Holmes wins at Atletico, Barca and Quail Hollow Real locked in tight title race TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014 17 19 New league may not be answer to India’s soccer woes Page 19 LONDON: Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez (right) heads the ball during the English Premier League football match against Crystal Palace. — AFP Liverpool blow away victory at Palace with substitute Dwight Gayle scoring twice after Premier League goal for Liverpool in his 50th league Damien Delaney put Palace back in the game with a appearance for them. EPL results/standings Crystal Palace 3 screamer in the 79th minute. Sturridge doubled the score with his 21st goal of Liverpool’s title hopes, already receding after last the season with a low deflected shot eight minutes Crystal Palace 3 Liverpool 3 week’s loss to Chelsea, are now hanging by an even into the second half while Suarez scored his 31st goal English Premier League table after yesterday’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals slender thread. They have 81 points with one match of the season two minutes later after playing a swift against, points to play while City have 80 points and two games to one-two with Raheem Sterling to take Liverpool’s Liverpool 37 25 6 6 99 49 81 Aston Villa 36 10 8 18 39 54 38 Liverpool 3 go plus a nine-goal better goal difference than goal tally this season to 99 goals. Man City 36 25 5 6 96 37 80 Hull City 36 10 7 19 37 48 37 Liverpool. But as has happened so often this season, Chelsea 37 24 7 6 69 26 79 West Bromwich 36 7 15 14 42 55 36 City host Aston Villa on Wednesday and West Liverpool’s defending cost them. Liverpool contin- Arsenal 37 23 7 7 66 41 76 Sunderland 36 9 8 19 38 57 35 Ham United on Sunday while Liverpool’s remaining ued to pour forward in a bid to further trim Norwich City 37 8 9 20 28 60 33 LONDON: Luis Suarez and his Liverpool team mates game is at home to Newcastle United on Sunday. Manchester City’s goal difference advantage but Everton 37 20 9 8 59 39 69 Fulham 37 9 4 24 38 83 31 shed tears of despair after they blew a 3-0 lead with Liverpool’s players slumped to the ground at the paid a heavy price for leaving themselves exposed to Tottenham 37 20 6 11 52 51 66 11 minutes remaining to draw 3-3 with Crystal Palace end after allowing Palace back into the game that the counter-attack. Man United 36 18 6 12 60 41 60 —relegated Cardiff City 37 7 9 21 31 72 30 in an astonishing Premier League match at Selhurst seemed all over with just 11 minutes of normal time Delaney reduced the arrears with a fierce shot Southampton 37 15 10 12 53 45 55 —relegated Park yesterday that almost certainly ended their to play. Goals from Allen after 18 minutes, Sturridge before Gayle brought Palace right back into the Newcastle 37 15 4 18 42 57 49 hopes of a first title for 24 years. after 53 minutes and newly-crowned Footballer of game after Yannick Bolasie, a continual threat on the 1-3: Champions League / EC I Liverpool were seemingly coasting to victory and the Year Suarez two minutes later put Liverpool into break squared back to him and he swept the ball Stoke City 37 12 11 14 43 51 47 a three-point lead over Manchester City at the top of a commanding position. home. The third goal came after a long ball forward Crystal Palace 37 13 5 19 31 46 44 4: Champions League preliminary round the Premier League with goals from Joe Allen, Daniel Wales international midfielder Allen put Liverpool and Gayle took advantage of more poor defending West Ham 37 11 7 19 40 49 40 5-6: Europa League Sturridge and Luis Suarez. ahead when he was left unmarked following a to equalise and complete an incredible fightback by Swansea City 37 10 9 18 51 53 39 18-20: Relegation But Palace stormed back with three late goals, Steven Gerrard corner and headed in for his first the home side. — Reuters Juve celebrate Aston Villa owner to title with win reveal future plans LONDON: Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner will the table with only one point from six matches over Atalanta release a statement on his future after the to join the relegation battle. club’s final game of the season next week amid With tough fixtures at City and Spurs to fin- increasing speculation both he and manager ish, Saturday’s clash at home to Hull came with ROME: The Juventus fans were