a heap and Mason reacted by now stands at seven points between those kick found the former Genk player at the pull off a stunning reflex save as he contin- reaching for his red card, leaving Man United 1 two and United, who sit third. back post, yet he controlled superbly, twist- ued his excellent recent form. Agbonlahor and the Villa Park crowd But United could have no arguments ed Jonny Evans inside out and bent a shot United threatened for the first time in the stunned. with outcome after their big-name stars superbly inside the left post. half when Rooney’s brilliantly-disguised ball Villa battled on and twice they almost failed to deliver against an organised, effi- It was a real moment of magic from handed an opening to Van Persie, yet his snatched an unlikely lead as Ciaran Clark BIRMINGHAM: Manchester United’s slim cient and, at times, potent Villa team, who Benteke, who looked back to his brilliant shot was too close to Brad Guzan. and Andreas Weimann threatened within hopes of reviving their Premier League title have now lost just one of their last six best after a recent suspension delayed his The visitors finally began to build some seconds of one another as the ball pinballed challenge were dealt a blow as they were matches. Van Gaal made his intentions clear comeback from a long-term injury. momentum and Guzan did well to hold around the United area. forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man by further bolstering his forward-line with a Brad Guzan did well to palm away a Juan Mata’s low driven shot. And Villa’s At the other end, Jores Okore came to Aston Villa yesterday. recall for Colombia striker Falcao, with Young cross-shot, yet United were below resistance was broken in the 53rd minute Villa’s rescue with 12 minutes remaining Louis van Gaal’s side needed Radamel Wayne Rooney deployed in a deep-lying their best and it was no surprise to see van when Falcao emphatically buried Young’s when he hooked a Michael Carrick header Falcao’s second-half header to cancel out midfield role. Gaal make a change at the interval, with left-wing delivery with a bullet header for off the line from substitute Angel Di Maria’s Christian Benteke’s fine opener for Villa in a United adopted Van Gaal’s favoured back Tyler Blackett introduced for Darren his second United goal and his first since corner. contest overshadowed by referee Lee three yet tactically Villa had the better Fletcher. The home side picked up where October. It was the visitors who found themselves Mason’s controversial dismissal of Gabriel shape and were always a threat with the they left off upon resumption and it took a It was a foothold back into the game for clinging on, however, with substitute Agbonlahor for a seemingly innocuous chal- counter-attacking game which has become fine last-ditch block from Phil Jones to van Gaal’s team and they were gifted a sig- Leandro Bacuna driving inches over the lenge on former Villa team-mate Ashley their trademark under Paul Lambert. Robin deny Delph following more good work nificant advantage in controversial circum- crossbar as full-time approached. — AFP No strikers, no problem, Lamela’s stunner lifts Spurs midfielder blazed high and wide. Man City defeat Palace Tottenham threatened for the first time Tottenham 2 through Christian Eriksen’s low shot which of enterprising moves, but with Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton saved at his Palace well drilled and committed, near post. It was a spluttering start from Man City 3 too often they found at least 10 Pochettino’s side and when Mason lashed visiting players blocking their path over from the edge of the area there were to goal. Burnley 1 plenty of groans from the Tottenham fans. Aside from a number of shots But the home crowd were soon cheering from relatively long range, it took Crystal Palace 0 when Kane broke the deadlock in the 21st until the 24th minute for the hosts minute. to carve out a meaningful chance LONDON: Erik Lamela produced a moment Kane took a quick free-kick to Eriksen, when Silva’s close-range shot of magic to keep Tottenham in contention but the Denmark playmaker was offside so MANCHESTER: David Silva’s first deflected wide via Mile Jedinak. for a place in the Premier League’s top four he cleverly left the ball for Nacer Chadli. With Etihad Stadium goals in just over a And it was not until the closing with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Burnley yes- the Burnley defence caught napping, Chadli year helped Manchester City beat minutes of the first period that the terday. whipped over a cross that Kane met with a Crystal Palace 3-0 yesterday and Palace goal was seriously threat- Lamela endured a difficult first season in stooping header for his 13th goal of the sea- draw level with Premier League ened again. Another flowing move England following his £25 million ($39 mil- son. That could have shattered Burnley’s leaders Chelsea. ended with Toure threading lion) move from Roma in 2013, but he has morale after their bright start, but The Spanish international dou- through a pass for Pablo Zabaleta, flourished under fellow Argentine Mauricio Tottenham’s lead was erased six minutes lat- bled his tally for the season with a who dinked his shot inches wide Pochettino this term and provided further er in breathtaking style. brace-his first home goals since from close range after visiting evidence of his improvement with his first Burnley forward Barnes took George scoring in the 6-3 rout of Arsenal goalkeeper Julian Speroni went to LONDON: Manchester City’s Jesus Navas (right) fights for the ball league goal for Spurs at the 26th attempt. Boyd’s pass and hammered an unstoppable His brilliant long-range strike in the sec- on December 14 last year-and Yaya ground too early. against Crystal Palace’s Brede Hangeland during the English shot into the top corner from outside the ond half at White Hart Lane secured the Toure added a late third. Instead, City were left to face Premier League soccer match. — AP penalty area. The defending champions were occasional anxious moments of points for Spurs after Burnley’s Ashley Lamela then jinked into the area and forced to go into the game with- their own as Palace showed speed of the City goal. relentless City pressure that led to Barnes had scored an equally impressive picked out Kane, but the striker couldn’t out a recognised striker and with and some unorthodox moments Those misses looked particular- a decisive second goal for Silva goal to cancel out Harry Kane’s opener. convert and Eriksen eventually shot over. versatile utility man James Milner on the counter-attack, with ly costly as City opened the sec- after 61 minutes. Tottenham’s third successive win moved Burnley couldn’t stem the tide for long how- pressed into action as an emer- Yannick Bolasie looking particular- ond half in far more energetic and Fernandinho’s pass found the Pochettino’s team up to sixth place, four ever and Lamela restored Tottenham’s lead gency centre-forward. ly lively for the visitors. After 16 direct fashion, taking the lead overlapping Kolarov on the left points behind fourth placed West Ham in in the 35th minute. Injuries to Sergio Aguero, Edin minutes, the France-born within four minutes of the restart. wing and the left-back’s accurate the race to qualify for the Champions It was an inspired moment from the Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic and an Democratic Republic of Congo Fernandinho’s perceptive pass low cross was met by Silva’s clinical League. Pochettino made five changes from Argentine midfielder, who cut in from the illness affecting young reserve international tested Joe Hart with picked out Zabaleta’s darting run left-foot finish from eight yards. the side that thrashed Newcastle in the right to bend a sublime strike beyond Jose Angel Pozo left City manager a dangerous cross into his six-yard into the area and the full-back City needed a four-goal victory to League Cup quarter-finals in midweek, with Heaton from 25 yards.