World doubles gold Zimbabwe beat for China and Korea Australia for first 17 time17 in 31 years MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 2014 Balotelli makes winning debut as Reds rout Spurs Page 19 VILLARREAL: Barcelona’s Brazilian forward Neymar da Silva Santos Junior (C) vies during the Spanish league football match Villarreal CF vs FC Barcelona at the El Madrigal stadium in Villarreal yesterday. — AFP Sandro hands Barca win at Villarreal MADRID: Barcelona made it two wins in as many keep out Lionel Messi’s low drive, Sandro was left before turning a deflected Messi free-kick onto replaced Munir and Asenjo had to be at his best Espinosa fired the rebound inches wide. games under new coach Luis Enrique as 19-year- with the simplest of finishes from close range. the post. again to turn away another well-struck Messi free- The visitors did finally make the breakthrough old Sandro Ramirez’s debut goal eight minutes Enrique had handed another start to 18-year- Villarreal’s best opening of the first 45 minutes kick. eight minutes from time when more fine footwork from time was enough to hand them a 1-0 win at old Munir El Haddadi as Neymar was only fit came when Victor Ruiz bundled the ball over the Ruiz then made amends for his miss in the from Messi provoked another save from Asenjo, Villarreal yesterday. enough for a place on the bench, while Rafinha bar when completely unmarked at the back post. first-half with a miraculous block on the line to but Sandro was on hand to force the ball home Sandro had replaced the ineffective Pedro was preferred to Xavi Hernandez in the absence of However, they were nearly gifted the lead at prevent Neymar smashing home Messi’s low from close range. Rodriguez for the final 20 minutes as Barca looked the injured Andres Iniesta. the start of the second period as Barca defender cross. There was still time for a final scare for Barca as set for a frustrating evening as Villarreal keeper Barca completely dominated possession in the Jeremy Mathieu turned Jaume Costa’s cross off Yet, for all their chances, Barca were inches Giovanni dos Santos smashed a volley off the post Sergio Asenjo kept them at bay. opening 45 minutes, but failed to create clear-cut the outside of his own post. from being behind moments later when Tomas from a narrow angle, but Enrique’s men held on to However, after Asenjo had again done well to chances as Asenjo parried a drive from Pedro Barca then upped the pace after Neymar Pina struck the inside of the post and Javier go top of the embryonic La Liga table. — AFP Sanchez on target as Leicester hold Arsenal ings as they chanted for him to sign a Arsenal claimed the lead two min- A slick interchange between striker before today’s transfer dead- utes later after Santi Cazorla outfoxed Schlupp and David Nugent on the Leicester 1 line in the closing moments of a the Leicester defence with a dinked left flank allowed the former to deliv- entertaining and even contest. There ball to Sanogo. er an arcing cross from near the was concern early on for Arsenal’s The French forward’s attempt byline. Fatally afforded time and Laurent Koscielny when he bore the lacked conviction, but to Arsenal’s space by Koscielny, Ulloa had the lux- brunt of an ugly aerial collision with good fortune, Kasper Schmeichel’s ury of being able to pick his spot, Arsenal 1 Jeff Schlupp. Under new Premier save served merely to divert the ball planting a powerful header inside the League rules, the defender was into the path of Sanchez, who swept left-hand post. Less than four min- forced to leave the pitch to be exam- home from close range. utes later, Calum Chambers-fresh LEICESTER: Leonardo Ulloa cancelled ined by a club doctor before return- from receiving his first senior England out Alexis Sanchez’s first Premier ing with his head heavily strapped. Ulloa hits back call-up-was summoned from the BIRMINGHAM: Aston Villa’s Andreas Weimann, left, battles for the ball with Hull City’s Michael League goal as promoted Leicester Wenger’s team had a fortuitous Leicester manager Nigel Pearson bench to replace the struggling Dawson, during their English Premier League soccer match at Villa Park, Birmingham, City held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at the escape in the 18th minute when has instilled confidence in