Crude at $45 may cut deficit

TUESDAY | DECEMBER 13, 2016 | RABEE AL AWWAL 13, 1438 AH
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WENGER LOOKS TO GUNNERS
TO KEEP PRESSURE ON CHELSEA
CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE
Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in action
with Stoke City’s Charlie Adam. — Reuters
LONDON: Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal
are in the ‘fight’ for their first Premier League
title since 2004 and insists the Gunners will
maintain the pressure on leaders Chelsea in
Tuesday’s trip to out of sorts Everton.
Arsenal have not lost in the Premier
League since the opening day of the season,
and had a short stay at the top at the weekend
before Chelsea eked out a 1-0 win over West
Brom to maintain their three point lead.
With a visit to bottom side Sunderland
on Wednesday they should retain top spot
ahead of next weekend’s games.
Wenger, though, is pleased with the way
his side have progressed from last season
when they finished a distant second to
Leicester having never posed a significant
challenge. “At the minute there is no
difference anyway with the other teams,”
said Wenger. “But we are in there. So that’s
good — we are in the fight.
“We were not too bad last year but I
believe we have improved. I believe that we
have created confidence.”
Wenger will be without the impressive
German international Skohdran Mustafi,
who went off in the 3-1 win over Stoke with
a hamstring injury, which will be music to
the ears of Belgian international Romelu
Lukaku. He returned to form with a brace
TOKYO: Real Madrid are battling
the effects of jet-lag but are fully
focused on their Club World Cup
semifinal against Mexican team Club
America, coach Zinedine Zidane
said on Monday.
Concacaf Champions League
holders America stand in the way of
Real reaching Sunday’s final against
Atletico Nacional or Kashima
Antlers after they beat South Korean
side Jeonbuk Motors.
“The most important game is our
next game, the only thing in my head
at the moment is Thursday’s game.
We will give everything to win,”
Zidane told reporters.
“I watched three games, against
the Koreans, a cup game and a derby
match. I didn’t know anything about
them before and now we have to
Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud prepares to come
on as a substitute as manager Arsene
Wenger looks on during the match against
Stoke City. — Reuters
in the 3-2 defeat to Watford but Ronald
Koeman’s honeymoon with the Everton fans
is well and truly over after a run of just one
win in 10 games.
Chelsea’s trip to Sunderland shouldn’t
pose too many problems — even with
rumours swirling they may be punished
with a points deduction over the players role
in the angry climax to the Manchester City
match earlier this month — despite the Black
Cats having won three of their previous five
matches.
really look at them and how they
play.”
Real, bidding to win the Club
World Cup for the second time
in three years, beat Deportivo La
Coruna 3-2 on Saturday thanks to
a stoppage-time winner by captain
Sergio Ramos, setting a club record
35 games unbeaten and keeping
them six points clear at the top of La
Liga.
“The secret to our success is
simply hard work. When you add
hard work to talent you get a very
interesting mix,” Zidane said.
Real won the 2014 tournament
in Morocco but have to deal with
another obstacle this time before
Thursday’s game against the Mexican
side — coping with jet-lag following
a 13-hour flight to Japan from the
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has
proved the doubters wrong in sending out a
far more fluent and happier side than the one
that led to Jose Mourinho being sacked last
season. Diego Costa, who scored his 12th
goal of the season on Sunday, is one of those
who have been transformed and Conte is
expecting the 28-year-old to get even better.
“I’m happy for him because he is showing
great passion. In every game he is showing
great commitment and work rate to help the
team,” said Conte.
The two London clubs gained some
breathing space at the weekend as the chasing
pack all dropped points — Manchester City
and Spurs both losing and Liverpool held
2-2 at home by struggling West Ham.
Spurs — who host struggling Hull on
Wednesday — could at least point to a
narrow 1-0 defeat by Manchester United
whereas Pep Guardiola’s problems appear
to be mounting with City’s 4-2 humbling by
Leicester.
FIXTURES (2000 GMT UNLESS STATED):
On Tuesday: Everton v Arsenal (1945), Bournemouth v
Leicester (1945)
On Wednesday: Crystal Palace v Manchester United,
Manchester City v Watford, Middlesbrough v Liverpool
(1945), Sunderland v Chelsea (1945), Tottenham Hotspur
v Hull, Stoke v Southampton, West Bromwich Albion v
Swansea, West Ham v Burnley (1945)
Wenger won’t
let Oxlade-
Chamberlain
leave Arsenal
LONDON: Arsene Wenger says
he is determined to keep Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain amid
speculation the England winger
could be set to leave Arsenal.
The Gunners are reported not
to have opened discussions over
a new contract with Oxlade-
Chamberlain, who has 18 months
to run on his current deal.
The north London club are
locked in negotiations to extend
contracts for stars Alexis Sanchez
and Mesut Ozil, who have similar
terms remaining on their existing
deals.
