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LIVERPOOL: Chelsea’s Diego Costa (center) attempts an overhead kick as Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno (left) and Dejan Lovren look on during the English soccer match at Stadium. — AP Costa buries Reds as Chelsea march on

Mignolet had turned a cross from Cesar net. for a clear offside, Sterling saw a shot hit Cahill on having “parked two buses” in front of the Chelsea Azpilicueta into his path. It was just what Rodgers’s side needed to calm the shoulder, and forced goal in an effort to frustrate Liverpool. Liverpool 1 The goal completed Chelsea’s fightback after early nerves and silence the pre-match taunts of Courtois to save low to his right after a strong run The pattern continued after the restart, with Gary Cahill had cancelled out a ninth-minute goal Mourinho, who had taken obvious pleasure in and shot. Costa’s spectacular bicycle kick clearing the bar as by Emre Can and strengthened Jose Mourinho’s referring to last season’s fixture before the renewal But it was not long before Mourinho’s team, he connected with Dejan Lovren’s defensive head- side’s grip on first place. of hostilities. But on this occasion Liverpool could unbeaten in the league since last March, were er. Liverpool had been hoping to erase memories only hold on to the lead for five minutes. clicking through the gears. Sterling replied with a stinging shot that Chelsea 2 of the loss in last season’s corresponding game The league leaders levelled when Cesc Costa and Martin Skrtel were waging a physi- Courtois saved impressively, but Chelsea were that effectively cost them the league title and Can’s Fabregas’s corner was turned goalwards by Costa cal battle in the Liverpool half and they clashed on soon back on the front foot. Hazard beat Glen first goal for the club gave them an ideal start. and John Terry’s header forced an instant reflex their way down the tunnel at half-time, obliging Johnson too easily before advancing and seeing Steven Gerrard, whose slip in that April fixture save from Mignolet. their team-mates to intervene to prevent the mat- his shot blocked yet again by a red shirt. LIVERPOOL: Diego Costa continued his remark- allowed Demba Ba to put Chelsea ahead, found With the Liverpool defence static, Cahill ter escalating. Eden Hazard had at leat four shots The right flank was a problem area for able start to life in the Premier League by earning Raheem Sterling on the left, and he in turn picked pounced and despite Mignolet making a strong blocked by defenders as Liverpool struggled to Liverpool, and it was from there that the second unbeaten leaders Chelsea a 2-1 victory over out Can. effort to keep the ball out, goal-line technology, get out of the last third, while Costa found himself Chelsea goal came. Thereafter, there were few Liverpool at Anfield yesterday. The former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder was relayed to referee Anthony Taylor’s wristwatch, in shooting positions twice without seriously test- genuine moments of hope for the home side as The Brazil-born Spain striker claimed his 10th allowed to advance before producing a 20-yard proved it had crossed the line. ing Mignolet. they sought an equaliser, although Gerrard’s late goal of the campaign on 67 minutes by lashing shot that took a wicked deflection off Cahill and Liverpool were not immediately affected by It was a far cry from last season’s equivalent fix- shot drew another strong, but unsuccessful, home in lethal fashion after goalkeeper Simon wrong-footed Thibaut Courtois on its way into the the equaliser. Mario Balotelli had a goal ruled out ture, when Rodgers had accused Mourinho of penalty claim for a handball by Cahill. —AFP Mata finds key to Palace Aguero’s late equaliser rescues spluttering City following an ankle injury. Carrick saw plenty of the ball in the early Kompany and James Milner. Man United 1 stages against a Palace team who But the champions looked bedraggled and had clearly come with a plan to frus- QPR 2 befuddled as QPR ran riot in the early stages. trate their hosts. Austin had the ball in the net in the eighth Left-back was allowed minute when he headed home from close- to carry the ball to the edge of the range, but the QPR forward had strayed several Crystal Palace 0 yards offside. box before unleashing a shot that Man City 2 Julian Speroni did well to save Remarkably Austin was denied again in before Wayne Rooney curled high bizarre circumstances from the restart. Joe Hart over the bar after probing work hit his free-kick straight to Austin, who fired MANCHESTER: Substitute Juan home and wheeled away in celebration only for Mata eased the tension at Old from Angel di Maria. United’s start to LONDON: Sergio Aguero spared Manchester referee Mike Dean to disallowed it because the Trafford with the only goal as an the season, taking 10 points from their opening 13 matches, has been City another embarrassing defeat as the City goalkeeper had broken the rules by acci- injury-hit Manchester United edged Argentine striker’s late equaliser salvaged a 2-2 dently kicking the ball twice. Yet City failed to Crystal Palace 1-0 in the