Champions League Report

Ajax 3-1 Manchester City

Mancini's men on brink of Champions League exit

Nasri handed City the lead after a slow start at the Amsterdam ArenA, but goals from De Jong, Moisander and a deflected Eriksen effort have left their European hopes in tatters

Manchester City's chances of Champions League progression suffered a huge blow on Wednesday night after they were defeated by Ajax in a crucial Group D clash.

The visitors took their time to grow into the tie but made no mistake with their first opportunity - Samir Nasri slotting home. However, Siem de Jong netted a superb equaliser on the stroke of half-time to send Roberto Mancini's men into the break with a bitter taste in their mouths.

After a cautious start to the second 45, the Dutch side took the lead through Niklas Moisander before Christian Eriksen inflicted further pain with a deflected shot to bag the third, condemning City to a disappointing blow.

The result gives the Dutch giants their first victory in this year's group stage, while City have just one point from three matches and face a mountain to climb to escape this season's 'Group of Death'.

Danish playmaker Eriksen starred for the Dutch champions, with former Liverpool man Ryan Babel also among the recognised names in the starting XI.

Eden Dzeko was handed a start after his last minute winner against West Brom at the weekend, with Sergio Aguero partnering him in attack. Elsewhere, James Milner kept his place in the side despite being sent off against the Baggies. 

The hosts made the brighter start, keeping the ball with ease and working the first chance of the game just before the ten minute mark, but Eriksen fired narrowly wide of Joe Hart's post.

The dangerous Eriksen then flattened Yaya Toure with a hefty challenge, leaving the Ivorian down but not out, before the Dane made his mark in a different way, once more going close with a long-range effort after producing a delightful touch to set himself up.

However, somewhat against the run of play, Mancini's men took the lead in the 23rd minute. Micah Richards fed Milner with a beautifully weighted ball, with the midfielder passing it on to Nasri who opened his body to curl a shot past Kenneth Vermeer.

Aguero then twice found himself with space in the box, and may well have doubled the lead if it wasn't for two last ditch tackles, before, five minutes later, Vermeer made a fine save from Richards as the Premier League champions settled.

With half-time approaching City were made to pay for failing to press on, though. Ricardo van Rhijn delivered with a low cross from the right, picking out De Jong's run and allowing the midfielder to smash a first-time effort into the corner, giving Hart absolutely no chance and sending the teams into the break on level terms.

The visitors almost made the perfect start to the second period. Aguero broke into the Ajax box and, as Vermeer rushed out, tried to find a team-mate in the area but saw his chipped cross cleared.

However, after a quiet 15 minutes or so, the exact opposite happened. Eriksen whipped in a fantastic corner from the right-hand side, with Moisander then beating Joleon Lescott in the air to nod it past a helpless Hart.

Things went from bad to worse for Mancini, minutes after replacing Lescott with Aleksandar Kolarov and switching to a back three. The Dutch outfit's man of the match, Eriksen, embarked on a twisting run before unleashing a left-footed effort, the ball striking Gael Clichy on it's way into the goal - once again giving Hart no chance.

Tobia Sana then had a golden chance to put his side further ahead, Hart rushing off his line very quickly to smother the one-on-one. Then, as City rushed forward, Dzeko squandered two opportunities to give the visitors a lifeline - the Bosnian hesitating slightly on both occasions which allowed Vermeer to make the blocks.

For the final 15 minutes or so Mancini's side seemed to be playing with just two men at the back and two in midfield, with Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez both thrown into the fray. 

Nasri had a weak penalty appeal turned down and Aguero shot narrowly over, but ultimately there was no breakthrough and Ajax held firm to secure their first win of the tournament, leaving City in big trouble.

Borussia Dortmund 2-1 Real Madrid

Schmelzer the hero as Los Blancos' miserable record in Germany continues

The left-back netted the winner as BVB picked up their first ever win over the Spaniards, leaving them with one win in their previous 24 visits to the country in the process

Borussia Dortmund secured a fantastic 2-1 win over Real Madrid with an energetic display in their Champions League clash at the Signal Iduna Park.

In an evenly contested fixture it was the reigning Bundesliga champions who struck first through Robert Lewandowski but just two minutes later Cristiano Ronaldo equalised with a stunning strike.

Although being the away side, Jose Mourinho's men had a far greater ball retention but that counted for nothing come the final whistle as Marcel Schmelzer's second-half strike ensured BVB took all three points.

The attacking nature of both sides was displayed from the off as neither side sat back in a very open and stretched start. 

With five minutes played, a loose pass from Marco Reus offered Real Madrid their first chance to work the keeper.  Ronaldo charged down the left flank but Mesut Ozil was unable to connect with his cutback and steer the ball on target.

But this was by no means the start of an early Blancos onslaught as BVB proved themselves capable of linking a number of passes together in the opposing half. 

One such move in the 13th minute created space for Sebastian Kehl to try his luck with a shot from distance but a scrambling Iker Casillas managed to get across and parry the ball aside.

Sami Khedira was replaced by Luka Modric due to injury after 20 minutes and although Mourinho's side enjoyed the lion's share of possession, the hosts were relatively comfortable.

After seeing another impressive effort saved by Casillas, Kehl continued to be Dortmund's driving force and that his involvement was key when his side moved ahead. 

Having read the play to pounce on a loose pass from Pepe, he slid a first-time pass straight into Lewandowski. The striker raced through a gap in the defence and fired a low effort past the keeper with 36 minutes played.

Madrid responded to going behind magnificently and managed to restore parity just two minutes later. A long ball forward from Ozil found Ronaldo in space on the left and with Sven Bender unable to make up the ground he lifted the ball over Roman Weidenfeller for a superb finish.

The second half began in a similarly electric fashion to that of the first as Casillas was called into action within five minutes. Mario Gotze sent Lukasz Piszczek's cut back straight down the middle and, although unsighted, the keeper parried it aside.

Five minutes later Schmelzer put enough pressure on Angel Di Maria to stop the Argentine from finding the bottom corner and the BVB left-back then displayed his ability at the other end of the field. 

Casillas could only punch a cross from the left and it fell to Schmelzer 20 yards from goal and the Germany international showed fantastic technique to rifle a volley into the bottom corner in the 64th minute.

Dortmund managed to contain the Liga champions from then on, dispelling the accusations of naivety that were hanging over them following last season's premature exit.

The three points see Jurgen Klopp's men take charge of Group D as they move one point above the Spanish side and into pole position ahead of the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu in a fortnight.

Arsenal 0-2 Schalke

Huntelaar & Afellay gun down sloppy hosts

The visitors have leapfrogged the Gunners at the top of Group B as two second-half goals ensured a deserved victory at the Emirates on a disappointing night for Arsene Wenger's men

Schalke became the first foreign side to win at Arsenal in nine years as they took advantage of a pitiful display by Arsene Wenger’s side to take top spot in Champions League Group B.

Late goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Ibrahim Afellay settled a game that the German visitors dominated throughout, tearing Arsenal’s insipid defence to pieces, with left-back Andre Santos particularly guilty of complacency as he was torn to shreds by Schalke winger Jefferson Farfan.

As Stan Kroenke and Arsene Wenger watched from the stands and boos rung out from the few fans who stayed in the ground until full-time, you got the sense that Arsenal’s AGM on Thursday night became even more interesting with a result that leaves the Gunners second in the group with three matches to play. They remain one point behind Schalke and three above third-placed Montpellier.

It was the manner of the display that will really grate with supporters who made little attempt to hide their frustration as Arsenal fell to their second home defeat in 28 European matches at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners had just one attempt on target in the entire match, and neither of those were noteworthy. While no-one could be said to have played well, Santos was particularly dreadful at the back while Gervinho’s decision-making highlighted the lack of confidence in their attacking play.

