Arsenal swept Wolverhampton Wanderers aside to climb to second place in the Premier League on Saturday as a fifth consecutive draw resulted in Manchester City being ejected from the top four.
The Gunners’ 4-1 win at Molineux lifted them above Manchester United on goal difference ahead of the champions’ meeting with leaders Chelsea.
Arsenal had ended their contest with Wolves by halftime, as own-goals from Ronald Zubar and Jody Craddock were followed by Cesc Fabregas finishing off a trademark passing move on the stroke of the interval.
Andrey Arshavin made it 4-0 after the interval, before Craddock claimed a late consolation for Wolves, who slipped into the relegation zone.
Arsenal have now scored 36 goals in 11 league matches this season — eight more than Chelsea — and manager Arsene Wenger believes his squad is starting to look like a title-winning outfit.
“I don’t know what other people think — the most important is what we believe and our belief is there,” the Frenchman said. “I know we have great potential and we go from strength to strength.”
Manchester City surrendered their coveted spot in the top four to Tottenham after being held to a 3-3 draw at home to Burnley.
It was a fifth consecutive draw for City, who slip back to fifth after a run that has cast doubt on their ability to break into English soccer’s Champions League elite.
“I said before the season that there will be times when we look like what we are, a team coming together and trying to gel, and on other occasions it will happen for us and we will look an outstanding team, but I am frustrated and disappointed as well,” City manager Mark Hughes said.
Burnley’s draw at Manchester City was their first point on the road since their return to the top flight.
An even better outcome had looked on the cards when a Graham Alexander penalty and a Steven Fletcher strike gave the visitors a 2-0 lead, but Shaun Wright-Phillips reduced the deficit two minutes before the break and second-half strikes from Kolo Toure — his first league goal for City — and Craig Bellamy had City on track to claim the points, before Kevin McDonald snatched an 87th-minute equalizer for the visitors.
Robbie Keane and Tom Huddlestone were on the mark for Tottenham Hotspur as Harry Redknapp’s side moved up to fourth with a 2-0 win over Sunderland at White Hart Lane.
Sunderland striker Darren Bent’s return to Spurs proved to be an unhappy one, with the England striker having a second-half penalty saved by Heurelho Gomes.
That would have canceled out Keane’s 12th-minute strike for Spurs and been just reward for Sunderland’s long periods of domination.
Instead Tottenham finished comfortable winners after Huddlestone smashed a 68th-minute shot in off the bar.
Redknapp admitted his side had been lucky, but insisted there was no reason they could not stay in the top four.
“We were very fortunate, the keeper’s had a fantastic day, but that’s how it goes,” Redknapp said. “We got three points, you can play well and get nothing. We’ve got Aaron Lennon and Luka Modric to come back and when they come back we’ll play differently again.”
Elsewhere, Aston Villa overran struggling Bolton Wanderers in a 5-1 rout at Villa Park, while Blackburn Rovers lifted themselves out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over bottom side Portsmouth.
England duo Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor put Villa in control against Bolton. Johan Elmander gave the visitors hope on the stroke of halftime, but Villa were too slick after the break with John Carew, James Milner and Carlos Cuellar all finding the net in the final 20 minutes.
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