Aura back, United drub City
CONVINCING WIN Red Devils make a statement by mauling defending champions 4-2 in derby 58%
MANCHESTER: Manchester United dealt Manchester City’s Champions League qualification hopes another blow by storming back from behind to trounce their derby rivals 4-2 in the Premier League on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero gave City an eighth-minute lead at a blustery Old Trafford, but United hit back through Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Chris Smalling to register a sixth successive league win.
Aguero claimed another goal at the death — his 100th in City’s colours — but it was too late to prevent United ending a sequence of four consecutive defeats against their neighbours.
The win gave United a fourpoint cushion over City in third place — the last automatic Champions League qualifying spot — and took them back to within a point of Arsenal ahead of next weekend’s home game with leaders Chelsea. City have now lost six of their last eight games in all competitions and manager Manuel Pellegrini is likely to face renewed questioning about his ability to revive the team he steered to the title a year ago.
It was a fourth successive away league defeat for City — their worst run since 2006 — and hammered another nail in their title defence, leaving them 12 points behind Chelsea having played a game more.
While they retain a five-point lead over fifth-place Southampton, Liverpool can close to within four points by beating Newcastle United on Monday. One of United’s scorers, Juan Mata, was ecstatic with an impressive win over their neighbours. “In the first 10 or 15 minutes City were brilliant but after that we showed character and came back. It was a massive result and everyone from United is happy.
“It’s something we will never forget. We have six games to go and havetokeepgoing.It’sonemorestep towardstheChampionsLeague,it’sa bigwinandaboosttotheconfidence. But Arsenal are a great team and City and Liverpool will stay fighting until the end,” Mata said.
CHELSEA WIN
LONDON: Cesc Fabregas fired Chelsea another step closer to the Premier League title as the Spain midfielder’s late strike sealed a hard-fought 1-0 win over QPR on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho’s side were well below their best in a scrappy west London derby, but the leaders stole a vital three points when Fabregas converted their only shot on target two minutes from full-time at Loftus Road.
The Blues are now seven points clear of second placed Arsenal and have a game in hand on the chasing pack, meaning four more wins from their remaining seven matches will see them crowned English champions for the first time since 2010.
While it was hardly a vintage performance the gritty victory was invaluable as it gives Mourinho’s more men breathing space. Young 14, Fellaini 29, Mata 67, Smalling 73 TOTAL POSSESSION GOAL ATTEMPTS Off target On target Aguero 8, 89 Off target On target 31 22 7 2 38 73
Arsenal 32 20 6 6 31 66 Man United 32 19 8 5 29 65
Man City 32 18 7 7 31 61 S’hampton 32 17 5 10 22 56