Oxlade-Chamberlain joined
Arsenal from Southampton in
2011 and has won 24 England
caps, but he has struggled to
hold down a regular place in the
starting line-up.
But Arsenal boss Wenger
insists that isn’t a snub of Oxlade-
Chamberlain because he is still
part of his long-term plans.
“I want Oxlade-Chamberlain
to stay at the club. I bought him
at a very young age, I think he’s
developing well,” Wenger said.
“This season he’s making steps,
moving forward. When you’ve
invested so much time and work
in a player, and the player loves
it here and is integrated in the
qualities we want him to have,
overall, I want him to stay.” — AFP
Jet-lagged Real ready for Club World challenge
Spanish capital.
“We have experts who have given
us special procedures to follow and
we have done that, but I, for example,
feel dead,” said Zidane.
“I couldn’t sleep but we are
delighted to be at the tournament
and we’ll be well prepared,” added
defender Marcelo.
Injured winger Gareth Bale
was the only absentee for Real as
while talisman Cristiano Ronaldo is
expected to be announced as world
player of the year on Monday after
leading Real to the Champions
League and captaining Portugal to
the Euro 2016 title.
“I don’t think he’ll be able to sleep.
He deserves it and I’m certain he’ll
win it but it will prevent him from
resting,” Marcelo said. — Reuters
Netherlands’ former striker Ruud Gullit shows the name of
Borussia Dortmund during the draw for the Round of 16 of
the Uefa Champions League tournament at the Uefa
headquarters in Nyon. — AFP
Arsenal get Bayern
again in last 16
NYON, Switzerland: Arsenal were once again drawn
against Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Uefa Champions
League on Monday, while Barcelona will also come up
against familiar foes in the shape of Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsene Wenger’s side had hoped winning their group
for the first time in five years would spare them a tie against
one of the continent’s giants in the first knockout round, but
instead they must face Carlo Ancelotti’s German champions,
who came second in their section.
Bayern eliminated Arsenal en route to winning the
trophy in 2012/13 and repeated the feat a year later, while
the teams also met in the group stage last season.
PSG came second to Arsenal in Group A, leaving them
vulnerable to a tough draw and five-time winners Barcelona
have eliminated the French club in the quarterfinals in two
of the past four seasons.
Reigning European champions Real Madrid will face
Napoli, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City face a testing
two-legged encounter against Monaco.
Premier League champions Leicester City will take on
last season’s Europa League winners Sevilla, with Atletico
Madrid drawn against Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus drawing
FC Porto and Borussia Dortmund meeting Benfica.
The first legs will be played on February 14, 15, 21 and 22
with the second legs on March 7, 8, 14 and 15. — AFP
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW
Manchester City (ENG) v Monaco (FRA)
Real Madrid (ESP) v Napoli (ITA)
Benfica (POR) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Bayern Munich (GER) v Arsenal (ENG)
FC Porto (POR) v Juventus (ITA)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Barcelona (ESP)
Sevilla (ESP) v Leicester City (ENG)
Pogbas to clash
as Man Utd draw
Saint-Etienne
NYON, Switzerland: Manchester United will take on
Saint-Etienne in the last 32 of the Europa League, with Jose
Mourinho’s side hosting the French club in the first leg, after
Monday’s draw.
The tie will see United and France midfielder Paul Pogba,
the world’s most expensive player, come up against his elder
brother Florentin, the Guinea international defender.
The teams met in the now defunct Cup Winners’ Cup
first round in 1977, with United winning 3-1 on aggregate.
On that occasion, United were forced to host the second
leg in the southern English city of Plymouth, 450 kilometres
away, following crowd trouble in the first leg in France.
Mourinho’s men finished second in Group A behind
Fenerbahce while Saint-Etienne topped Group C.
The other Premier League representative, Tottenham
Hotspur, will face Gent of Belgium after being eliminated
from the Champions League.
Villarreal of Spain will face Italian giants Roma in
one of the standout ties, while Bundesliga club Borussia
Moenchengladbach were drawn against Fiorentina of Italy.
The first legs will be played on Thursday, February 16,
with the return matches a week later. — AFP
EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 32 DRAW
Athletic Bilbao (ESP) v APOEL (CYP), Legia Warsaw (POL) v Ajax (NED), Anderlecht
(BEL) v Zenit (RUS), Astra (ROU) v Genk (BEL), Manchester United (ENG) v Saint-
Etienne (FRA), Villarreal (ESP) v Roma (ITA), Ludogorets (BUL) v FC Copenhagen
(DEN), Celta Vigo (ESP) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Olympiakos (GRE) v
Osmanlispor (TUR), Gent (BEL) v Tottenham Hotspur (ENG), Rostov (RUS) v Sparta
Prague (CZE), Krasnodar (RUS) v Fenerbahce (TUR), Borussia Moenchengladbach
(GER) v Fiorentina (ITA), AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Lyon (FRA), Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
v Besiktas (TUR), PAOK (GRE) v Schalke 04 (GER)