Schalke - who have lost just once this season - took control of the game from the very start, with winger Farfan constantly exposing Santos.

In the 14th minute, the German side had a legitimate claim for a penalty when Afellay was released by Farfan and went down under a challenge from Vito Mannone, only to be shown a yellow card for simulation. Replays suggested the Arsenal goalkeeper did make contact with the Dutchman’s foot.

Schalke began to believe in their chances of becoming only the second side to win a Champions League game at the Emirates Stadium. 

Just before half-time, Huntelaar struck wide of the near post from six yards after meeting Atsuto Ushida's cross when he should have scored.

The second period started in the same manner, Farfan again breezing past Santos and squaring for Schalke captain Benedikt Howedes, who made a mess of his attempted shot and blazed over the crossbar.

As the frustration of the Arsenal fans grew, so did the desperation of the players, with Gervinho booked for an outrageous dive as he tangled with substitute Jermaine Jones.

In the 76th minute, Schalke finally scored the goal they deserved and Arsenal were punished for their carelessness. 

It was far too easy for the visitors. Afellay was allowed to head unchallenged 25 yards from goal to Huntelaar, who was played onside by Santos and smashed the ball low past Mannone.

Four minutes before full-time, Schalke again struck on the break and Santos was again left chasing Farfan’s shadow before the Peruvian crossed for Afellay to slot home from inside the six-yard box. Too easy, too good.

Malaga 1-0 AC Milan

Three wins from three for Spanish side as Allegri moves closer to exit

Joaquin was the hero for the Andalusians, atoning for an earlier penalty miss with the only goal of the game in the second half, as Milan's season goes from bad to worse

Malaga's perfect start to its maiden Champions League campaign continued with a 1-0 victory over AC Milan at La Rosaleda on Wednesday.

The Andalusian outfit has three wins out of three, and remains the only side in this seeason's competition yet to concede a goal after a comfortable victory over the beleaguered Italians, who see more pressure heaped on coach Massimiliano Allegri after another disappointing result. 

The scoreline could have been greater had Joaquin not missed a first-half penalty, but the Spanish winger made amends just past the hour mark as he scored the only goal of the game with a cool finish.

Malaga now has nine points from its opening three games in Group C, and holds a five point lead over Milan, which is now looking over its shoulders at Zenit St Petersburg, only a point behind. 

With Nigel De Jong sidelined through injury, Massimo Ambrosini was handed his first Champions League appearance of the season, while Alexandre Pato continued his return from a long injury layoff with a place on the bench.

Malaga, facing an Italian side for the first time in its history, carried the momentum of the first half as the play of Joaquin and Manuel Iturra in particular kept Milan perpetually on the back foot.

Milan would slowly grow into the game though, and it managed to fashion the first real chance of the match on the half hour mark, as Urby Emanualson broke free down the right and teed up Stephan El Shaarawy inside the area, who fired over from a great position.

Malaga would hit back soon after, as a slick combination between Joaquin and Isco resulted in the latter bending a shot inches over the bar from the edge of the box.

With two minutes to go until halftime, the home side was presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead, after Kevin Constant tugged down Jesus Gamez just inside the area to concede a penalty.

Joaquin took responsibility from 12 yards out, but over-hit the spot-kick, which clipped the crossbar on its way out of play.

The match remained finely poised as the second half unfolded, but Malaga continued to shade matters, and Saviola nearly had a one-on-one after latching onto Isco’s brilliant cutback, but a superb tackle by Daniele Bonera halted him at the last.

With 64 minutes gone, however, Malaga would finally find a way through. Iturra was the architect, clipping a perfectly-weighted pass over Francesco Acerbi, from which Joaquin needed no second invitation to slot into the corner.

Eliseu nearly added a second moments after the restart when he lashed towards goal from 20 yards out, but the fingertips of Amelia denied him a great goal.

Milan launched a late and desperate charge during the final minutes. El Shaarawy saw a close range shot pushed away by Caballero, and Mexes fired wide after attacking in a good position from the resulting corner.

But there was nothing more to come from the Italians, as Malaga held on for a deserved victory, and now sits within touching distance of the knockout stages, while Allegri faces fresh speculation over his future. 

Montpellier 1-2 Olympiakos

Mitroglou strikes in injury time to give Greeks valuable win

Rene Girard's side belied their woeful domestic form to boss much of an entertaining encounter, but a leveller from their captain and a late winner saw the visitors grab victory

Olympiakos secured a dramatic late victory in Group B after goals from Vassilis Torossidis and Kostas Mitroglou cancelled out Gaetan Charbonnier's first goal for Montpellier at the Stade de la Mosson.  

The home side made a blistering start to the match, but despite playing some lovely football, Charbonnier's volleyed effort was La Paillade's only effort on target in the first-half. However, the 23-year-old summer signing nabbed his first goal for his new club right after half-time to put the hosts in the driving seat. 

In an entertaining end-to-end contest, Montpellier threatened to stretch their lead only for Olympiakos' skipper Torossidis to nod home an equaliser. Late drama ensued with Mitroglou turning home a last-gasp winner to steal the spoils. 

Although they currently lie 16th in the French top flight, Girard's Montpellier started the game confidently and set the tempo early on. Younes Belhanda served warning that La Paillade were keen to put their domestic woes behind them: the midfielder flashing a fierce drive just wide on the quarter hour mark. 

French striker Anthony Mounier looked particularly lively for the Ligue 1 champions in the opening stages, but the 25-year-old blasted a decent chance over after an imaginatively-worked free-kick. 

Olympiakos, on the other hand, did not resemble a side who have strung seven back-to-back victories together domestically: Leonardo Jardim's outfit looking shell-shocked by the classy start made by their hosts.

The Greek side offered no attacking threat whatsoever in the first 20 minutes, the tricky jinkings of Leandro Greco on the left offering the only early indication that they could cause their French opponents trouble.  

It was no surprise therefore when Greco created Olympiakos' first chance of note: the former Roma winger nutmegging Benjamin Stambouli before whipping in a dangerous cross that Algerian striker Rafik Djebbour was close to converting. 

Despite Jardim's side starting to settle, Montpellier remained firmly on the front foot with the interval approaching. 

However, Montpellier coach Girard - watching from the stands due to a touchline ban received in their previous 2-2 draw with Schalke - must have been frustrated that his side were creating openings without testing Olympiakos' number one Roy Carroll. 

As the French side's early bluster started to flag, the Greek visitors appeared to grow in confidence. The Red and Whites backline looked solid and their midfield men were looking to cause problems: Portuguese midfielder Paulo Machedo firing a long-ranger over as the Greek champions trained their sights. 

After an attacking lull, however, Montpellier regained their verve and were close to taking the lead when striker Charbonnier latched onto John Utaka's cross to force a smart stop from Carroll.

The pressing question, as both sides emerged after the break, was whether Montpellier's brittle confidence would allow them to sustain the swagger they had shown first-half. 

An emphatic answer was delivered just minutes after the break by Charbonnier, who followed up his own flick-on to bury a low volley past Carroll to score his first goal for the French outfit. 

However, Charbonnier's delight was almost cut short immediately, his error near his own box aiding an Olympiakos attack that saw former Valencia midfielder David Fuster mangle a glorious headed opportunity. 

With the visitors stung into action, the game see-sawed: the Greek champions showing far more attacking intent, with Greco still to the fore, but Montpellier continuing to threaten through the outstanding Remy Cabella, Belhanda and Utaka.  

