Aston Villa 2-3 Manchester United

Manchester United produced a
rousing second-half display to
recover from two goals down and
snatch a famous win from a
breathless encounter at Villa Park.
The Premier League leaders found
themselves 2-0 behind after 50 minutes,
with Aston Villa's Andreas Weimann
striking either side of half-time.
The introduction of Javier Hernandez at
half-time changed everything, however.
Sandwiched by a Ron Vlaar own goal,
the United striker scored twice to
complete a remarkable turnaround.
Hernandez, who has now found the
net seven times in his last five matches,
was enveloped by his team-mates at
the final whistle after United's 14th
victory in their last 16 matches, a result
that leaves Sir Alex Ferguson's side four
points clear at the top of the table.
Incredibly, the Old Trafford club have
won 15 points from losing positions
this season. And yet these late United
comebacks retain something of a jack-
in-the-box quality. Everyone suspects
they are on the cards and yet still catch
their opponents by surprise. This was
no exception.
At 2-0 down, United had created for
themselves an utter mess. And yet
somehow they rose to find hope, and
with it, power and effectiveness to turn
around a lost match in seven
impossible minutes and finished the
job with three minutes of normal time
remaining.
It was tough on Villa after a brave
performance but history was always on
United's side. The last time United lost
here in the league was August 1995. On
that day Ferguson threw David
Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and
the Nevilles into the mix and Alan
Hansen had warned him he wouldn't
win anything with kids.
But it is Villa who are fielding the
fledglings these days - seven of
Lambert's side were 23 or younger,
including 22-year-old Enda Stevens who
made his full league debut.
United had all the experience. Scholes,
who started in that United team 17
years ago, turned in another vintage
midfield performance, sitting deep and
spraying his trademark laser-guided
passes to all corners of Villa Park. But
for all of United's possession they
lacked cohesion, confidence and
sustained threat for 50 minutes.
Villa were two goals to the good by the
time United woke from their slumber.
Weimann scored both to shake United
to their core.
First he found Benteke with a perfectly
measured ball down the left and, when
his strike partner pulled back a low
cross, thumped a fizzing drive past
David De Gea from 16 yards.
The interval did little to steady United as
Villa began where they had left off and
doubled their lead within four minutes.
Ireland swept the ball left for
Agbonlahor and the Villa forward's low
ball skidded across the six-yard line
where Weimann escaped Rio
Ferdinand's attention to sidefoot in.
Villa Park was rocking and yet somehow
United turned the match on its head.
Ferguson's decision to replace Ashley
Young with Hernandez at half-time
changed the game in seven second-half
minutes as United struck twice to level
the match from nowhere.
Scholes, in the centre circle, set
Hernandez scampering clear down the
inside-right channel, the ball became
caught under his feet in the box but in
a flash it was out again and rolling
beyond Guzan and into the back of the
net.
Vlaar was producing a towering
performance at the heart of the
defence, throwing his body and head
into the path of shots and crosses with
tremendous regularity as United
pushed and probed around the edge of
the penalty area. But even he was
powerless to prevent United's second
as Hernandez fired Rafael goalwards
and the volley deflected into the net off
the Dutchman.
Villa were visibly shaken. Rooney's long-
range shot was palmed clear by Guzan
while Robin Van Persie struck the
crossbar twice in one minute, first with
a thumping header and then a fierce
long-range shot.
Down at the other end, Barry Bannan -
one of many Villa players to impress -
found the head of Weimann with a
curling cross from deep and the
Austrian striker powered a header
straight at De Gea, who turned the ball
to safety with a brilliant reflex save.
But United would not be denied. Van
Persie curled a free-kick towards the far
post where Hernandez headed the ball
into the bottom-right corner with
unerring accuracy. Ferguson's clenched
fist at the final whistle said it all, United
had done it again.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex
Ferguson: "It was a magnificent result
and a magnificent game. Villa did
fantastic today, they ran their socks off.
We have to feel for them but we never
gave in. We hit the bar twice but it was
after the second goal we came alive,
and it was a fantastic game. I admire
the tenacity of the performance,
though. When they need to do it, they
do it."
Villa manager Paul Lambert: "We gave
it absolutely everything, we were
brilliant. I can't fault the team. We've
got lots of young lads in the team and
they were great. I can't ask for any
more from them.

