Chelsea stay on top as City move up to second place

Drogba scores the opening goal in the champions’ 2-0 win over their London rivals.

LONDON: Chelsea’s Didier Drogba proved Arsenal’s nemesis again when he scored the opening goal in the champions’ 2-0 win over their London rivals as they stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League.

Drogba took his tally to 13 goals in 13 appearances against Arsenal with a shot that went in off the post five minutes before the break after Arsenal had dominated much of the opening half. Alex sealed the win with a blistering free kick late in the game.

The defending champions, who have beaten Arsenal in their last four league matches, top the table with 18 points from seven games, followed by City on 14, Manchester United on 13 and Arsenal on 11.

Liverpool in relegation zone

Blackpool continued their amazing start in the Premier League with a 2-1 win away to Liverpool at Anfield that left the 18-time champions in the relegation zone. It was Blackpool’s first win at their north-west rivals’ once feared home ground since 1967 and left Liverpool with just a solitary win from seven league games so far this term.

Charlie Adam fired newly-promoted Blackpool into a 29th-minute lead from the penalty spot before Luke Varney doubled the Tangerines’ tally on the stroke of half-time.

Liverpool’s Sotirios Kyrgiakos headed in a 53rd-minute goal to reduce Blackpool’s lead before Tangerines goal-keeper Matt Gilks denied the Greek defender an equaliser with a superb save in the closing seconds. Blackpool are now ninth place.

City climb to second place

Manchester City’s Adam Johnson came off the bench to score the winner in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle as Roberto Mancini’s big-spenders went second in rankings.

Johnson had only been on the pitch for a matter of minutes before he fired City in front with a quarter of an hour left at Eastlands after Carlos Tevez’s early penalty had been cancelled out by Newcastle’s Jonas Gutierrez. Victory left City a point behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.

City took an 18th minute lead when Tevez scored from the penalty spot after he tumbled over the sliding challenge of Mike Williamson. But six minutes later Newcastle were level when Jonas Gutierrez followed up his own half-cleared cross to shoot into the top of the net from 12 yards.

However, in-form substitute Johnson collected the ball out on the left, beat a couple of defenders, and then the shot low into the far corner.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2010.