Just when the game seemed to be slipping away, however, Olympiakos' skipper Torossidis rose to the occasion: the right-back venturing forward and converting Jose Holebas' wicked inswinging free-kick at the second attempt on 76 minutes. 

A tense final quarter followed, but the game somewhat petered out with so much at stake for both clubs - only for substitute Kostas Mitroglou to win the match at the death.

The scene is set for a humdinger of a contest on November 6 when Olympiakos host the return fixture - the Greeks looking to secure a place in the Champions League knock-out phase and Montpellier realistically now playing for a Europa league spot.

Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain

Ibrahimovic and Menez secure Croatian cruise

The Sweden international hit home to send his side on the way to a routine victory, which puts it clear of Dynamo Kiev in the race to make the next phase

Paris Saint-Germain was given few problems in dispatching Dinamo Zagreb and taking a big step to qualifying from Group A of the UEFA Champions League, recording a 2-0 victory in the Croatian capital. Zlatan Ibahimovic opened the scoring with a neat close-range finish, before Jeremy Menez blasted home to leave Les Parisiens in the driving seat just before halftime. 

Needing a win to strengthen its chances of making the Champions League knockout stages after suffering defeat against Porto, PSG wasted no time in giving a strong sign of its intentions. With just three minutes on the clock Ibrahimovic expertly broke the Dinamo offside trap, but could not put the ball past Ivan Kelava who reacted quickly to keep out the Sweden international. 

Playing as a sole forward, Zlatan had several chances to open the scoring early on but was indecisive in front of goal, squandering several decent opportunities. Kelava was also called into action to deny Jeremy Menez, who saw his powerful effort palmed away by the young goalkeeper. Zagreb's few opportunities to get men forward invariably came from set-pieces, but an accomplished defensive display from the visitors meant Salvatore Sirigu was rarely troubled between the posts. 

The breakthrough for PSG came 10 minutes before the break. Menez did fantastically to beat Ante Puljic wide on the left, and his low cross met Ibrahimovic's outstretched boot and was diverted into the net, just out of Kelava's reach. The goal was a turning point, and ushered in a strong spell of domination for Carlo Ancelotti's charges. 

Dinamo was rapidly losing their grip on proceedings, and stared a third consecutive Champions League reverse in the face when Les Parisiens added a second. Christophe Jallet initiated a rapid counter from deep in his own half that went through Javier Pastore; the Argentine then released Menez on the left who burst into the area and smashed his effort through the legs of Kelava.

Pastore threatened to further extend the lead just after the restart, hitting into the side netting as the away team looked to pick up where it left off after its impressive end to the first period. Dinamo was also probing early on in its attempt to find a way back into proceedings, but both Thiago Silva and Jallet put themselves in the way of danger to thwart the hosts. 

The second half developed without too much goalmouth action, PSG seemingly content with the advantage and Dinamo short of ideas on how to penetrate its opponent's stout defensive line. Zlatan, however, was handed another excellent chance to add a third. The former Milan man was put clean through once more, but tried to be too cute in lobbing the ball over Kelava and drifted his effort wide with the goal at his mercy. The away team then did its best to submit its entry for goal of the season, slick passing between Menez and Jallet playing in Sissokho whose ripping volley flew just wide. 

There were to be no more goals for PSG, but the French team was left to celebrate as its recorded a comfortable victory in a potentially tricky encounter. The club stay in second place with six points from their opening three Champions League encounters, trailing Porto by three but enjoying the same margin over Dynamo Kiev at Group A's halfway point. Dinamo, meanwhile, stays at the foot of the table having failed to hit the net in any of its matches so far.

Porto 3-2 Dynamo Kiev

Jackson Martinez double maintains 100% Group A record

The Portuguese side secured maximum points in dramatic style on Wednesday evening, thanks to their Colombian attacker

Porto produced a 3-2 victory over Dynamo Kiev to maintain their perfect record in Champions League Group A. 

Silvestre Varela’s blockbusting opener provided the first goal in a terrific match, which saw the Ukrainians respond when Oleh Gusyev glanced home a corner kick. Jackson Martinez put the Portuguese side back into the lead before the break, but Brown Ideye’s effort seemed that it may have decisive for the visitors. Nevertheless, Martinez popped up again to score the fifth goal of an enthralling encounter.

Coming into the match having already seen off Dinamo Zagreb and Paris Saint-Germain, the home side showed plenty of confidence in the early stages , yet they had offered only a limited threat in the early stages of the clash.  That changed spectacularly when Varela picked up a seemingly innocuous ball on the edge of the box and rifled home an unstoppable shot.

The Ukrainians had offered little threat to this point, aside from dangerous crosses from Miguel Veloso. From one such chance they drew level as a wicked in-swinging delivery was knocked home by Gusyev.

Although Porto struggled to puncture holes in their opponents, Martinez had already threatened with a shot off the crossbar, and it would be the attacker who broke the deadlock for them 10 minutes before the interval. James Rodriguez was the architect, sliding a neat ball through for the striker to knock home in a composed manner.

After the interval it was the erratic goalkeeping of Helton that offered Dynamo their greatest hope of a point, with the shot-stopper frequently showing nerves with slack punches from the crosses that were coming into his area. 

Nevertheless, Helton’s most painful moment came as he conceded to Ideye, whose thumping effort cracked into the net off his face.

Porto had created only a couple of chances to secure the points before that moment, so there was not great hope of them finding a winning goal, yet it arrived shortly after the leveller. Martinez was the hero with a simple finish, tapping home after Lucho Gonzalez beat a ragged offside trap and squared the ball to his colleague.

Victory was expected for Porto, but the drama surrounding this success was not. Nevertheless, head coach Vítor Pereira can be delighted with the progress of his side, who look all-but certain to progress to the knockout stages once more.

Zenit 1-0 Anderlecht

Kerzhakov penalty rescues unconvincing hosts

The Russians stole the result despite a very lacklustre performance at home, but nevertheless move off the foot of Group C thanks to a second-half spot kick

Zenit St Petersburg claimed the first points of their Champions League campaign after a narrow 1-0 win over Anderlecht at the Petrovskij Stadium on Wednesday.

With both sides needing a win to resurrect their failing European challenges, a penalty from Aleksandr Kerzhakov in the second half, given after a foul by Milan Jovanovic, was enough to send the Russian outfit to a victory that they barely deserved.

Anderlecht will rightfully be disappointed with the result, as they fashioned the best chances throughout the match, and fell victim to a momentary lapse at the back to leave them with one point from their opening three games. 

Zenit now move off the foot of the table with the win and sit three points behind Group C leaders Malaga, who square off with AC Milan later on Wednesday. 

With so much at stake, it was perhaps no surprise to see the match take a while to get off the ground, as both sides seemed determined to prevent a goal rather than score themselves.

The first opening went Anderlecht’s way after 12 minutes, as a delightful one-two between Tom de Sutter and Jovanovic saw the latter drag wide of the far post after going one-on-one with Vyacheslav Malafeev.

That chance seemed to spark Zenit forward, and a stinging free-kick from Hulk was whipped inches wide of the far post, with two of his team-mates close to getting a touch.

The hosts were able to sustain pressure in the opposition half for large spells, but their monopolisation of the ball did not result in any clear-cut chances, as their attack seemed woefully out of sync.

In fact, the best chance of the first half fell to Anderlecht after 26 minutes, when Guillaume Gillet turned Domenico Criscito inside out to find himself in point blank range, only to slide the ball across goal when it was begging to be hit.

That was about as close the match got to a goal before the break, as both teams were extremely laboured in their play, despite the 0-0 scoreline doing more harm than good to their flailing chances of making the knockout stages.