Stoke 1-0 QPR

Charlie Adam scored a second-half
winner, his first goal for Stoke, to heap
further pressure on QPR manager
Mark Hughes after a 1-0 defeat.
The R's had not won away in the
Premier League since beating City 3-2
at the Britannia Stadium last season
and remained winless this term in 11
games after Adam's 52nd-minute
strike.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium
until Robert Huth launched a long free-
kick for Jonathan Walters to head on to
Peter Crouch after the break.
Crouch failed to get a meaningful
touch on the ball but glanced it for
Adam to half-volley home the only goal
of a tense encounter at the back post.
Winger Matthew Etherington had been
named in the Potters' starting line-up
for the first time since the opening day
of the campaign - and Ireland
midfielder Glenn Whelan joined him in
returning in front of the biggest home
attendance of the season at 27,529.
England defender Ryan Shawcross was
soon on hand to cut out Esteban
Granero's cross for Djibril Cisse early
on while the recalled Rangers
midfielder Alejandro Faurlin also tried
his luck from distance.
Stoke's Walters then blasted into the
crowd after finding himself unmarked
while Julio Cesar punched clear an
Etherington free-kick under severe
pressure.
Midfielder Steven Nzonzi picked out
Crouch in the middle but the England
forward's effort was deflected just
wide of the target while Cisse and
Junior Hoilett combined at the other
end to set up Adel Taraabt.
The Morocco forward badly fluffed his
chipped attempt but went closer a
minute later and just before the
interval when his side-footed effort
was just wide of Asmir Begovic's far-
post.
Scotland midfielder Adam gleefully put
the hosts ahead seven minutes after
the restart, from an aerial Stoke set-
piece, but Taarabt almost levelled the
match immediately with a deflected
right-footed effort forcing Begovic to
turn the ball over the bar.
The Moroccan twice dragged the ball
across goal from useful positions but
he did better in the 70th minute to set
up Granero, whose strike brought a
fine save out of Bosnian Begovic.
Substitute Michael Kightly could have
sealed a certain three points near the
end but the winger's strike was well
saved by Cesar after fellow sub
Kenwyne Jones had beaten the offside
trap to pull a neat ball back to him.

Everton 2-1 Sunderland

Everton scored twice in three minutes
at Goodison Park to secure a late 2-1
victory over struggling Sunderland.
Marouane Fellaini took a pass from
Leon Osman at the edge of the box
and turned to dispatch a low shot
through John O'Shea's legs into the
bottom corner with 14 minutes
remaining.
And Osman was the instigator again
when his threaded pass was flicked
inside the penalty area by Fellaini
where Nikica Jelavic pounced to tuck
the ball under the advancing Simon
Mignolet.
Adam Johnson (45) had given
Sunderland a deserved lead when he
reacted quickest to Craig Gardner's
looped delivery into the box and
caught the ball on the drop to place
past Tim Howard.
Sunderland created an early chance
when Steven Fletcher threaded a pass
inside Seamus Coleman to Stephane
Sessegnon and his low drive was
blocked by Howard's left foot.
The Sunderland duo combined again
and this time Fletcher beat Howard
with his low angled shot which slid
past the far post.
Steven Pienaar stung the palms of
Mignolet with an angled shot before
the Sunderland keeper got down and
prevented a low cross from the same
player reaching Fellaini inside the six-
yard box.
Jack Colback then shot weakly at
Howard from eight yards as
Sunderland worked another opening
shortly before the diving Mignolet
punched a long range drive from Phil
Neville away at the other end.
Everton's enjoyed a period of pressure
after the break and were denied an
equaliser when Johnson cleared a
header from Johnny Heitinga off the
line after the defender rose to meet a
Leighton Baines corner.
But the hosts would not be deterred
and were rewarded for a dominant
second half performance with those
two swift goals.

