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| January 04, 2008 | Friday | Zilhaj 24, 1428 |
Liverpool’s title hopes receive setback
LONDON, Jan 3: Liverpool’s Premier League title aspirations all but vanished on Wednesday with a 1-1 home draw against relegation-threatened Wigan Athletic which left them languishing 12 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Rafael Benitez’s side were booed off the field at Anfield after Wigan defender Titus Bramble fired a late equaliser to cancel out a classy opener from Fernando Torres.
Liverpool have now dropped out of the Premier League’s top four, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Manchester City rising above them after a 2-0 victory at troubled Newcastle United.
Brazilian Elano opened the scoring for City shortly before the interval and not even the second-half introduction of Michael Owen could inspire the Magpies as City doubled their lead through Fernandes Gelson.
City are fourth with 39 points, one more than Liverpool who have played a game fewer. Arsenal, who beat West Ham United 2-0 on Tuesday, are top with 50 points, two ahead of champions Manchester United.
Wigan’s surprise draw lifts them out of the bottom three where they are replaced by Sunderland who were beaten 1-0 at Blackburn Rovers. Dwight Yorke was sent off for Sunderland.
Bolton Wanderers boosted their survival chances after a last-minute 1-0 defeat of bottom club Derby County who are 10 points adrift of safety.
Newcastle were also booed off at St James’ Park after a third consecutive defeat over the holiday fixtures left them marooned in mid-table and facing a tricky FA Cup tie away at second division Stoke City on Sunday.
Stelios Giannakopolous struck a stoppage time winner for Bolton against luckless Derby to lift them three points above the drop zone.
Results:
Played on Wednesday:
Blackburn Rovers 1 Sunderland 0
Bolton Wanderers 1 Derby County 0
Liverpool 1 Wigan Athletic 1
Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2
Played on Tuesday:
Arsenal 2 West Ham United 0
Aston Villa 2 Tottenham Hotspur 1
Fulham 1 Chelsea 2
Manchester United 1 Birmingham City 0
Middlesbrough 0 Everton 2
Reading 0 Portsmouth 2—Reuters
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