Man City cuts into Chelsea’s lead

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND >> — Chelsea lost for the first time in 22 matches this season and saw its lead in the English Premier League trimmed to three points by Manchester City in a twist to the title race on Saturday.

City capitalized on Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Newcastle by beating Everton 1-0, with a left knee injury sustained by star striker Sergio Aguero early in the game marring an otherwise great day for the champions.

Newcastle shattered Chelsea’s unlikely bid to go through the 38-game campaign undefeated, pushing 2-0 ahead through a second-half double from Papiss Cisse and then hanging onto its lead after the 81st-minute sending-off of Steven Taylor.

Didier Drogba’s headed goal in the 83rd set up a frantic finish but Chelsea came unstuck at St. James’ Park for the third straight season, ending a 14-match unbeaten start in the league.

“The best team lost. The team which tried to win lost,” said Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who hasn’t won at Newcastle in five attempts. “We were unlucky.”

Aguero, the league’s top scorer with 14 goals, limped off in tears after getting hurt in a seemingly innocuous challenge in the second minute at Etihad Stadium. If the Argentina striker had been on the field, he would have taken the penalty converted by Yaya Toure in the 24th minute for the winning goal.