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Arsenal back on top after beating luckless Manchester City
Highbury, Feb 02: Arsenal return to top of Premiership with 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Highbury, Feb 02: Arsenal return to top of Premiership with 2-1 win over Manchester City.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 home victory over Manchester City on Sunday (February 1). An own goal by City defender Michael Tarnat and a sumptuous late strike by Thierry Henry left Arsenal two points ahead of Manchester United, with Chelsea just four points further back in third place. Arsenal dominated the early stages of a rain-swept match at Highbury and broke the deadlock after 39 minutes when Henry's left-wing cross was turned in from close range by Tarnat, under pressure from Freddie Ljungberg. City, now without a victory in 12 Premier League games, defended bravely but rarely threatened Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann.
Arsenal's new Spanish striker Jose Antonio Reyes made his debut as a 70th-minute substitute following his 17 million pound ($30.79 million) transfer from Sevilla.
He almost had an immediate impact but his goal-bound effort well smothered by City keeper David James before Henry made sure of victory five minutes from time when he curled a shot into the top corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
City's French striker Nicolas Anelka pulled a goal back in the dying seconds but was immediately sent off against his former club following an altercation with Ashley Cole as he tried to retrieve the ball from the Arsenal defender.
It was the first time the firey Frenchman, a former Arsenal player, had been sent off in English football.
Arsenal 2 - Michael Tarnat 39og, Thierry Henry 83 Manchester City 1 - Nicolas Anelka 89 Red card: Nicolas Anelka (Manchester City) 90 Halftime: 1-0; Attendance: 38,103 P W D L F A Pts 1. Arsenal 23 16 7 0 44 15 55 2. Manchester United 23 17 2 4 43 17 53 3. Chelsea 23 15 4 4 43 19 49 4. Charlton Athletic 23 10 7 6 32 25 37 5. Liverpool 23 9 7 7 32 24 34 6. Newcastle United 23 8 10 5 31 24 34 7. Fulham 23 10 4 9 36 33 34 8. Bolton Wanderers 23 8 8 7 28 34 32 9. Birmingham City 22 8 7 7 20 26 31 10. Southampton 23 8 6 9 23 21 30 11. Aston Villa 23 8 6 9 26 27 30 12. Middlesbrough 22 7 7 8 23 26 28 13. Tottenham Hotspur 23 8 3 12 27 33 27 14. Everton 23 6 7 10 25 29 25 15. Manchester City 23 5 8 10 32 35 23 16. Blackburn Rovers 23 6 5 12 34 39 23 17. Portsmouth 23 6 5 12 25 33 23 18. Leicester City 23 4 8 11 31 43 20 19. Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 4 8 11 20 44 20 20. Leeds United 23 4 5 14 19 47 17
Bureau Report
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 home victory over Manchester City on Sunday (February 1). An own goal by City defender Michael Tarnat and a sumptuous late strike by Thierry Henry left Arsenal two points ahead of Manchester United, with Chelsea just four points further back in third place. Arsenal dominated the early stages of a rain-swept match at Highbury and broke the deadlock after 39 minutes when Henry's left-wing cross was turned in from close range by Tarnat, under pressure from Freddie Ljungberg. City, now without a victory in 12 Premier League games, defended bravely but rarely threatened Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann.
Arsenal's new Spanish striker Jose Antonio Reyes made his debut as a 70th-minute substitute following his 17 million pound ($30.79 million) transfer from Sevilla.
He almost had an immediate impact but his goal-bound effort well smothered by City keeper David James before Henry made sure of victory five minutes from time when he curled a shot into the top corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
City's French striker Nicolas Anelka pulled a goal back in the dying seconds but was immediately sent off against his former club following an altercation with Ashley Cole as he tried to retrieve the ball from the Arsenal defender.
It was the first time the firey Frenchman, a former Arsenal player, had been sent off in English football.
Arsenal 2 - Michael Tarnat 39og, Thierry Henry 83 Manchester City 1 - Nicolas Anelka 89 Red card: Nicolas Anelka (Manchester City) 90 Halftime: 1-0; Attendance: 38,103 P W D L F A Pts 1. Arsenal 23 16 7 0 44 15 55 2. Manchester United 23 17 2 4 43 17 53 3. Chelsea 23 15 4 4 43 19 49 4. Charlton Athletic 23 10 7 6 32 25 37 5. Liverpool 23 9 7 7 32 24 34 6. Newcastle United 23 8 10 5 31 24 34 7. Fulham 23 10 4 9 36 33 34 8. Bolton Wanderers 23 8 8 7 28 34 32 9. Birmingham City 22 8 7 7 20 26 31 10. Southampton 23 8 6 9 23 21 30 11. Aston Villa 23 8 6 9 26 27 30 12. Middlesbrough 22 7 7 8 23 26 28 13. Tottenham Hotspur 23 8 3 12 27 33 27 14. Everton 23 6 7 10 25 29 25 15. Manchester City 23 5 8 10 32 35 23 16. Blackburn Rovers 23 6 5 12 34 39 23 17. Portsmouth 23 6 5 12 25 33 23 18. Leicester City 23 4 8 11 31 43 20 19. Wolverhampton Wanderers 23 4 8 11 20 44 20 20. Leeds United 23 4 5 14 19 47 17
Bureau Report