SPORTS SPORTS FRIDAY | APR 5, 2024 29 Enclosed is my payment of RM payable to SUN MEDIA CORPORATION SDN BHD. Please WhatsApp your bank-in slip to 0182929936 or email to [email protected] *Not inclusive of vendor service charge Stay informed with the latest news and trends All the best articles from Monday to Friday 32 pages full colour 6 month subscription (128 issues) for only RM110* (Normal price RM128) 1 year subscription (258 issues) for only RM200* (Normal price RM258) PERSONAL PARTICULARS Name: NRIC: Race: Malay Chinese Indian Others Profession: Commencement date: Delivery Address: Residence Ofice Postcode: State: Tel: Mobile No: E-mail: DETAILS OF CURRENT NEWS VENDOR (IF ANY) Vendor name: Contact no: For your convenience, you may call or send in your subscription particulars via any of the following: Tel: KL/PJ 03-7781 4000, 03-7784 6688 (9.30am - 5pm, Monday to Friday) Fax: 03-7781 4484 Post: P.O. Box 179, Jalan Sultan, 46720 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan Attn: Subscription Email: [email protected] *Terms & Conditions apply Important note: SMCSB reserves the right to revise the price at any time without prior notice. Pay to Maybank ( Account number 508177700420 ) Account name ( SUN MEDIA CORPORATION SDN BHD ) Nov 8 to Nov 10 Malaysian Paper www.thesun.my RM1 WEDNESDAY NOV 8, 2023 No. 8389 PP 2644/12/2012 (031195) SCAN ME Casino chip heist: Five more identified Police have detained a total of 10 suspects, including a Chinese national, in connection with the RM4.6m theft at Genting Highlands on Oct 28. Congratulations! You are holding the first edition A new sunrise of our new 32-page paper featuring more of the great content you have loved for the past 30 years. Copies will be free until Friday and will be available via subscription and at newsstands beginning Monday for only RM1. Muruku Buntong entrepreneur’s Deepavali snack, made from a still a national favourite 60-year-old recipe, is constantly in high demand. Chicken price float benefits consumers A week after subsidies ended, market prices are competitive and lower than subsidised prices, says expert. Full report —on page 3 Full report —on page 6 Full report —on page 4 Citing protection of country’s interests in terms of diplomatic, economic relations and security as reasons for joining meeting, Anwar says he remains steadfast in defending justice and rights of Palestinians. I will show up at Apec Story on page 2 Full story -on page 2 SCAN TO SUBSCRIBE Subscribe now for Monday-Friday copies of theSun newspaper only per copy FLORIAN WIRTZ scored goals in each half as Bayer Leverkusen thrashed Fortuna Duesseldorf 4-0 at home yesterday to reach the German Cup final for the fifth time. Leverkusen have gained a reputation for stealing last-gasp wins this season but were in total control from start to finish against their second-division opponents. Jeremie Frimpong opened the scoring seven minutes in, with Amine Adli adding another on the 20-minute mark. With five goals, Adli is the top scorer in the cup this season. Wirtz added a third 10 minutes before halftime and doubled up from the spot on the hour mark to seal a comfortable victory for Xabi Alonso’s side. The win, which extended Leverkusen’s remarkable unbeaten record to 40 matches this season, keeps the dreams of a treble alive for a team with just two major trophies in club history. Midfielder Granit Xhaka said his side were “doing everything we can to make the fans’ dreams come true after so many years.” “A final is always special,” Alonso said, explaining “we will be ready but we need to enjoy this moment.” They won the German Cup in 1993 but have finished runners-up three times since. Having never won the Bundesliga, Leverkusen are currently 13 points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich with seven games to play. “It’s a very good result and we managed to qualify for the final. It’s fun to celebrate with the fans and to see the enjoyment when you look in their faces,” said Wirtz. “We’re happy we could make them happy today.” Wirtz, the major target of transfer speculation at the club now that Alonso has pledged to stay with Leverkusen next year, told ZDF: “I’m not going to talk about those topics tonight – we’re going to celebrate.” Standing next to the German Cup, Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah said: “We’re glad that we’ve got a chance to grab that beautiful thing there in the final.” Asked if he wanted to touch it, Tah declined, saying “we’re waiting”. – AFP KYLIAN MBAPPE’S strike propelled Paris St Germain into