Park goal sends United back on top
Source: Agencies |
March 22, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
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MANCHESTER United beat Liverpool 2-1 with goals from Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-sung to send the champion back to the top of the English Premier League yesterday.
United moved to 69 points from 31 games, displacing overnight leader Arsenal, which slipped back to second with 67 points. Chelsea, third on 64 points, will go above Arsenal if it wins at Blackburn Rovers in a later kickoff.
Liverpool struck first in glorious spring sunshine at Old Trafford when an unmarked Fernando Torres headed in Dirk Kuyt's cross after only five minutes but its lead was short-lived.
United drew level seven minutes later after Javier Mascherano conceded a penalty for a foul on Antonio Valencia and, although Rooney's spot-kick was saved by Pepe Reina, he pounced on the rebound to score his 33rd goal this season.
Referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot despite Mascherano's foul on Valencia starting outside the area.
Park scored what proved to be the winner when he converted Darren Fletcher's cross from the right with a brave diving header after 60 minutes.
On Saturday, Arsenal went top temporarily when it beat West Ham United 2-0 with goals from Denilson and Cesc Fabregas despite playing for more than half the match at the Emirates with 10 men.
Tottenham Hotspur maintained its push for fourth place and a possible Champions League berth when it won its fourth successive league match with a 2-1 success at Stoke City and moved on to 55 points from 30 games.
It is followed by Liverpool (51 points), Manchester City (50) and Aston Villa (50), which was held to a 2-2 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday's early kickoff.
Arsenal, which last lost in the league to rival Chelsea on February 7, went ahead through Brazilian Denilson after only five minutes.
The Gunners sealed the victory when Cesc Fabregas, returning from injury, scored with an 82nd-minute penalty for his 15th league goal of the season after Matthew Upson handled.
However, the hosts had to play the whole of the second half with 10 men following the 44th-minute dismissal of center back Thomas Vermaelen who became the first Arsenal player to be sent off this season.
But the decision was a harsh one after West Ham's Mexico striker Guillermo Franco went down somewhat easily under the Belgian international's challenge in the box.
Alessandro Diamanti then saw Manuel Almunia save his penalty, although the goalkeeper escaped censure from officials after clearly moving off his line before the kick was taken.
The defeat, West Ham's fourth straight league loss, left it in 17th place just three points above the relegation zone.
Fabregas told ESPN it was unfortunate Vermaelen would now be banned but added: "We don't want to make any excuses, we want to go all the way to the title and prove we can do it".
United moved to 69 points from 31 games, displacing overnight leader Arsenal, which slipped back to second with 67 points. Chelsea, third on 64 points, will go above Arsenal if it wins at Blackburn Rovers in a later kickoff.
Liverpool struck first in glorious spring sunshine at Old Trafford when an unmarked Fernando Torres headed in Dirk Kuyt's cross after only five minutes but its lead was short-lived.
United drew level seven minutes later after Javier Mascherano conceded a penalty for a foul on Antonio Valencia and, although Rooney's spot-kick was saved by Pepe Reina, he pounced on the rebound to score his 33rd goal this season.
Referee Howard Webb pointed to the spot despite Mascherano's foul on Valencia starting outside the area.
Park scored what proved to be the winner when he converted Darren Fletcher's cross from the right with a brave diving header after 60 minutes.
On Saturday, Arsenal went top temporarily when it beat West Ham United 2-0 with goals from Denilson and Cesc Fabregas despite playing for more than half the match at the Emirates with 10 men.
Tottenham Hotspur maintained its push for fourth place and a possible Champions League berth when it won its fourth successive league match with a 2-1 success at Stoke City and moved on to 55 points from 30 games.
It is followed by Liverpool (51 points), Manchester City (50) and Aston Villa (50), which was held to a 2-2 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers in Saturday's early kickoff.
Arsenal, which last lost in the league to rival Chelsea on February 7, went ahead through Brazilian Denilson after only five minutes.
The Gunners sealed the victory when Cesc Fabregas, returning from injury, scored with an 82nd-minute penalty for his 15th league goal of the season after Matthew Upson handled.
However, the hosts had to play the whole of the second half with 10 men following the 44th-minute dismissal of center back Thomas Vermaelen who became the first Arsenal player to be sent off this season.
But the decision was a harsh one after West Ham's Mexico striker Guillermo Franco went down somewhat easily under the Belgian international's challenge in the box.
Alessandro Diamanti then saw Manuel Almunia save his penalty, although the goalkeeper escaped censure from officials after clearly moving off his line before the kick was taken.
The defeat, West Ham's fourth straight league loss, left it in 17th place just three points above the relegation zone.
Fabregas told ESPN it was unfortunate Vermaelen would now be banned but added: "We don't want to make any excuses, we want to go all the way to the title and prove we can do it".
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