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Arsenal rallies past Liverpool

MANCHESTER: Arsenal inflicted Liverpool’s sixth Premier League defeat of the season with a 2-1 victory on Sunday, its first league win at Anfield since 2003.

A great strike from Russian forward Andrei Arshavin on the 58th minute sealed victory for the Gunners who leapfrogged Aston Villa into third place on 31 points, six behind leader Chelsea and three adrift of Manchester United with a game in hand.

Liverpool stayed seventh on 24 points having lost six games out of 16, four more league defeats than it suffered last season.

Arsenal struggled in the first half and fell behind to a Dirk Kuyt goal on the 41st minute. England defender Glen Johnson levelled the scores with an own goal on the 50th minute, turning a low Samir Nasri cross into his own net.

Villa stuns United

Gabriel Agbonlahor scored the only goal as Aston Villa beat champion Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday as the title race took a fresh twist.

United was looking to go level on points with Chelsea after the leader was held to a 3-3 draw by Everton earlier in the day.

But Agbonlahor, a goal-scorer now against United in each of the last four seasons, was on target to clinch his club’s first Old Trafford victory since 1983 and inflict United’s first home league defeat since losing to Liverpool in March.

In the 21st minute, Villa manager Martin O’Neill was rewarded for fielding three forwards when Agbonlahor started and finished an excellent attack, although a defensive slip-up played a key role in the goal.

Stephen Warnock found the striker who, in turn, released Ashley Young down the wing, sprinting into the box between the two central defenders to meet the resulting cross and head past Tomasz Kuszczak from six yards. Agbonlahor had got behind United centre-back Wes Brown, and that kind of poor concentration in defence plagued United throughout the opening period.

Michael Carrick responded with a 25-yard shot which Brad Friedel parried and United striker Wayne Rooney was soon appealing for a penalty although referee Martin Atkinson correctly turned down the claim and booked the England forward for diving.

Just before the half hour, Villa should have doubled its lead when Agbonlahor dispossessed right-back Darren Fletcher and advanced past Nemanja Vidic into the area where Kuszczak did well to spread himself and save.

The results: Liverpool 1 (Kuyt 41) lost to Arsenal 2 (Johnson 50-og, Arshavin 58).

On Saturday: Manchester United 0 lost to Aston Villa 1 (Gabriel Agbonlahor 21). — Agencies

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