Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, December 6, 2017 Salah’s attacking armada gets Liverpool shipshape Liverpool have returned to the Premier League top four LONDON: Mohamed Salah has hogged the head- Firmino, who finished off two superb counter-attacks to lines this season, but as Liverpool’s 5-1 demolition of take his tally of goals for the season to 11 in all competi- Brighton and Hove Albion demonstrated, he is but tions. “Roberto scored twice, but what he did around one component in a scintillating attacking armada. these goals is what excites me the most, to be honest,” Salah took a back seat at the Amex Stadium on Klopp told the Liverpool Echo newspaper. Saturday, contenting himself with an assist as “In all the counter-attacks, pretty much, he won the Roberto Firmino scored twice and Philippe Coutinho ball. By being here, by being a little annoying-a little found the net with a delightful free-kick beneath the foot, a little toe-that for us is important. “With all the jumping Brighton wall. rest around him, you need to get used to it. They are all With five wins in their different and all good. I last six games, Liverpool really like these players. have returned to the That’s why they are here.” Premier League top four for the first time since August. Being little MORE ROBUST Their one misstep in recent Coutinho, for now, weeks was the 3-3 draw at annoying that appears to have put his Sevilla in the Champions aborted close-season move League, in which their fail- for us is important to Barcelona behind him, his ure to protect a 3-0 lead left artful free-kick bringing him them requiring at least a a sixth league goal. Salah point at home to Spartak continues to dazzle, having Moscow on Wednesday to surpassed former Liverpool reach the last 16. luminaries such as Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and But having scored 25 goals in their last eight games Luis Suarez by scoring 12 goals in his first 15 Premier in all c competitions, Liverpool are playing with as League appearances for the club. much verve and confidence as in any previous phase of Klopp could even afford the luxury of leaving Sadio manager Jurgen Klopp’s two-year tenure. Liverpool’s Mane, the final member of his ‘Fab Four’ of attackers, on display at Brighton moved beaten manager Chris the bench, ensuring the Senegalese flier will be primed STOKE-ON-TRENT: File photo shows Liverpool’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Salah (C) celebrates scoring their Hughton to dub Klopp’s side “the best team we have for action against Spartak. second goal during the English Premier League football match between Stoke City and Liverpool. — AFP played this season”, despite his men having also lost 2- Liverpool have maintained their form despite injury 0 to Pep Guardiola’s runaway league leaders problems in defence that obliged Klopp to align mid- Manchester City. fielders Emre Can and Georginio Wijnaldum as fluke by Chelsea’s Willian-compared to 13 in the previ- Klopp seems determined to avoid a repeat of last sea- Although Klopp’s team struggled to beat some of makeshift centre-backs in an experimental back three ous six. son’s January slump, when a worn-out team won just the league’s lesser lights last season, he downplayed at Brighton. Liverpool’s momentum has not been affected by the once in 10 games, fatally compromising their objectives their performance on the south coast, saying it had sim- They have also become more robust defensively, fact Klopp has made 54 changes to his starting line-up for the season. Eleven months on, with their array of ply been a case of “doing the job”. The German was having shipped only three goals in their last six league in the Premier League this season, which is more than attackers in clinical form, Liverpool appear to be in more forthcoming in his praise of Brazilian forward games-one of which was a Brighton penalty, another a any other manager. By regularly shuffling his pack, much finer fettle. —AFP Manchester United. City are already Sterling guaranteed to finish as winners of Group F and with an eight-point lead over Matches on TV United in the league, Guardiola is likely (Local Timings) bounces back to prioritise the Manchester derby. Few would criticise Guardiola for from City brink wrapping Sterling in cotton wool after UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE his incredible form helped City win a LONDON: From the “hated one” to the record-equalling 13 successive league Feyenoord Rotterdam v Napoli 22:45 hero of Manchester City’s record-setting games and establish an all-competitions beIN SPORTS HD 3 run, Raheem Sterling has come a long unbeaten run of 28 