the French Cup final with a comfortable 1-0 win over Stade Rennais yesterday, taking them one step closer to a 15th trophy. A dominant PSG looked set to take the lead early in the game but goalkeeper Steve Mandanda thwarted their attempts and saved a penalty from Mbappe in the 37th minute. However, the 25-yearold striker opened the scoring three minutes later, latching on to a pass from Fabian Ruiz for his eighth goal of the tournament as the Parc des Princes erupted. PSG will face O l y m p i q u e Lyonnais in the cup final on May 25 after they beat 3-0 Valenciennes FC on Tuesday. Rennes were desperate for an equaliser in the second half to force a penalty shootout but a M a r t i n Terrier effort was the best they could muster, while Mandanda denied PSG a further advantage. “It was a difficult first half but we completely dominated the game. Rennes were very good. We had a lot of pace in the first half and in the second half we had the chance to make it two but Mandanda was impressive,” PSG boss Luis Enrique said. “Cups in any country are particularly important and this has been one of our objectives since the start of the season.” PSG, who are top of the Ligue 1 standings, face Clermont Foot on Sunday and host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday. “Before we think about the Champions League, we have to think about Clermont. It’s important for the team to perform at a high level in all competitions,” Luis Enrique added. “Playing against my former team (Barca) will be nice but I want us to be competitive and play a great game.” – Reuters Fiorentina edge Atalanta in first leg FIORENTINA edged a step closer to another Italian Cup final with a 1-0 home win over Atalanta in the first leg of their semifinal yesterday, courtesy of a first half strike by midfielder Rolando Mandragora. Fiorentina, who lost last year’s final to Inter Milan 2-1, are looking to lift the club’s first trophy since they won the cup in 2001. Fiorentina, who have reached the competition’s semifinals in three consecutive seasons for the first time. “The final is not one step away, even if we had scored another goal it would have been tough anyway,” Italiano told Mediaset. “Atalanta at home close you in your own half… We know that we will have to play an amazing match there.” Juventus earned a 2-0 advantage over Lazio in the first semifinal on Tuesday. The return legs will be played on April 23 and 24 before Rome’s Stadio Olimpico hosts the final on May 15. – Reuters Wirtz hits double … as Leverkusen down Duesseldorf to reach final Mbappe strikes to book date with Lyon Mbappe
SPORTS SPORTS FRIDAY | APR 5, 2024 30 LIVERPOOL captain Virgil van Dijk admits he is “dreading” Jurgen Klopp’s departure, but believes potential replacement Ruben Amorim could enjoy similar levels of success. The Portuguese coach has emerged as the frontrunner for the Liverpool job, with Roberto De Zerbi also mooted as a potential candidate. Speaking to ITV News, Van Dijk – who replaced Jordan Henderson as Liverpool skipper this season – said Klopp has taken Liverpool “back where they belong” at the top of English football. On the 56-year-old’s influence, he claimed: “Well, it’s pretty clear that he’s been a monumental figure for the club for so many years, the successes that we had, the impact he had on the community, the clubs around the world. “If you think about Liverpool you think about Klopp… he’s brought the club back to where it belongs.” But Van Dijk doesn’t believe Liverpool are set for a drop-off when Klopp leaves, with the Dutchman hinting Amorim – or whoever takes over – can still deliver silverware. On the Reds’ chances post-Klopp, Van Dijk said: “I think it’s also a very good place still to have success in the future – yeah, he deserves all the applause that he will get and still get.” But, as far as the centreback is concerned, the prospect of future success won’t take away from the emotion surrounding Klopp’s departure. The 32-year-old confessed he’s not looking forward to the day Klopp leaves for good, because he’s already an “emotional person”. He continued: “I’m a very emotional person and I don’t like to say goodbyes. Being the captain now, it’s going to be horrible in the sense you probably have to speak a little bit. “And like I say that day I’ll be dreading. It makes it a lot easier if we have success. So that’s the aim at the moment. “But it’s difficult and it’s not only the boss who is leaving, it’s going to be a lot of changes and more staff leaving, but it will be a tough day, but until the day that we’ll fight and