Premier their worst since 1986, when Ron Atkinson was sacked and replaced draw against QPR yesterday. heed the warning of their fortunate escapes League yesterday. Aguero netted his second goal of a dramatic and Austin finally made them pay for some The Spaniard scored with a by Alex Ferguson. Van Gaal admitted to feeling “lousy” about that record encounter with just three minutes left at rain- more shoddy defending in the 21st minute. slightly deflected shot four minutes lashed Loftus Road, but this was another alarm- Eduardo Vargas tricked his way past Gael after coming on in the second half on Friday and warned that it could take three years-the duration of his ingly sloppy display from the struggling Premier Clichy and cut in from the right before sending to give Louis van Gaal’s team a first League champions. over a low cross that Austin, played onside by victory in four attempts. contract-for him to restore United as a genuine force in England and in Manuel Pellegrini’s team were well below the ponderous Mangala, met with an emphatic Van Gaal had again been forced their best again just three days after suffering a strike past Hart. to make changes to his team and it Europe. Confidence at is far LONDON: Crystal Palace’s Marouane Chamakh and Manchester United’s shock home defeat against CSKA Moscow that Yaya Toure, criticised for some lacklustre dis- showed in a display that was often left them in danger of elimination from the plays so far this season, lifted City out of their disjointed. With Chris Smalling sus- from its peak and Neil Warnock’s vis- Michael Carrick (right) battle for the ball during their English Premier League itors almost took advantage of their match at Old Trafford. — AP Champions League. Charlie Austin had given lethargy with a curling shot that flashed just pended after his red card at QPR a deserved early lead and it needed an over. Manchester City and with Marcos hosts’ vulnerability five minutes before the break. McNair had carried the ball out of Mata 22 yards from goal and the 26- Aguero equaliser tinged with controversy to Suddenly there was more menace about Rojo having joined Rafael, Phil Jones level the score before half-time. City and they drew level in ruthless fashion in and Jonny Evans on the sidelines, Lack of communication between defence, before Marouane Fellaini’s year-old shifted the ball onto his left McNair and Blind meant that Joel aerial strength almost handed the foot before beating Speroni with the A Martin Demichelis own goal in the closing the 32nd minute. Once again QPR had a griev- the hosts were again forced to field stages put second bottom QPR back in front, ance with the officials as Aguero made a run a makeshift back four. Ward’s long ball from the back was hosts the lead. help of a minor deflection. allowed to find its way to Fraizer The Belgian rose well to meet The relief was evident on the but Aguero remains the one bright spot in a dif- from a marginally offside position to brilliantly Antonio Valencia, usually a ficult campaign for City and he came to their control Mangala’s long pass with a deft touch as winger, started at right-back, while Campbell inside the United area. Rooney’s right-wing corner, but faces of Van Gaal and Ryan Giggs, The former United striker lifted James McArthur was well placed on the manager’s assistant, in the home rescue in the final moments. Aguero’s heroics it looped over his head. the inexperienced Paddy McNair couldn’t hide the latest in a growing list of Aguero then used the slightest touch off his partnered Daley Blind, who normal- the ball over goalkeeper David de the post to volley the ball to safety. dug-out and palpable among the Gea, but to the home fans’ relief, the Van Gaal introduced Mata in 75,325 fans inside the stadium. underwhelming City displays and they need to arm to knock the ball down for a cool finish past ly plays in midfield, in central improve quickly to catch leaders Chelsea, who Robert Green. Toure was inches away from turn- defence. lob also cleared the crossbar. United place of Adnan Januzaj and the It was Mata’s third goal of the continued to press, but there was a Spaniard took just four minutes to season and the former Chelsea play- are now eight points clear of their title rivals. ing in Nasri’s cross in the opening moments of Michael Carrick had filled in at Pellegrini made four changes following the the second half. Pellegrini sent on Edin Dzeko as centre-back in last weekend’s derby, lack of nous about much of their contribute with the opening goal, maker came close to adding to his approach work. albeit with the help of some good tally when his first-time shot struck midweek defeat to CSKA, with Bacary Sagna, he looked to snatch a winner, but the Bosnia but he played in midfield against Fernandinho, Eliaquim Mangala and Samir Nasri striker lasted only four minutes before limping Palace on his first start of the season Rooney curled a low effort nar- fortune. the post after Speroni had foiled rowly wide from 20 yards after Di Maria’s short return pass found Robin van Persie. — AFP in for Pablo Zabaleta, Stevan Jovetic, Vincent off to be replaced by Frank Lampard. — AFP