Heavyweights regain firepower
Arsenal firms up top spot in EPL, Rooney ends scoring drought as Man U beats Swansea
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Normality was restored in the most unpredictable of Premier League seasons as Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United won to kick off 2016, with two of English soccer’s biggest stars firing winners after lean spells.
But victory didn’t come easy for the three heavyweights as the hectic festive schedule closed Saturday.
Arsenal dispensed with its typically silky soccer and toughed out a 1-0 win over Newcastle through a goal by defender Laurent Koscielny to move two points clear at the top.
City scored twice in the final eight minutes, coming from behind to beat Watford 2-1, clinching a first away win since September. Sergio Aguero, last season’s top scorer and the most lethal striker in the division, scored the winner with his first goal since Nov. 21.
That was the date Man United last won in the league before a 2-1 win over Swansea, sealed by a moment of brilliance by Wayne Rooney. The England captain flicked in a deft finish for his first United goal in two months, which put him second outright in the all-time scoring lists at United (238) and in the league (188).
“It is amazing,” United manager Louis van Gaal said, “and that at the age of 30.”
Second-place Leicester failed to keep pace with Arsenal after being held to a 0-0 draw at home by 10-man Bournemouth and is without a win in three games, fulfilling many pundits’ predictions their surprisingly strong start to the season wouldn’t last. Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty for Leicester, which is a point ahead of City.
United stayed fifth, provisionally two points behind Tottenham, which visits Everton Sunday.
West Ham rose to sixth by beating Liverpool 2-0, with Andy Carroll heading in the second goal against his former club.
Norwich beat Southampton 1-0, West Bromwich Albion overcame Stoke 2-1 and Sunderland won 3-1 at home to Aston Villa, which looks doomed with just eight points from 20 games to lie 11 points adrift of safety.
At Emirates Stadium, Koscielny scored the decisive goal for Arsenal, pouncing after Olivier Giroud headed back a corner from Mesut Ozil, but goalkeeper Petr Cech was the player to earn most praise for making two outstanding saves to deny Georginio Wijnaldum.
“He is calm and never panics. We needed that,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said of Cech.
Watford went ahead against City when left back Aleksandar Kolarov diverted Ben Watson’s corner into his own net after halftime. Yaya Toure equalized in the 82nd, then Aguero’s header followed two minutes later
United ended an eight-game winless run — its longest in 26 years — as Anthony Martial put United ahead after halftime, then set up Rooney for the flicked winner off his left heel.