Aguero hits four as City go 16 pts clear
Raheem Sterling celebrates with Sergio Aguero and others after the England international scored in the opening three minutes on Saturday.
Lo n d o n, F e b 1 1 (Agencies): Pep Guardiola hailed Sergio Aguero as an “authentic legend” of Manchester City after his four second-half goals continued their emphatic march towards the Premier League title with a 5-1 thrashing of Leicester. Raheem Sterling had given City an early lead on Saturday but Leicester went into the break on level terms thanks to Jamie Vardy’s equaliser. However, Aguero took centre stage with a finishing masterclass to take his tally in City’s last seven home games to 14 goals as Guardiola’s side moved 16 points clear at the top of the table.
Leicester named City target Riyad Mahrez among the substitutes after he ended a self-imposed exile which saw him miss their last two matches. The Algeria international had seen a proposed deadline day transfer to the Etihad Stadium collapse after the Foxes rejected City’s offer. But it didn’t take long for the home side to show the abundance of talent they have going forward despite missing out on Mahrez and coping with a series of injuries to the likes of Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus. Kevin De Br uyne curled a cross into the penalty area and Sterling
11
sports
Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, FEBrUARY 12, 2018
nipped in front of Marc Albrighton at the back post to guide the ball home for his 20th goal of the season. However, shortly before the half-hour mark City were rocked when Vardy showed great pace to get beyond City’s record signing Aymeric Laporte and his shot deflected into the bottom corner to complete the striker’s haul of scoring against all of the Premier League’s top six this season. City threatened an immediate response as Kasper Schmeichel was forced to save at his near post from a fierce angled shot from De Bruyne while Aleksandar Dragovic’s timely sliding block denied Sterling.
Leicester’s resistence didn’t last after the break as Aguero scored twice in five minutes to effectively end the game as a contest. A neat exchange between Sterling and De Bruyne on the right flank allowed the latter to tease a low cross to gift Aguero a tap-in. Moments later a weak clearance from Schmeichel was ruthlessly punished as a clinical City move culminated in De Bruyne’s third assist and a fierce angled shot from Aguero which the Leicester goalkeeper got a hand to but could not prevent going in. With just under a third of the game left Mahrez came on for Fousseni Diabate, to cheers from both sets of supporters. The day belonged to Aguero, though, and he rounded off the game with two superb strikes. First he capitalised on another poor clearance from Schmeichel and lifted an audacious chip over the Denmark international. But he saved the best for last with a powerful effort from just outside the area which bounced in off the underside of the crossbar. Match results Everton 3-1 Crystal Palace Swansea 1-0 Burnley FC Stoke City 1-1 Brighton West Ham 2-0 Watford
Pak gears up to host PSL final in Karachi
K A R A CHI , F e b 1 1 (Agencies): Foreign experts on Sunday inspected security arrangements in Karachi, which is scheduled to stage the final of Pakistan’s Twenty20 league next month - the city’s first international match in nine years. The third season of the Pakistan Super League starts in the United Arab Emirates on February 22. The tournament will move to Pakistan for two playoffs on March 20-21 and the final in Karachi on March 25. Security experts Reg Dickason and Richard Dennis witnessed a full dress rehearsal for the final in Karachi. They were also briefed by Pakistani security and government officials on the arrangements. “Whatever we have witnessed today, it’s as good as I have seen in all my years of work but I can’t say a final word (on hosting the final) now and will submit my report within the next seven days,” Dickason told media. The team’s report will be integral to paving the way for the final. International cricket in Pakistan was suspended after a 2009 militant attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore killed eight people and injured seven visiting players.
Napoli crush Lazio to stay top
Napoli came from behind to thrash Lazio 4-1 and reclaim the top spot in Serie A.
MILAN, Feb 11 (Agencies): Napoli stamped their authority on the Serie A title race with a comefrom-behind 4-1 thumping of Lazio on Saturday to reclaim top spot from champions Juventus. Lazio had taken the lead in Naples when Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij scored in the third minute at the San Paolo Stadium from a Ciro Immobile cross, before Spaniard Callejon pulled the hosts level just before the break. Napoli’s second came from an unfortunate Lazio own goal as Brazilian defender Wallace tried to intercept a Callejon centre on 53 minutes only to send the
ball past his own goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha. Lazio were reeling two minutes later when left-back Mario Rui scored with a long-range effort which took a lucky deflection off Piotr Zielinski, with the Polish midfielder setting up Dries Mertens, back after an ankle injury, for the fourth and his 15th goal in Serie A this season after 72 minutes. Earlier, Patrick Cutrone hit a double with Lucas Biglia and Fabio Borini also scoring as AC Milan crushed SPAL 4-0 to boost their European ambitions. Striker Cutrone took centre stage with Nikola Kalinic injured and Davide Calabria suspended, opening the scoring after two
minutes in Ferrara off a rebound and doubling the lead from close range on 65 minutes. Argentine Biglia got his first Milan goal on 73 minutes with Borini coming off the bench to score as Milan recorded a fourth win in their last five Serie A games. Gattuso’s side move up to seventh. The result also improved Milan’s slim Champions League hopes, with city rivals Inter Milan seven points ahead in the fourth and final qualification spot. SPAL had their chances with Federico Viviani missing two first-half efforts and Mirco Antenucci also threatening.
Russian figure skater spins world record La Liga: Real Madrid thump Real Sociedad 5-2
Evgenia Medvedeva performs in the ladies single figure skating short program.