Anderlecht came close four minutes after the restart, after good work from De Sutter out wide saw him tee-up Jovanovic inside the area, but the Serbian, instead of attacking the cross, elected to go to ground in futile hopes for a penalty.

But the second half followed the pattern of the first, with both teams lacking any sort of initiative in attack, as goalmouth action remained elusive.

There was finally some action of note just past the hour mark, as a testing free-kick from Lucas Biglia was punched clear by Malafeev moments before Kanu was able to connect.

Not long after, substitute Vladimir Bystrov cut into space just inside the area, but his shot was fired disappointingly over the bar.

But Zenit were handed a huge stroke of luck with 18 minutes remaining, after Anyukov was hauled down by Jovanovic while attacking a free-kick, leaving the referee with little choice but to award a penalty.

Most of the players were unaware that the infraction had been called, but after matters had settled, Kerzhakov stepped up to send Proto the wrong way and give the home side a lead they scarcely deserved.

Anderlecht pressed forward in the time that remained, but despite a few spells of pressure, they could not strike a telling blow as Zenit ran off with the points, though with Malaga and AC Milan set to meet later in the day, their task in Group C remains monumental.

Source: goal.com

Premier League Report

Manchester United 4-2 Stoke City

Rooney recovers from own goal to fire hosts to victory

The Red Devils bounce back after going behind early as the England international strikes for the first time this season while Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck also find the net

Wayne Rooney scored a double and an own goal as Manchester United bounced back after going behind early to register a 4-2 victory over Stoke City at Old Trafford. 

The visitors took the lead when the England international nodded the ball into his own net from a Charlie Adam free-kick. United rallied and Rooney was on hand to get them back into the game with a thumping header. 

Just before the break Robin van Persie gave his side the lead with sublime close range effort and 50 seconds after the restart Danny Welbeck notched another for the Red Devils with a superb diving header. 

Michael Kightly got the Potters back into the game with a great individual effort only for Rooney to give United their two goal lead back with a smart finish at the back-post to seal the win for the Red Devils. 

Sir Alex Ferguson made two changes to the side that beat Newcastle with Antonio Valencia and Paul Scholes coming in for Shinji Kagawa and Tom Cleverley. Tony Pulis made just one change from his Potters team that drew with Liverpool with Dean Whitehead replacing Glenn Whelan. 

The Red Devils dominated possession early on but it was the Potters who took the lead through an own goal from Rooney who could only helplessly nod Adam’s free-kick past David De Gea when trying to mark Shawcross. 

Every time Stoke pushed forward they threatened and De Gea had to make two good saves to stop the visitors doubling their lead, first from Adam, and then from Walters after Kightly and Peter Crouch had combined to set the striker one-on-one with the Spaniard. 

The Potters were made to rue these missed opportunities as United equalised through Rooneyas he rose highest in the penalty area to head Van Persie’s cross into the right net this time for his first league goal of the season. 

United upped the ante before the break as Scholes and Welbeck went close before they took the lead through Van Persie as he turned Valencia’s pinpoint cross past Begovic at the near post with a lovely finish taking the ball first time with his left-foot. 

Immediately after half-time the Red Devils made it three as Welbeck headed sublimely past Begovic with a diving effort, as he latched onto Rooney’s cross getting in between two defenders to nod into the bottom corner. 

The Potters had shown earlier they were not going to be pushovers and they regained that attitude as they equalised through Kightly with a great individual effort as he ran through the United defence and shot past De Gea with the aid of the post. 

Stoke’s hopes of getting back into the game further were dented when Rooney struck again from close range as he reacted first to a scramble in the penalty area from a Van Persie corner and side-footed into the net at the back-post. 

The Potters tried desperately to fight their way back into the game again while United had chances of their own to extend their lead but neither could find a way through again as Sir Alex’s side sealed the three points. 

West Brom 1-2 Manchester City

Super-sub Dzeko saves champions with dramatic double

Roberto Mancini's team rescued victory from the jaws of defeat after Shane Long had given the home side a 67th minute lead and James Milner had been sent off in the first half

On paper, this trip to fortress Hawthorns always looked a major test of Manchester City's title credentials.

So it proved, as Edin Dzeko came off the bench and rescued victory from the jaws of defeat for Roberto Mancini's 10-man team in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Shane Long's poacher's goal had given West Brom a 67th minute lead and looked like propelling the home side to their fifth consecutive home Premier League win of the season following James Milner's early sending-off.

But Dzeko had other ideas. A minute after coming on the pitch, he headed an 80th minute equaliser from Carlos Tevez's free-kick following an error from Ben Foster.

Then, in added time he sent City's travelling fans wild with his second goal and fifth league strike of the season, calmly slotting home with his right foot.

Either side of Dzeko's last-minute winner, another substitute, Romelu Lukaku, had come close to scoring, but he was denied - first by Joe Hart and then by an Aleksandar Kolarov goal-line clearance.

Before kick-off this clash had 'upset' written all over it. West Brom have adapted smoothly following the change-over from Roy Hodgson to Steve Clarke, accumulating 14 points from their first seven matches.

Moreover, the Hawthorns has been quite a fortress for Clarke's team. Their opening four home league matches have yielded four victories - against Liverpool, Everton, Reading and QPR – and nine goals.

Mancini selected a team with a strong English core. Joe Hart, Joleon Lescott and Milner all started despite the 20-hour delay to England's match against Poland in midweek and they were complemented by Gareth Barry and Micah Richards.

Sadly for City, Milner only lasted 23 minutes. A mistake by Vincent Kompany allowed Long a clear run on Hart's goal, which meant that the midfielder had to time his tackle perfectly. He did not.

Long was hacked to the ground and replays showed that Mark Clattenburg was correct to show Milner a straight red card for a professional foul.

Briefly, City lost their composure as feisty challenges rained in from the home side, backed by their vocal home support.

Mancini needed his 10 men to stand firm but Balotelli was having one of those days when he felt the whole world was against him. After being booked in the 19th minute for lashing out following a challenge, he began to tread a disciplinary tight-rope as the opening half finished, even if he was harshly penalised for a foul.

When the whistle blew and with the crowd increasingly getting on his back, Balotelli marched up to Clattenburg and his assistants to have his say, before being sensibly escorted away by Hart.

Few among the 24,891 spectators expected the temperamental Italian to come back out after the break, but Mancini re-shaped his team into a 4-3-1-1 formation, moved Tevez back and gave Balotelli the spearhead role in which he is far more comfortable.

It paid immediate dividends. City began to gain a foothold in the match, creating opportunities and quietening the home fans for the first time.

Tevez's long-range shot was heading for the top corner before it was athletically pawed away by Foster while Toure headed over the bar after Balotelli's mis-hit volley.

Against the run of play, West Brom took the lead after 67 minutes. Substitute Peter Odemwingie made an immediate impact, putting Long through on goal with a slide-rule pass and the No.9 tapped in his third league goal of the season and fifth in all. Replays showed he was narrowly on-side as City’s defenders moved forward.

Mancini hauled off Barry and sent on Dzeko to rescue a point. The Bosnian managed to do even better.

Liverpool 1-0 Reading

Sterling strike gives Rodgers first home league win

The Merseyside outfit toiled in front of goal against a Royals side reluctant to leave their half but were let off by the 17-year-old's well-taken first-half goal

Liverpool posted just their third Premier League victory at Anfield in 2012 as they earned a 1-0 win over Reading on Saturday afternoon.

Raheem Sterling struck the solitary goal, finishing well into the corner after a chipped through ball from Luis Suarez - who was at his wasteful best as the Reds failed to carve out a bigger lead.

