LONDON: After a week when Wayne Rooney hogged the headlines, his stand-in Javier Hernandez scored twice to secure Manchester United’s first away win in the Premier League this season in a 2-1 triumph at Stoke City.
Rooney, who recently had a u-turn in signing a five-year contract, missed the game with an ankle injury but for the second week running his replacement, Hernandez, opened the scoring. The victory aided United to move within five points of league leaders Chelsea.
After 27 minutes Nani launched a deep cross that Nemanja Vidic headed back across goal. The ball’s flight was awkward for Hernandez but he managed to leap, twist and somehow back-head the ball beyond Thomas Sorensen for an exquisite goal.
He almost got a bizarre second when he charged down a Sorensen clearance and the ball rebounded off his back and just over the bar.
United continued to stand up to the physical pummelling Stoke routinely hand out to guests at the Britannia Stadium but eventually paid the price for trying to sit on their lead.
Paul Scholes passed the ball straight to Marc Wilson in midfield nine minutes from time. He immediately picked out substitute Tuncay who cut inside from the right wing and thumped a curving left-footer across Edwin van der Sar and into the top corner.
Hernandez reacted sharply to fire from close range four minutes from the end.
Arsenal bulldoze City
Arsenal moved into second place - five points behind leaders Chelsea - with a 3-0 victory over 10-man Manchester City.
City were unable to recover from the early dismissal of defender Dedryck Boyata for a professional foul on Arsenal’s Marouane Chamakh at Eastlands.
Arsene Wenger’s side took full advantage as Samir Nasri exchanged passes with Andrey Arshavin in the 20th minute before lifting his shot into the roof of the net. Cesc Fabregas wasted a golden opportunity to extend Arsenal’s lead before half-time when he won a penalty after being fouled by Vincent Kompany.
Fabregas took the spot-kick himself but City goal-keeper Joe Hart made a fine save. That miss made no difference as Alex Song flashed a powerful strike past Hart in the 66th minute before substitute Nicklas Bendtner added the third in the closing moments.
Liverpool triumph
Liverpool lifted the pressure on boss Roy Hodgson with a 2-1 win over Blackburn at Anfield. Hodgson’s side took the lead in the 48th minute when Greek defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos powered home a header from Steven Gerrard’s corner. Rovers were level two minutes later when Paul Konchesky’s clearance of an El-Hadji Diouf shot deflected back off Jamie Carragher and into his own net.
Spain striker Torres won it for Liverpool in the 53rd minute with a cool finish from Gerrard’s pass.
Chelsea down wolves
Chelsea opened up a five-point gap at the top of the English Premier League, goals from Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou goal wrapping up a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton.
Malouda’s goal came on 23 minutes, the French international providing the finish after neat interplay between Yuri Zhirkov and Nicolas Anelka. Salomon Kalou bagged Chelsea’s second after a scintillating sequence of one-touch play opened up the Wolves defence on 81 minutes.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti
“It was a difficult week because we had to travel to Moscow so I think we were not 100 per cent. But we are in a good position, we started well.”
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson
“We have to start making up ground quickly. We can only do that with everyone on board, with no one jumping ship. Then we can see the real Manchester United.”
Wolverhampton boss Mick McCarthy
“I think Chelsea is the best team in the league. They’ve got loads of ability, loads of pace, one of the best keepers in the league, they’re tough, they’re clever.”
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson
“If we had come in at half-time several goals up no-one could have said a word, so I told them at the break they were going the right way and to carry on.”
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2010.
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