Man. United beats Liverpool on controversial penalty

LONDON — Robin van Persie ended Manchester United’s five-year wait for a win at Liverpool on Sunday, and Arsenal maintained its unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a draw at Manchester City.

Van Persie converted a late penalty kick to clinch a 2-1 victory at Anfield after both teams had paid tribute to the victims of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster before the game.

United was a man up from the 39th minute when Jonjo Shelvey was sent off, but Steven Gerrard managed to give Liverpool the lead with a volley at the start of the second half — only for Rafael da Silva to equalize.

And Van Persie’s winner prolonged Liverpool’s worst start to a season in more than a century, while lifting United to second.

City is three points further back after Joleon Lescott headed the champions ahead in the first half, but then failed to clear a late corner, allowing Laurent Koscielny to recover a 1-1 draw for Arsenal.

Also Sunday, Jermain Defoe’s winner gave Tottenham a 2-1 win against Queens Park Rangers and Demba Ba gave Newcastle a 1-0 victory over Norwich.

The day’s action began with an emotionally charged meeting of English football’s fiercest rivals as Liverpool played at Anfield for the first time since the release of a report into the Hillsborough tragedy that exposed the police cover-up and exonerated Reds fans.

In a show of unity before kickoff, Liverpool and United players wore tracksuit tops featuring the number 96 — the amount of Reds fans crushed to death 23 years ago.

Terry quits England

LONDON — Former England captain John Terry unexpectedly quit international soccer Sunday before he was due to face a Football Association hearing on a racism charge, saying his place on the team had become “untenable.”

Despite being cleared in court of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match last year, Terry was facing a lengthy ban if found guilty by an FA panel this week.

“I have always given my all and it breaks my heart to make this decision,” Terry said.

The 31-year-old Chelsea defender was fired as England’s captain in February but was allowed to continue playing for the national team. Madrid game postponed due to sabotage

MADRID — The Spanish league soccer game between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano on Sunday has been postponed because the field lights at Vallecas stadium failed to work adequately in a presumed case of sabotage.

Rayo President Raul Martin Presa says unidentified “vandals” had “cut the cables” on some of the light towers at his club’s stadium and “unfortunately, because of an act of sabotage, we won’t be able to stage the game.”

AUTO RACING Vettel claims F-1 victory in Singapore

SINGAPORE — Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel won the Singapore Grand Prix for the second straight year, jumping up to second place in the Formula One drivers’ championship.

Vettel inherited the lead from pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton of McLaren, who led the race until a gearbox failure on lap 22 forced him to drop out. It was Vettel’s second win of the season, the first coming at Bahrain.

TENNIS Klizan wins first title

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — Martin Klizan of Slovakia defeated Fabio Fognini of Italy 6-2, 6-3 to win his first career ATP title at the St. Petersburg Open.

The third-seeded Klizan broke the fourth-seeded Fognini twice in the first set and four times in the second.