Arsenal bounced back from two successive Premier League defeats in emphatic style by thrashing Wigan Athletic 4-0 at the Emirates on
Belgian centerback Thomas Vermaelen got two for Arsenal in a one-sided affair, while Fernando Torres grabbed a double as Liverpool overcame a West Ham side who twice came from behind.
Aston Villa also gained ground on the leaders with a 2-0 home win over Portsmouth, who are still without a point after six games.
PHOTO: EPA
Promoted Burnley’s good start continued when they beat Sunderland 3-1, with two goals on debut from on-loan striker David Nugent. Birmingham City beat Hull City 1-0 away, while Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City drew 1-1.
Arsenal began the day nine points behind leaders Chelsea, but were back to their imperious best on home soil against Wigan Athletic.
Their early control was rewarded after 25 minutes when Vermaelen headed in a corner.
Vermaelen, already looking an astute summer signing, doubled the lead with a superbly taken left footed curler four minutes into the second half.
Emmanuel Eboue got the third on the hour when he diverted an Eduardo Da Silva shot after the Croatian’s initial effort came back off a post.
Cesc Fabrega backheeled the fourth in the last minute.
Liverpool went ahead after 20 minutes when Fernando Torres burst through in the area, but West Ham United, with only one win over the Reds in nine years, equalized with an Alessandro Diamanti penalty after Zavon Hines, who hit a post early on, was brought down by Jamie Carragher.
Dirk Kuyt restored their lead after 41 minutes when he diverted a Steven Gerrard header into the net, only for Carlton Cole to level again at the end of the half.
Liverpool gradually exerted more pressure and took the points when Torres nodded in Ryan Babel’s cross after 75 minutes.
Yesterday’s early kick-off:
• Manchester U 4, Manchester C 3
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored
Inter’s defense of their Italian Serie A title was hit with a setback on Sunday as they lost 1-0 at home to AS Roma, while Scott McTominay netted a brace as SSC Napoli beat Torino 2-0 to go top of the table. No fixtures were played on Friday or Saturday because of the funeral of Pope Francis in Rome, meaning the full round of Serie A matches took place on Sunday and yesterday. Matias Soule’s first-half strike for Roma knocked Inter off top spot earlier in the day before new Napoli opened up a three-point buffer with victory in Sunday’s
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa yesterday set a women’s only world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds as she won the London Marathon, while Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe put a star-studded men’s field to the sword. For 28-year-old Assefa it was ample compensation for finishing runner-up in London and the Paris Olympics last year — especially as bitter Dutch rival, the Ethiopia-born Sifan Hassan, finished third. Assefa dropped Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei as the race, played out in blazing sunshine and with thousands lining the route, entered its business end. She came home almost three minutes clear of the Kenyan. Hassan, who beat her in
RSS