United lose more ground on EPL table-toppers City after 1-1 draw against 10-man Newcastle
United lose more ground on EPL table-toppers City after 1-1 draw against 10-man Newcastle
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Manchester United suffered a damaging 1-1 draw with Newcastle at Old Trafford after Demba Ba's controversial penalty earned a point for the 10-man visitors on Saturday.
Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Newcastle's Danny Simpson
battle for the ball during Saturday's EPL match at Old Trafford. Pic/AFP
Alex Ferguson's second-placed side are four points behind Manchester City and that gap will extend to seven if the leaders win at Liverpool on Sunday, so it was no surprise the United boss was fuming at full-time.
Javier Hernandez had given United the lead just after half-time but Ba levelled after referee Michael Jones took his assistant's advice to award a penalty for Rio Ferdinand's challenge on Hatem Ben Arfa.
Newcastle played the last 12 minutes of the game with 10 men, after Jonas Gutierrez's dismissal for a second yellow card for a clumsy foul on Nani.
Chelsea win 3-0
Elsewhere, Chelsea winger Juan Mata gave under-fire boss Andre Villas-Boas the perfect tonic as his superb display inspired a comfortable 3-0 win over Wolves at Stamford Bridge.
Villas-Boas has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks following Chelsea's woeful run and some reports claimed he could be sacked by owner Roman Abramovich despite only joining the club from Porto in the close-season.
Abramovich responded by insisting the 34-year-old would be allowed time to build a team capable of winning the Champions League.
But after three defeats from their last four league games and a Champions League loss at Bayer Leverkusen, this much-needed victory -- secured thanks to goals from John Terry, Daniel Sturridge and the majestic Mata -- went someway to easing the pressure on Villas-Boas.
Spurs trump West Brom
Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor scored late goals to hand Tottenham a fifth straight Premier League victory with a 3-1 win at West Bromwich Albion.
Youssouf Mulumbu had headed the Baggies deservedly in front only for Adebayor to swiftly level matters when he tapped in after seeing his initial penalty saved.
Defoe lashed home a low shot from the edge of the area in the 81st minute. Adebayor then doubled his tally in injury-time after converting Gareth Bale's cross.
Other results
Stoke 3-1 Blackburn
Bolton 0-2 Everton
Norwich 2-1 QPR
Sunderland 1-2 Wigan
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