The hosts made just one change following their disappointing 0-0 draw with Stoke last time out, as goalkeeper Pepe Reina – injured on international duty with Spain – dropped out for Brad Jones. Royals boss Brian McDermott, meanwhile, swapped Jay Tabb and Noel Hunt for Mikele Leigertwood and Danny Guthhrie respectively, after his side threw away a 2-0 lead to draw with Swansea in their last outing. 

Keen to atone for their limp showing against the Potters, Liverpool began the game brightly, with Nuri Sahin flagged narrowly offside after latching onto a lofted ball in the box with just minutes on the clock. 

Reading were dealt an early blow as Jem Karacan was forced to leave the field following a cruching 50-50 challenge with Steven Gerrard, with Gareth McCleary sent on as his replacement. And things almost immediately got worse for the visitors, as Sahin shot inches over from a Sterling pull back in the box.

The young winger was unwisely being given the freedom of Anfield by the Royals and had not always used it effectively, but more than made up for that with 29 minutes on the clock. An intelligent first-time pass from Suarez let Sterling free and, after taking one touch, he fired beyond Alex McCarthy to put the Reds in front.

The hosts continued to dominate the ball in the Reading half from that point, leading to a bizarre moment 40 minutes in which brought perhaps the loudest cheer from the Anfield crowd all season. Suarez jinked in front of the back four to draw a foul, prompting the referee to award a free-kick which was welcomed rapturously by all four corners of the ground in recognition of the perceived injustices the Uruguayan has been dealt this term.

In truth, the crowd had little else to cheer for the remainder for the first period, as matters came to a close with Liverpool one ahead.

It took just five minutes of the second half for Liverpool to go close again, as Suarez saw his shot across McCarthy well saved, but the Royals almost got themselves on terms after breaking with speed after that effort. McCleary beat the hosts’ offside trap with ease but Jones was more than equal to his tentative attempt at the near post.

That miss prompted Liverpool into attacking with more abandon and Suarez should have done better than striking Sterling’s cross over, following a delightful through ball from Sahin to start the attack.

Brendan Rodgers’ side went close twice in quick succession moments later with a McCarthy save from Gerrard’s shot and Shelvey’s poor touch denying them a two-goal cushion. And the typically profligate Suarez also contrived to keep the scores level with two horrendous misses in a matter of seconds at the Kop end.

But the hosts were let off for those misses, as the Royals failed to conjure an attack of real note with time running out.

Tottenham 2-4 Chelsea

Marvellous Mata inspires Chelsea comeback

The Blues win a thrilling a London derby with the Spaniard grabbing a double and Gary Cahill and Daniel Sturridge also on target as Villas-Boas loses to his former team

There was no revenge for Andre Villas-Boas as Chelsea continued their unbeaten start to the season at White Hart Lane with a performance full of the attacking verve their former coach was hired to implement.

This was the best of football, a pulsating, ever-changing derby encounter decided by two goals in as many second-half minutes by the quite brilliant Juan Mata, who shone brightest of all in Chelsea’s sparkling midfield and set-up Daniel Sturridge in injury time for the Blues’ fourth goal. 

Chelsea had initially taken the lead through Gary Cahill’s brilliant volley in the 18th minute before Spurs rallied in the second half to turn the game on its head through goals from William Gallas and Jermain Defoe.

Chelsea, though, deserved a victory that keeps up their best start to a season since 2006 and leaves them top of the league with 22 points from their first eight matches, while Spurs remain outside the top four.

Against the club that sacked him earlier this year, Villas-Boas restored goalkeeper Brad Friedel to the starting line-up ahead of Hugo Lloris, while Mousa Dembele missed out through a hip injury and Gareth Bale dropped out late after his partner went into labour.

Chelsea captain John Terry served the first game of a four-match ban for using racist language, but the Blues barely noticed his absence in the first half as they controlled the early stages and took advantage of Spurs’ missing men.

The first 45 minutes was defined by two volleys. The first, in the fourth minute, was badly mishit by Spurs captain Gallas from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner and trickled wide from seven yards.

The second, in the 18th minute, broke the deadlock. After a poor header from Gallas as he tried to clear a corner, the ball fell for Cahill to smash the ball into the roof of the net from just inside the penalty area. Thunderous.

Chelsea really should have doubled their advantage in the 39th minute when Ramires found Mata, but his shot was saved by Friedel before he smashed the rebound over the crossbar. 

Villas-Boas decided not to make any personnel changes at the break but Spurs came out for the second half with a completely new attitude.

Within a minute of the restart, they were level as they took advantage as the Chelsea defence simply fell asleep. Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick appeared to be drifting off the pitch but Jan Vertonghen superbly kept the ball alive, allowing Gallas to head home his first Spurs goal virtually from the goal-line.

Five minutes later, Tottenham took the lead as Defoe scored the 200th goal of his career with a true poacher’s finish. Aaron Lennon appeared to be attempting to shoot from the right but Defoe reacted more quickly than anyone to expertly turn the ball in. 

White Hart Lane was rocking but this was a topsy-turvy, helter-skelter game and it once again turned on its head in the space of a crazy two minutes, as Mata scored twice with more than a helping hand from Gallas. 

On 65 minutes, the Spaniard picked up Gallas’ woeful clearance and drilled a perfect, clean finish into the bottom corner with his left foot.

Mata has been in wonderful form so far this season and it was little surprise that he was the man to score Chelsea’s third goal of the afternoon. First he evaded Gallas’ attention, and as the Frenchman watched Eden Hazard’s wonderful pass slide past him, Mata raced through and converted one-on-one past Friedel.

Torres latched on to another Mata pass but shot wide before the victory was sealed in added time, Sturridge turning in to an empty net after more brilliant work from the diminutive Spaniard.

Norwich City 1-0 Arsenal

Holt winner leaves blunt Gunners 10 points off title pace

The Canaries register their first Premier League win of the season as Arsene Wenger's side fail to create clear-cut chances despite dominating possession at Carrow Road

Norwich picked up their first Premier League win of the season after a determined and hard-fought performance against Arsenal at Carrow Road, edging the match 1-0.

The Gunners had more possession throughout, but the hosts opened the scoring through Grant Holt in the first half after Vito Mannone spilled a long-range shot.

The Canaries were forced to hold on for periods of the match, but a solid defensive performance saw them hard to break down, with the visiting side creating few clear-cut chances.

Norwich made two changes from the side that was swept aside by Chelsea two weeks ago with Leon Barnett being replaced by summer signing Michael Turner, while Anthony Pilkington came in for Jonny Howson, who dropped to the bench.

Arsenal came into the match in good form and made just the one change to the side that beat West Ham away last time out, with Andre Santos starting at left-back in place of the injured Kieran Gibbs.

Jack Wilshere was named among the Gunners' substitutes, despite Arsene Wenger's claims that the midfielder, who has missed 14 months due to injury, was still weeks away from a return.

The hosts came out of the trap in a determined manner, with Pilkington going close early on, but the Gunners soon took control of possession, making the match look like a training session at times, yet they could not create clear opportunities.

Norwich’s steely rearguard action was providing an excellent launch pad, and they were soon in the lead, with the help of Arsenal goalkeeper Mannone.

Bradley Johnson cut the ball back to Alexander Tettey about 25 yards out, and the Norwegian tried his luck, only for his effort to be spilled by Mannone but Holt was rushing in and buried the rebound.

The goal saw Norwich showing significantly more on the ball, and although Arsenal generally continued to edge the possession, it was the hosts who went close next, but Turner, who was booed before kick-off, headed a great chance wide after Wes Hoolahan’s corner and the Canaries went into the break in the lead.