Wigan 1-2 West Brom

West Brom finally got their first away
win of an increasingly impressive
season as they defeated Wigan 2-1 in
an entertaining clash at the DW
Stadium.
Albion, who are only outside the top
four on goal difference, had previously
garnered only two points on their
travels but took all three against the
Latics thanks to a James Morrison
header and an own goal from Gary
Caldwell, with Arouna Kone replying
for the hosts.
The home side, who came into the
game on the back of successive wins
against West Ham and Tottenham,
started brightly with their fast flowing
passing game backed up with the
necessary midfield bite from the
industrious James McCarthy.
And it was Wigan who created the first
chance of the game on 10 minutes,
Ben Watson seeing his crisp drive from
the edge of the area parried by Boaz
Myhill, deputising for the injured Ben
Foster in the Albion goal.
At the other end, West Brom's main
threat came initially from Jonas Olsson
whose muscular presence in and
around the penalty area sparked an
ugly exchange with Ivan Ramis and
eventually brought a stern lecture from
referee Neil Swarbrick.
But Steve Clarke's Albion mix brawn
with brain and it was the latter that led
to their well worked opener on 31, as
Chris Brunt's pinpoint cross was
headed powerfully home by Morrison -
although the Wigan defence could
have been awarded an assist for some
dreadful marking.
Visibly buoyed by their goal, the
Baggies sought to press home their
advantage with a second before half
time and it duly arrived a minute
before the break, the hapless Caldwell
diverting Billy Jones' cross-cum-shot
into his own net.
The home crowd were stunned - but
they found their voices within 60
seconds as Wigan immediately reduced
the deficit, Kone turning in Jean
Beausejour's teasing low cross at the
far post to bring a breathless first half
to a close.
The second half began in much the
same vein as the first with Watson
again forcing a save from Myhill with a
powerful strike from the edge of the
area (48).
However, West Brom weathered the
storm and were within a fingertip of
restoring their two goal cushion eight
minutes later, Ali Al-Habsi brilliantly
clawing away Romelu Lukaku's
goalbound shot.
The visitors sent on Zoltan Gera and
Peter Odemwingie for Morrison and
Shane Long as they sought to make
the game safe (68) but it was Wigan
who were looking the more likely
scorers as the game entered its closing
stages.
Franco Di Santo spurned a great
chance on 81, heading the ball against
Kone and over the bar with the goal at
his mercy but that was as close as the
Latics came as Albion held on to
record back-to-back wins for the first
time this campaign.

Southampton 1-1 Swansea

Southampton moved off the bottom
thanks to a 1-1 draw at home to
Swansea but were left to regret more
sloppy defending.
Saints looked set for their second win
of the season when Morgan
Schneiderlin got on the end of a Rickie
Lambert knockdown to force the ball
past Gerhard Tremmel after 64
minutes.
But Nigel Adkins' men threw the lead
away within 10 minutes when Maya
Yoshida was unable to control a short
pass from goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga
and Nathan Dyer pounced.
The former Southampton winger had
only been introduced just before the
hour mark and produced a clinical
finish in off the post to get Swansea
back on level terms.
Although the home side pushed for an
equaliser their efforts looked tired and
both sides were forced to settle for a
point apiece.
Having seen his team concede the
opening goal in all 10 games so far this
season, Adkins had been keen to keep
things solid before the break.
And while the Swans dominated
possession they created little beyond a
near-post drive from Ki after good
trickery from the South Korean.
Indeed, Southampton had the better
of the openings with Rickie Lambert a
useful weapon with his knockdowns.
Gaston Ramirez and Schneiderlin both
fired wide when well placed.
It was no surprise when the goal came
by that route. But it was even less
surprising to see Saints throw the lead
away and while they climb above QPR
they remain in trouble in 19th.

