EPL round-up: Ozil answers critics and Cisse saves Newcastle

Sport360 staff 20:18 20/09/2014
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  • Hitting back: Mesut Ozil scores for Arsenal.

    Arsenal stopped Aston Villa going top of the Premier League with a 3-0 win on Saturday. Villa had conceded just one league goal in their previous four league matches but all that changed as Arsenal fired in three inside four minutes at Villa Park.

    Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been forced to defend Germany World Cup-winner Ozil, a club record signing from Real Madrid last term, after the playmaker came under fire again following another uninspiring display in the Gunners' 2-0 Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund in midweek. 

    But, played in by Welbeck, he made no mistake with a side-foot chance to put Arsenal ahead against Villa. Minutes later, the roles were reversed when Ozil's cross found Welbeck, who fired the ball into the roof of the net. A stunned Villa then saw Kieran Gibbs's cross-shot turned into their net by Cissokho, with Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain waiting to pounce.

    Arsenal moved to within a point of second-placed Villa and three adrift of Chelsea. 

    Meanwhile Newcastle moved off the bottom of the table and eased the pressure on under-fire manager Alan Pardew by coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home to Hull, with substitute Papiss Cisse scoring both the Magpies' goals.

    Nikica Jelavic put visitors Hull ahead with an acrobatic effort from 15 yards out before Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diame doubled Hull's lead in the 68th minute with a brilliant 25-yard shot.

    However, Newcastle gave home fans something to cheer when, with 15 minutes remaining, Cisse powered in a shot at the near post following a fine pass from Cheick Tiote. And three minutes from time, the Senegal striker made it 2-2 after Moussa Sissoko's ball into the box was nodded down by Yoan Gouffran, Cisse smashed the ball in from six yards out.

    Southampton won 1-0 away to a Swansea side who had to play more than half the match a man down after Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony was sent off.

    Bony was shown a red card in the 39th minute when he took away the legs of Maya Yoshida, his second bookable offence. But it took until 10 minutes before time for Southampton to make their numerical advantage count thanks to a goal from substitute Victor Wanyama — the Kenyan's first goal for the Saints.

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