Hernandez’s fourth goal of the season gave Manchester United victory

Manchester United bounced back from last Sunday’s 6-1 defeat by Manchester City as Javier Hernandez’s goal gave them a hard-earned victory at Everton.

Hernandez was well-placed just two yards out to side-foot in Patrice Evra’s cross in the 19th minute.

The goal was reward for a bright start from United, but they were matched by Everton for the remainder of the game.

However, Leighton Baines struck the crossbar with a free-kick and Louis Saha’s shooting lacked precision.

 

Moyes praises players despite defeat

A point would have been just reward for the efforts of David Moyes’ side, but having failed to earn that they can take a lot of heart from a spirited display against opponents with a point to prove following a week of largely negative headlines.

For United, victory was all-important, with a stellar performance second, following their home humbling last weekend. They achieved the former, with only brief but impressive flashes of the latter.

There had been much debate this week over how United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would react to last Sunday’s defeat in terms of team selection.

In the event, he dropped defender Rio Ferdinand and winger Nani, retained Jonny Evans, despite his red card against City, and restored Nemanja Vidic and Tom Cleverley to what was an attacking line-up, featuring Hernandez, Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney. The latter’s every touch was greeted by the now standard jeers from the Everton support.

The approach initially paid dividends as United made positive and fluent early forays into Everton territory, one of which teed up Park Ji-sung, whose six-yard shot was saved by Tim Howard.

United capped their impressive start by taking the lead after 19 minutes, when Evra’s pin-point cross from the left meant Hernandez had only to side-foot home from two yards out.

However, instead of kicking on, United shrank somewhat and Everton grew as a force in the game.

David de Gea was forced to save a Leon Osman snapshot and Jack Rodwell fired wide from 25 yards before Baines struck the crossbar with a free-kick from the edge of the area as the home side pressed hard for an equaliser.

 

Ferguson delighted to get important win

Hernandez could have made the second half easier for his side had he finished a well-constructed move with his shot from the edge of the box, but Howard’s save set up a tense second 45 minutes.

United’s growing nervousness in defence was clear to see as Saha twice tested De Gea with shots from the edge of the area.

The visitors then almost gifted Everton an equaliser when Evans gave away possession. Fortunately for the defender, Rodwell’s shot from an angle flew just past the far post.

With half an hour to go, Welbeck could have settled United nerves but his shot from close range, on an angle, was palmed over by Howard.

This left United needing to show resolution and composure in the final minutes of the match in the face of further pressure from the home side and – barring a home penalty appeal for a coming-together between substitute Magaye Gueye and Evra – they did so with aplomb.

Van Persie has scored 28 goals in 27 Premier League games in 2011

Robin van Persie’s hat-trick inspired Arsenal to an incredible victory against Chelsea as their recovery gathered momentum in a Stamford Bridge thriller.

The Gunners captain demonstrated his importance to the team by taking his tally to an outstanding 28 goals in 27 Premier League games as Chelsea slumped again after their shock defeat at QPR last week.

And it was a miserable afternoon for Chelsea and England captain John Terry at the end of a week in which has he faced allegations of racial abuse against QPR’s Anton Ferdinand – claims he vehemently denies.

Terry scored to give Chelsea the lead just before half-time but then slipped crucially late on to gift Van Persie a goal and a lead Arsenal never relinquished.

Frank Lampard had headed Chelsea in front after 14 minutes but, in a game strewn with defensive errors, Van Persie put Arsenal back in contention from Gervinho’s pass.

Terry’s goal looked to have put Chelsea in control on the stroke of half-time but Arsenal’s response presented a compelling case for Arsene Wenger’s insistence that reports of his side’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Andre Santos equalised and the outstanding Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead for the first time before Juan Mata’s spectacular strike set up the finale to an enthralling encounter.

Terry lost his footing to allow Van Persie to race clear for Arsenal’s fourth after 85 minutes before the Netherlands striker completed a second treble against Chelsea by hammering his third past Petr Cech deep into stoppage time.

Wenger’s wild celebrations with his players and backroom staff told the story – and made it eight wins in Arsenal’s last nine games.

Arsenal have been piecing their season back together after a poor start and the manner of this win will provide added reserves of confidence and self-belief.

For Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas, this was his most sobering moment in the Premier League and he looked stunned on the sidelines at the regularity with which the home defence was exposed.

Fernando Torres was recalled in place of the suspended Didier Drogba and he was only denied a goal in the opening seconds by Laurent Koscielny’s intervention – a moment that set the tone for a game filled with attacking quality and littered with errors.

Walcott, in front of watching England coach Fabio Capello, was Arsenal’s catalyst and twice delivered crosses that should have produced goals in the opening stages.

He presented Gervinho with what looked a certain goal only for the striker to fire wide with the goal at his mercy, then found Van Persie unmarked at the far post, but the striker could not keep his effort down.

Arsenal paid the price for that wastefulness when Chelsea took the lead. Mata was afforded too much space by Santos and when the ponderous Per Mertesacker missed his cross Lampard timed his arrival perfectly to head past Wojciech Szczesny.

Lampard was then the creator with a wonderful ball to release Daniel Sturridge, but he scuffed a half-hit shot across the face of goal.

