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Home , Antonio Valencia, Darren Bent, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, Kenwyne Jones, Manuel Almunia

The New Vision, Monday, February 1, 2010 SOCCER 63

Weak link Standings P W D L F A Pts Hot-shots Chelsea 23 17 3 3 57 19 54 Goalkeeper Almunia puts the ball in his own net from a cross Man United 24 17 2 5 56 20 53 Arsenal 24 15 4 5 60 28 49 Nani Almunia Tottenham 24 12 6 6 45 25 42 Liverpool 24 12 5 7 42 26 41 He is one Nani set Man City 22 11 8 3 44 30 41 reason why up two Aston Villa 23 11 7 5 31 18 40 Arsenal con- goals. The 23 9 7 7 22 23 34 tinue to look first after Everton 23 8 8 7 33 34 32 far from he skipped Utd humiliates Blackburn 24 7 7 10 25 40 28 potential past two Fulham 23 7 6 10 26 28 27 title win- men. He Stoke City 21 6 7 8 19 26 25 ners. While gets to the dead-ball line Sunderland 22 6 5 11 30 40 23 Almunia might have little and hangs up a cross. It Wigan 22 6 4 12 24 47 22 blame for the last two loops over Almunia, who West Ham 23 4 9 10 29 38 21 goals, the first proved to can only touch the ball Bolton 22 5 6 11 29 44 21 be the turning point. He into his net. The second Wolves 23 5 6 12 19 40 21 opens the floodgates by after he carries the ball Burnley 23 5 5 13 23 46 20 pushing Nani’s cross into The Gunners half the length to feed Hull City 23 4 8 11 22 48 20 his own net. No wonder Rooney. He made the Portsmouth 22 4 3 15 19 35 15 Rooney tried his luck Arsenal defence look like from distance several novices. He has lived in l20 (Manchester times. In one such Ferguson back in title race the shadow of Cristiano United) attempt, Almunia, falling Ronaldo, but is capable l15 (Hotspur) backwards, was unable LONDON England star Rooney demonstrated of moments of magic. l14 (Chelsea) to gather at the first the predatory instincts that make him, (Sunderland) attempt, but dived on Arsenal 1 M.United 3 on current form, the most lethal for- l12 (Man City) the loose ball. ward in the world, but it was Portugal Manchester United closed the gap on winger Nani, revitalised in recent (Liverpool) l leaders Chelsea as the weeks, who stole the show with a 11 (Everton) Rooney champions swept to an impressive 3-1 superb display. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) l10 (Villa) win against title rivals Arsenal on Arsenal, beaten for the first time in Rooney (Chelsea) Denilson Sunday. 11 league games, had no answer to was all l8 Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) Sir ’s side stunned the either player and, although Thomas over (Liverpool) Ineffective. Gunners with two goals in four min- Vermaelen got one back late on, Arsene Arsenal l7 D.Berbatov (Man United) Several terri- utes in the first half at the Emirates Wenger’s team looked short of the after they Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal) ble passes Stadium and were never in danger of resilience and cutting edge needed to conceded (Arsenal) from Denilson surrendering their lead. win the title. the goal, (West Ham) in midfield Arsenal goalkeeper Ferguson, who was without defen- with a Hugo Rodallega (Wigan) ensured his pushed Nani’s cross into his own net sive duo and Nemanja great E. Adebayor (Man City) defence was before Wayne Rooney put the champi- Vidic, selected Nani ahead of in-form counter l6 (Sunderland) always on the back foot. ons in complete control with his 100th and and attack for the second. Clint Dempsey (Fulham) Was surprisingly sloppy Premier League goal. it proved an inspired decision. Gave Arsenal’s defence a (Man City) in possession at times South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung With Chelsea’s victory at Burnley on headache and should (Hotspur) and was part of a mid- added United’s third goal in the sec- Saturday moving the leaders four have made it four late in Stephen Hunt (Hull City) field that allowed United ond half to ensure Ferguson’s men points clear of United and five ahead the game. Again showed Steven Fletcher (Burnley) far too much space. He moved within one point of Chelsea of Arsenal, both teams knew a defeat why he is the league’s (Fulham) was later replaced by thanks to their most emphatic per- could be disastrous to their title leading scorer at 20 Ivan Klasnic (Bolton) Walcott. formance of the season. hopes. goals.

Press calls for Terry’s head after Bridge affair goes public LONDON Premier League lead- gagging injunction involving his pri- make no comment whatsoever either ers insisted they had vate life. now or in the future about these ’s future as England - no qualms about select- A judge at London’s High Court sub- reports and ask that my privacy is tain was called into question on ing him to play against sequently lifted the order and respected.” Saturday when British newspapers Burnley on Saturday. Saturday’s papers alleged Terry had Bridge played with Terry for six responded to reports about his infi- Terry, 29, who was an affair with the ex-girlfriend of years during his time at Chelsea delity by demanding he be stripped voted Britain’s Dad of former Chelsea team-mate Wayne before leaving to join Manchester of the role. the Year last year in a Bridge, Vanessa Perroncel. City in January 2009. But despite the controversy sur- sponsored survey, has two children Bridge, in a statement issued The left-back is widely expected to rounding his alleged extra-marital with his wife Toni. through his lawyer, said Saturday: be called into ’s squad affair with the ex-girlfriend of a The central defender was named on “My primary concern is the welfare for this year’s World Cup in South former Chelsea team-mate, the Friday as the sportsman behind a of my son. Therefore, I intend to Africa as cover for .