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| March 13, 2006 | Monday | Safar 12, 1427 |
Henry brace keeps Arsenal on course
LONDON, March 12: England striker Wayne Rooney hit a quickfire double, his first league goals of the year, to fire Manchester United to a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
United’s one-sided victory consolidated second place on 60 points, although they still trail Chelsea, who beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Saturday, by 15 points.
France striker Thierry Henry scored twice, including a winner seven minutes from time, as Arsenal defeated third-placed Liverpool 2-1 at Highbury.
Henry pounced on Steven Gerrard’s backpass to keep the London side, who moved back up to fifth, in the hunt for the fourth Champions League place.
The goal came a minute after Spaniard Xabi Alonso had been sent off for his second yellow card. Luis Garcia had hauled Liverpool level on 76 minutes.
Liverpool have 55 points from 29 games, followed by Spurs on 49 and Arsenal on 47.
In Sunday’s other game, England striker Darren Bent, who made his debut against Uruguay earlier this month, hit an 87th-minute winner for Charlton Athletic who defeated Middlesbrough 2-1.
United’s fourth successive league win was never in doubt after Rooney’s early double, but the League Cup winners should have added many more as Newcastle succumbed to their first defeat under caretaker coach Glenn Roeder.
Rooney latched on to a poor backpass from defender Peter Ramage to lift the ball over Shay Given for the opening goal after eight minutes.
Some slick passing between John O’Shea, Louis Saha and Rooney ended with the striker doubling the lead four minutes later.
Rooney, who this week signed one of the biggest sports book deals in publishing history when he agreed to write five books over the next 12 years, somehow contrived to miss a golden chance to complete his hat trick.
Put through on goal after 67 minutes, Rooney rounded Given but with an open goal at his mercy, he fired against the foot of the post.
Newcastle had taken 16 out of 18 points since Roeder stepped in to replace the axed Graeme Souness at the start of February, but the north-east side offered little and tested Edwin van der Sarr just once when Lee Bowyer let fly from long range.
Results:
Played on Sunday:
Arsenal 2 Liverpool 1
Charlton Athletic 2 Middlesbrough 1
Manchester United 2 Newcastle United 0
Played on Saturday:
Birmingham City 1 West Bromwich Albion 1
Blackburn Rovers 2 Aston Villa 0
Bolton Wanderers 4 West Ham United 1
Chelsea 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Everton 3 Fulham 1
Portsmouth 2 Manchester City 1
Sunderland 0 Wigan Athletic 1
—Reuters
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