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LONDON, Nov 18: Leeds United lost their first premier league match of the season and with it the chance to go top of the table when they were beaten 2-0 at Sunderland on Sunday.
Second-half goals by Julio Arca and Kevin Phillips inflicted a first defeat in 12 league games on David O’Leary’ side at the Stadium of Light.
Leeds stay second behind leaders Liverpool, who drew 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, on goal difference.
Manchester United, who won 2-0 against Leicester City on Saturday to go fourth, were the only leading team to win over the weekend and only five points now cover the first nine teams in the table.
In Sunday’s other games Chelsea drew 0-0 at Everton and Ipswich were playing Bolton Wanderers at Portman Road.
Irishman Robbie Keane fluffed Leeds’s best chance at Sunderland as O’Leary’s side controlled the first half in front of 48,005 fans.
But the visitors were stunned three minutes after the break when England goalkeeper Nigel Martyn spilled a Jason McAteer shot and Argentine Arca snapped up the rebound.
Kevin Phillips collected Niall Quinn’s chest-down seven minutes later to half-volley a stylish second goal for Sunderland.
The victory was only Sunderland’s second in 10 games and lifted them to 13th in the standings. Leeds’s last league defeat was at Arsenal on May 5.
Everton had the better chances in the first half against Chelsea but the visitors’ goalkeeper Mark Bosnich proved equal to efforts by Tomasz Radzinski, Steve Watson and Thomas Gravesen.
Chelsea’s Gianfranco Zola should have scored soon after the interval and the Italian also forced Everton goalkeeper Steve Simonsen to tip his free kick onto the bar.
Chelsea suffered a blow when Bosnich, who has only just regained fitness, was forced off with a worrying-looking thigh injury but his replacement Carlo Cudicini made a brave block to deny Everton a late winner.
MADRID: A classy hat trick from Dutch international Roy Makaay helped Deportivo Coruna to a 3-1 home win against Real Sociedad on Saturday to retain their lead at the top of the Spanish first division.
Real Madrid striker Fernando Morientes was also in fine form as he hit two well-taken goals either side of halftime to give his side a 2-1 win over an unambitious Sevilla at the Bernabeu.
Deportivo lead the standings on 26 points, three ahead of Barcelona, who lost ground after they were held to a goalless draw at Las Palmas.
Real move into fifth place, seven points behind the leaders.
Following convincing defeats at the hands of struggling Rayo Vallecano and Tenerife, Deportivo suffered an early scare against lowly Real Sociedad.
Xabi Alonso put John Toshack’s side ahead in the eighth minute with a spectacular 25-metre pile-driver.
But a nervous-looking Depor eventually managed to level nine minutes from the break when Makaay beat two defenders with a sharp turn in the area before firing in past keeper Alberto.
Ten minutes into the second half, the Dutchman struck again.
His first shot rebounded off a defender back to his feet, but he then drove his second into the corner to put his side ahead.
Makaay secured his hat trick with a fine header after Emerson had clipped in a pin-point pass to the far post 16 minutes from time.
ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Everton 0 Chelsea 0
Sunderland 2 Leeds United 0
Played on Saturday:
Aston Villa 0 Middlesbrough 0
Blackburn Rovers 1 Liverpool 1
Derby County 1 Southampton 0
Fulham 3 Newcastle United 1
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1
SPANISH LEAGUE REULTS:
Deportivo Coruna 3 Real Sociedad 1
Las Palmas 0 Barcelona 0
Real Madrid 2 Sevilla 1
SUNDAY’S ITALIAN FIRST DIVISION RESULTS:
Atalanta 1 Venezia 0
Fiorentina 0 Torino 0
Juventus 3 Parma 1
Lecce 1 Bologna 0
AC Milan 0 Piacenza 0
Perugia 1 Brescia 1
Udinese 1 Lazio 4
Played on Saturday
AS Roma 0 Inter Milan 0 Reuters
—Reuters/AFP
