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Gunners go second with Villa romp
Source: Agencies |
December 28, 2009, Monday
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CESC Fabregas scored twice to send Arsenal second in the English Premier League, four points behind Chelsea but with a game in hand, after brushing aside Aston Villa 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium in London yesterday.
Stuttering Chelsea had dropped precious points on Saturday when it failed to score for the first time in 34 games and was held to a 0-0 draw at Birmingham City at the start of a hectic holiday program.
With champion Manchester United at Hull City later yesterday, Arsenal moved at least temporarily up to second place with 38 points. United has 37 while Chelsea is on 42.
With the third- and fourth-placed sides deadlocked at half-time, Fabregas came on as a second-half substitute and fired up the Londoners' title challenge with two goals in 16 minutes.
The Spaniard had only been in the pitch for little more than seven minutes when he broke the ice, winning a free kick on the edge of the area in the 65th minute after being downed by Richard Dunne.
The perfectly-flighted free kick from 25 meters out cut through the wall and curled into the top corner past Brad Freidel's outstretched hand.
Returning after a hamstring injury, Fabregas then bagged his ninth league goal of the season in the 81st after being fed through by another substitute Theo Walcott.
Abou Diaby made it 3-0 for rampant Arsenal in the 90th when he muscled through the midfield and fired a low shot past Friedel.
Villa, which had won the same fixture 2-0 last season, had hoped to push its Champions League credentials by completing a "grand slam" and becoming the first club since Leeds United in 1994/95 to beat all of the big four in a single season.
On Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 at Fulham to remain in fifth place and the points were also shared at Sunderland which drew 1-1 with Everton.
Liverpool moved up to seventh with a 2-0 win at home to 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Wigan Athletic against Blackburn Rovers ended 1-1 as did Burnley's home match with Bolton Wanderers.
Rafa Benitez's Liverpool won a dismal affair at Anfield with goals from captain Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun.
Wolves were reduced to 10 men soon after the break in bizarre circumstances. Defender Stephen Ward, already on a booking, needlessly fouled Brazilian midfielder Lucas only for referee Andre Mariner to book his teammate Christophe Berra before reversing his mistake and handing Ward a second yellow.
Stuttering Chelsea had dropped precious points on Saturday when it failed to score for the first time in 34 games and was held to a 0-0 draw at Birmingham City at the start of a hectic holiday program.
With champion Manchester United at Hull City later yesterday, Arsenal moved at least temporarily up to second place with 38 points. United has 37 while Chelsea is on 42.
With the third- and fourth-placed sides deadlocked at half-time, Fabregas came on as a second-half substitute and fired up the Londoners' title challenge with two goals in 16 minutes.
The Spaniard had only been in the pitch for little more than seven minutes when he broke the ice, winning a free kick on the edge of the area in the 65th minute after being downed by Richard Dunne.
The perfectly-flighted free kick from 25 meters out cut through the wall and curled into the top corner past Brad Freidel's outstretched hand.
Returning after a hamstring injury, Fabregas then bagged his ninth league goal of the season in the 81st after being fed through by another substitute Theo Walcott.
Abou Diaby made it 3-0 for rampant Arsenal in the 90th when he muscled through the midfield and fired a low shot past Friedel.
Villa, which had won the same fixture 2-0 last season, had hoped to push its Champions League credentials by completing a "grand slam" and becoming the first club since Leeds United in 1994/95 to beat all of the big four in a single season.
On Saturday, Tottenham Hotspur drew 0-0 at Fulham to remain in fifth place and the points were also shared at Sunderland which drew 1-1 with Everton.
Liverpool moved up to seventh with a 2-0 win at home to 10-man Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Wigan Athletic against Blackburn Rovers ended 1-1 as did Burnley's home match with Bolton Wanderers.
Rafa Benitez's Liverpool won a dismal affair at Anfield with goals from captain Steven Gerrard and Yossi Benayoun.
Wolves were reduced to 10 men soon after the break in bizarre circumstances. Defender Stephen Ward, already on a booking, needlessly fouled Brazilian midfielder Lucas only for referee Andre Mariner to book his teammate Christophe Berra before reversing his mistake and handing Ward a second yellow.
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