The Fiji Times

Man City stuns Chelsea to go level at top

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LONDON - Bunny Shaw scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City pulled off a sensationa­l 1-0 win at Chelsea to go level on points with their hosts at the top of the Women’s Super League on Friday, with the Londoners still top on goals scored.

The defeat brought to an end an unbeaten run of 33 WSL games at home for Chelsea, who had not lost in the league at Kingsmeado­w for more than two years.

A rare error in midfield by Chelsea’s Erin Cuthbert saw her lose the ball to Jessica

Park, and she slipped it through for Bunny Shaw to advance and break the deadlock in the 14th minute with her 43rd WSL goal in 52 appearance­s.

Fran Kirby flashed a shot just wide in the 34th minute after a scything run by Lauren James spilt the City defence open, and Cuthbert sent a stinging drive just over the bar just before halftime as Chelsea tried to claw their way back into the game.

City chose to try to defend their lead and Cuthbert almost made amends for her error in the 77th minute, but her shot from Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s pass whistled past the far post and wide.

Chelsea went even closer in second-half stoppage time as Khiara Keating made a brilliant double save to deny them, and the visitors held firm for a win that leaves both sides on 34 points at the top of the table.

Third-place Arsenal, who are on 28 points, take on fourth-placed Manchester United at a sold-out Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Jamieson ruled out

FAST bowler Kyle Jamieson has been ruled out for the rest of the season after scans revealed a stress fracture in his back, New Zealand Cricket announced on Saturday. The 29-year-old is not expected to play again until next summer, meaning he will miss New Zealand’s two-test series against Australia when it starts later this month.

Rybakina in Qatar final

THIRD seed Elena Rybakina is into the final of the Qatar Open after a 6-2 6-4 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchen­kova in Friday’s semi-final and will now meet world number one Iga Swiatek in the decider. Defending champion Swiatek will be well rested as she bids to win the tournament for a third consecutiv­e year, after she received a walkover in her semi-final when Karolina Pliskova withdrew because of a lower back injury.

Family emergency

INDIA all-rounder Ravichandr­an Ashwin has withdrawn from the ongoing third test against England due to a family emergency, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said on Friday. The test in Rajkot, third in a series of five, concluded its second day of play on Friday.

Xavi: No more slips-ups

BARCELONA have little room for error if they are to defend their LaLiga title, manager Xavi Hernandez said on Friday ahead of his side’s trip to Celta Vigo. Barca’s hopes to overtake bitter rivals Real Madrid and this campaign’s surprise package Girona in the title race suffered another blow last weekend after a 3-3 home draw against relegation­threatened Granada.

Runner Katir banned

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