in to overturn a 2-1 deficit in their Paul Lambert will depart after another narrow huge pressure but Ashley Westwood put them a mood to party and their team Europa League semi-final with escape from relegation. ahead inside a minute and Andreas Weimann lived up to expectations as they Benfica and they were rarely A 3-1 home win over FA Cup finalists Hull scored twice to claim a priceless three points. celebrated winning a third suc- troubled by an Atalanta team City on Saturday ensured the former European The win moved them up to 14th on 38 points, cessive Serie A title with a 1-0 vic- who stayed in 11th on 47 points Champions will remain in the English Premier five clear of 18th-placed Norwich City who tory over Atalanta yesterday. and now have no chance of League for another year after a second difficult only have one match left at home to Arsenal, A second-half Simone Padoin European football. season under Lambert, who has worked under and Lambert did not hide his sense of relief. strike enabled the champions to Stefan Colantuono’s side are a much smaller budget than his predecessors. “That’s an understatement,” the Scot said. “I enjoy the moment in front of eight points behind sixth-placed The ever shrinking investment from Lerner, have been involved in massive games but that their supporters by maintaining Torino with two games remain- who bought a 60 percent stake in the club at is too close for comfort.” After Villa held their 100 per cent home record. ing after losing four of their last the start of the 2006/07 season, has led to the Southampton to a 0-0 draw at home last Antonio Conte’s side, handed five matches, falling away dra- speculation the American will sell up after the month, Lerner released a statement urging their 30th championship thanks matically after winning six in a final league matches at Manchester City and fans to get behind the team and gave praise to to AS Roma’s 4-1 defeat at relega- row in March. Tottenham Hotspur this week. Lambert. tion-threatened Catania on They are are also six behind New owners often mean new managers The 52-year-old, who used to own the NFL’s Sunday, are on 96 points, 11 Lazio and Hellas Verona, who are but former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Cleveland Browns franchise, also acknowl- ahead of Roma and only a point still in the Europa league hunt Lambert was hopeful he could be allowed a edged the rumours of his departure but failed away from equalling the all-time after playing out an entertaining third season at the helm. to quash them and said all would be revealed record set by Inter Milan in 2007. 3-3 draw featuring a red card for “I hope so, that is what I want to do,” at the end of the season. With matters on the Padion’s powerful 72nd- each side as Verona fought back Lambert was quoted as saying by British field finalised and another season in the lucra- minute strike which careered in from 2-1 to lead 3-2 through media on Monday. “But you’ll know when the tive league assured, attentions switch back to off the post following a nifty flick goals from Iturbe and Romulo. chairman says what he is going to do. You the American with Lambert left pondering a from Paul Pogba secured Juve’s However, Lazio captain would love to do it, it is a fantastic club, albeit possible exit. 18th straight home league win Stefano Mauri scored a soft-look- the last couple of years has been tough. “I respect the chairman’s statement and and they only have to beat ing stoppage-time penalty given “I think the chairman has said himself I have what he is going to say,” he said. “It will bring Cagliari to finish the season for a foul on Miroslav Klose by had to work within the parameters he has set clarity and it will not be a problem, whatever unbeaten at the Juventus Michelangelo Albertazzi, who between me and him. You either take the chal- way he wants to play it himself. “I will respect Stadium. was sent off, to snatch his side a TURIN: Juventus’ forward Pablo Osvaldo (center) fights for the ball with lenge on or bottle it.” his decision, no problem with that whatsoever. Coach Conte made eight dramatic and controversial late Atalanta’s defender Yohan Benalouane and Chilean midfielder Tello Having recorded a 1-0 win over title chas- Randy is a really top guy and I’ve said before, it changes to the side which failed point.