be positive and put all our focus into that to be positive, and put all of our focus and effort in that and make the season successful.” – Express Newspapers /theSunMedia FOLLOW ON YOUTUBE Malaysian Paper Gunners’ fringe benefits Arteta applauds Arsenal after rotation pays off against Luton MIKEL ARTETA hailed Arsenal’s fringe players for taking their chances in the 2-0 Premier League victory over Luton. Captain Martin Odegaard opened the scoring before Daiki Hashioka turned the ball into his own net as Arsenal returned to the top of the table, holding a one-point advantage over Liverpool and Manchester City. Arsenal had just three days to prepare for yesterday’s game after Sunday’s goalless draw at title rivals City. Arteta made five changes for the visit of the Hatters, including the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson while resting Declan Rice among others, and was pleased with what he saw in their first of eight scheduled fixtures in April. “They responded really well and I’m so happy with that. It was a wonderful game,” Arteta said. “When they get their moment, they have to take it and they certainly did today. They give me every reason (to pick them) every day. “If we had lost the game it would’ve been because we made the changes and it’s not as simple as that. You have to do what is right, what they deserve and it’s good confidence.” With Bukayo Saka injured, Smith Rowe impressed after he was recalled to the XI. Arteta said: “I love him as a player (Smith Rowe). It’s a joy to watch him with the way he moves and how physical he is as well. He helped us a lot to win the game also today.” Odegaard was the difference between the sides on the night. The Norwegian combined with Kai Havertz after 24 minutes before rifling an effort into Thomas Kaminski’s bottom left corner. Arteta talked up the skipper’s influence in helping his side try and claim their first league title since the 2003-04 season. “His presence, the way he behaves himself in front of the group and the standards that he sets are outstanding. He’s got a lot of players to support him and a lot to follow him,” the Spaniard said. “He’s a really important player and we needed that balance and the chemistry certain players have and how they train, build relationships, Martin is vital to connect. The standard which he sets is outstanding.” Luton manager Rob Edwards still believes his side can get out of trouble, with the Hatters 18th and three points behind fourth-bottom Nottingham Forest. “I believe we can do this, with every fibre of my being I believe in this group,” Edwards said. “We are competing in this League, we have had a lot of injuries and it has knocked our rhythm. We’re in the games we’re playing. We weren’t out of it. “Parts of it were exceptional. After we went 1-0 down we saw a bit more of us, we were a bit braver and committed to be the team we wanted to be. “I saw so many good things out there today. I thought the second half was an excellent performance by us. To stay in the game and still be in the game late on was really pleasing. – The Independent /Agencies Reds skipper Van Dijk ‘dreading Klopp exit’ ROBERTO DE ZERBI admitted Brighton dropped two points in the race for Europe after they were held to a goalless draw at Brentford. The Seagulls failed to take advantage of their nearest rivals West Ham, Newcastle and Wolves all dropping points a day earlier after a drab encounter in west London. “We have to make a difference between the performance and the result. I’m really pleased for the performance but we are disappointed for the result,” said Seagulls boss De Zerbi. “We shot 24 times, we had six shots on target but we didn’t score and we are disappointed because in our head we lost two points.” The main talking point came in first-half stoppage time when referee Andrew Madley was sent to take a look at the pitchside monitor by the VAR for a potential penalty for a foul by Yoane Wissa on Lewis Dunk. That turn of events almost always ends with a spot-kick being awarded but, in something of a collector’s item, the on-field official stuck to his guns and ruled in favour of the Bees forward, much to Brighton skipper Dunk’s frustration. “Fantastic decision,” smiled Bees boss Thomas Frank. De Zerbi added: “I think the referee was correct, maybe the decision was correct. My assistant told me that at the beginning it was Dunk who made the foul. “I’ve never seen the referee watch the screen and change the decision of the VAR. I learnt something new today.” Ivan Toney saw his goal drought stretch to seven