Serena lifts eighth Klose on target Miami crown as Lazio beat Cagliari SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015 17 18 PSG aim to strike blow in crunch ‘Classique’ Page 19 LONDON: Chelsea’s Juan Cuadrado (front) reaches for the ball with Stoke’s Charlie Adam during the English Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge stadium. — AP Chelsea survive wonder goal Adam’s stunner among best in Premier League history blue in the 44th minute. space and time it’s nice to do something like “Charlie Adam! He tried that shot from the would anticipate a shot like that from the Taking possession well inside his own half, that. I was just disappointed the keeper got a halfway line 3 times a game at Lfc. About bloody moment we lost the ball, but it’s a great goal.” Chelsea 2 the Scotland international looked up to see hand on it! “It was great to get back in the game time!” tweeted Adam’s former Liverpool team- Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had but the biggest thing is we lost the match.” mate Jamie Carragher. said Diego Costa was likely to be out for at least strayed off his line. Adam’s moment of magic brought back memo- Adam’s rocket wasn’t enough for Stoke to two weeks after his hamstring problem resur- Even so it initially seemed nothing more than ries of David Beckham’s famous lob from the earn a point against the leaders, but Blues boss faced during yesterday’s 2-1 win over Stoke City. a reckless gamble when Adam shaped to shoot, halfway line against Wimbledon in 1996, a goal Jose Mourinho said even legends like Diego The Brazil-born Spain striker, 26, pulled up Stoke 1 yet his incredible drive from 65 yards out widely regarded as one of the best in the Maradona and Lionel Messi would have strug- 10 minutes after coming on as a half-time sub- arrowed over Courtois, who could only help the Premier League’s 23-year history. gled to score a better goal. “It was a fantastic stitute for Oscar at Stamford Bridge, with the ball into the net as he back-pedalled in a futile The stunning strike also earned comparisons goal, every super player in the world would like score 1-1. Didier Drogba came on as a hob- LONDON: Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam attempt to prevent the wonder-goal. with Manchester United star Wayne Rooney’s to score a goal like that. Diego Maradona to bling Costa-Chelsea’s top scorer this season scored one of the greatest goals in Premier “It’s a great goal to score. I saw the ‘keeper off gem against West Ham last season, Xabi Lionel Messi to all these brilliant players,” he said. with 20 goals-was escorted off the pitch and League history in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea his line, tried an effort and it went in,” Adam said. Alonso’s goal from inside his own half for “Not all of them did score that goal in their down the tunnel by members of the club’s yesterday. With City trailing 1-0 at Stamford “I always have a look at the goalkeeper’s posi- Liverpool against Newcastle in 2006 and careers. But when my goalkeeper plays in the medical staff. “For sure, with that injury it will Bridge, Adam illuminated a drab evening in tion throughout a match because these balls Maynor Figueroa’s goal from the halfway line for limit of the box he has to read the game and be a couple of weeks minimum,” Mourinho west London with an audacious bolt from the move so much. “When you have that much Wigan against Stoke in 2009. know the quality of the opponent. “Normally he told Sky Sports. —AFP Herrera, Rooney Major blow to Saints recovered from the hamstring problem send United third which saw him miss Belgium’s recent interna- tionals. Southampton were quickly into their to be held back by Ciaran Clark, but Everton 1 referee Roger East waved play on. stride and threatened in the first minute Man United 3 It was a decision that infuriated when defender Jose Fonte headed wide from the England captain and his mood a free-kick. Graziano Pelle had scored just once in his almost darkened a minute later when Southampton 0 De Gea failed to deal with Benteke’s last 16 appearances for Southampton, but the striker found the net in Italy’s midweek Aston Villa 1 header and Gabriel Agbonlahor saw a goal-bound follow-up blocked. It was friendly draw against England. LIVERPOOL: Everton defender Phil Jagielka the start of an entertaining game, as He came close to building on that morale- delivered a major blow to Southampton’s bid Juan Mata saw a shot blocked by Matt boosting goal when he met Shane Long’s to qualify for the Champions League as his cross