Arsenal’s title dream suffered another blow on Wednesday as Tottenham Hotspur recovered from two goals down to rescue a 3-3 draw, while Chelsea went above the Gunners into second place after beating Birmingham City 3-1.
Arsene Wenger’s side were on course to move within four points of leaders Manchester United after taking a 3-1 lead at White Hart Lane, but Wenger’s often-criticized defense failed him again and Rafael van der Vaart scored a second-half penalty equalizer to condemn Arsenal to a fifth draw in six Premier League games.
As a result they lost second place to a resurgent Chelsea, who are now six points behind United with a crucial trip to Old Trafford looming next month.
Photo: EPA
Wenger, whose side were held 1-1 by Liverpool on Sunday, said: “Of course we have regrets because we were 3-1 up, but the second was an outstanding goal and then we conceded a penalty.”
“We had a fantastic attitude in the first half, but dropped in the second half because it is a massive disadvantage playing two games of such stature in a matter of days,” Wenger said. “We will fight like mad for the next game. Of course we can still win the title.”
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “With a six-point lead Manchester United is still too far, but we have to believe. I never said the title race was over. After this we have to play five games. We have to win them all and see what happens.”
After the pain of Sunday’s draw against Liverpool, Arsenal needed an early boost and they got it when Theo Walcott lit the fuse on an explosive first half by sprinting onto a Cesc Fabregas pass and slotting past Heurelho Gomes.
Arsenal’s lead was short-lived as Dutch international van der Vaart beat the offside trap to score with a ferocious finish two minutes later, but the Gunners were back in front in the 12th minute when France midfielder Samir Nasri hit a low shot from the edge of the area that took a slight deflection off Spurs defender Michael Dawson before beating Gomes.
Wenger’s team increased their lead through Robin van Persie in the 40th minute. Walcott hooked a cross back from the touchline and, after Gomes had saved van Persie’s initial effort, the Dutch forward was able to fire in from close-range.
Even then Spurs refused to surrender. Harry Redknapp’s side had come from two goals behind to beat Arsenal 3-2 earlier this season and recovered from 4-2 down to earn a 4-4 draw against the Gunners in 2008.
Tom Huddlestone gave Spurs a lifeline four minutes later with a powerful long-range effort that fizzed through van der Vaart’s legs and beyond goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the hosts completed a superb comeback in the 70th minute when Szczesny fouled Aaron Lennon and van der Vaart stroked in the resulting penalty.
“That was one of the great games in my opinion. It was a little classic,” Redknapp said. “We came back from an almost impossible position. There is a fantastic spirit at this club and we never give in.”
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea produced a second dominant display in five days to keep a foothold in the title race. After beating West Bromwich Albion 3-1 on Saturday, Ancelotti’s side avenged their 1-0 loss against Birmingham earlier this season to revive belief they can retain the title.
Chelsea took the lead in the third minute when Paulo Ferreira’s cross was flicked on by Didier Drogba and French winger Florent Malouda pounced to poke home from close-range.
Ancelotti again left British -record signing Fernando Torres and France striker Nicolas Anelka on the bench as he opted for Drogba as his lone forward, supported by Malouda and Salomon Kalou.
Ivory Coast forward Kalou justified his inclusion as he scored with a sensational strike that saw him beat two Birmingham defenders, before drilling an unstoppable shot past Ben Foster in the 26th minute.
Malouda put the game out of Birmingham’s reach in the 62nd minute when he headed in a cross from debutant Ryan Bertrand.
Sebastian Larsson got one back for Birmingham in the 76th minute after David Luiz fouled Matt Derbyshire, but it was little consolation for Alex McLeish’s team, who remain five points above the relegation zone.
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 to book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals, setting up a repeat of last year’s NHL showpiece against reigning champions the Florida Panthers. The Oilers, bidding to become the first Canadian team to win the NHL’s championship series since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, head to Florida for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series set for Wednesday. Florida, who are to play in the NHL showpiece for the third straight season, won last year’s title 4-3 to extend Canada’s decades-long Stanley Cup drought. Connor McDavid led Edmonton back to the championship series on
RSS