For all their frailty at the back, Arsenal possessed genuine menace in attack and they carved through Chelsea with ease to restore parity nine minutes before half-time. Aaron Ramsey’s pass was perfection and Gervinho took the unselfish option to set up Van Persie for a tap-in.

Terry, almost inevitably, made his mark on the game when he put Chelsea back in front seconds before the interval, sending a scrambled finish past Szczesny from Lampard’s corner.

If Chelsea hoped this blow would have a detrimental effect on Arsenal, they were to be sorely mistaken as the Gunners surged forward after the restart.

Van Persie’s shot was blocked by the legs of Cech and the impressive Ramsey was inches over before Santos suggested his greatest qualities may lie in attack when he beat the Chelsea keeper with some composure to put Arsenal level once more.

Walcott’s display deserved a goal and it duly arrived after 55 minutes. As he had done throughout, the winger ran straight at Chelsea’s defence, riding two challenges and even falling before firing an emphatic shot past Cech.

Szczesny was then fortunate to escape with a yellow card for hauling down Cole outside the area – but the drama simply continued until the final whistle.

Mata put Chelsea back on terms with a swerving 25-yard shot, although a furious Wenger was convinced substitute Romelu Lukaku had fouled Santos in the build-up.

As Chelsea’s fans sensed a late winner, they were stunned when Terry’s slip proved crucial. He fell to the ground as he tried to retrieve a wayward pass from Florent Malouda, leaving Van Persie to show his nerve by rounding Cech to score.

And Van Persie fittingly had the final word with seconds to go by escaping Chelsea’s defence once more to thump high past Cech in front of Arsenal’s joyous supporters.

(BBC Football )

Lafferty celebrates putting Rangers on their way to victory

An error by goalkeeper Allan McGregor set up a tense finale to a match Rangers looked to have under control.

Kyle Lafferty’s clinical shot in 58 minutes put the visitors in front and a Nikica Jelavic penalty doubled their advantage in a bruising league clash.

But with eight minutes to go, McGregor allowed a thumped Ricky Foster 25-yard shot to pass through his gloves.

Dons’ Rob Milsom and Rangers’ Steven Naismith sustained nasty leg injuries and Rory Fallon was sent off.

The eventual victory at Pittodrie makes it seven away wins on the trot in the Scottish Premier League for leaders Rangers.

There were early signs that the match would be a battle for both sides.

With the ball bobbling around the midfield and each side guilty of gifting possession to the opposition, it was Milsom who displayed the best touches, notably using his gifted left foot to bamboozle Steven Whittaker and cross into the box.

Kari Arnason was cautioned by Willie Collum for a late sliding challenge on visting captain Steven Davis but the Icelandic midfield regained his composure straight away, rifling a right foot shot from 35 yards that McGregor smothered to his left.

Jelavic was back in the Rangers line-up after injury – Lafferty making way for the Croatian striker – and he upset Dons defender Youl Mawene when the pair contested a Naismith cross into the box and Jelavic fell in the box.

Steven Whittaker signals for help for Rangers team-mate Naismith

Naismith’s match was curtailed before the mid-point of the first half. He tackled Milsom clumsily – the Dons man was subbed for a nasty gash on his lower leg – and the little attacker received treatment on his twisted right knee for several minutes, but escaped without a booking.

However, in Naismith’s first involvement thereafter he crumpled to the turf, clutching his right knee, and was stretchered off in evident pain.

Darren Mackie came on for the Dons, Lafferty for Rangers: both contributed to chances for their teams.

The Rangers sub whipped a cross from the right touchline that soared over the heads of two Dons defenders at the front post. At the back post, though, Rory McArdle chose to let the ball pass him by, yet Sasa Papac drifted in on his blind-side and headed wide of the gaping goal.

At the other end Chris Clark burst into the box but McGregor was out quickly and made the block.

Mackie made for the loose ball and went down in the box with he and Dorin Goian at full stretch. Replays suggested he had slipped but Dons boss Craig Brown’s protestations attracted a telling-off from Collum, who was well placed for the incident.

With no goals at half-time, Rangers had the first chance after the interval.

Whittaker curled a fantastic ball into the box and Jelavic nicked ahead of the Dons defence to meet it with his chest. David Gonzalez made his first telling save of the game at close range and Andrew Considine was sharp to deny Lee McCulloch the follow-up.

Lafferty drew a smart save from Gonzalez with a long-range free-kick before Rangers edged ahead on 58 minutes.

Mawene dithered on the edge of the box, Maurice Edu pounced on a Foster slip and when the ball broke to Davis he coolly slipped the ball to Lafferty on his right for the sub to arrow a low shot into the far corner.

The visitors turned the screw in 70 minutes when Jelavic won a race into the box and crossed for Papac, eight yards from goal, who was scythed by the desperate Mackie.

The Dons striker was booked before Jelavic fired his penalty straight into the middle of the goal.

As the physical encounter continued, Considine was left in Jelavic’s wake as he bore down on goal and was shown a yellow card for a brutal challenge to halt the move.

Aberdeen played with renewed vigour in the final period of the game when Foster halved the deficit with a 25-yard smack that McGregor looked to have covered but merely diverted into his goal.

As the game moved into extra-time, Dons striker Rory Fallon was sent off for using an elbow on Goian.

(BBC Football )