Dimitar Berbatov struck twice as Premier League leaders Manchester United claw recovered from two goals down to beat promoted Blackpool 3-2 in a thrilling game on Tuesday.
United were staring at their first defeat of the season after Blackpool dominated the first half and Charlie Adam corners created headed goals for defender Craig Cathcart and striker DJ Campbell.
United manager Alex Ferguson sent on Ryan Giggs as a substitute and the veteran’s influence crushed Blackpool’s dreams of a major upset in their biggest game for 40 years when Berbatov volleyed in on 72 minutes and substitute Javier Hernandez equalized with a cool finish.
Photo: Reuters
With Blackpool’s players visibly tiring, Berbatov snatched all three points for United with a clinical strike in the 88th minute to send his team five points clear of Arsenal at the top of the table.
It was a match that felt like a cup tie, such was the obvious disparity between the sides.
The team sheets came out on a simple black and white printout rather than the colorful document produced at Old Trafford.
The stand shook when the fans leaped around in celebration, while Blackpool manager Ian Holloway had said in his program notes he had to “commandeer the chairman’s office because my office is a little too small to be entertaining Sir Alex.”
Any inferiority complex was quickly put aside after the opener, which had fairytale written all over it as Cathcart headed in at the far post against the club where he spent his youth days before being sold to Blackpool in the close season.
Campbell’s goal came after another Adam corner was headed on inadvertently by Darron Gibson into the Blackpool striker’s path for his sixth goal in his last seven games.
It looked like a major upset was on the cards with United unable to create any clear chances and apparently on the verge of losing their unbeaten record, but the replacement of Wayne Rooney with Hernandez midway through the second half livened up the attack.
Berbatov’s first strike proved the turning point and Hernandez’s equalizer saved United’s blushes before the Bulgarian’s 19th league goal of the season completed the sort of revival that champions are made of.
ASTON VILLA V WIGAN
AP, WIGAN, ENGLAND
Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young gave Aston Villa a 2-1 victory at Wigan on Tuesday to lift the team six points clear of the Premier League relegation zone, but it was a nervy conclusion for the visitors after James McCarthy pulled one back in 80th minute for Wigan, which is in the drop zone.
Villa, which beat Manchester City on Saturday, has now won successive league matches for the first time this season.
Wigan had the first opportunity when Franco Di Santo headed wide from a Charles N’Zogbia cross.
Villa then began to assert themselves and new signing Darren Bent brilliantly controlled a long ball and pulled back inside the makeshift defender Steven Caldwell only to scuff his shot.
Wigan keeper Ali al-Habsi then produced two fine point-blank saves in quick succession to deny Stewart Downing and Bent after a pass from Agbonlahor had opened up the defense.
In a lively opening Wigan responded with N’Zogbia setting up Hugo Rodallega, but the Colombian’s shot was deflected and American goalkeeper Brad Friedel parried. N’Zogbia also went close after a fine run, but his shot dipped over.
After the initial burst the game settled as both defenses tightened up and it needed Villa to up the tempo for the start of the second half when Young raced into the area from the halfway line and forced al-Habsi to palm over a fierce drive. The visitors grabbed the lead from the resulting corner in the 49th minute.
Again, al-Habsi did well to keep out Carlos Cuellar’s firm header, but the ball ballooned into the air and Agbonlahor reacted quickest to nod it over the line as it came down.
The game opened up again and Young doubled Villa’s lead from the penalty spot after being brought down clumsily by Hendry Thomas just after the hour.
Bent almost grabbed a third for Villa as he raced onto an Agbonlahor through-ball, but al-Habsi rushed out to deny him again.
Wigan did not give up the fight and pulled a goal back 10 minutes from time, although it did require a huge slice of luck.
There seemed little danger as James McCarthy lined up a shot from 25m, but the ball took a huge deflection off Villa defender James Collins and wrong-footed Friedel to end up in the bottom corner.
The Wigan fans thought they had an equalizer to celebrate moments later when Rodallega flashed a shot just wide from the edge of the area.
Argentine striker Di Santo also headed at Friedel as Wigan put Villa under late pressure, but could not force the equalizer.
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