Tevez and City sink Chelsea

LONDON – Carlos Tevez did his old side Manchester United a favour by scoring the winner as Manchester City beat leaders Chelsea 2-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday.

City’s win, which followed a run of seven straight league draws, cut fellow big-spenders Chelsea’s lead over second-placed United, the reigning champions, to just two points.Chelsea, knocked out of the League Cup in a shoot-out on Wednesday by Blackburn, suffered further penalty misery when, at 2-1 down with eight minutes left, England midfielder Frank Lampard saw his spot-kick saved by Shay Given.For Given, who recently suffered the agony of the Republic of Ireland’s controversial World Cup playoff loss to France, this was a special win.’It’s been seven or eight games since a victory in the league,’ he told ESPN. ‘It’s especially nice against Chelsea, a top team with great players.’We have only lost one game all season, and that was very late (against Manchester United) at Old Trafford, so I think we are doing all right.’Chelsea took an eighth-minute lead at a rain-drenched Eastlands when, from a debatable corner, the ball eventually fell to Nicolas Anelka, whose shot was saved by Given only for the rebound to hit Emmanuel Adebayor and go in for an own-goal.But Adebayor scored at the right end seven minutes before half-time when he struck from close range although Chelsea were convinced Micah Richards had handled in the build-up.’We were unlucky for the first goal, the handball against Micah Richards. It was not a good day for the referee (Howard Webb),’ said Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager.But delighted City boss and ex-Chelsea forward Mark Hughes said: ‘Not many teams can come back against Chelsea. To show the character and quality that we did was a fantastic effort by everybody.’Argentina striker Tevez then delighted both Manchester clubs by firing in a 56th-minute free-kick that wrongfooted Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.United had earlier kept the pressure on with a 4-0 victory away to West Ham.They went ahead on the stroke of half-time at Upton Park when veteran midfielder Paul Scholes unleashed a ferocious 20-yard shot.Midfielder Darron Gibson, who scored both United’s goals in their mid-week League Cup quarter-final win over Tottenham, added a second with a right-footed shot into the top corner.Antonio Valencia put the result beyond doubt in the 71st minute with United’s third before England striker Wayne Rooney added a fourth goal.’It’s always a difficult game and we had six defenders missing before the game,’ United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. ‘Then Gary Neville and Wes Brown had to come off.’Basement club Portsmouth won in the league for only the third time this season with a 2-0 victory at home to Burnley.Arsenal won 2-0 win over Stoke.Andrey Arshavin gave Arsene Wenger’s side a 26th minute lead but it was not until 11 minutes from time, when substitute Aaron Ramsey scored, that the Gunners could start to relax.Liverpool were held to a frustrating goalless draw away to Blackburn while Aston Villa maintained their push for European football with a 3-0 victory at home to Hull courtesy of goals from Richard Dunne, James Milner and a late penalty from John Carew.Birmingham came from behind to beat Wigan 3-2, Sebastian Larsson scoring with two free-kicks for the winners, while Wolves defeated fellow relegation candidates Bolton 2-1.At Fratton Park, second-half goals from Iceland defender Hermann Hreidarsson and Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane, who had earlier missed a penalty, saw Portsmouth, who remain bottom, to their first win under new boss Avram Grant.Victory meant Pompey closed to within two points of second-bottom Bolton and three of Wolves. – Nampa-AFP