Arsenal go top after seeing off Stoke
Oscar and Obi steer Chelsea past Fulham
LONDON: Arsenal yesterday went to the top of the English Premier League table after a 3-1 victory at home to Stoke.
Victory left the Gunners two points in front of both Chelsea and Liverpool. But north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur had the chance to join them on 12 points overnight.
Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who suffered a potentially career-threatening leg injury following a poor tackle by Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross three years ago, made it seven goals in eight games when he gave Arsenal a fifth-minute lead at the Emirates Stadium with a close-range strike after Potters goalkeeper Asmir Begovic had palmed away a Mesut Oezil free-kick.
Stoke, however, were back on level terms when United States international Geoff Cameron scored his first goal for the club in the 26th minute with a controlled shot from the edge of the box after Marko Arnautovic’s volley had come back off the post.
Arsenal though were 2-1 up before half-time through centre-back Per Mertesacker’s looping header.
Bacary Sagna then scored his first goal in 19 months as Arsenal again made Stoke pay for failing to defend a setpiece when he headed home in the 72nd minute from another free-kick by £42.4 million club record signing Oezil, the Germany international producing a sparkling display on his Gunners’ home debut.
In yesterday’s other early kick-off match, Swansea won 2-0 away to Crystal Palace with Michu putting the Welsh club in front in just the second minute before Nathan Dyer added a second goal shortly after half-time.
On Saturday, Chelsea ended a run of four winless games, beating Fulham 2-0.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho created a stir by dropping Juan Mata from his squad for the visit of west London rivals Fulham and saw his side struggle to create chances in the first half at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, the away side procured the best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes, only for Darren Bent to shoot straight at Petr Cech when sent clear by Pajtim Kasami.
It was Chelsea who made the break- through, however, with Oscar scrambling home from close range in the 52nd minute after Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale parried from Andre Schurrle and Samuel Eto’o.
John Mikel Obi made it 2-0 in the 84th minute, converting a John Terry knock-down from close range to end his 185-game wait for a first league goal.
After consecutive losses to Everton and Basel, it was a timely victory for the Europa League champions, who lead the standings on goal difference from Liverpool, albeit having played a game more than several of the teams below them.
‘‘The beauty of the Premier League is that everybody loses matches,’’ Mourinho told Sky Sports.
‘‘So no dramas. I agree that we are not playing very well, I agree that the results have not been very, very good, but the reality is that we are there, we have 10 points.’’