Arsenal will enter the New Year five points adrift of Premiership leaders Chelsea after a hard-fought and somewhat fortunate 1-0 win over Newcastle on Wednesday.
A deflected long-range strike from skipper Patrick Vieira in first-half stoppage time proved enough to secure three precious points for the champions.
PHOTO: EPA
It was an outcome that was harsh on Newcastle, who dominated proceedings for long periods in front of their own supporters and were desperately unlucky not to be awarded a penalty shortly before Vieira's crucial goal.
The Arsenal captain hailed his side's performance as proof that the champions would push Chelsea all the way to the wire in what promises to be a tight three-way title battle following Manchester United's return to form.
"It was the perfect time to score and in second half we defended really well," Vieira said.
"There are still 19 games and every single game we play is going to be like tonight. But if we play like that and fight like that until the end of the season we will have a good chance.
"We just have to believe in ourselves like we did in the last few games. I'm sure it is is going to be really tight."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who revealed that Vieira had been a doubt for the match after a bout of gastroenteritis, said the win had demonstrated the character of his squad.
"I'm very confident the desire and hunger of the team is stronger than ever and we saw that tonight," the Frenchman said.
"We know it is going to be very tight at the end of the season. The most important thing for us it be in the right frame of mind with the right desire and then let the best team win."
Newcastle had kicked off without both skipper Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert.
But Shola Ameobi and Craig Bellamy quickly demonstrated their determination to prove themselves worthy of being regarded as more than understudies by giving the visiting defense some serious problems.
Ameobi in particular was proving a handful and it took a superb stop from Manuel Al-munia, diving to his right, to deny the England under-21 striker after he had raced clear of Sol Campbell to unleash a left-foot shot from the edge of the area.
Ameobi also contributed at the other end, heading Campbell's net-bound header off the line. Robin van Persie then provided Given with his first serious test of the evening with a well-struck effort from distance that the Newcastle goalkeeper palmed away.
Arsenal's period of pressure proved short-lived however and the home fans were justified in their indignation at being denied a penalty when Ashley Cole, caught off balance by Jermaine Jenas's diagonal pass into the box, raised his arm to intercept the ball before it reached Bellamy.
The England left-back admitted afterwards that the ball had struck his hand, although he denied he had been fortunate not to have conceded a spot-kick.
"At the end of the day, it is the referee's decision," Cole said. "It did hit my hand but he [Bellamy] pushed me first -- sometimes it goes for you and sometimes it doesn't."
Newcastle's misfortune was compounded in the final seconds of the opening period.
A careless throw-in from Olivier Bernard allowed Arsenal to regain possession inside their hosts' territory.
Still there seemed little danger as Vieira attempted to dink a pass towards Thierry Henry in the box. Titus Bramble was able to block comfortably but rather than snuffing out the danger the Newcastle center-back simply teed up Vieira for a speculative shot at goal that took a deflection and looped over Given.
Arsenal could scarcely claim to have displayed championship form but Wenger will take heart from the efficiency with which his side closed the game down in the second period to preserve their lead.
Tuesday wrap-up
Chelsea needed late goals from Dutchman Arjen Robben and England's Joe Cole to earn a 2-0 win at Portsmouth and extend their lead in the Premier League on Tuesday.
However, they failed to shake off a resurgent Manchester United who later beat Aston Villa 1-0 to register their seventh win in eight league games and move up to third in the table.
Chelsea lead with 49 points, champions Arsenal have 44 after facing Newcastle United on Wednesday and United are third with Everton on 40 points. Goal difference separates Alex Ferguson's men from an Everton side who lost 2-0 at Charlton Athletic.
Middlesbrough beat Norwich City 2-0 with goals from Cameroon striker Joseph-Desire Job to stay fifth on 35 points, one ahead of Liverpool, who edged Southampton 1-0 with a winner from French forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
Up at the top, Robben broke the deadlock for Chelsea in the 79th minute of a tricky match at Fratton Park against a Portsmouth side beaten only once in their previous six games.
"They made it very difficult for us," Mourinho told Sky Sports News. "They're playing well, they're getting results, the players are good and the organization is good.