matches. The 22- way in the last 18 months. When Sterling year-old’s last-gasp winner against Shakhtar Donetsk v Manchester City 22:45 arrived for pre-season training with City, Southampton last week was his 13th goal beIN SPORTS HD 2 the England winger faced an uncertain of the campaign, taking him past his total for last season in just under four months. KHARKIV: Shakhtar Donetsk’s Portuguese head coach Paulo Fonseca (L) looks on future amid talk Arsenal wanted to sign Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund 22:45 That goal was his third late deciding while goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov (R) speaks during a press conference in Kharkiv him as part of a deal that would send beIN SPORTS HD 4 Alexis Sanchez to Manchester. Being goal in as many games after winning yesterday. — AFP mooted as a makeweight in a deal that matches against Feyenoord and eventually fell through was hardly an Huddersfield with similar strikes. Aware Tottenham Hotspur v Apoel Nicosia 22:45 encouraging sign for Sterling, who had that Real Madrid have been linked with again following England’s Euro 2016 exit. into social media, more focused on foot- beIN SPORTS HD 7 struggled to live up to the hype after his Sterling in the past, City are determined Sterling found himself targeted by ball and his private life. That’s good,” £45 million ($60 million) move from to ensure he remains at Eastlands. England fans after an embarrassing Euro Guardiola said recently. Leipzig v Besiktas 22:45 Liverpool in 2015. But Sterling has Sterling has two years left on the 2016 defeat against Iceland, and he even Yet Guardiola refuses to take credit beIN SPORTS HD 8 flipped the script so effectively that he is £180,000-per-week deal he signed in branded himself the “hated one”. for Sterling’s resurgence, praising the 2015. But City’s Abu Dhabi-based own- Guardiola’s troubled trophy-less first player for knuckling down and maximis- now firmly established as one of City’s Porto v Monaco 22:45 ers are reported to be lining up a season at City was a further burden as ing the potential he showed with key men as they chase Premier League beIN SPORTS HD 6 and Champions League glory. £300,000-per-week contract that Sterling battled to make his mark in a Liverpool. “I didn’t discover Raheem. He Sterling has become so essential to would make him the Premier League’s squad packed with world-class attacking did that at Liverpool, he played amazing. Maribor v Sevilla 22:45 City’s success that when his team face highest paid player. talent. He emerged from that torrid peri- That’s why City paid a lot of mon- Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions Should Sterling sign that deal, it od thanks to a a helping hand from ey,” he said. “I don’t feel guilty if he’s beIN SPORTS HD 5 League today, he could find himself in would complete a remarkable reversal of Guardiola, who insisted the youngster not playing good and at the same time the privileged position of being rested fortune for a player who became a target must limit his social media presence and I don’t feel responsibility for Raheem Liverpool v Spartak Moscow 22:45 by Pep Guardiola ahead of Sunday’s for social media abuse during his acri- focus on his career instead. “He’s a nice playing good. All the credit goes to beIN SPORTS HD 1 crunch derby clash at title rivals monious departure from Liverpool and guy, loved in the locker room, stable, less him.” —AFP rising Kuwaiti talents, Nissan Al Babtain sponsors born in 2006 and Abdulaziz Al-Saifan in 2007 who As a substantial commitment to social responsibili- Nissan Al Babtain “Ultimate Soccer Academy” for the second consecu- had both joined Al Arabi Sports Club while Talal Al- ty in Kuwait, Nissan Al Babtain seeks to encourage tive year. Manea joined Kuwait Club. the youth to further develop their talents and hopes Nissan Al Babtain is proud to announce the out- The participants in this academy receive training to build a strong and wholesome society that benefits supports ‘Ultimate standing success of the academy’s talented athletes. programs in accordance to the highest international future generations. This sponsorship is part of a long The academy has intensively trained each to be quali- standards under the supervision of a large number series of similar initiatives that cement its role in Soccer’ Academy fied in order to join the most prestigious Kuwaiti of experts in the field. They are also provided the serving the wider community and various sectors. clubs such as Al Qadsia Sports Club, Al Arabi Sports opportunity to participate in external camps that Since its inception, Nissan Al Babtain continues to Club and Kuwait Sports Club.