India snatch Newcastle thrash Test impetus after Palace 3-0 in a Smith15 run-out clinical19 style SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013 Bayern’s rivals slump to shock defeats Page 18 LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez (center) chips the ball against Cardiff City’s English defender Andrew Taylor (left) and Cardiff City’s Chilean midfielder Gary Medel (right) during the English Premier League foot- ball match between Liverpool and Cardiff City yesterday. — AFP Red-hot Suarez fires Liverpool to the top and 21 in the league at Anfield in 2013. winger pulled back for Suarez, whose shot was Coutinho knocked the ball to the left and box for a third. Sterling drove wide at the near Jordon Mutch pulled one back in the sec- blocked, before Philippe Coutinho drove wide Henderson clipped a cross to the edge of the post from Coutinho’s corner before Coutinho Liverpool 3 ond half and Liverpool never matched their with a follow-up effort. The Reds’ failure to area for the striker to find the bottom-left cor- just missed from the edge of the area after a earlier intensity, but they still came away with clear convincingly gave them some anxious ner with a firm volley. Coutinho also thumped fine run. But Cardiff pulled one back just a comfortable win that moves them above early moments, with Mutch dragging wide against the near post after collecting a Suarez before the hour mark when Whittingham’s Arsenal, who face Chelsea on Monday. The from inside the area. corner and skilfully beating Gary Medel. deep free-kick was headed in at the far corner Cardiff 1 match was played out against the backdrop of Mutch then opened up the Liverpool Martin Skrtel should have doubled the advan- by Mutch. reports suggesting Cardiff owner Vincent Tan defence with a fine ball for Craig Noone and tage when he was found by Jon Flanagan’s Mutch also headed high and wide at the far is set to dismiss Mackay just months after the the winger cut in on his left foot before seeing cross, only to head over from six yards. post after getting to a Whittingham corner Scot guided the Welsh club to promotion. The his shot pushed away from the top corner by Flanagan had an effort blocked on the line by and, from another Whittingham free-kick, Ben LIVERPOOL: Luis Suarez continued his incred- Cardiff fans made their displeasure clear, with Simon Mignolet. From the Peter Whittingham Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall, who then Turner rose above Mamadou Sakho and ible scoring run with two goals as Liverpool banners dotted across the away end reading corner that followed, Mutch won the ball pushed away a shot from Sterling as the pres- forced a save from Mignolet with a dipping beat Cardiff City 3-1 at Anfield yesterday to go ‘Tan Out’ and ‘We want our club back’, and unchallenged, but could not turn his header sure continued. header. But the Reds broke out with a quarter top of the Premier League. Against a Cardiff constant songs against the Malaysian busi- on target. But after a lengthy spell of posses- Three minutes before the interval, of an hour remaining, with Sterling thwarted side dogged by speculation about the future nessman. sion around the Cardiff area, Coutinho picked Liverpool got a deserved second when by Marshall and Suarez’s follow-up shot hit- of manager Malky Mackay, Liverpool raced On the pitch, Liverpool quickly threatened, out Suarez and the Uruguayan’s shot was Henderson sent Suarez clear and the striker ting the outside of the post. Joe Allen also into a three-goal lead by half-time. with Suarez thumping into the side-netting deflected wide off Andrew Taylor. Liverpool squared a pass for Sterling to tap in. Three headed over from Sterling’s corner as the Reds Suarez scored twice, either side of assisting after Sterling had burst into the area. They had been a long way from their best, but minutes later, Suarez was found by tried to reassert themselves, while Suarez was Raheem Sterling for Liverpool’s second, to went close again when Jordan Henderson moved ahead in the 25th minute with a goal Henderson’s backheel and bent a fine shot again denied a hat-trick by a low save from take his tally to 19 league goals for the season clipped over the top for Sterling and the from Suarez. into the bottom-right corner from outside the Marshall. — AFP City sink Fulham Man Utd record England goalkeeper Joe Hart, mak- 4th straight win ing his first Premier League start Fulham 2 since October, to make a quality save to deny Adel Taarabt, playing for 14 months. Wayne Rooney created the goal, up front on his own, in the 13th responding quickly by gathering a quickly tak- Man