"But in the second half I think we discovered the positions we had to use to break the balance in their defensive system.
"By the end of the game, I think we deserved to win ... and I just told my players that it was a really big victory for us."
Robben, who was booked for pulling off his shirt to celebrate his seventh goal for Chelsea, said: "It was very stupid ... but I think the manager will forgive me."
Chelsea's next opponents are Liverpool, who sealed a third consecutive league win thanks to Sinama-Pongolle's goal and another inspired performance from skipper Steven Gerrard.
"He has the right mentality, the mentality we need to win games," Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said of Gerrard.
As for hosting Chelsea on Saturday, he said: "We know it's a very difficult game -- they're a good team, with confidence. But we are playing at home and we can win against any team at home."
Welsh winger Ryan Giggs, Manchester United's best player on the night, scored their winner with a fine shot on the bounce shortly before the break at Villa Park.
Villa piled on the early second-half pressure but created few clear-cut chances, while United's Portuguese substitute Cristiano Ronaldo caused problems for the hosts and team mate Alan Smith missed a sitter from four meters out in the closing minutes.
Everton suffered their first league defeat for nearly two months in a pulsating final eight minutes at Charlton, conceding two goals and having Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson sent off.
Birmingham City won 3-2 at Fulham and Blackburn Rovers moved further away from the drop zone with a 1-0 win at struggling Bolton Wanderers, who have now lost six on the trot.
Tottenham Hotspur were denied a sixth consecutive league win by Andrew Johnson in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, while an 85th-minute own goal by Manchester City defender Richard Dunne cost them a 1-1 draw with 10-man West Bromwich Albion.
Rooney charged
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney was on Wednesday charged with violent conduct by the Football Association after he shoved Bolton's Tal Ben Haim in the face at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
The England star, who faces a three-match ban, has until 6pm today to decide whether or not to appeal against the charge.
The case will be heard by a disciplinary commission tomorrow.
Should Rooney be found guilty, he would be suspended for three matches, starting with the New Year's Day trip to Middlesbrough.
Meanwhile, Israeli defender Haim, whose exaggerated reaction to the push was branded "a disgrace" by United boss Alex Ferguson, has been charged with improper conduct.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said he believed his forward was becoming the victim of a witch-hunt, claiming Haim should be the man in the dock.
"Because it is Wayne Rooney and because it is Manchester United, the emphasis is taken off the Bolton player completely," the United boss said.
"That is sad because it is obvious to everybody what he did. He laid down there for about two minutes rolling around, which is absolutely disgraceful as far as I am concerned and should be more of a concern for football in general than talking about Wayne Rooney."
A suspension for Rooney could deal a major blow to United's Premiership title push with the Old Trafford giants already nine points behind leaders Chelsea.
With Louis Saha sidelined until the middle of January at the earliest with a knee problem and Ruud van Nistelrooy out for even longer as he nurses an Achilles injury, the Red Devils chief can ill afford to be denied the services of another striker.
United officials were not likely to decide whether to contest the charge until yesterday, although given the nature of the offence and the FA's strict interpretation of it, a guilty plea is possible despite Ferguson's reservations.
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce was honest enough to admit his player had gone down "too easily" and with the FA eager to clamp down on the diving culture which seems to have crept into the English game, Haim is likely to find himself on the end of a suspension as well.
Tiger Cup
Singapore defeated Myanmar 4-3 in Tiger Cup semifinal, first leg play at the Cheras Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, giving them the advantage going into the Cup's semifinal second leg early next month.
Singapore drew first blood in the 21st minute when a shot by Mark Daniel Bennet deflected off a Myanmar defender and found the net, despite a dive by goalkeeper Aung Aung On.
Myanmar tied up the match in the 35th minute when skipper Soe Myat Min coasted past a static Singapore defense off a pass from Min Thu.
Min Thu got on to the scoresheet himself two minutes later when his free kick from 30m out sailed past everyone in the box and dipped into the goal.
But a blunder by Myanmar's defense allowed Singapore to draw level five minutes before halftime.
Noh Alam Shah put Singapore ahead when he scored after some fine work by Casmir in the 63rd minute.
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