matches for Brentford. The England striker turned inside Jan Paul van Hecke 12 yards out in the first half but lost his footing slightly and Bart Verbruggen saved his scuffed shot. After the break Toney took aim from 25 yards with a free-kick but it sailed over the crossbar. Substitute Danny Welbeck had two chances to win it for Brighton in stoppage time but he headed a corner wide and then fizzed a low drive the wrong side of the far post. It was the first time since November that the Bees had picked up points in back-to-back games, following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United. “An unbeaten run, finally!” said Frank. “Yeah, I think it was a good point, a well deserved point, a point that we have missed a lot of times this season. “If you can’t win, don’t lose, and we got a clean sheet on top of it. That’s going in the right direction so I’m really pleased with that.” – The Independent De Zerbi rues dropped points against Bees █ BY REUBEN ROSSO-POWELL █ BY ANDY SIMS SIDENETTING Bad Kompany charged with misconduct BURNLEY manager Vincent Kompany has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association following his side’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last weekend. Protests were sparked after referee Darren England awarded a penalty to Chelsea in the 40th minute for Lorenz Assignon’s foul on Mykhailo Mudryk. The Burnley defender was also shown a second yellow card, leaving the struggling Clarets to play the second half with 10 men. Kompany was sent off for arguing on the touchline and after the March 30 game the former Manchester City star lamented the standard of officiating throughout the season. “I’ll keep saying what I think,” Kompany said. “I’m not shying away from it and I’ve said it to the referees themselves, the officials, refereeing hasn’t been good enough this season.” England’s governing FA said yesterday the Burnley boss had been charged with improper conduct. “It is alleged that the manager’s language and/or behaviour around the 40th minute was improper and/or abusive and/or insulting towards a match official and/or questioned their integrity,” the FA said. Kompany has until 1am tomorrow to respond to the charge. Jurgen dismisses ‘favourites’ tag LIVERPOOL manager Jurgen Klopp is unconcerned his side have been installed as favourites to win the Premier League title. “I am pretty sure when we lost at Arsenal (on Feb 4) we were not favourites after that – maybe rightly so – but I don’t know and I don’t care,” said the German, ahead the Reds overnight match against basement club Sheffield United. “One of the most important things to get through this period is to ignore the outside ‘mess’ as it goes up and down and is emotional. “We have to be professional – be emotional but in the right way – and be the best version of ourselves, play the best football we can play and then let’s see what the outcome is. “I told you one story, years ago, I watched a game and wanted Leicester to win (against Manchester City in 2019) and it didn’t happen,” he said. “That was the last time that I did that. That’s when you learn from the past. When they play, my heart-rate doesn’t go up. We need to get our points in, win our football games.” Luton Town’s Issa Kabore (centre) and Jordan Clark (left) fight for the ball with Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard during their Premier League match. – AFPPIX
SPORTS SPORTS FRIDAY | APR 5, 2024 31 NEWCASTLE UNITED fear they might need to sell Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, 26, to satisfy Premier League financial rules. French giants Paris StGermain lead the chase, with Manchester United and Arsenal also keen. TOTTENHAM have also joined Arsenal in the race to sign Sweden striker Alexander Isak, 24, should Newcastle be forced to sell key players this summer. But Isak has reaffirmed his commitment to Newcastle amid interest from his club’s Premier League rivals. NEWCASTLE will prioritise the signing of two central defenders when the transfer window opens following the loss of Dutchman Sven Botman, 24, and Englishman Jamaal Lascelles, 30, to long-term injuries. MIDDLESBROUGH’S Senegalese goalkeeper Seny Dieng, 29, is being watched by Premier League clubs including Newcastle and Crystal Palace after an impressive season in the Championship. BOLOGNA striker Joshua Zirkzee wants to move to AC Milan despite an offer from Manchester United and interest from Arsenal and Juventus in the 22-year-old Dutchman. ARSENAL could be set to rival Liverpool and Manchester City in the battle to