LONDON, March 23 - Brief reports of Premier League
matches played over the weekend:
Played Sunday:
CHELSEA 2 ARSENAL1
Didier Drogba scored twice in the closing 17 minutes to give
Chelsea a vitally important 2-1 win over Arsenal on a pivotal
day in the race for the Premier League title.
Bacary Sagna had scored his first goal for Arsenal after 59
minutes, but the home side fought back to extend their unbeaten
home league record to 78 matches and stay five points behind
United with seven matches to play. Arsenal, now without a win in
five league games, slipped to third.
- - - -
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 LIVERPOOL 0
Champions Manchester United won for the fifth successive
league game and strengthened their hold on their title with a
convincing 3-0 win over Liverpool who were reduced to 10 men
just before halftime at Old Trafford.
Javier Mascherano was red-carded for dissent just before
halftime with Liverpool already trailing 1-0 to a rare Wes Brown
goal after 34 minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani scored twice
in three minutes in the 79th and 81st minute to seal United#'s
win.
Played Saturday:
ASTON VILLA 0 SUNDERLAND 1
Sunderland picked the perfect time to notch their first away
league win of the season after Michael Chopra raced through with
seven minutes remaining to beat Villa keeper Scott Carson with a
deft finish.
Villa were poor and Gabriel Agbonlahor's late chance was
their best effort.
- - - -
BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 WIGAN ATHLETIC 1
An eventful game at Ewood Park ended with both sides down to
10 men and Wigan back in relegation trouble.
Paraguay's Roque Santa Cruz scored twice for Rovers with
Jason Roberts also on the mark.
Christopher Samba was sent off in the 16th minute after
conceding a penalty that was converted by Marlon King. Wilson
Palacios also saw red for Wigan.
- - - -
BOLTON WANDERERS 0 MANCHESTER CITY 0
Bolton ended a run of five consecutive league defeats but
desperately need victories if they are to stay up.
Gretar Steinsson hit the post for Bolton and City's Stephen
Ireland had a shot headed off the line by Ricardo Gardner.
- - - -
EVERTON 1 WEST HAM UNITED 1
Everton dropped two points in their quest to qualify for
next season's Champions League.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni shot them in front after eight minutes but
they ran out of steam and were lucky to avoid defeat. Dean
Ashton equalised with a header and Freddie Sears hit the post
for West Ham in the closing stages.
- - - -
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 DERBY COUNTY 0
Boro are slowly edging towards mid-table safety although
they made heavy weather of beating a side with only 10 points.
Tuncay Sanli's clever finish was the difference between the
teams, the Turk cutting in to score after 32 minutes. Robert
Earnshaw came closest for Derby.
- - - -
NEWCASTLE UNITED 2 FULHAM 0
Newcastle won for the first time in the league since beating
Fulham more than three months ago, and for the first time in 10
league and cup matches since Kevin Keegan returned in January.
Fit-again Mark Viduka struck after six minutes and Michael
Owen made it two goals in two games when he rose to head the
late clincher to ease United's relegation fears but do nothing
for Fulham who remain deep min trouble.
- - - -
READING 2 BIRMINGHAM CITY 1
Cameroon international Andre Bikey headed Reading into a
halftime lead from a John Oster free kick.
Mikael Forssell crossed low for Argentine Mauro Zarate to
level for Birmingham after the break, his first goal in English
football, but Bikey struck again with another header 11 minutes
from time.
- - - -
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 2 PORTSMOUTH 0
Mid-table Tottenham took their home league tally to 43
goals, highest in the league, thanks to late efforts from
substitutes Darren Bent and Jamie O'Hara.
Tottenham dominated but Nwankwo Kanu wasted a great chance
to put Pompey in front in the second half after Spurs keeper
Paul Robinson got caught out. In all 101 goals have now been
scored at White Hart Lane this season.
- - - -
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Tony Jimenez and John
Mehaffey)