City edges Arsenal to stay top
Source: Agencies |
December 20, 2011, Tuesday
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DAVID Silva restored Manchester City's two-point lead in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday after Manchester United went top briefly with a 2-0 win over QPR.
Silva's 53rd-minute tap-in at the far post from close range, after Wojciech Szczesny parried a fierce shot by Mario Balotelli and Sergio Aguero nodded on the rebound, condemned the Gunners to a 0-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
Robin van Persie, the league's leading scorer, had an equalizer ruled out because of a narrow offside decision and City keeper Joe Hart made several saves. The best stop came when he pushed a late shot over the bar from Thomas Vermaelen, who also shot narrowly wide from long range.
"We watched Man United, so we knew we had a job to do this afternoon," Hart said.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "Both teams played in a positive spirit and went for it with a positive philosophy."
City has 41 points from 16 matches, with United on 39.
Tottenham Hotspur kept up the pressure, beating Sunderland 1-0 at White Hart Lane to take third place on 34 points with a game in hand on the leaders. Roman Pavlyuchenko grabbed the winner in the 61st.
Chelsea, which drew 1-1 at relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic on Saturday, fell to fourth on 32 points with Arsenal fifth on 29 and ahead of Liverpool, 2-0 winners at Aston Villa, on goal difference.
Craig Bellamy scored the first in the 11th and Martin Skrtel made it 2-0 four minutes later for Liverpool. Liverpool's top scorer Luis Suarez twice hit the woodwork in the second half, including a lovely chip over American goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
"We passed the ball and moved it and hit the bar twice: I think it was well deserved three points for us," said Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish after his first league win as a coach at Villa Park. "The first goal was a little bit fortunate but the second one was a good flick-on from Martin."
A first-half substitute for injured winger Aaron Lennon, Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the winning goal in the 61st minute for the Spurs.
Scott Parker slipped the ball upfield to Rafael van der Vaart for a clever reverse pass to Pavlyuchenko, who scored past the diving goalkeeper with a low shot to the far post from the edge of the area.
Pavlyuchenko's first league goal of the season pushed Tottenham two points ahead of Chelsea.
Silva's 53rd-minute tap-in at the far post from close range, after Wojciech Szczesny parried a fierce shot by Mario Balotelli and Sergio Aguero nodded on the rebound, condemned the Gunners to a 0-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium.
Robin van Persie, the league's leading scorer, had an equalizer ruled out because of a narrow offside decision and City keeper Joe Hart made several saves. The best stop came when he pushed a late shot over the bar from Thomas Vermaelen, who also shot narrowly wide from long range.
"We watched Man United, so we knew we had a job to do this afternoon," Hart said.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said, "Both teams played in a positive spirit and went for it with a positive philosophy."
City has 41 points from 16 matches, with United on 39.
Tottenham Hotspur kept up the pressure, beating Sunderland 1-0 at White Hart Lane to take third place on 34 points with a game in hand on the leaders. Roman Pavlyuchenko grabbed the winner in the 61st.
Chelsea, which drew 1-1 at relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic on Saturday, fell to fourth on 32 points with Arsenal fifth on 29 and ahead of Liverpool, 2-0 winners at Aston Villa, on goal difference.
Craig Bellamy scored the first in the 11th and Martin Skrtel made it 2-0 four minutes later for Liverpool. Liverpool's top scorer Luis Suarez twice hit the woodwork in the second half, including a lovely chip over American goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
"We passed the ball and moved it and hit the bar twice: I think it was well deserved three points for us," said Liverpool's Kenny Dalglish after his first league win as a coach at Villa Park. "The first goal was a little bit fortunate but the second one was a good flick-on from Martin."
A first-half substitute for injured winger Aaron Lennon, Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the winning goal in the 61st minute for the Spurs.
Scott Parker slipped the ball upfield to Rafael van der Vaart for a clever reverse pass to Pavlyuchenko, who scored past the diving goalkeeper with a low shot to the far post from the edge of the area.
Pavlyuchenko's first league goal of the season pushed Tottenham two points ahead of Chelsea.
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