sign Bayern Munich’s Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich, 29, who has just one year left on his contract with the Bundesliga club. SWEDEN forward Viktor Gyokeres, 25, is high on Arsenal’s list of striker options, but Sporting Lisbon expect the player’s release clause of £85.6m (RM514m) to be triggered for him to leave. ENGLAND midfielder Kalvin Phillips, 28, will have to take a major pay cut if he wants to end his stay at Manchester City and return to Leeds United this summer. WEST HAM will not look to make Phillips’ loan spell at the club permanent. TOUCHLINES WITH the doors to the Paris Olympics 2024 shut to them, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun are now left with chasing other targets to soothe their disappointment, said national doubles coach Tan Bin Shen. He said the two pairs from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should step up and start targeting Super 500 and Super 750 titles. “The (Olympics) chances of Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin and Wei Chong-Kai Wun are gone but there is the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China beginning Tuesday (April 9). Although already out of contention for an Olympics ticket, they should hit many other targets rather than losing in the first round. “I see their desire to win as they have tried their best. But they need to tighten their game with a winning mentality. This will keep them going even after suffering defeats,” he told reporters recently. Bin Shen said they should also know how to strategise and not give up easily when trailing in a match, as ultimately fighting spirit might be the deciding factor. Both pairs have won three titles each, with Wei Chong-Kai Wun lifting the Syed Modi Indian International Championship 2022 (Super 300) and Taiwan Open in 2022 and 2023 (Super 300), and Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin, the US Open 2023 (Super 300), Kaohsiung Masters 2023 (Super 100) and Abu Dhabi Masters 2023 (Super 100). Tokyo Olympics 2020 bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik are the only Malaysian pair to have unofficially booked their Olympics ticket as they are lying fifth in the Road to Paris rankings. Only the top eight pairs are assured of qualification and the qualifying period ends on April 28. – Bernama Many more targets for national doubles pair Poison-pen letter remedy KBS confident FAM integrity panel can handle the issue THE Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) is confident that the Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) will deal with the issue of the poison-pen letter involving the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), provided there is solid evidence. Its Minister, Hannah Yeoh, said this is because the commission is also on the FAM Integrity Committee, besides the Royal Malaysia Police. “I believe the MACC will do its best to look at all issues raised. But I want to wait first, not only regarding the poison-pen letter… If there is a report, I believe the ministry will contact the MACC to see what are the measures that need to be taken,” she said. She said this at a media conference after officiating the launch of the Youth and Sports Skills Training Institute (ILKBS)’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a Hybrid and Electric Vehicle (EV) Maintenance Course yesterday. The poison-pen letter, sent via e-mail, raised issues regarding the leadership and management of FAM and has gone viral on social media since Sunday (March 31). Yeoh, who is confident that the issue had been dealt with at the 60th FAM Annual Congress recently, hopes that FAM can handle the issue if it stems from an internal problem. “I believe FAM have provided the answer but I will wait… if it’s a poison-pen letter, then it is difficult. In all companies, poison-pen letters are a norm at workplaces but, if a report has been made, we will take action,” she said. – Bernama Asean Club Championship to be named Shopee Cup THE Asean Football Federation (AFF) yesterday announced Shopee as the title partner of the inaugural Asean Club Championship, to be named the Shopee Cup. The partnership was concluded by the AFF’s exclusive commercial partner, Sportfive, and also includes Shopee becoming a presenting partner of the AFF’s other major Asean Championships. The tournament will be played in a league format with qualifying playoffs and a group stage, featuring 14 of Asean’s leading clubs in all, competing in 40 matches. In alignment with the regional move to follow the European