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
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
If all goes well when the biggest marathon field ever gathered in Australia races 42km through the streets of Sydney on Sunday, World Marathon Majors (WMM) will soon add a seventh race to the elite series. The Sydney Marathon is to become the first race since Tokyo in 2013 to join long-established majors in New York, London, Boston, Berlin and Chicago if it passes the WMM assessment criteria for the second straight year. “We’re really excited for Sunday to arrive,” race director Wayne Larden told a news conference in Sydney yesterday. “We’re prepared, we’re ready. All of our plans look good on
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
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