EPL: Advantage Arsenal as top boys slip up

Sport360 staff 21:50 28/12/2014
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  • Spot-on Santi: Cazorla netted from 12 yards against West Ham.

    Tottenham 0-0 Manchester United

    Tottenham and Manchester United fought out an entertaining goalless draw at White Hart Lane after Louis van Gaal's side had dominated the first half.

    Hugo Lloris made stunning saves from United trio Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie and Ashley Young while Juan Mata's deflected free-kick struck a post and Phil Jones had an effort disallowed for offside.

    Spurs, who had not beaten United at home since 2001, improved after the break and David de Gea was forced into a couple of saves before the game petered out tamely.

    Southampton 1-1 Chelsea

    Chelsea had won five successive games in all competitions but they were behind at St Mary's after 17 minutes when Sadio Mane broke on to Dusan Tadic's pass and away from John Terry to deftly chip over Thibaut Courtois.

     Eden Hazard, excellent throughout, produced a brilliant equaliser on the stroke of half-time when he slotted powerfully into the far corner.

    Chelsea should have had a penalty when Cesc Fabregas tumbled under the challenge of young Saints defender Matt Targett – making his first Premier League start – but referee Anthony Taylor added insult to injury when he booked the Spaniard for simulation. 

    And Chelsea could not find a winner from late pressure even when Saints midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off two minutes from time for a second bookable offence.

    Manchester City 2-2 Burnley

    Manuel Pellegrini's City seemed on the way to a club record 10th successive win when David Silva and Fernandinho struck before half-time.

    But George Boyd pulled one back for the Clarets when he turned home Danny Ings' shot despite looking suspiciously offside.

    And then Ashley Barnes stunned the Etihad Stadium by reacting quickest in a crowded penalty area to hand Burnley a precious point in their battle against relegation.

    West Ham 1-2 Arsenal

    Arsenal were unbeaten in their last 12 league games against West Ham and they kept that fine run going with a 2-1 win to leapfrog the Hammers and move into fifth spot.

    Santi Cazorla put Arsenal ahead from the penalty spot four minutes before the break after he had been fouled by Winston Reid and Danny Welbeck added a second moments before the interval.

    Cheikhou Kouyate gave West Ham hope with a 54th-minute header but Arsenal held on for a crucial three points at Upton Park.

    Stoke City 2-0 West Brom

    Alan Irvine's tenure as West Brom is looking precariously thin after the Baggies slid to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke.

    Albion's seventh defeat in nine games was confirmed after the break as Mame Biram Diouf struck twice for his fifth and sixth goals of the season but his first success in front of goal since the start of November.

    Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland

    Goal-shy Aston Villa drew another blank at home to Sunderland having had midfielder Fabian Delph sent off after after 48 minutes.

    Delph saw red for a tackle on Sunderland's Jordi Gomez but Villa, the lowest scorers in the division with 11 goals from 19 games, held on for a point.

    QPR 0-0 Crystal Palace

    Managerless Crystal Palace managed a goalless draw at QPR the day after Neil Warnock's sacking at Selhurst Park.

    The draw does little for either team, with QPR in 15th place and Palace in 18th and remaining in the relegation zone on goal difference.

    Hull City 0-1 Leicester City

    Bottom-placed Leicester managed their first win in 14 attempts since beating Manchester United 5-3 at the end of September.

    Riyad Mahrez scored the all-important 32nd-minute goal at Hull and Leicester had to play the final three minutes with 10 men after Paul Konchesky was sent off for two bookable offences.

    Hull's Stephen Quinn evened the numbers up in injury time with his red card as Leicester moved within three points of safety.

    Newcastle United 3-2 Everton

    Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse kept up his impressive scoring record to inspire Newcastle United as they came from behind to beat Everton 3-2.

    Cisse's fifth goal in six games sparked the recovery after Arouna Kone had found the net on his full Premier League debut for Roberto Martinez's Everton, an injury-ravaged 18 months after joining from Wigan Athletic.

    Cisse levelled before the interval and second-half goals from Ayoze Perez and Jack Colback enabled Alan Pardew's men to end a four-game losing streak.

    Substitute Kevin Mirallas gave Everton hope by reducing the arrears in the 84th minute from Leighton Baines's through-ball, but it was not enough to prevent Everton sliding to a third straight defeat.

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