WELBECK DOUBLE GIVES ARSENAL WIN
Pep wants brave City for Liverpool
DANNY Welbeck inspired Arsenal to a sixth straight victory with two goals and an assist in a hot-tempered 3-2 home win over Southampton, to leave the Saints still rooted in the relegation zone.
The England forward had not scored a single league goal since September last year, but proved the catalyst for a much-changed Arsenal side ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second leg at CSKA Moscow on Thursday.
Saints remain three points adrift of safety despite taking the lead early on through Shane Long goal and then levelling at 2-2 when Charlie Austin scored just seconds after coming on as a substitute.
But Welbeck had the last word by heading in the winner moments after he had missed a much easier chance.
And Southampton’s survival hopes suffered another blow when defender Jack Stephens was sent-off for an off the ball clash with Jack Wilshere in stoppage time, with Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny also shown a red card for shoving Cedric Soares in the face.
Sixth-placed Arsenal remain well off the pace in the race for a top-four finish.
Despite Arsenal’s recent revival, the Emirates was again far from full as fans voted with their feet against Arsene Wenger’s refusal to end his 22-year stay in charge as manager.
Wenger made seven changes from the side that beat CSKA 4-1 in their quarterfinal first leg last Thursday with securing a return to the Champions League by winning the Europa League now Arsenal’s priority for the rest of the season.
And Southampton took full advantage of a sloppy start from the hosts in the 17th minute.
Cedric Soares cross from the right did not look particularly dangerous, but goalkeeper Petr Cech and defender Shkodran Mustafi left it to each other and Long nipped in to poke home.
Arsenal responded well, though, and Aubameyang brought them level with his sixth goal in eight appearances for the Gunners as he flicked home Welbeck’s pass.
Welbeck put Arsenal ahead seven minutes before the break when he accepted a pass from Alex Iwobi on the left and shrugged off challengers before unleashing a shot that was helped past McCarthy by a deflection off Maya Yoshida.
The second half began with McCarthy making impressive saves from Aubameyang, Granit Xhaka and Iwobi to underline why he is keeping England international, Fraser Forster, out of the Southampton team.
At the other end Elneny had to head off the line to keep out Wesley Hoedt’s header and Cech dived to save another Long effort.
Long had the ball in the net from Saints’ next attack, deflecting in a long-range effort from Cedric but the forward was marginally offside, even if he didn’t think so.
An equaliser was coming, though, and was netted by substitute Austin the 73rd minute after Cedric had burst into the box to square the ball for a tap in.
Welbeck missed a great chance to put Arsenal back ahead when he fired over from three yards out after Wilshere had hooked the ball across goal.
But the England international made no mistake nine minutes from time when he headed Iwobi’s delivery to the back post beyond McCarthy.
Meanwhile, Chelsea drew 1-1 with West Ham United at Stamford Bridge yesterday. MANCHESTER City have to shrug off the body blow of letting a two-goal lead and the chance to win the Premier League title against bitter rivals Manchester United slip to raise themselves for a Champions League rescue mission against Liverpool tomorrow.
Victory against United would have seen City crowned champions of England for the fifth time, and they looked well on course to do so in the sweetest style in Saturday’s Manchester derby as captain Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan propelled them into a richly deserved two-goal halftime lead.
However, City’s chances of landing a first ever Champions League crown were likely dealt a fatal blow when they conceded three times in 19 minutes first-half minutes to a rampant Liverpool at Anfield in the first leg last week.
And they were even more porous as United fought back to turn the game around in a 16-minute spell just after halftime as a Paul Pogba double and Chris Smalling’s winner handed United a famous win.
“Congratulations to United. Now we will try, if we are brave enough, to stand up again and focus on Tuesday,” said City manager Pep Guardiola.
With City still boasting a 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League despite their first home league defeat of the season, Guardiola showed his priorities lay with the Champions League before kick-off.
Kevin De Bruyne, City’s leading candidate for player of the year awards, was left on the bench alongside strikers Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero.
However, even their firepower will count for nothing if City defend as they have in losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
And Guardiola admitted the way his side are built to play on the front foot could leave them exposed to an away goal that will almost certainly seal Liverpool’s place in the last four.
“Today United didn’t shoot one time in the first half. Second half they arrive twice and score two goals.
“It is tough sometimes mentally. We are a young team and a team to create sometimes, not to defend.”
In a recurring theme of his near twoyear reign in charge of City, Guardiola also lamented his side’s inability to take their chances at the other end as Raheem Sterling missed two glorious opportunities to extend City’s lead with the score at 2-0.
However, inspired by Barcelona’s remarkable comeback from a 4-0 first-leg deficit to Paris Saint-Gemrain, Guardiola — a Champions League winner as both a player and a coach at Barcelona — insisted that a remarkable comeback is possible if City are clinical on the night.
“In football anything can happen. It is the first time we lose two games in a row, first time in the season it has happened and now we have to recover, try again, come back to basics and win games,” added Guardiola.
“I tell them we are going to try guys. I was a football player, I know how they feel and how uncomfortable a situation it is. Like all the season I like to be with them and nothing else.” — AFP