News » heartbreaking defeat but need to embrace the finals-like pre

MANCHESTER, England -- Arsenal climbed to the top of the English Premier League on its managers 67th birthday.Arsene Wenger was in no mood to celebrate, though.A 0-0 home draw against struggling Middlesbrough brought an end to Arsenals six-game winning run in the league, just when Wengers team was being talked up as the real deal in the title race.Many will describe a slip-up of this kind as being typical of Arsenal, which has stumbled when expectations are at their highest in recent years. Its last league title came in 2004.It could have been worse, too, with Middlesbrough creating the better chances at Emirates Stadium and drawing three excellent saves out of Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech in the first half. Wenger said his team was flat because the game came just three days after an intense Champions League match against Ludogorets, which Arsenal won 6-0.At least you can have a drink on your birthday, a glum Wenger said. When you win, you deserve it. When you dont, you need it.Arsenal is in first place on goal difference from Liverpool, which beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at Anfield for a sixth win in nine league matches. Manchester City needs only a point against Southampton on Sunday to reclaim the lead.Heres a look at the rest of the action on a low-scoring day in the Premier League:LIVERPOOL 2, WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1Neutralized by Manchester United in a goalless draw on Monday, Liverpool found things much easier five days later against another opponent that came to Anfield to defend.Liverpool had 21 shots and 68 percent possession, scoring goals through Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho from sweeping attacks in a one-sided first half.Gareth McAuleys close-range goal for West Brom, predictably following a corner kick, ensured a tense finish and denied Liverpool top spot on goal difference.BOURNEMOUTH 0, TOTTENHAM 0Harry Kane cant return quick enough for Tottenham.This stalemate came at the end of a week when Spurs squandered many chances in a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion last weekend in the Premier League, and then drew 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.Kane, the Premier Leagues top scorer last season, has just returned to training after five weeks out with an ankle injury.Spurs remain the only unbeaten team in the league but missed the chance to go top overnight.LEICESTER 3, CRYSTAL PALACE 1Leicester finally managed to transfer its Champions League form to the Premier League.Ahmed Musa, Shinji Okazaki, and Christian Fuchs scored for Leicester in only a third win of its disappointing title defense.Its been a different story in the teams first-ever Champions League campaign: With three straight group-stage victories, Leicester is on the brink of qualifying for the last 16.Leicesters unbeaten run at its King Power stadium stretched to 20 league games. Its away from home where the champions have struggled this season.ALSOThings are looking bleak for Sunderland and its manager David Moyes. A 1-0 loss at West Ham, courtesy of a goal by Winsten Reid in the fourth minute of stoppage time, was the latest tough blow for a side that is winless and in last place on just two points from nine games.Swansea is next to last after drawing 0-0 at home to Watford, meaning new manager Bob Bradley is still awaiting his first win since taking charge. That was one of three goalless draws on Saturday, when there were just 13 goals in eight games.Also, Burnley beat Everton 2-1 thanks to Scott Arfields 90th-minute winner, and Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice for Stoke in a 2-0 win at Hull, which slipped into the bottom three. Air Force 1 Baratas Online .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. Air Force 1 España . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. http://www.airforce1baratas.es/ . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. Air Force 1 Baratas Rebajas . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Air Force 1 Rebajas . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. With the clubs maiden finals campaign looming, GWS coach Leon Cameron says he welcomes the added pressure as his young side prepare for Saturdays clash with an injury-depleted Fremantle.The Giants find themselves outside the AFLs top four, just two games from the finals, following last rounds last-gasp loss to West Coast.Cameron says his players have responded well to the heartbreaking defeat but need to embrace the finals-like pressure they now find themselves under and learn from it.What Im really pleased about though, is playing in games like last week and tomorrow - that will be an intense game. Hopefully that holds you in really good stead, Cameron told reporters on Friday.We have to rebound and we have to win the game.The Giants face an undermanned Fremantle, with ruckman Aaron Sandilands re-joining an already extensive injury list including Nat Fyfe, Michael Johnson, Michael Barlow and Harley Bennell.Club icon Matthew Pavlich will also be missing, with Fremantle confirming hell be rested for the clash ahead of his retirement at seasons end.GWS have made two changes heading into the game at Spotless Stadium, where they have lost just twice this season.Rebounding defender Nathan Wilson will return to the senior squad for his 50th AFL game, joining young midfielder Jacob Hopper, while Adamm Kennedy and Matt Kennedy drop out.ddddddddddddFremantle coach Ross Lyon said his relatively inexperienced team would use the next two games as a learning experience ahead of next season.Weve only got two of our leadership group playing - we rebuild, replumb, restump, rewire, Lyon said.Having missed finals only once as a senior coach prior to 2016, Lyon knows better than most the nerves running through the Giants locker room.Theyll have one eye in the finals. They wont want to get hurt but theyve got to try and play fierce football, he said.To keep players focused on the job at hand is really quite difficult because human nature dictates theyll be looking ahead and making sure they get through and not miss out on their finals opportunities.Cameron acknowledged the challenge of keeping players focused so close to finals football, but said he and his team were ready for Saturdays game.Sometimes players come in and dont even worry about the finals hysteria that goes on and just play the game and obviously weve seen other times where players can come in and probably dont deliver to the best of their ability, Cameron said.But all Im worried about is tomorrows contest. ' ' '