After the break the match followed a similar pattern to what had been established before the break, with Norwich doing most of the running about, while the Gunners stroked the ball around with little end product.

Olivier Giroud was presented with an opportunity to get a shot in when John Ruddy punched Carl Jenkinson’s cross straight to him, but his effort bobbled harmlessly wide as Arsenal pressed hard for an equaliser.

With 20 minutes to go, Thomas Vermaelen presented Norwich with an excellent chance to secure the win after slipping on the half-way line, but Holt’s attempted chip went straight into the hands of Mannone.

Arsenal piled the pressure on in the final ten minutes, but they still could not break down the Norwich defence that held strong, with Leon Barnett' last-ditch block on Gervinho securing the win.

Source: goal.com

Premier League Reports

Queens Park Rangers 2 Arsenal 1

Just like that: Adel Taarabt (second left) scored the opening goal in Queens Park Rangers's defeat of Arsenal at Loftus Road - Mark Hughes's second big scalp in as many weeks

There has always been something of the Tommy Cooper about Adel Taarabt – some of his tricks work, most do not – but QPR’s Moroccan magician took comparisons to a new level by donning a red fez after he scored his first Premier League goal.
Taarabt set QPR on their way to an invaluable victory over a subdued Arsenal, who were criticised for their poor attitude by Arsène Wenger afterwards.
Despite getting back into the game when Theo Walcott equalised Taarabt’s superb opening goal, Arsenal were second best for most of the match. The only surprise about QPR’s victory in the end was that the winning goal came from Samba Diakité, better known for breaking up play than breaking opposition hearts.
The result ended Arsenal’s run of seven successive league victories, while also giving QPR three points in their battle against relegation. Although they are still third from bottom, this win, following a draw with Everton and victory over Liverpool 10 days ago, has inspired optimism in manager Mark Hughes. “The bigger the challenge, the better we are,” he said. “Against Everton we did enough to win, Liverpool we overcame, and today was the best of the lot. To a man I thought we were exceptional, against a team who had brushed everyone aside in recent weeks. We thoroughly deserved the victory.”
Wenger paid tribute to the commitment of Hughes’s side, but was not so generous with his own players. “It was very frustrating because they left us the ball and waited for our mistakes. We took the ball, didn’t do a lot with it, and made mistakes.

“Our performance was not good enough to win this kind of game. In the duels they had a little bit of extra special commitment. We can only congratulate QPR for their attitude and be unhappy with our own performance.”
Pressed on whether his side looked complacent, he added: “It is difficult to say but why not? We played against a team fighting for survival. I felt subconsciously something was missing today. In the Premier League, if you miss something on the commitment front you are beaten.”
Wenger refused to criticise Thomas Vermaelen, who was at fault for both goals: “I do not want to single anybody out but we made defensive mistakes today.”
Vermaelen was beaten far too easily when Taarabt put QPR ahead in the 22nd minute. The Moroccan took a pass from Clint Hill with his back to goal, turned past Vermaelen with a clever flick and ran on to curl a delicious shot past Wojciech Szczesny from the edge of the penalty area. It was his first goal in 32 games at this level. His exuberant celebrations, which were capped by team-mate Joey Barton plonking a fez from the crowd on his head, earned Taarabt a booking from referee Mike Dean.
Rangers were well on top at that stage, with Bobby Zamora putting a free header over from close range and firing a shot straight at Szczesny. But the visitors equalised in the 37th minute when Robin van Persie flicked the ball to Walcott, whose first shot hit the post but rebounded kindly for him to drill the ball high past Paddy Kenny.
Rangers regained control and the lead when Diakité scored his first goal for the club. The Mali international, on loan from Nancy, had been dominant in his midfield holding role, but got forward to superb effect in the 66th minute. Barton released Jamie Mackie down the right, Vermaelen slipped and the ball was cut back for Diakité to place it high into the corner of Szczesny’s goal.
Chances came and went. Kenny punched away a fierce free-kick from Van Persie, then made an even better save from the Dutchman, tipping his drive away spectacularly.
Rangers could have scored more. Taarabt and Mackie set up Zamora but the striker dithered and his shot was blocked, Diakité shot just wide from the centre circle and a Barton shot was tipped over by Szczesny.
There was an agonising delay in stoppage time for QPR’s fans after one of their number threw what appeared to be a coin at an assistant referee as Van Persie prepared to take a free-kick. They greeted the final whistle with raucous acclaim.
Barton, who had been dropped for last weekend’s defeat at Sunderland having been booed by QPR fans the previous week, had written in his programme notes about the need for supporters to get behind all the players and make Loftus Road “a fortress”. He returned to the team and played a vital part in the victory, drawing praise from Hughes for his strength of character.
“Joey was different class and led from the front,” he said. “He got a lot of stick last time out because his performance level wasn’t high and he acknowledged that. The crowd willed him into a top-class performance. It was an outstanding performance from him and every one of them.”
It was a terrific collective performance from QPR, with Zamora leading the line bravely despite missing chances, while Hill and Anton Ferdinand held firm against a subdued Van Persie, who has now gone more than five hours of football without a goal.
Taarabt had the extra touch of class, as he showed in the Championship last season. “It was too easy for him at times last year, when he scored goal after goal. But his goal today was excellent and will do him the world of good,” said Hughes, who believes his side can get out of trouble. “If we play like that from now until the end of the season we will win more games – it’s a given.”

Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 4

At last: Fernando Torres celebrates ending his six-month Premier League goal drought

It began with a ripple as Petr Cech gathered a harmless throughball and developed into a throaty noise that watered eyes and made hairs stand on end.

As soon as the clock turned to 19 minutes, the Villa Park crowd stood for a minute’s applause in honour of Stiliyan Petrov, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia on Friday, with two sets of balloons in the red, white and green of the Bulgarian flag drifting over the heads of the Chelsea supporters.

One can only begin to imagine the emotions felt by Petrov and his family as they looked on from a hospitality box followed by the pride when his young team-mates laid down a marker of defiance, coming from two goals down to threaten to earn what would have been a remarkable comeback.

The effort expended by this collection of youngsters – six of the starting line-up were 23 or younger – says much about their character.

Petrov, 32, faces an uncertain battle when he begins his treatment in London tomorrow, but he has been left in no doubt about the way his sport feels about him. Both sets of players wore T-shirts with his name on to warm up and there were banners everywhere, particularly in the Holte End.

Chelsea did their bit but looked ready to depart with an easy win thanks to goals from Daniel Sturridge and Branislav Ivanovic. But James Collins and Eric Lichaj pulled Villa level with 10 minutes left to set up what looked likely to be a remarkable comeback.

Yet it was not to be as Ivanovic scored his second before Fernando Torres broke away to score his first Premier League goal in more than five months.

Petrov’s programme notes, written in the days before Friday’s announcement, added further poignancy, with the Bulgarian renewing his message of support for Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who continues to recover from his cardiac arrest, and talking up the young Austrian forward Andreas Weimann, who was given his first start by Alex McLeish.

They were sentiments that Petrov also alluded to in a statement that was read out moments before kick-off as pictures of him in his seat were shown on the big screens, as his intention to fight with a determination inspired by Muamba was expressed over the speakers.

There is something reassuring that not all tribalistic tendencies are forgotten in such circumstances. Despite their

T-shirts, the visiting players were gently jeered as they came out before the game. And after Villa fans sang “One Stiliyan Petrov”, they applauded the visitors’ song without realising it was 'One team in Europe’ being belted out of the away end.

When it came to it, a Villa team full of youth and purpose ultimately looked limited against a Chelsea side that faces Benfica next week with the chance to move into the Champions League semi-finals. However, David Luiz and Didier Drogba are both doubtful for that game with respective ankle and foot problems.

