The Hindu : Sport / Football : Arsenal sitting pretty

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

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Sport - Football

Arsenal sitting pretty

LONDON, APRIL 14. Chelsea's fading title challenge suffered another blow on Monday after a 3-2 loss at Aston Villa left Arsenal seven points clear with a game in hand in the English Premier League.

The loss gives Manchester United the chance to leapfrog into second place and opens up the race for fourth place and the final Champions League spot.

At the other end of the table, Portsmouth moved away from the relegation zone after beating 10-man Birmingham 3-1. Blackburn ended a three-match losing streak and its descent toward the relegation zone with a 4-3 win over Fulham.

Arsenal leads the league with 78 points with six matches left. Chelsea is second with 71 and Manchester United third with 65, but with two games in hand over the Blues. United plays Leicester on Tuesday.

Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri had already conceded the title was Arsenal's after its 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough on Saturday.

"We and only Manchester United can achieve second place," Ranieri said. "It will be a good battle between the two teams."

Liverpool's hold on fourth place was hit by a 1-0 loss to Charlton.

Liverpool has 49 points, ahead of Newcastle on goal difference. Villa has 48 points and Charlton 47.

"The season is still alive for everybody," Charlton manager Alan Curbishley said.

"Now we have won here it means that a lot of other clubs will feel that the season isn't over for them, the fourth spot is really up for grabs.

"It has kept us in touch. Villa won and they are still in it, perhaps now everybody will be looking at more than Liverpool or Newcastle for fourth spot."

Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier wasn't giving up the fight.

"It's disappointing not to take more of a lead in fourth place," Houllier said. ``We've still got five games to play and we're still there."

At Villa Park, Hernan Crespo put Chelsea ahead after 11 minutes, collecting the rebound after Adrian Mutu headed onto the post.

The match turned on a 37th-minute penalty awarded to Villa. Chelsea defender Mario Melchiot pushed Gareth Barry to the ground in the box and Villa striker Darius Vassell scored past Marco Ambrosio to level the scores.

German striker Thomas Hitzlsperger made it 2-1 for Villa in the 49th minute from a Vassell cross. Minutes later, Lee Hendrie volleyed a close-range shot for a 3-1 Villa lead, but Crespo pulled back a late consolation.

The team was a shadow of the side that beat Arsenal to reach the Champions League semifinals last week.

"We started very well, in the first 15 minutes we scored a goal, but in then the battle, Villa was better than us," Ranieri said. "We wanted to win because second place is a very good achievement, but when the opponent plays better, you can only say `well done.'"

Portsmouth scored through a Dejan Stefanovic free kick in first-half stoppage time at Fratton Park. Birmingham goalkeeper Maik Taylor handled the ball outside the penalty area, and was sent off by referee Barry Knight.

Stefanovic scored from the resultant free kick. Lomana Lua Lua doubled Pompey's lead before Stern John pulled a goal back for Birmingham.

Aiyegbeni Yakubu's 73rd-minute penalty made it 3-1.

Portsmouth is now below 15th-place Manchester City on goal difference. City drew 1-1 with Tottenham.

Blackburn joins Portsmouth and City on 34 points — just three points ahead of 17th-placed Leeds — after a rollercoaster 4-3 win at Fulham. Blackburn led 1-0 and 3-2 before Jon Stead's 74th minute goal gave it the 4-3 edge.

Wolves look set to be relegated after losing 2-1 to Bolton in the final minutes.

Wolves manager Dave Jones was visibly upset when asked to comment on his side losing 2-1 to Bolton. He aimed most of his anger at referee Uriah Rennie.

"He missed a penalty in the first couple of minutes and he missed one at the death," Jones said. "I'll probably be told off by the Football Association ... but that's not good enough for every level of football. Some of the decisions today were diabolical."

On Tuesday, Leeds plays Everton and then travels to Highbury to play Arsenal on Friday. — AP

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