Apr
11
Sunderland 1-2 Man United
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Federico Macheda climbed off the bench to snatch victory for the second time in a week for Manchester United.
Thanks to his strike, United clawed their way back to the top of the Barclays Premier League table with a crucial 2-1 win over Sunderland.
The 17-year-old Italian needed just seconds to claim three points for his side with a 76th-minute winner at Sunderland and send the reigning champions back above Liverpool, who had briefly headed them as a result of their 4-0 win over Blackburn.
His intervention could not have been more timely with the Black Cats having dragged themselves back into the game courtesy of Kenwyne Jones’ 55th-minute equaliser, his first goal since February 7.
United looked to be in complete control when Paul Scholes capped a dominant start by heading the visitors into a 19th-minute lead, but they allowed the Wearsiders back into the game in front of a partisan crowd of 45,408.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s troops will now regroup ahead of their testing Champions League quarter-final, second leg trip to Porto on Wednesday evening knowing they remain a point clear of Liverpool with a game in hand in the race for the Premier League title.
By contrast, Sunderland face a monumental home clash with fellow strugglers Hull at the Stadium of Light next weekend with their top-flight status very much in the balance.
For 20 minutes, United looked to be cruising with Scholes and Carrick in complete control in the middle of the park and Wayne Rooney a real menace wide on the left side of midfield.
Rooney fired a shot across the Black Cats’ bows within 16 seconds of kick-off when he curled a right-foot effort just wide, but as the game unfolded, it seemed only a matter of time before his side took the lead.
They would have done just that with 17 minutes gone had Danny Collins not hacked Nemanja Vidic’s towering header off the line and then looked on as the Serbia international sent an overhead kick just wide with United laying siege.
Ferguson’s men did not have to wait much longer to edge their way in front when Rooney cut inside on to his right foot to deliver the perfect cross for the unmarked Scholes to glance a deft header past the stranded Craig Gordon and into the top corner.
Sunderland went close to an equaliser twice within seconds on the half-hour when first Djibril Cisse and then defender Calum Davenport, making his first start for the club, met Phil Bardsley crosses.
Then Kenwyne Jones fired just wide from another ball in from the right-back.
Keeper Ben Foster, deputising for Edwin van der Sar, had to tip Cisse’s rasping 37th-minute effort from distance over, but he needed the help of the woodwork five minutes before the break.
Carlos Edwards, recalled on the right-wing, skipped past full-back John O’Shea and saw his driven cross flick off former team-mate Jonny Evans, only for the ball to come back off the foot of the post.
Park Ji-Sung smashed a shot across Gordon in first-half injury-time after United broke swiftly, but the visitors returned to the dressing room knowing the game was still very much alive.
United re-emerged looking as if they meant business with Rooney seemingly intent on securing the points single-handedly.
In the space of four minutes, he forced Davenport to cut out a cross and concede a corner, and also drilled a 25-yard effort inches wide.
The equaliser arrived with 55 minutes gone when Foster failed to claim Teemu Tainio’s cross under pressure from Jones, and the striker stabbed the ball into the empty net to peg the visitors back.
Scholes smashed a volley wide and Carlos Tevez curled a free-kick over, and it took a fine block by Bardsley to keep out the Argentinean’s 63rd-minute effort after Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov had combined to play him in.
The rested Cristiano Ronaldo eventually joined the fray as a 69th-minute replacement for Park, but Cisse shot into the side-netting within seconds of his arrival.
Berbatov had appeals for a penalty for handball against Grant Leadbitter waved away two minutes later, but it was Macheda’s arrival as a 75th-minute replacement for the Bulgarian which changed the game.
The youngster had been on the pitch for just seconds when he steered Carrick’s shot past the helpless Gordon to further enhance his blossoming reputation.
Nov
2
BPL Saturday Review
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A review of Saturday’s action in the Premier League. Tottenham clinched a massive upset over Liverpool with a 2-1 win.
Roman Pavlyuchenko pounced on the stroke of full-time to lift Tottenham off the foot of Barclays Premier League as they came from behind to beat former leaders Liverpool 2-1.
The Reds took the lead with just two minutes on the clock through a magnificent finish by Dirk Kuyt that saw Heurelho Gomes exposed yet again.
Jamie Carragher’s own goal levelled the scores and, with injury-time approaching, Pavlyuchenko tucked home a Darren Bent pass to inflict a first defeat of the season on the Reds, continuing Spurs’ good form since Harry Redknapp took over.
With the Reds failing to take even a point, Chelsea are back on top as Nicolas Anelka grabbed to inspire a 5-0 win over Sunderland.
Deco had already hit the post when Alex pounced from close range for the opener after 27 minutes. Anelka then nipped in ahead of Alex to add a second moments later and the Frenchman tapped in to make it 3-0 at half-time.
Lampard’s 100th league goal made it four before Anelka completed his hat-trick from close range.
Sunderland boss Roy Keane spent the second half watching from the stands after being sent from the bench for protesting about Anelka’s first goal, for which the striker appeared offside.
Elsewhere, Arsenal failed to deal with Rory Delap’s long throws as they crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke.
Delap’s dangerous deliveries caused problems for the 10-man Gunners throughout the game at the Britannia Stadium and the visitors were punished as Ricardo Fuller and Seyi Olofinjana pounced.
Arsenal’s misery was compounded when substitute Robin van Persie was sent off for barging into goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, while Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott left the pitch in considerable pain - the latter with his left arm in a sling. Gael Clichy scored a late consolation for the Gunners.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck twice as Manchester United saw off brave Hull 4-3 at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese drilled the opener after three minutes before Hull showed more of the spirit which has served them well this term as Daniel Cousin glanced in an Andy Dawson free-kick to level.
Michael Carrick finished off a sweeping move to restore United’s lead and Ronaldo’s deflected header gave them a third before the break.
Nemanja Vidic turned in a fourth from a corner after 57 minutes but Bernard Mendy pulled one back with a fine lob and a Geovanni penalty made the closing moments difficult for the hosts.
Keith Andrews scored a late equaliser as 10-man Blackburn drew 2-2 at West Brom.
The Baggies had battled back to lead through Roman Bednar and Ishmael Miller in the second half after Benni McCarthy’s penalty had put Rovers ahead.
McCarthy struck in the 13th minute but was then sent off after earning a second yellow card for handball.
Everton left it late for the second time this week as Louis Saha opened his Toffees account with an 87th-minute winner against Fulham at Goodison Park.
Both sides hit the woodwork, Marouane Fellaini for the hosts and Bobby Zamora for Fulham, but there was little to excite until Saha came off the bench to head home Leon Osman’s cross.
The goal secured back-to-back victories for David Moyes’ side after their last-gasp midweek win over Bolton.
Emile Heskey also struck late as Wigan claimed a dramatic 2-1 win at Tony Adams’ Portsmouth.
Pompey looked to have salvaged a deserved point when Niko Kranjcar rewarded them for their second-half dominance with an 82nd-minute equaliser.
Wigan had taken the lead with Amr Zaki’s penalty but Pompey had the better of the chances with Peter Crouch, twice, and Sylvain Distin hitting the bar.
Mido’s equaliser saw Middlesbrough claim a 1-1 draw at home to West Ham.
The Egyptian drilled in a low free-kick on 83 minutes to cancel out Hayden Mullins’ 21st-minute strike.
Mullins initially fluffed his shot but got lucky as the ball spun behind him and he made no mistake with a powerful drive into the roof of the net.