Johannesburg, FEB 11(IANS): The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday fined the South African cricket team for maintaining a slow over-rate in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) against India here on Saturday. ICC Match Referee Andy Pycroft imposed the fine after Aiden Markram’s side was ruled to be one over short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.5.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel, which relates to minor over-rate offences, players are fined 10 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount. As such, Markram has been fined 20 per cent of his match fee. If South Africa commit another minor over-rate breach in an ODI within 12 months of this offence with Markram as captain, it will be deemed a second offence by Markram and he will face a suspension. K Y M C
hold the second place after the short dance and continue in the race for medals. The team event will end on February 12. According to the decision of the International Olympic Committee, Russian athletes compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics as ‘Olympic Athletes from Russia’ under the Olympic flag.
Barty leads Aus to Fed Cup victory
close range. They could not keep up the same intensity after the restart, however. Instead, Juanmi headed against the post for the Basque side, who pulled one back on 74 minutes as substitute Jon Bautista was given space to slot past Keylor Navas. Ronaldo then completed his hat-trick, pouncing to finish after Geronimo Rulli had spilled a shot from Bale, on as a substitute. It was Ronaldo’s 11th league goal of the season, Karim Benzema has a shot at goal during Madrid’s with seven coming in the blistering start to the first-half against Sociedad in La Liga last four games. on Saturday. up Ronaldo to make it 2-0 before the half-hour mark, and Kroos made it three with a trademark curling strike on his right foot from the edge of the area. Ronaldo then headed home a Luka Modric corner on 37 minutes, and it could have been more than 4-0 at half-time, too, with Karim Benzema and Ronaldo both hitting the post from
FUNERAL SERVICE Funeral service of late Dr. Renponthung Kikon will be held on 12 th February 2018 at 11 a.m. at his residence, H/No. 214, Viola Colony, Dimapur.
In Gratitude
2nd DEATH ANNIVERSARY of
LATE RAZOUNEILIE NGUKHA Australia’s team members celebrate after beating Ukraine.
CANBERRA, Feb 11 (Agencies): Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua put Australia into the Fed Cup World Group play-offs with victory in the deciding doubles rubber over Ukraine in Canberra on Sunday. Barty and Dellacqua eased past twin sisters Nadiia and Lyudmyla Kichenok 6-3, 6-4 after Nadiia had levelled the tie with a singles win over Daria Gavrilova. Australia will now move into the World Group
play-offs in April, putting them one win away from the Fed Cup’s top-eight nations for the first time since 2015, while Ukraine will face a World Group II play-off. Barty was Australia’s leading light with her third victory of the weekend after beating both Lyudmyla Kichenok and Marta Kostyuk in her singles matches. Australia’s number one singles player Barty had defeated Kostyuk 6-2, 6-3 to put her country on
the cusp of qualification only for Gavrilova to lose the fourth singles rubber. World No. 26 Gavrilova completed a dismal weekend when she went down for the second time despite winning the opening set against unranked Nadiia Kichenok 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Few had given the depleted Ukrainian team a chance when they arrived without world number three Elina Svitolina and their next five top-ranked singles players.
We the bereaved family members of Lt. Temsusashi (Mopungchuket), would like to convey our profound gratitude to all those who stood by us through prayers, showered us with countless love and supported us physically and materially at the sad and sudden demise of our beloved on 5th February, 2018. We extend our special gratitude to: IGP (INT.), Kohima Nagaland, Officer In-Charge Mokokchung and all the rank and files of INT. Dr. Imtiwapang Aier, Speaker Nagaland Legislative Assembly, friends, relatives and well wishers. We regret our inability to thank each and everyone individually, but your good deeds and presence will always be cherished in our hearts. “As you left us bereaved with physical loss, we mourn for those days you shared with us in cheerfulness. You are loved beyond words and missed beyond measures.” DC-324
Loving wife, parents and all the relatives
K-423
SA fined for slow over-rate
kyo (80.85 points). Medvedeva also holds the world records in the free programme (160.46) and the sum of two programmes (241.31), reports Tass news agency. Carolina Kostner from Italy is second (75.1 points) and Kaetlyn Osmond from Canada is third with 71.38 points. The result showed by Medvedeva made it possible for the Russia team to
lapses that allowed the visitors to pull two goals back late on will be a concern for Zidane, but Ronaldo’s return to form is a huge boost. Madrid are still a huge 16 points behind unbeaten league leaders Barcelona, but they are now back up to third above Valencia, who play Levante on Sunday. With the visit of PSG in mind, Zidane rested both Gareth Bale and Casemiro to hand starts to Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez. The latter has played more games for Madrid under Zidane than anyone else and he opened the scoring after just 49 seconds, heading home a Ronaldo cross. Without their leading scorer Willian Jose due to injury, and with a dreadful past record at the Bernabeu, the visitors quickly crumbled. Asensio and Marcelo combined superbly to set
DP-1363
PyeongChang, Feb 11 (IANS): Russian woman figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva set a world record by earning 81.06 points and in the process bagged the first medal for her side in the team short dance event at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. She bested her previous record set at the 2017 team championship in To-
M A D R ID, F e b 1 1 (Agencies): Cristiano Ronaldo bagged a hat-trick as Real Madrid warmed up for their Champions League showdown with Paris Saint-Germain with a big 5-2 victory over Real Sociedad in La Liga on Saturday. Zinedine Zidane’s men have not scaled their usual heights this season and this was still not perfect, but they do look to be finding some form just in time for a potentially season-defining tie with the French side on Wednesday. They blew Real Sociedad apart in the first half at the Santiago Bernabeu, taking the lead inside a minute through Lucas Vazquez and finding themselves four goals ahead by the interval. Toni Kroos got Real’s other goal, as they made it three wins and a draw from their last four La Liga games, with 18 goals scored in that time. The defensive
Died on 12.02.2016
Two years have passed since you have left us for your heavenly abode but not a single day has gone without remembering you. Your good deeds and sweet memories will always remain in our hearts. Loving wife, children and family members
K Y M C