Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/611961
52 52 JAMIE Vardy missed two good chances to extend his goalscor- ing streak to 12 straight games but a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick sent Leicester back to the top of the Barclays Premier League. Vardy fired an early effort straight at Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, then blazed a late effort over the bar as it was left to the Algerian to seal a 3-0 win at the Liberty Stadium. And it proved enough for the Foxes to return to the top of the table after Manchester City were beaten 2-0 by Stoke in the lunch- time kick-off at the Britannia Sta- dium. Mahrez took just five minutes to put his side in front when he con- verted a Marc Albrighton free- kick then he increased their lead after 22 minutes from a cross by N'Golo Kante. Ki Sung-yueng struck the bar at the start of the second half for the home side but Mahrez sealed a win which will heap more pres- sure on Swans boss Garry Monk when he slotted home from Var- dy's neat pass in the 67th minute. Earlier, Manuel Pellegrini's men served up an abject performance as two first-half goals from Marko Arnautovic and a brilliant indi- vidual performance by Xherdan Shaqiri gave Mark Hughes' side the points. Shaqiri shimmied past Fernan- do and Aleksandar Kolarov before crossing for Arnautovic to side- foot a seventh minute opener, then the same pair combined for the Austrian to grab his second with just 22 minutes on the clock. Chelsea were plunged into cri- sis once more as Bournemouth claimed the biggest scalp of their campaign with a 1-0 win at Stam- ford Bridge. Jose Mourinho thought the reigning champions had turned a corner, but Eddie Howe's visitors inflicted an eighth defeat of the season, the fourth at home. Glenn Murray headed in mo- ments after coming off the sub- stitutes' bench and, while there may have been a hint of offside, the Cherries deserved their win in front of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who could yet wield the managerial axe. Bournemouth won the Cham- pionship last season and Chelsea the Premier League, with the vic- tory showing not just how far the Cherries had come, but how far the Blues have fallen. Olivier Giroud scored at both ends as Arsenal ended Sunder- land's recent revival under Sam Allardyce with a hard-fought 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium. Joel Campbell fired the Gunners' 33rd-minute opener through Cos- tel Pantilimon's legs but the Black Cats got the equaliser they de- served just before the break when Giroud inadvertently deflected a Yann M'Vila into his own net. Petr Cech produced a brilliant save to prevent Steven Fletcher putting the visitors back in front before Giroud headed home at the right end in the 63rd minute and Aaron Ramsey sealed the win in stoppage time. There was more frustration for Manchester United at Old Traf- ford as Louis Van Gaal's men were held to a goalless draw by West Ham. Winston Reid and Mauro Zarate missed good early chances for the Hammers but United piled on more pressure in the second half and Marouane Fellaini was only denied by a brilliant save from Adrian. Remi Garde was denied his first win as Aston Villa boss as South- ampton substitute Oriol Romeu salvaged a 1-1 draw for the hosts at St Mary's. Villa survived a spell of strong early pressure from the hosts in which Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle came close and a Jose Fonte effort was cleared off the line. Joleon Lescott put the visitors in front against the run of play on the stroke of half-time but Romeu equalised when he converted a corner from James Ward-Prowse just before the hour mark. Tottenham were held to a 1-1 draw by West Brom at The Haw- thorns after Dele Alli's 15th- minute opener was cancelled out by a rare header from James Mc- Clean five minutes before the in- terval. Odion Ighalo capped another superb performance with a stop- page-time goal as Watford beat Norwich 2-0 at Vicarage Road, Troy Deeney having struck home the opener from a 30th-minute penalty. maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2015 FOOTBALL Sport Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 Investing in the Human Capital to Create More Opportunities and Promote the Well- being of Society ANNOUNCEMENT - CALL II European Social Fund The Managing Authority for Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 in Malta, the Planning and Priorities Co-ordination Division (PPCD) within the Ministry of European Affairs and Implementation of the Electoral Manifesto (MEAIM), would like to announce it is launching a call for project proposals. This call will close on Friday 15 th April 2016, at noon and will contribute to the priority axes and investment priorities listed below: Priority Axis 2 - 'Towards a more inclusive society' Investment priority (IP) 9i - Active inclusion, including with a view to promoting equal opportunities and active participation, and improving employability Investment priority (IP) 9iv - Enhancing access to affordable, sustainable and high quality services, including health care and social services of general interest Interventions under this axis are open to Ministries, Government Departments, Central Government Authorities and the Public Sector Companies, Local Councils, NGOs, Social Partners and Voluntary Organisations. Priority Axis 3 – 'Investing in people through Education, Training and Life Long Learning' Investment priority (IP) 10i - Reducing and preventing early school leaving and promoting equal access to good quality early childhood, primary and secondary education including formal, non- formal and informal learning pathways for reintegrating into education and training Interventions under this axis are restricted to those undertaken by Public Administration. This call is restricted SOLELY to those projects that DO NOT involve state aid implications. The online application form for the submission of project proposals is available on http://eufunds.gov.mt/opencalls (PPCD section). Supporting documentation including the eligibility guidance notes, the detailed guidance notes and indicators guidance note relating to this announcement are also available on http://eufunds.gov.mt/opencalls (PPCD section). Prospective applicants are encouraged to refer to Operational Programme II available on the above link and the eligibility guidance notes in order to check whether their proposals are eligible for funding through this call for funding proposals. Information sessions are being organised for prospective applicants. Applicants are invited to enrol by filling in a registration form (available on http://eufunds.gov.mt/opencalls) by Monday 11th January 2016 at noon. The dates and subjects are as follows: Thursday 21st January 2016 (general overview); Tuesday 26th January 2016 (how to apply online); Tuesday 2nd February 2016 (how to plan a project proposal); Friday 12th February 2016 (how to implement a project proposal) Additional sessions may be organised depending on requests received. Further information and generic queries on this call and on the European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020 may be obtained from www.eufunds.gov.mt or from PPCD's Email for Calls for Proposals 2014- 2020: info.eufunds@gov.mt . Operational Programme II - Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 Empowering People for More Jobs and a Better Quality of Life Advert part financed by the European Union European Social Fund (ESF), Co-financing rate: 85% EU Funds; 15% National Funds Investing in your Future Mahrez scores hat-trick as Leicester go two clear at the top A review of yesterday's action in the Barclays Premier League, as Leicester cash in on Manchester City's defeat Mahrez completes his hat-trick for table-topping Leicester