United 3 en free-kick and facilitating a one-two with minute. Welbeck, whose low shot passed beneath West Man City 4 The opportunity had followed a Ham goalkeeper Adrian, who was making his slip by Clichy. City almost opened league debut. The Spaniard had been far more the scoring seconds later as Edin impressive in the opening minute, making a Dzeko laid the ball back to David West Ham 1 LONDON: Manchester City needed one-handed save to keep out a fierce Tom Silva, whose first time effort Cleverley drive. late goals from substitutes Jesus smashed back off the crossbar. The Navas and James Milner to clinch a Rooney chipped just over, Adrian kept out recalled Hart denied Taarabt again MANCHESTER: Manchester United continued Antonio Valencia’s deflected, near-post effort 4-2 victory at Fulham after Vincent as the on-loan QPR forward tried his its resurgence by recording a fourth straight and Valencia, again, wasted a decent opening Kompany scored for both sides yes- luck from range, but Fulham were win, comfortably seeing off a disappointing as United looked more like their old selves. The terday. City, who are now in second soon under pressure when Silva West Ham 3-1 in the Premier League. Adnan second half began with United in equally ambi- place in the Premier League table, was tripped on the edge of the box Januzaj and Danny Welbeck celebrated mile- tious mood; their passing slicker, more enter- had gone in at the break 2-0 up by Steve Sidwell. It was perfect stone Old Trafford goals as defending champi- prising and accurate than has been the case for after captain Kompany had added range for Toure and the Ivory Coast ons Manchester United beat West Ham United much of this disappointing season. A testing to Yaya Toure’s sublime free-kick midfielder curled it in off the cross- 3-1 yesterday. The recent improvement shown Januzaj cross was almost turned in by Welbeck by United under manager David Moyes contin- opener. bar for the 23rd-minute opener. at close range and the resulting corner was The Belgium defender then put ued in a comfortable victory for his side, but it powered goalwards by Jonny Evans, with Alvaro Negredo’s powerful run was the performance of winger Januzaj that through his own goal in bizarre ended with Dzeko’s shot being Noble making a goal-line clearance. fashion to draw Fulham level after will dominate the headlines, for the right and With Welbeck limping slightly, and in the blocked by a defender but within wrong reasons. Kieran Richardson pulled one back seconds Hart was forced to dive at continued absence of the injured Robin van The teenager, blossoming in his first full sea- Persie, Javier Hernandez was brought on early for the home side in the second the other end to make another save half. But Manuel Pellegrini had son in the Premier League, scored a wonderful in the second period and the Mexican had the to foil Taarabt. City doubled their goal after 36 minutes, playing a one-two with introduced Spain winger Navas and ball in the net after 68 minutes but was called lead three minutes before the break Welbeck and leaving defender James Collins on England midfielder Milner after the back for offside. The disappointment of that through another free-kick move the seat of his pants as he switched feet and decision did not last long, however, and anoth- break and they proved crucial that saw Fulham fail to pick up finished with an angled shot into the far corner. changes as both struck in the final er United substitute, Ashley Young, stretched Martin Demichelis at the back post That goal, Januzaj’s first at Old Trafford, dou- the advantage to three goals just four minutes 12 minutes to spare City’s blushes. and although his header was bled United’s lead and had Moyes’s predeces- City are one point behind leaders later. Rafael da Silva’s long ball sent Valencia blocked Kompany was there to stab sor Alex Ferguson on his feet in the directors’ scurrying down the right and he pulled the ball Liverpool, although they will slip home the rebound. The excellent box, showing his approval with rapturous back into the area for Rooney. back down the table after Monday’s Taarabt set up Richardson to make applause. The United talisman, in turn, selflessly meeting between Arsenal and it 2-1 in the 50th minute however. It also came less than a minute after Januzaj picked out the unmarked Young, who curled Chelsea, who are third and fourth The Moroccan’s speedy run down had a strong penalty appeal rejected as he an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand LONDON: Manchester City’s Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko (left) and respectively.