Vardy fires Foxes to the top
MANCHESTER United took advantage of their early kick-off to go top of the Premier League when they won 2-1 at Watford yesterday, after the hosts’ Troy Deeney equalised with a penalty, then scored an own goal in the dying minutes.
And Leicester City took their chance to reach the top of the table after they outplayed Newcastle United 3-0 at St James’ Park last night, with striker Jamie Vardy scoring for a 10th straight game.
“I have matched Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record and we have got the three points and a clean sheet,” said Vardy. “People kept sending his tweet to me, fair play to him for doing that. We’ll see what happens next week, now against Manchester United.
“The physios have done brilliantly to get me fit today. We know we can cause teams problems and are solid at the back too. We have a never-say-die attitude and will fight for each other until the end.”
Champions Chelsea ended their slump with a 1-0 win over Norwich City, while Arsenal had a horrific day out at the Hawthorns, losing 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion after taking an early lead through Olivier Giroud.
Then Mikael Arteta scored an own goal and Santi Cazorla missed a penalty, which would have allowed the Gunners to at least snatch a draw.
Memorable
But Leicester going top was the highlight of a memorable afternoon when La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, was played at grounds throughout England as a mark of solidarity with France following last week’s Paris attacks.
Chelsea’s French defender Kurt Zouma led a rendition of the anthem at Stamford Bridge, where a huge French flag was also displayed before the champions ended a run of three successive league defeats with victory over Norwich City, thanks to a second-half goal from Diego Costa.
That lifted Chelsea up one place to 15th on 14 points, but still a long way behind the leaders.
While Vardy equalled Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 12-year-old scoring record, Leonardo Ulloa and Shinji Okazaki also scored for Leicester.
Claudio Ranieri’s side climbed above Manchester United, who won 2-1 at Watford and were briefly top after a dramatic finale at Vicarage Road.
United led 1-0 following an 11thminute volley from Memphis Depay, before Troy Deeney equalised with an 87th-minute penalty, but then scored an own goal in stoppage time to give United victory.
In Germany, Max Kruse scored twice as Wolfsburg crushed Werder Bremen 6-0, while Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Andre Schu- bert equalled a club record with his eighth unbeaten game since taking over as his side earned a late 2-1 win against Hanover.
Schubert, who took over after five straight losses at the start of the season, matched their great former coach Udo Lattek’s record from the 1975/76 season with seven wins and a draw so far.
Unmarked
Ibrahima Traore put the hosts ahead before Artur Sobiech’s 65thminute equaliser for Hanover.
Raffael was left unmarked five minutes from the end and he did not miss, tapping in the winner to lift Gladbach, who also twice hit the woodwork, to fourth on 22 points.
Wolfsburg remain two points ahead in third place after easing past Bremen, with Alejandro Galvez scoring an own goal before the hosts doubled their lead through Kruse on the stroke of half-time.
The Wolves netted four times in the second half, with Kruse completing the rout with his second goal in the 87th minute.
Hakan Calhanoglu capped Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt with a glorious goal, the Turkey international curling in a shot from the edge of the box to lift them to 20 points.
Goals from Imanol Agirretxe and Xabi Prieto gave Real Sociedad coach Eusebio Sacristan a winning start in a 2-0 success at home to stuttering Sevilla in La Liga.
Eusebio, a former Celta Vigo and Barcelona B coach, took over from David Moyes this month after the Scot was sacked with Sociedad hovering just above the relegation places.
Last night’s victory at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian, thanks to Agirretxe’s goal in the 73rd minute, and Prieto’s effort four minutes later, lifted the Basque club to 14th on 12 points from 12 matches. – Reuters