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Liverpool beat Manchester United 2-0 to end a four-game losing streak and keep Chelsea at the top of the Premier League on Sunday while Arsenal and Manchester City threw away two-goal leads and were held to draws.
Arsenal finished 2-2 at next-to-last West Ham but still moved above Tottenham to third while Man City failed to hold on to a comfortable lead at home to Fulham and also drew 2-2. Bolton edged Everton 3-2 in Sunday’s other game.
Goals by Fernando Torres and David Ngog earned Liverpool a third straight Premier League victory over their fierce rivals, both clubs with a record 18 league titles.
Despite two defeats in the league and two in the Champions League, Liverpool outplayed Man United even without injured captain and most influential player Steven Gerrard.
“The players have answered a lot of questions and that’s the most important thing,” said Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez. “We have to keep going. We can’t get too excited about today.
“The team is better than people think.”
Man United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar made a top quality diving save to keep out a free kick by Fabio Aurelio in the 15th minute but Liverpool were rewarded for improved play in the 65th.
Torres collected a through ball from Yossi Benayoun and held off Rio Ferdinand before shooting into the roof of the net.
Michael Owen went on as a late Man United substitute to a chorus of boos from the Liverpool fans who used to idolise him and set up Antonio Valencia for an angled shot which hit the bar.
United centreback Nemanja Vidic sent off for second yellow card in the 90th minute and was followed by Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano. They will both miss this week’s League Cup games.
With United caught upfield Liverpool broke out for Ngog to race clear and score the second to leave Alex Ferguson disappointed with United’s performance.
“It was a bad performance by us. We didn’t handle the atmosphere of the game,” he said. “Liverpool were the better team they created more chances. They deserved their victory. We let ourselves down with our penetration.”
Arsenal’s first goal after 16 minutes at Upton Park was a gift.
Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green collided with teammate James Tomkins and dropped a cross from Bacary Sagna to give Robin van Persie a shot into an empty net.
William Gallas headed home Van Persie’s corner for the second in the 29th minute. But West Ham hit back with 18 minutes to go when Alessandro Diamanti’s free kick was palmed out by goalkeeper Vito Mannone to Carlton Cole, who headed his fifth league goal of the season.
Diamanti fired home a 79th minute penalty for the equaliser after Alex Song was judged to have brought Cole down.
West Ham were reduced to 10 men when Scott Parker was sent off for his second yellow card in the 85th minute.
Man City also squandered the lead and a chance to climb up from sixth in the standings.
Defender Joleon Lescott gave City the lead from close range in the 53rd minute after Fulham failed to deal with a corner and Martin Petrov added a second in the 60th.
But Damien Duff replied two minutes later and Clint Dempsey made it 2-2 in the 68th as Fulham hit back for a point only to stay in the lower half of the standings.
Ivan Klasnic scored an 86th winner for Bolton in a 3-2 victory at home to Everton after the visitors had come back from two goals down to make it 2-2.
South Korea international winger Lee Chung-yong gave Bolton a 16th minute lead and Gary Cahill’s header headed made it 2-0. But Louis Saha replied with a 25-metre shot in the 32nd and Marouane Fellaini equalised in the 55th before Klasnic captured all three points from Bolton to lift the side five places to 12th.
Chelsea lead with 24 points followed by Man United on 22, Arsenal and Tottenham both 19 and Liverpool 18.
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