THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2014 S P ORTS Saints sign Dutch winger Elia on loan LONDON: Southampton have agreed to sign Werder Bremen’s Dutch international winger Eljero Elia on loan until the end of the season. Ronald Koeman’s side are short of attacking options with Jay Rodriguez’s recovery from a cruciate ligament injury taking longer than expected and Senegal’s Sadio Mane due to leave for the African Nations Cup next month. Elia, who has played 28 times for Holland, is seen as the perfect man to bol- ster Koeman’s front three. The 27-year-old will initially join Saints on loan when the transfer window opens next month, with the option of then making his switch from the Bundesliga outfit permanent at the end of the current campaign. “Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce that it has reached an agreement over the signing of Eljero Elia,” a statement on Southampton’s website confirmed. “The winger will officially join Saints on Saturday 3rd January, initially on loan until the end of the season with a view to a permanent transfer next summer.” Koeman had admitted his interest in Elia earlier in the day, saying: “He is one of the players on our list to bring in January. “We need at least one more player up front because we lose Sadio Mane in January for the Africa Cup. We need another player for that position and he is a good option.” Elia, who is known for his blistering pace and direct forward runs, established himself as one of the brightest young talents in Europe at FC Twente and was named Dutch Football Talent of the Year in 2009. The 27-year-old struggled to fulfil his early promise during subsequent moves to Hamburg and Juventus but has enjoyed more stability at Bremen, where he made 33 league appearances last season. — AFP Chelsea aim to deny rivals City festive cheer Mario Balatoli Rodgers: Balotelli not suited to Liverpool’s style LONDON: Mario Balotelli will return to Liverpool’s squad for the festive programme but manager Brendan Rodgers was hardly effusive in his praise of the Italy’s striker’s credentials yesterday. The 24-year-old Balotelli has struggled to make an impact at Anfield since his 16 million pounds ($24.88 million) move from AC Milan in August, managing two goals in 15 games. His off-field antics have also made the headlines and he was fined 25,000 pounds and banned for last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal after posting an offensive message on social media. At his pre-match news conference Rodgers welcomed mercurial Balotelli’a return for a busy holiday programme, starting with a trip to lowly Burnley on Friday, but suggested the former Manchester City player is not suited to Liverpool’s style. “We’ve seen that it is not really his game, Rodgers said, referring to the high-pressing approach that worked so well with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in tandem last season. “Working with Mario, we’ve seen that he is someone who is better in and around the box. That level of pressing and intensity is not part of his game. “But you try to make the best out of the players you have, and the qualities that they have. That’s something we will focus on. “The most important thing is that he’s now available after his ban. It adds another player to our squad, which is important especially with Fabio (Borini) now suspended.” THE VERVE Liverpool are 10th and though they got one point in their last two games-a defeat at Manchester United and a home draw with Arsenal-they are starting to recapture the verve of last season when they were pipped to the title by Manchester City. Holiday fixtures against Burnley, Rodgers’ former club Swansea City and struggling Leicester City, offer Liverpool the chance to start making up lost ground. “We’ve tried to find the solution to get back that intensity and that tempo, and I think we’ve seen that,” Rodgers said. “It’s key for us, that aggressive pressure at the top end of the field. It gives us the platform to go on and dominate the ball. “We have to try to maximise the players that we have to make sure our game is as close as possible to the level we want. The last three games has been a lot closer.” — Reuters LONDON: The omens are good for a Chelsea side heading into Christmas top of the Premier League tree but manager Jose Mourinho does not want to give title rivals Manchester City any reason to cheer over the festive season. Having beaten Stoke City 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium on Monday, the London club ensured they went into a busy fixture schedule leading the table with 42 points from 17 matches. The last three times Chelsea have been top on Christmas Day they have gone on to win the title, but with in-form City hot on their heels three points behind, Mourinho is taking nothing for granted with testing matches to come. Sam Allardyce’s fourth-placed West Ham United travel to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge ground on Friday before Mourinho’s men head to Southampton on Sunday and then make the short trip across London to face Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day. “Now we have to focus on the three matches we still have until the end of this period,” Mourinho told reporters after the victory at Stoke. “Playing against Big Sam is a hard job for us, we have to cope with it. The three-point lead we have is a little advantage, it is a little pillow we have to protect us. “We have been top of the league since day one and we are there because we are playing really well. Our Christmas fixtures are more difficult than any other one (club).” Second-placed City travel to West Bromwich Albion in search of a seventh straight league win but they are still without injured strikers Stevan Jovetic, Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero. Captain Vincent Kompany is also missing for Manuel Pellegrini’s side but midfielder David Silva, having scored twice in City’s 3-0 home win over Crystal Palace last weekend, is ready to strike against struggling West Brom. “I like to play in the middle, even though I can play on both wings,” Silva said. “When I play in the middle I get chances to score. That is why I scored the two goals. But I will be happy to help the team when the strikers are back.” Elsewhere tomorrow, third-placed Manchester United, whose progress up the league was slowed with a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa last weekend, host Newcastle United while Arsenal welcome London rivals Queens Park Rangers to the Emirates. —Reuters LONDON: Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas in action in this file photo. — AP Kuwait, Oman to vie in final By: Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The Seventh Gulf Handicapped Basketball Tournament will see its final match between Kuwait and Oman, as tournament patron Handicapped Sports Club Honorary President Al-Sheikha Sheikha Al-Abdulla will be present. The tournament lasted one week with the participation of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait. Kuwait National Handicapped Basketball team came much closer to winning the gulf tournament for the seventh consecutive time as it defeated Saudi Arabia 47-43 during the match that was held on Tuesday. Kuwait players won a very strong match between the two teams who made a very strong defense display and Kuwait maintained its winning streak without a loss, while Saudi Arabia suffered its first loss. Kuwait must win today to claim the gulf title, and this seems to be easy due to the wide gap in technical level between the two teams especially that the Omanis did not win any match during the tournament. In another match, UAE had its second win against Bahrain with the result of 62-55, in a balanced match between the two teams, but the UAE player’s experience enabled them to end the match in their favor in its final minutes. KHSC Secretary General Abdulla Al-Quraini said this year’s tournament is distinguished with high technical level as reflected by the close scores of most matches between competing teams for the title, namely Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and UAE, while Bahrain and Oman showed good potential. He said the tournament plays an important role in the development of the Gulf player’s level and this, the seventh tournament witnessed the emergence of several skilled players who helped their national teams.