Man United retake lead
City beat Villa
LONDON, Jan 21, (AP): Paul Pogba scored a longrange winner for the second time in a week as Manchester United came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 and move back to the top of the Premier League.
Pogba created space for himself just outside the corner of the penalty area and bent a powerful shot past Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and into the far corner of the net in the 65th minute.
Fulham had taken the lead in the sixth minute when Ademola Lookman slotted home after beating United’s offside trap and running clean through, only for Edinson Cavani to capitalize on a mistake from Areola to bring the visitors level.
Leicester - by beating Chelsea on Tuesday - and Manchester City - with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa hours before kickoff of the Fulham-United match had moved to the summit in the past 24 hours, but United responded to pull two points clear and tie the club record of 17 Premier League away games without defeat, which was set by the treblewinning side of 1999.
Fulham slipped to a second straight loss, with their winless run now stretching back eight games to leave the team four points from safety.
In the 64th, Areola was called into action to deny Anthony Martial from giving his side the lead with a header after the United striker found space between two Fulham defenders.
After Pogba’s goal, Fulham pressed for a point and Ruben Loftus-Cheek was presented with two opportunities late on, but one was saved by David De Gea and the other was fired well over the bar.
Pogba volleyed in United’s goal in a 1-0 win at Burnley last week, lifting his team into first place near the midway point of the season for the first time in eight years. Manchester City beat Aston Villa after a contentious goal in the 79th minute - just when Villa looked like they would be earning a hard-fought point.
City midfielder Rodri was returning from an offside position when he dispossessed Villa defender Tyrone Mings before releasing Bernardo Silva, who cut inside and smashed home a shot from the edge of the area.