United Stretch Gap To Six Points
Manchester United moved six points clear with a 2-0 home win over
Sheffield United..
Goals from Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney on four and 50 minutes
respectively ensured United saw off the battling Blades to pile the
pressure back on Jose Mourinho's defending champions Chelsea, who
face struggling West Ham at Upton Park on Wednesday night.
Neil Warnock's men fell behind early on, with Carrick latching onto
Cristiano Ronaldo's slick pass and dinking the ball over Paddy
Kenny.
Tomasz Kuszczak saved Michael Tonge's free-kick as the Blades
fought back - and Kenny denied Rooney's close-range shot on six
minutes before seeing Paul Scholes steer a follow-up effort over
the crossbar.
Tonge had another effort saved and the lively Luton Shelton,
playing as a lone striker for the visitors, fired into the
sidenetting before United's injury crisis worsened when Patrice
Evra was crudely fouled by Colin Kazim-Richards and had to be
replaced by Kieran Richardson.
Rooney steered a header straight at Kenny on 34 minutes - but was
celebrating five minutes after the interval after controlling Ryan
Giggs' sublime throughball and clinically smashing a half-volley
past the keeper.
The busy stopper kept out Alan Smith's fierce strike with his chest
and turned Ronaldo's low drive around the upright before also
saving a shot from Giggs with his legs.
But the Blades were also posing a threat on the break, with Phil
Jagielka firing a rising 20-yard drive over the bar before both
Shelton and Danny Webber were narrowly off target with
efforts.
The visitors were denied a penalty on 69 minutes when referee Rob
Styles ignored Gabriel Heinze's foul on Shelton in the box - and
Tonge rattled the crossbar with a 20-yard strike in the dying
minutes.
At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal leapfrogged Liverpool into third
place after securing a 3-1 victory over Manchester City.
The Gunners went into the interval tied at 1-1 with City after
DaMarcus Beasley cancelled out Tomas Rosicky's opener.
But second-half goals from Cesc Fabregas and Julio Baptista saw
Arsenal move onto 62 points - one ahead of fourth-placed
Liverpool.
Rosicky drew first blood for the hosts on 12 minutes when he
volleyed home a teasing cross from Emmanuel Eboue on the
right.
Abou Diaby went off with head injury and Fabregas' 25-yard drive
was palmed away by City keeper Andreas Isaakson.
But City drew level on 41 minutes when Jens Lehmann's hashed
clearance fell to Joey Barton, who fed Michael Johnson who in turn
set up the overlapping Beasley to fire home an angled shot.
It could have been 2-1 to City before the break but Lehmann saved
Barton's strike - and also denied the same player just after the
interval.
Emmanuel Adebayor and Alexander Hleb both wasted decent chances but
the Gunners once again took the lead on 73 minutes, when Fabregas
smashed home a 25-yard piledriver.
And sub Baptista, who had come on for Diaby, added the third goal
with 10 minutes remaining to make the points safe.
