Arsenal blew the chance to reduce Manchester United’s lead at the top of the Premier League to just one point after being held to a 0-0 draw at home to Sunderland on Saturday.
With United facing a tricky away game at Liverpool yesterday, Arsenal could have piled the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson’s team with a win over Sunderland at the Emirates.
However Arsene Wenger’s injury-hit team, missing Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie, were frustrated by a resolute Sunderland side who were determined to end a run of four consecutive defeats.
Photo: Reuters
A disappointed Wenger was furious that an Andrey Arshavin goal had been disallowed for offside when replays appeared to show he had been onside.
“It’s really disappointing and it’s very difficult to take a decision like that in a game of this importance,” Wenger told Sky Sports.
“We have to take it on the chin and continue to fight, but it’s absolutely disappointing and unacceptable,” added Wenger, whose side now face a daunting trip to face Barcelona in the Champions League tomorrow.
Photo: Reuters
The draw leaves Arsenal three points adrift of United ahead of yesterday’s game at Anfield. The Emirates stalemate was the only goalless draw on a day of breathless entertainment across the league.
Third placed Manchester City closed the gap on Arsenal to four points as a howler from Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi gifted the hosts a 1-0 win at Eastlands, the Omani somehow allowing David Silva’s 38th minute shot to squirm through his hands and into the net.
Conor Sammon almost equalized for Wigan in stoppage time, but Roberto Martinez’s side remain bottom of the table and are now four points from safety.
In a dramatic game at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton twice came from behind against Aston Villa and saw the visitors miss a penalty before snatching a dramatic 3-2 victory.
Villa took the lead on 15 minutes, Darren Bent scoring after meeting Kyle Walker’s cross at the back post to silence the Reebok Stadium.
However, Gary Cahill equalized with a header on the stroke of halftime to restore parity for Bolton.
Marc Albrighton gave the visitors the lead again when he finished on 64 minutes and Ashley Young could have made the game safe for Villa on 70 minutes only to see his penalty saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Young was made to rue the miss shortly afterwards, when Cahill grabbed his second to make it 2-2. And four minutes from time substitute Ivan Klasnic fired in the winner to sink Villa and see Wanderers move up a place to sixth.
There was more drama at Craven Cottage where Fulham overcame a stubborn Blackburn side 3-2 courtesy of a late penalty from Bobby Zamora.
Earlier, Damien Duff had twice given Fulham the lead against his former club only for his goals to be cancelled out by Grant Hanley and David Hoilett.
Everton meanwhile bounced back from their midweek FA Cup exit to Reading to beat Newcastle 2-1 at St James Park.
Leon Best fired the Magpies ahead after 23 minutes before two goals in five minutes from Leon Osman and Phil Jagielka gave Everton a valuable three points.
West Ham’s revival gathered pace with a 3-0 win over Stoke at Upton Park, with Senegalese striker Demba Ba taking advantage of some comedy defending by Asmir Begovic and Marc Wilson to open the scoring after 21 minutes.
Manuel da Costa made it 2-0 for the Hammers shortly afterwards as Stoke struggled to gain a foothold in the match. An 83rd-minute effort from German international Thomas Hitzlsperger completed the scoring.
In the early kick-off newly crowned League Cup winners Birmingham were brought down to earth, losing 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion at St Andrews.
Only six days after Alex McLeish’s side stunned Arsenal at Wembley, the Blues were left contemplating a potentially costly home defeat that sent them into the relegation zone.
Second-half goals from Youssouf Mulumbu, James Morrison and Paul Scharner secured the win for Albion, giving new manager Roy Hodgson the first victory of his three-match reign following last month’s dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo.
Birmingham’s solitary goal came from Jean Beausejour.
The win saw West Brom move up to 16th place, and left the Blues in 18th place, two off the bottom.
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