United's Spurs draw gives City EPL hope
Source: Agencies |
January 22, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MANCHESTER United gave reigning champion Manchester City a glimmer of hope in the English Premier League title race on Sunday, conceding a stoppage-time equalizer in a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur that reduced the leader's advantage to five points.
Chelsea could yet threaten the top two after beating Arsenal 2-1 to end its barren run at Stamford Bridge, but the European champion must make up an 11-point gap to United with 15 matches remaining.
Clint Dempsey rescued Spurs with a close-range strike in the third minute of stoppage time, canceling out Robin van Persie's league-high 18th goal of the campaign that seemed enough for United at White Hart Lane.
"We did so well at everything. The disappointment is not finishing them off," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who could find himself in disciplinary trouble for criticizing a linesman for not awarding a penalty for a foul on substitute Wayne Rooney shortly before Dempsey's goal.
Despite the draw, fourth-place Tottenham fell four points behind Chelsea in the fight for the third automatic Champions League place.
Famous for rescuing points by scoring late goals, United got a taste of what it feels like to concede in the final minutes.
Goalkeeper David De Gea failed to deal with a cross into the area and Aaron Lennon prodded the loose ball across to Dempsey, who stroked home coolly from the edge of the six-yard box. The US forward also scored what proved to be Spurs' winner at Old Trafford in a 3-2 victory in September.
"It was a big relief," Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said. "I thought we dominated the game."
Chelsea could yet threaten the top two after beating Arsenal 2-1 to end its barren run at Stamford Bridge, but the European champion must make up an 11-point gap to United with 15 matches remaining.
Clint Dempsey rescued Spurs with a close-range strike in the third minute of stoppage time, canceling out Robin van Persie's league-high 18th goal of the campaign that seemed enough for United at White Hart Lane.
"We did so well at everything. The disappointment is not finishing them off," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who could find himself in disciplinary trouble for criticizing a linesman for not awarding a penalty for a foul on substitute Wayne Rooney shortly before Dempsey's goal.
Despite the draw, fourth-place Tottenham fell four points behind Chelsea in the fight for the third automatic Champions League place.
Famous for rescuing points by scoring late goals, United got a taste of what it feels like to concede in the final minutes.
Goalkeeper David De Gea failed to deal with a cross into the area and Aaron Lennon prodded the loose ball across to Dempsey, who stroked home coolly from the edge of the six-yard box. The US forward also scored what proved to be Spurs' winner at Old Trafford in a 3-2 victory in September.
"It was a big relief," Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said. "I thought we dominated the game."
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