calendar, the Shopee Cup kicks off this year on July 17 and runs through to May 21, 2025. Zhou Jun Jie, chief commercial officer at Shopee said, “We are thrilled to partner with the Asean Football Federation as the title sponsor of the inaugural Shopee Cup. “The Shopee Cup presents an opportunity for us to connect with fans across the Southeast Asia region and engage with the youth demographic. “Through this, we look forward to introducing the Shopee brand to new audiences and staying in touch with existing shoppers, in an entertaining and fun way.” Major General Khiev Sameth, President of AFF said, “This landmark tournament will nurture the aspiration for the region’s leading clubs to become the Asean champion and to perform successfully in Asia.” Seamus O’Brien, president and chairman of the Board, Sportfive Asia said that Sportfive is looking forward to collaborate with AFF and Shopee to bring this event to the hearts and minds of consumers and fans across Asean. The Shopee Cup will feature National League Champions and designated Cup winners (or runners-up in certain instances) respectively of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam (two teams each), and Philippines and Singapore (one team each). The National League Champions of Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar will compete for two places in the Group Stage of the tournament in a qualifying playoff round. ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Arsenal 2 (Odegaard 24, Hashioka 44-og) Luton 0, Brentford 0 Brighton 0, Manchester City 4 (Rodri 11, Foden 45+1, 62, 69) Aston Villa 1 (Duran 20). P W D L F A Pts Arsenal 30 21 5 4 72 24 68 Liverpool 29 20 7 2 67 27 67 Man City 30 20 7 3 67 29 67 Aston Villa 31 18 5 8 63 46 59 Tottenham 30 17 6 7 62 44 57 Man Utd 29 15 3 11 40 40 48 West Ham 31 12 9 10 50 55 45 Newcastle 30 13 5 12 64 52 44 Brighton 30 11 10 9 51 46 43 Wolves 30 12 6 12 43 47 42 Bournemouth 30 11 8 11 44 53 41 Chelsea 28 11 7 10 49 47 40 Fulham 31 11 6 14 47 50 39 Crystal Palace 30 7 9 14 34 50 30 Brentford 31 7 7 17 42 55 28 Everton 30 8 8 14 31 42 26 Nottm Forest 31 7 8 16 39 53 25 Luton 31 5 7 19 43 64 22 Burnley 31 4 7 20 32 66 19 Sheff Utd 29 3 6 20 27 77 15 GERMAN CUP (semifinals): Bayer Leverkusen 4 Fortuna Duesseldorf 0. ITALIAN CUP (semifinals): Fiorentina 1 Atalanta 0. FRENCH CUP (semifinal): Paris Saint-Germain 1 Rennes 0. RESULTS & STANDINGS SHORTS TSG’S Ewart sizzles in the heat JESSE EWART, the import rider of Asia's best cycling team Terengganu Cycling Team (TSG), pedalled his way to victory in the 155.9km, stage four of the Tour of Thailand yesterday. Ewart took the stage win in three hours, 38 minutes and 26 seconds, with Thailand's Thanakhan Chaiyasombat in second place and Dutchman Aden Van Engelen third. Ewart said the hot weather, with the temperature soaring to 40°C, was his biggest challenge on day four of the tour. “I felt the heat, that was a hard, hot day. But we rode well as a team. “We missed the break, we chased it back. It was hot...,” he said via a video clip shared with the media today. TSG’s charge in Thailand is led by five other riders, including Kee Zhe Yie, Irwandie Lakasek, Aiman Cahyadi, Anatolii Budiak and Muhammad Nur Aiman Rosli, who clinched Stage Two of the Tour of Thailand on Tuesday (April 2). Mohamad Aniq gets thumbs up from KBS boss YOUTH and Sport Minister Hannah Yeoh congratulated national weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan for qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics yesterday. “I hope that from now until he goes to Paris, he will continue to show progress. Congratulations and all the best to Aniq,” she said. Despite the good news, there are concerns about his overall strength at the moment. The Malaysian Weightlifting Federation (MWF) president Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the country’s weightlifter only managed to lift a total of 290kg compared to the target of 300kg set by the sport’s governing body at the ongoing IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) World Cup Championships. “Indeed we saw before going to Phuket that his position will not be affected by his performance at the tournament. We only set targets to improve the ranking and the amount of weight lifted. “Thankfully he is allowed to go to Paris, but in Phuket this is less encouraging. Before this we trained in Aceh for a month to improve amount of weight lifted but we don’t know why it didn’t happen, so we will study. He once recorded 296kg in Qatar (last December),” he said when contacted. Mej. Gen. Khiev Sameth (left) and Zhou Jun Jie.