with a lobbed volley that Everton goal- MANCHESTER: Ander Herrera and Lowton after an exciting run from ex- first-half goal secured a 1-0 win at Goodison keeper Tim Howard brilliantly clawed away Wayne Rooney scored as Manchester Villa winger Ashley Young, who was MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney (right) fights the target of constant abuse from his Park yesterday. from under the crossbar. United beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Old for the ball against Aston Villa’s Jores Okore during the English Ronald Koeman’s side needed a victory on Trafford yesterday to leapfrog former supporters. Premier League soccer match. — AP But failure to convert those early opportu- Merseyside to keep in touch with the Premier nities proved costly for Southampton as the Manchester City into third place in Villa remained a counter-attacking pull-back found the unmarked the left and placed a curling right-foot League’s top four, but Jagielka’s strike left hosts took the lead in the 16th minute. the Premier League. threat, via the pace of front pair Herrera 15 yards from goal. shot fractionally wide. Benteke and Agbonlahor, but such sixth placed Saints trailing fourth placed A Leighton Baines corner was only half- Christian Benteke’s 80th-minute The Spanish midfielder had the United clearly recognised the Manchester City by eight points with just sev- goal for Villa, a weak shot that crept was United’s dominance in terms of cleared to Barry and his cross reached time and presence of mind to set him- need for a second goal and Fellaini en games to play. beneath David de Gea, set up an possession that even defender England international Jagielka, who steered a self before sending an unstoppable almost delivered it with a strong Southampton’s first defeat in four matches uncomfortable finale for United, but Marcos Rojo threatened. Twenty- low shot into the corner for his fifth club goal finish into the bottom-right corner downward header that the alert leaves them with a place in the Europa Herrera completed his brace in added three minutes in, the Argentina of the season. with his left foot. Guzan pawed over the bar. League their most likely route to continental time to seal a fifth straight win. defender unleashed a fearsome 30- James Ward-Prowse nearly produced an Rooney and Rojo both had Rooney maintained the pressure, competition next season. The result lifted United above City, yard shot that Brad Guzan tipped chances to add to the score before sprinting into the area and firing nar- immediate response from the visitors when For Everton, a third successive league win who visit Crystal Palace tomorrow, acrobatically over his crossbar. the half-time whistle, after sharp rowly wide of the left-hand post, the midfielder’s curling free-kick found the lifted them into the security of mid-table, and with Rooney netting in memo- Michael Carrick-fresh from rave thinking by Mata and Blind at a quick- before Fellaini shot the wrong side of side-netting with Howard beaten. with a 12-point gap to the bottom three, after rable fashion, Louis van Gaal’s side reviews following England’s 1-1 draw ly taken corner, but Clark and Guzan, the same upright with an improvised Ward-Prowse was proving a real menace they briefly looked in danger of being seem increasingly likely to claim a against Italy in mid-week-started a respectively, were able to block. There back-heel to the Everton defence and another stinging dragged into the relegation dogfight. It was place in next season’s Champions move that culminated in Antonio was a warning for United soon after Moments after a Villa set-piece strike drew a fine save from Howard. League. Valencia crossing for Rooney to lash a the restart as Villa strung together a ended with Benteke heading just an upbeat end to a day with started with the Everton were back on the offensive United felt they should have been spectacular overhead kick just wide. lightning-quick counter-attack that wide, Rooney claimed United’s sec- news that Everton midfielder Darron Gibson when Aaron Lennon found Arouna Kone on handed an early opportunity to take resulted in Andreas Weimann cutting ond. Substitute Angel di Maria’s cross is likely to miss the remainder of the season the right and his cross reached Osman, control of the contest when they had DE GEA BLUNDER the ball back for Benteke, who blazed was behind Rooney, but the England after breaking a metatarsal. whose header deflected just wide. a strong penalty appeal waved away Two minutes before the break, a wastefully over from 10 yards.