The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Everton leave Man City’s title hopes in tatters Posted: 16 Mar 2013 08:46 AM PDT  Everton's Fellaini challenges Manchester City's Silva during their English Premier League soccer match at Goodison Park in Liverpool. — Reuters picLONDON, March 16 — Manchester City's fingertip hold on their Premier League title was loosened further after a demoralising 2-0 defeat at Everton on Saturday left them hoping for a footballing miracle. Leon Osman's swerving 32nd-minute shot put Everton in front at a raucous Goodison Park and, even though the home side were reduced to 10 men when Steven Pienaar was red-carded for a rash tackle on the hour, City could not reply. Substitute Nikica Jelavic sealed victory in stoppage time on the counter-attack after being set up by Marouane Fellaini, to leave City 12 points behing leaders Manchester United, who host joint-bottom Reading later on Saturday. A week after being booed and heckled by their own fans in an embarrassing 3-0 FA Cup defeat at home to struggling Wigan Athletic, Everton produced a gutsy performance to remain in contention for a top-four finish. Victory lifted David Moyes's team into fifth place, a point above Arsenal, who are away at Swansea City (1500) and four behind fourth-placed Chelsea. "It was disappointing last week (in their defeat by Wigan) but we showed when we are at the races we are a match for any team," Osman, who is in the England squad for next week's World Cup qualifiers, told Sky Sports. "It's difficult to play with 10 against any team, especially the champions, but we kept them at bay." Osman's strike to break the deadlock was a special one. Receiving the ball from Seamus Coleman 25 metres from goal, Osman lashed a shot that flew past England keeper Joe Hart and bulged the netting. Carlos Tevez went close to an equaliser with a shot just wide of the post but City were missing the drive of Yaya Toure in midfield as Everton dominated. City showed more desire after the break and were pressing hard for an equaliser when Pienaar raked his studs down the shin of Javi Garcia, who had earlier squandered a close-range chance. The inevitable red card merely raised Everton to greater efforts, with second-choice keeper Jan Mucha exemplifying their commitment with a great double save from Tevez and James Milner. City were denied a late penalty when Tevez's shot was blocked by the arm of Fellaini in the penalty area, with the referee ruling it had been outside the box and awarding only a free kick, which came to nothing. Jelavic's stoppage-time effort made it a dark day for City manager Roberto Mancini, who declined to give his post-match television interview, instead sending out assistant David Platt. "He's angry and he's taking stock of it," Platt said. "He wants to calm down rather than say anything that will get him into trouble. He's angry in general. "We got outworked by Everton, but there is no doubt in my mind about the handball. "It was three yards inside the area and though perhaps the performance didn't deserve it, that's by the by. "Perhaps we could have got a bit more out of it if that decision had gone for us." — Reuters |
| Puyol in race to return after knee operation Posted: 16 Mar 2013 06:50 AM PDT  Barca captain Carles Puyol — Reuters picMADRID, March 16 — Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has his heart set on a return to action before the end of the season, club doctors said on Saturday after the defender suffered another injury setback. The 34-year-old Spanish international had arthroscopic surgery on the cartilage in his right knee on Friday and the surgeons Ramon Cugat and Ricard Pruna refused to name a date for his possible return. He is almost certain to miss both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris St Germain in the first two weeks of April. "He will set his own recovery time. It could be a month-and-a-half, two or three," Cugat told a news conference. Pruna said: "He has been carrying this problem since October, and the game at Getafe. It hasn't gone away. "He said he couldn't stand it anymore, and he wanted to use the break for internationals to try and be in top shape for the end of the season. "If he didn't do it now there was a risk it could get worse." Cugat joked about Puyol's enthusiasm to return, saying that in the operating theatre the defender had repeatedly said: "We start the recovery tonight." Barca's inspirational leader has suffered a series of injuries over the last year. He missed Spain's triumph at Euro 2012 after having surgery on the same knee last May, and fractured his cheekbone in Barca's second league outing at Osasuna in August. Twisted ligaments in his left knee sidelined him again in September, and Puyol then dislocated his left elbow in October. Combined with a string of minor complaints, he has featured in only 13 La Liga games in the current campaign, but is well known for making rapid recoveries from injuries. "With a normal person you would say leave it a few months until it is better; with Puyol it could be four, six or eight weeks," Cugat said. Pruna added: "There is a chance he could be back in time for (the Champions League) final (on May 25). We would all be pleased if that were the case because it would mean we had reached the final." Puyol's absence leaves Barca short at the back again with converted midfielder Javier Mascherano and Spain's Gerard Pique as their first-choice centre-back pairing. Midfielders Sergio Busquets, and the little-used Alex Song could step in when required, while versatile full-back Adriano Correia has also deputised in the centre. — Reuters |
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