his team, Koscielny. England, yesterday. — AP King Power Stadium yesterday. In the Riyad Mahrez’s neat one-two with however, and they drew level within Leicester began the second period absence of the injured Olivier Giroud, Andy King culminated in a low drive two minutes, just as they had in their as they had finished the first. Ulloa close-season arrival Sanchez added that flashed inches past the post. opening 2-2 draw with Everton. should have put his team ahead after Villa edge Hull to to his crucial Champions League win- controlling Mahrez’s pass superbly ner against Besiktas in mid-week with and outwitting the sliding Chambers a 20th-minute opener for Arsene with a drop of the shoulder, only to continue strong start clip his effort into the side-netting. Wenger’s side. But Ulloa responded setback for Steve Bruce’s Hull, who were with a header just two minutes later Cazorla, once more, broke the home side’s offside trap with a sub- knocked out of the Europa League by Belgian as Leicester maintained their unbeat- Aston Villa 2 side Lokeren on Thursday, and a ninth win in 10 en home league record and provided lime scooped pass, yet the unmarked Aaron Ramsey headed tamely into games for Villa against the East Yorkshire club. further evidence they can hold their Both sides made seven changes to their own in the top flight. Schmeichel’s arms. Within a minute, a glorious oppor- starting XIs, with captain Ron Vlaar and Fabian They were more than good value Delph among the players returning for Villa, for their point on what proved a frus- tunity came Sanogo’s way, with Hull 1 Nacho Monreal slipping him through and Michael Dawson making his Hull debut in trating afternoon for Wenger, whose place of the suspended James Chester. Delph side remain unbeaten on five points down the inside-left channel, only for Schmeichel to step smartly off his line was awarded his first England call-up on but lost ground at the top of the BIRMINGHAM: Gabriel Agbonlahor and Thursday and he almost marked the achieve- table. Last weekend, Giroud’s late to thwart the Frenchman. With his attackers labouring, it was no surprise Andreas Weimann scored as Aston Villa extend- ment with an early goal, sending a shot against goal rescued a point against Everton, ed their unbeaten start to the Premier League the crossbar from the left in the second minute but with the France international to see Wenger make changes, with Sanogo and Cazorla replaced by season with a 2-1 victory at home to Hull City after being found by Weimann. Twelve min- absent for up to four months with a utes later Villa made the breakthrough, with Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade- yesterday. Villa had been dumped out of the broken tibia, this performance raised League Cup by third-tier Leyton Orient in mid- Agonlahor tucking away a low strike from Chamberlain for the final stages. concerns they will struggle for goals week, but first-half efforts from Agbonlahor Weimann’s lay-off to register his first goal at But for all of Arsenal’s possession, in his absence. Yaya Sanogo, Giroud’s and Weimann got them back to winning ways Villa Park in 2014. Leicester remained a major threat on deputy, endured a forgettable after- and ended Hull’s own unbeaten record. Nikica Hull had a penalty appeal turned down the counter-attack. The visitors had noon that left him without a goal in Jelavic replied for Hull with 16 minutes to play, when Andy Robertson’s cross struck Ashley his 17 competitive outings for the Szczesny to thank when he thwarted but although it prevented Villa from opening Westwood on the arm, but Villa were bossing club. LEICESTER: Arsenal’s Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez (L) has a cross blocked by substitute Jamie Vardy following the season with three clean sheets for the first the game and in the 36th minute Kieran And Arsenal supporters left Leicester City’s Ghanaian striker Jeff Schlupp (R) during the English Premier another incisive Leicester one-two, time since 1900, Paul Lambert’s side held on for Richardson teed up Weimann to crash home Wenger in no doubt over their feel- League football match between Leicester City and Arsenal at King Power this time with Nugent. — AFP the three points. It was a second successive the hosts’ second goal with his left foot. — AFP.