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Christmas cheer for City fans
Source: Agencies |
December 23, 2011, Friday
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PREMIER League leader Manchester City and rival Manchester United switched attention back to the action and away from controversies with easy wins on Wednesday.
City ensured it will be top at Christmas for the first time since 1929 with a 3-0 home win over Stoke City, thanks to two goals from Sergio Aguero and one from Adam Johnson.
"We are happy to be top but as I said three days ago it's important to stay top at the end of the season," coach Roberto Mancini said. "But for our supporters I think it's a good Christmas. If we want to win the championship we should get 90 points because Manchester United keep winning."
United remained two points behind City after thrashing Fulham 5-0 at Craven Cottage, although the victory was not without cost as manager Alex Ferguson explained.
"The performance in the first half was as good as we have played all season, but we've got a couple of injuries," he said. "Phil Jones got an elbow to the jaw and we'll send him for an X-ray tomorrow. It doesn't look good. Rio (Ferdinand) will be back for the Blackburn game on New Year's Eve, Phil is a concern and Ashley (Young) is out for two or three weeks."
Among United's scorers was 38-year-old Ryan Giggs who maintained his record of a goal in all 20 seasons since the Premier League began, although his effort just before halftime took a deflection off Fulham defender Philippe Senderos. Danny Wellbeck, Nani with a rare header, Wayne Rooney with a stunning 30-meter shot and Dimitar Berbatov with a cheeky backheel sent Fulham to its heaviest home defeat for 24 years.
It was Giggs' first league goal of the season and it came just before Aston Villa's Marc Albrighton scored the 20,000th since the Premier League started in 1992-93 to cancel out Robin Van Persie's first-half penalty for Arsenal. Villa's relief was short-lived though as Yossi Benayoun struck with an 87th-minute header to give Arsenal a 2-1 win, its eighth in its last 10 league matches. Villa ended the match with 10 men after defender Alan Hutton was sent off after 88 minutes for a second yellow card.
In other matches Sunderland beat QPR 3-2.
City ensured it will be top at Christmas for the first time since 1929 with a 3-0 home win over Stoke City, thanks to two goals from Sergio Aguero and one from Adam Johnson.
"We are happy to be top but as I said three days ago it's important to stay top at the end of the season," coach Roberto Mancini said. "But for our supporters I think it's a good Christmas. If we want to win the championship we should get 90 points because Manchester United keep winning."
United remained two points behind City after thrashing Fulham 5-0 at Craven Cottage, although the victory was not without cost as manager Alex Ferguson explained.
"The performance in the first half was as good as we have played all season, but we've got a couple of injuries," he said. "Phil Jones got an elbow to the jaw and we'll send him for an X-ray tomorrow. It doesn't look good. Rio (Ferdinand) will be back for the Blackburn game on New Year's Eve, Phil is a concern and Ashley (Young) is out for two or three weeks."
Among United's scorers was 38-year-old Ryan Giggs who maintained his record of a goal in all 20 seasons since the Premier League began, although his effort just before halftime took a deflection off Fulham defender Philippe Senderos. Danny Wellbeck, Nani with a rare header, Wayne Rooney with a stunning 30-meter shot and Dimitar Berbatov with a cheeky backheel sent Fulham to its heaviest home defeat for 24 years.
It was Giggs' first league goal of the season and it came just before Aston Villa's Marc Albrighton scored the 20,000th since the Premier League started in 1992-93 to cancel out Robin Van Persie's first-half penalty for Arsenal. Villa's relief was short-lived though as Yossi Benayoun struck with an 87th-minute header to give Arsenal a 2-1 win, its eighth in its last 10 league matches. Villa ended the match with 10 men after defender Alan Hutton was sent off after 88 minutes for a second yellow card.
In other matches Sunderland beat QPR 3-2.
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