Chelsea will be delighted with Torres’s performance, even though he saw an early effort blocked by Shay Given after he raced on to a David Luiz pass, but he was soon involved again as the visitors took the lead.

Salomon Kalou sent over a cross from the left and Torres was fed by Mata, but the striker was stopped in his tracks by Stephen Warnock before Sturridge swept in from close range. Soon after John Obi Mikel saw his thumping drive deflect off both Baker and James Collins only to finish up in the arms of Given before Collins headed over at the other end as he went close to ending the minute’s applause in style.

Mata always looked the most dangerous player on the field and after a flurry of quick passes involving Kalou and Torres, he guided a shot past Given only to see it come back off the inside of a post, while a Gabriel Agbonlahor effort, which was blocked by Cech’s legs, was the best effort from the home side.

Petrov is renowned for his local charity work and there is no sign of that stopping, with the Villa captain pledging £500 for each spot-kick missed in a half-time penalty shoot-out against former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

Any prospect of a comeback appeared to have been halted within six minutes of the restart, when Ivanovic prodded in from close range from a Mata corner.

But with 12 minutes left, a long throw from Lichaj was met with a powerful header from Collins as Villa pulled one back and within three minutes, Lichaj was at the far post to touch in from a cross from Marc Albrighton to level the scores.

It made the climax even harder to take for Villa’s fans. Ivanovic prodded in from a Florent Malouda corner three minutes later and there was even time for Torres to end that long wait for a Premier League goal.

Although this was less convincing than it should have been, with six wins from his eight matches in charge Chelsea’s Roberto Di Matteo is staking a strong claim to become more than an interim manager and he was pleased with the character shown by his players, not just Torres.

“He’s been providing goals for his team-mates and now he’s scored as well,” Di Matteo said. “We’re happy we can score four goals.

“Before the game our thoughts were with Petrov and his family but once the game starts, you have to focus on the task.

“We keep this positive momentum and spirit. Every game and win helps us continue and believe.

“After they drew level they could have capitulated but you saw the spirit and desire to win the game and we reacted in a positive way.”

Source: The Telegraph

Manchester City 3-3 Sunderland

Kolarov grabs late equaliser but Larsson double dents hosts' title challenge

The Blues produced a stunning comeback, grabbing two late goals to rescue a potentially crucial point after the Black Cats had raced into a 3-1 lead

Sunderland were denied their first ever win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, as the Blues produced a stunning comeback to grab a 3-3 draw and potentially save their Premier League title hopes.

The Black Cats took a deserved first-half lead through Sebastian Larsson. City hit back through a Mario Balotelli penalty but Nicklas Bendtner restored the lead with a terrific header.

Larsson grabbed his second in the second half, yet with the points seemingly in the bag, City rallied late on and claimed a potentially crucial point thanks to goals from Balotelli and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Roberto Mancini made four changes to the side that struggled to a 1-1 draw at Stoke a week ago, the most notable being the return of Vincent Kompany, who replaced Pablo Zabaleta after three weeks out with a calf strain.

Kolarov was given the nod ahead of Gael Clichy at left-back, while James Milner and Nigel de Jong replaced Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry in the City midfield.

For the visitors, Martin O’Neill made just two changes to the side dumped out of the FA Cup by Everton on Tuesday. With Wayne Bridge unable to play against his parent club, Jack Colback started in an unorthodox left-back role, while Matthew Kilgallon was handed just his fourth league start of the season at the expense of Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Sunderland had never won at the Etihad Stadium, but the visitors looked in the mood to change that statistic early on, with the City rearguard having to be at their absolute best to deny James McClean and then Stephane Sessegnon.

But it didn’t take long for Mancini’s men to get into their stride, and it took a smart save from Simon Mignolet to deny Kolarov’s vicious free-kick.

A relatively one-sided half ensued, with City providing much of the game’s attacking threat, yet O’Neill’s men remained a constant threat on the counterattack and they had a glorious opportunity to take the lead.

After the Black Cats had worked the ball out to Sebastian Larsson, the Swedish midfielder cut it back to Sessegnon, who unselfishly squared for the unmarked Craig Gardner, yet the former Villa man fired inexplicably wide from just 12 yards.

However, with half an hour on the clock the visitors did grab the lead. Following some patient build-up play, Sessegnon eventually played the ball to Larsson on the edge of the area, who used Kolo Toure as a shield and whipped the ball into the unsighted Joe Hart’s bottom corner.

The goal clearly panicked the home side, with Balotelli throwing himself to the ground in the penalty area on numerous occasions without success.

Yet Mancini’s side eventually got the penalty they had been craving, when Edin Dzeko tumbled over the left leg of Craig Gardner. Balotelli stepped up and sent Mignolet the wrong way, restoring parity for his side.

With the game seemingly heading towards a half-time stalemate, Sunderland won a free-kick on the halfway line in the 48th minute. Larsson opted to play it quickly, catching City cold, and when Sessegnon whipped in a fantastic cross, Bendtner out-jumped Micah Richards at the back post and planted his header in the bottom corner, giving Sunderland a shock half-time lead.

A clear pattern began to emerge in the second-half, with the visitors sitting deep and letting City play in front of them.

Yet the Black Cats were still looking menacing on the break, and they stretched their lead with a fantastic break 10 minutes in.

The instrumental Sessegnon played Bendtner through with a sublime ball, the Dane looked up and found the unmarked Larsson at the back post, who was left with the simple task of slotting home, sending the travelling Wearsiders into raptures.

City needed a hero, and Mancini summoned Carlos Tevez from the bench in an attempt to rescue something from the game.

But the Argentine had little impact on the game, and with David Silva the man chosen to be replaced by Tevez, the home fans began to grow increasingly frustrated at their side’s lack of creativity.

Balotelli offered late hope for the home side with five minutes to play, after cutting into the box and lashing his right-footed effort into the top corner.

And just a minute after the restart, City had done what seemed almost impossible, as Kolarov produced a stunning drive from the edge of the area which flew past Mignolet into the bottom corner, without the Belgian moving.

As the game drew to a close, City pressed for a winner but without success, as Mancini's men failed to win a Premier League home game for the first time in 21 games, leaving them two points behind United but having played a game extra.

Source: goal.com

Inter has no interest in Tevez

Italian giants decide to end interest in Argentine

Inter Milan have announced they are no longer interested in signing Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez having previously held negotiations with the Argentine.

AC Milan and Paris Saint Germain have also held talks with the 27-year-old, but no club has been able to meet City's £30million-plus valuation.

With less than a week remaining of the transfer window, Tevez is presently in Argentina, having returned to South America in November, and City have stopped paying his wages.

Both the striker and his club are keen to see an end to what has become an arduous saga, which began in September after he refused to resume his warm-up in the UEFA Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich.

Expensive

But on Tuesday evening City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak outlined the club would not allow Tevez to leave in any undervalue deal and if any suitable arrangement cannot be found then they would expect the forward to honour the remaining two-and-half-years of his contract.

AC Milan have been Tevez's preferred destination, but, with PSG having pulled out of a deal because they believe it is too expensive, they now also appear to be his only option after Inter ruled out a move due to the return of other players from injury.

Inter Milan board member Marco Tronchetti Provera told Ansa: "Now we're no longer interested in Tevez. He is following a different path.

"Inter have recovered their champions and there is no need to have him or another, even if Tevez remains a great champion."

Inter, meanwhile, remain unsure over the future of Thiago Motta, who has been regularly linked with PSG.