theSun is published and printed by Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd (221220-K) of Lot 6, Jalan 51/217, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7784 6688 • Tel (Editorial): 03-7784 6688 Fax: 03-7785 2625 Email: [email protected] • Tel (Advertising): 03-7784 8888 Email: [email protected] SCAN ME FRIDAY | APR 5, 2024 or download app from the App Store or Google PlayTM . www.thesun.my Free access to iPaper PDF Download SCAN ME Malaysian Paper Read iPaper at Malaysian Paper Malaysian Paper Top-class Foden can do whatever he wants, says Guardiola after hattrick against Villans PEP GUARDIOLA said Phil Foden can “do whatever he wants” in football after watching him fire Manchester City to a 4-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa with a brilliant hat-trick. With Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne dropping to the bench, Foden moved into a central position and orchestrated the demolition of Villa with an outstanding display, playing a hand in Rodri’s opener and then taking the game away from the visitors after Jhon Duran had levelled. Foden restored City’s lead with a freekick in first half stoppage time when he found the gap that Nicolo Zaniolo left in Villa’s wall, then won it with two excellent goals just after the hour, the last of them a shot into the top corner after he had lost the ball but quickly regained it. His second hattrick of the campaign moved Foden on to 21 goals for the season and kept the pressure on in the title race, with the champions one point behind new leaders Arsenal and level with Liverpool who host Sheffield United overnight. “What can I say? Three goals,” Guardiola said. “He didn’t start well but I think the goal helped him a lot for the mood. When Phil plays in a central position he has a sense for goals and he proved it again. “He can do whatever he wants. He’s a real top-class player. We know it. But he is still open-minded, he has to understand the game, he has to focus on things, sometimes he’s a bit distracted in exactly what you have to do offensively, defensively, but he has a natural talent – a gift – which is special. “The work ethic is unbelievable and he has an incredible sense of goal. When he has the ball and he’s attacking the back line he is going to score, you had that feeling. “It is not easy to find it and that’s why he’s so special when he’s playing these central positions.” De Bruyne and Haaland got a breather with next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid looming, but without them City turned in one of their better performances of the season and a vast improvement on Sunday’s goalless draw against title rivals Arsenal. “We were better,” Guardiola said. “It’s true we conceded a few transitions and we lost a few balls and when that happens it’s a lesson we have to learn for the next game but we had incredible energy, four-five players up front and it was really good. We created a lot of chances.” Villa remain fourth but the defeat leaves them only two points above Tottenham, who have a game in hand. Unai Emery was without the injured Ollie Watkins and then also lost goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to a stomach problem after he had been named in the starting line-up. But the Spaniard chose to make several more changes to his side – six in total from Saturday’s win over Wolves. “It’s clear we were motivated and excited to try to be competitive, trying to keep it consistent like we are in the Premier League, but of course we were playing against Manchester City,” Emery said. “We were competing until the 60th minute and as well we were trying to build our team with some players who are not playing a lot, we are trying to give them chances to play. “Even when we were losing 2-1 we had some chances to score with Douglas Luiz, but they were pushing us a lot, they showed us their potential and they deserved to win. “We will play a lot of matches in the next weeks, starting on Saturday against Brentford, and it was important to try to be intelligent playing against Manchester City. “Of course we wanted to win but with some players injured and some players suspended we wanted to get some practice with some players.” – The Independent █ BY IAN PARKER Narine powers Kolkata to third IPL win -Story on page 30 -Story on page 28 Gunners’ fringe benefits Man City’s Phil Foden (front, left) in action with Aston Villa’s Diego Carlos during their English Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium yesterday. – REUTERSPIX