Reading 0-0 Norwich

Reading are still searching for their first
Premier League win of the season after
their clash with Norwich at the
Madejski Stadium ended in a goalless
draw.
Chances were at a premium in the first
half with only one save of note made
be either goalkeeper, John Ruddy
parrying a fierce drive from Garath
McCleary, and despite a fairly frantic
final 30 minutes, neither side could find
a winner.
After a slow start by the hosts their
greatest threat came from set pieces
but despite a string of corners and
free-kicks they could not find a way
through a determined Norwich
defence.
McCleary went closest when he
pounced on a loose ball and stung
Ruddy's palms from 25 yards while
Michael Turner almost helped out the
visitors when he turned a low Jason
Roberts cross narrowly past his own
post.
Robert Snodgrass and Wes Hoolahan
provided the impetus for much of
Norwich's attacking play but neither
managed to call Adam Federici into
action in the Reading goal and their
best chance fell to Bradley Johnson but
he blazed wildly over.
It was a similar pattern after the restart
as Reading won a series of set pieces
which came to nothing and Norwich
showing some craft and guile in the
middle of the park with no end
product but the game sprang to life on
the hour.
Grant Holt just failed to get on the end
of a decent cross from Hoolahan
before steering a shot wide from
another delivery from the same source
while Sean Morrison headed narrowly
wide from Nicky Shorey's dangerous
free-kick.
Jobi McAnuff then cut in from the left
flank and curled inches over the
crossbar to spark a good spell for the
hosts which saw Jimmy Kebe's cross
bounce to safety off the bar with Pavel
Pogrebnyak poised to head in.
Kaspars Gorkss just got enough on a
cross from Javier Garrido to put Holt
off his header while Kebe forced
Ruddy to save at his near post after a
lightning break from the hosts.
Snodgrass and Holt wasted headed
chances from Anthony Pilkington
crosses either side of a 25-yard effort
from the midfielder which was rising
over from the moment it left his boot.
A stoppage-time break from Alexander
Tettey was the last real chance but he
was forced out to the flank and Federici
watched calmly as his wild shot flew
well wide.

Arsenal 3-3 Fulham

Mikel Arteta had a penalty saved with
the last kick of the game as Arsenal and
Fulham fought out a pulsating 3-3
draw at the Emirates.
Arteta was handed the chance to settle
a simply superb match, which lacked
any defensive responsibility, but he
was denied by an excellent Mark
Schwarzer stop that continued
Arsenal's frustrating run of form.
After a bright start from Fulham, it was
the home side who took the lead on 11
minutes when the excellent Olivier
Giroud got ahead of Aaron Hughes
and headed home Theo Walcott's
corner.
Fulham lost Kieran Richardson to a
hamstring injury and, while they were
waiting to replace him, Arteta set up
Podolski to make it 2-0 12 minutes
later, the German getting in front of
Sascha Riether to flick past Schwarzer.
But the visitors were never lacking in
threat and pulled a goal back on 29
when Dimitar Berbatov was lost by at
least four defenders and headed home
a Bryan Ruiz corner.
And five minutes before half-time, the
Emirates fans were left wondering
where their back-four were again when
Berbatov ran on to a finely-judged ball
down the right and Alex Kacaniklic
headed past Vito Mannone, who will
think he could have done more to
keep the ball out of the net.
Fulham nearly snatched the lead on
the stroke of half-time but Ashkan
Dejagah couldn't quite get enough on
John Arne Riise's cross and Arsenal
breathed a sigh of relief.
Ruiz snatched at a decent chance just
after the start of the second-half and,
at the other end, Walcott cut in from
the flank and fired just over the bar
from 20 yards.
More dreadful defending, this time
from Arteta, gave Fulham the lead on
67, the Spaniard losing possession and
bringing down Ruiz in the box, with
Berbatov making no mistake from the
spot.
Two minutes later the rollercoaster was
back on an even keel with Giroud's
shot hitting the post and rebounding
for Walcott to cross for the Frenchman
to score his second of the afternoon.
Giroud was only denied his hat-trick by
a superb save from Schwarzer, turning
his fierce 20-yarder around the post, as
a topsy-turvy game headed for the
final 10 minutes.
And there would be more drama in
the closing seconds with the last kick of
the game proving to be Arteta's
penalty, given for a marginal handball,
but Schwarzer came to the rescue with
a superb save to give Fulham a well-
deserved point.