Asked whether the midfielder will stay at the Giuseppe Meazza, Provera said: "It's a question that for now has no answer. These are choices which the club will do with the player."

Source: skysports

Premier League - Janyary 22

Arsenal 1 Manchester United 2

Valencia and Welbeck keep up the pressure on City

Manchester United kept within touching distance of the top of the Barclays Premier League thanks to Danny Welbeck's late winner at Arsenal.
United knew they needed a win to keep close to leaders Manchester City and they looked on course for victory when Antonio Valencia nodded home Ryan Giggs' cross.
Arsenal rallied in the second half and pulled one back through Robin van Persie, but their hopes of a point were dashed nine minutes from the end when Welbeck steered Valencia's cross home from close range.

The game was not a patch on City's 3-2 win over Tottenham in terms of entertainment and quality, but Sir Alex Ferguson will be happy to have ground out another win which further proves he still has the know-how to formulate a title challenging team at the grand old age of 70.
In reality, though, Arsenal made their task much easier thanks to an abject first-half defensive display from the Gunners' makeshift back four.
Despite the thrilling nature of the encounter between Tottenham and City earlier, Arsenal v Manchester United has proved to be a humdinger of a game in Premier League history.
Pizza-throwing tunnel clashes, touchline spats and on-field rucks have taken place in recent encounters and today's match had even more added spice as the Gunners were out for revenge after their 8-2 humiliation at Old Trafford.
Both managers had predicted a cagey encounter on this occasion, however, and the first 10 minutes suggested they were right to do so.
Jonny Evans cleared an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross and Anders Lindegaard easily gathered a shot from Aaron Ramsey.
Theo Walcott embarrassed Phil Jones with his quick feet, causing the defender to trip up and hit the deck and he had to come off for Rafael after just 15 minutes.
Per Mertesacker and Johan Djourou cleared dangerous United crosses and Valencia just failed to tap home a flick-on.

Oxlade-Chamberlain bamboozled Patrice Evra to sneak in to the United box and laid off to Walcott, but he blazed over from 18 yards.
Evra then easily beat Alex Song down the left and crossed for Nani but Szczesny saved.

Giggs played Wayne Rooney into the box and the striker went down after appearing to have his arm pulled by Song but Mike Dean waved play on.
The ability of United's wingers to skip past makeshift full-backs Vermaelen and Djourou was a particular source of frustration for the home support.
Nani easily beat the Swiss and whistled a sharp ball across the box.

n the opening minute of first half injury time Giggs was given space down the left flank and he floated a cross over to the back post where Valencia beat Vermaelen in the air to nod home.
Arsenal went off at half-time to a chorus of boos and Wenger, clearly unimpressed by Djourou's contribution, replaced the defender with 18-year-old Nico Yennaris who was making his league debut.
Van Persie was presented with an easy chance five minutes after the break when Tomas Rosicky pinched the ball off Chris Smalling and squared for him but he fired wide from 10 yards with the goal gaping.

Van Persie then tricked his way past three United defenders and squared for Rosicky but his drive was blocked by Evra.
Laurent Koscielny burst in to the United half and laid the ball off to Oxlade-Chamberlain but his drive flew barely an inch wide.
Welbeck raced through after a headed clearance from the United back line and slipped the ball past the advancing Szczesny only to see his goal-bound effort cleared off the line by Per Mertesacker.

Tribute: Robin van Persie had a message for his grandfather after scoring

The striker fell in the challenge from Arsenal's goalkeeper, but despite United's protestations, Dean did not pull play back for a penalty.
Then with 20 minutes to go, Arsenal stunned the visitors with an equaliser.
The Gunners broke through Oxlade-Chamberlain who squared for Van Persie and his reverse shot flew through Evans' legs and in off the post.

Arsenal fans reacted with fury when Wenger brought Oxlade-Chamberlain off two minutes later for Andrey Arshavin.
Nani hobbled off and was replaced by Paul Scholes after being injured in a tackle and Ferguson sacrificed substitute Rafael for Park Ji-sung.
The Emirates Stadium was shocked in to near silence with nine minutes left after Welbeck put the Red Devils ahead.

Valencia lost his marker Arshavin and played a clever one-two with Park before squaring to Welbeck, who bundled home from close range.
Van Persie flung himself towards a header in injury time but United cleared and Evans calmly guided Mertesacker's header in to Lindegaard's arms soon after as the visitors clung on for a vital win.

Source: mailonline

Man City   3 - 2   Tottenham

Mario Balotelli's injury-time penalty gave Premier League leaders Manchester City a vital victory after Tottenham's stirring comeback looked set to earn them a point at The Etihad.

Balotelli calmly slotted home the decisive penalty to give City the points

City set the platform for a win early in the second half with two quick goals from Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott - but Spurs delivered a devastating response as an opportunist goal from Jermain Defoe and a magnificent strike from Gareth Bale drew them level in a burst of four goals in nine minutes.

Balotelli emerged from the bench and into the chaos that seems to be his constant companion - picking up a booking for a foul on Benoit Assou-Ekotto then escaping punishment after appearing to stamp on Scott Parker, an incident which went undetected by referee Howard Webb.

Defoe was then inches away from putting Spurs back in front in stoppage time before Italian Balotelli was inevitably the central figure in the final twist that ensured Roberto Mancini's side maintained the gap ahead of their pursuers at the top of the table.

Spurs' backroom staff were enraged by Balotelli's clash with Parker and their burning sense of injustice would have been made even more acute when he calmly strode forward to score from the spot with only seconds remaining after he had been hauled down by Ledley King.

The visitors clearly felt he should not even have been on the pitch, adding to their frustration after they had demonstrated considerable character and resilience to fight their way back into the game.

City boss Mancini will have had mixed emotions - delight at a crucial three points but also anxiety at the manner in which his side allowed Spurs back into the game.

Defoe, as expected, was Redknapp's selection in attack ahead of Emmanuel Adebayor, who was unable to figure against City, his parent club, during his season-long loan period.

In a first half that was fiercely contested, the only striker who got the chance to shine was City's Sergio Aguero as Spurs outnumbered City in midfield and contained the league leaders in relative comfort.

The Argentine saw his goalbound shot inadvertently blocked by Edin Dzeko, then demonstrated great strength and awareness to hold off Younes Kaboul and find David Silva, who dragged his shot just wide.

Aguero was frustrated by Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel after Richards forced his way into area - but there was still no indication of the torrent of goals that were to hit The Etihad after the break.

The first came after 56 minutes when Silva, with trademark creation, threaded a pass through for Nasri to thump a finish past Friedel. And when Lescott bundled home Dzeko's flick from a Nasri corner three minutes later, City could see daylight.

Not for long, however, as Spurs were back in business within seconds as the hour approached. Stefan Savic failed miserably in his attempt to deal with a clearance, heading straight to Defoe, who accepted the gift with relish as he rounded City keeper Joe Hart to score.

City's fans had gone from elation to anxiety, but Dzeko should have eased their concerns when he was played in by Silva. The Bosnian never looked convincing as he lashed his effort way over the top.

Bale showed no such uncertainty when he put Spurs level in spectacular style after 65 minutes. He took Luka Modric's pass and clipped a finish that possessed pace, power and precision high into the top corner beyond Hart, who had no chance.

City had introduced Balotelli for Dzeko, but his first meaningful contribution was to pick up a yellow card from referee Webb for a foul on Assou-Ekotto.

The coming together with Parker that provided a major talking point followed soon after, before a thrilling second half received the climax it deserved.

Defoe could not stretch far enough to turn Bale's cross into an open goal - leaving the stage clear for the turbulent Balotelli to write another chapter into his eventful Manchester City story.

Source: BBC Sport