Wayne Rooney scored a hat-trick as Manchester United fought back from two goals down to beat West Ham 4-2 and keep their Premier League title hopes firmly on track.
Mark Noble had struck two penalties for the hosts but also felt Nemanja Vidic should have been dismissed by referee Lee Mason for denying Demba Ba a goal-scoring opportunity. United took full advantage in the second half, with Rooney pulling a goal back before levelling with his 100th league goal for his club. The England striker then established a lead with a penalty after Matthew Upson’s handball, before Javier Hernandez grabbed another.
“I thought we played like champions today,” said Sir Alex Ferguson. “We kept our heads up, we didn’t lose faith in our ability and that was a great boost. We dominated that second-half and deserved to win. It was a real championship performance as far as I’m concerned.”
Chelsea title dreams fade
Chelsea’s faint hopes of a late title-charge faded after the champions were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by mid-table Stoke.
Didier Drogba’s first goal since January 24 rescued a point for Carlo Ancelotti’s side after Jon Walters had fired Stoke ahead at the Britannia Stadium. But the result almost certainly ended Chelsea’s remote title challenge with Ancelotti’s side now 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester United.
Baggies down Liverpool
Chris Brunt’s penalty ensured West Brom came from behind to defeat Liverpool 2-1 as manager Roy Hodgson had the last laugh at the expense of his former club.
Martin Skrtel had given the visitors the lead shortly after half-time but the Baggies were deservedly level soon afterwards when Brunt calmly slotted home from the spot. It was enough to hand the Baggies vital breathing space at the bottom of the table, moving them four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.
Arsenal held by Blackburn
In the late kick-off, Arsenal’s dismal run continued with a 0-0 draw against Blackburn at the Emirates. It was Arsenal’s third consecutive draw and means that the title race is no longer in the hands of the Londoners, whose last league win was in February.
Newcastle claim victory over Wolves
Meanwhile, Newcastle eased their relegation fears with an emphatic 4-1 win over struggling Wolves.
Goals from Kevin Nolan, Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands and Jonas Gutierrez lifted the Magpies seven points clear of danger.
In other matches, Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 0-0 draw at Wigan while Leighton Baines scored a controversial late penalty as Everton snatched a share of the points in a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa. Goals from Kevin Phillips and Craig Gardener eased Birmingham’s relegation fears as they moved out of the Premier League drop zone with a crucial 2-1 win over Bolton.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 03rd, 2011
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