Arsenal shred United to go second; Liverpool sack Rodgers

Published October 5, 2015
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (2nd R) scores during the English Premier League match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. — Reuters
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez (2nd R) scores during the English Premier League match against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. — Reuters

LONDON: Arsenal thrashed Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday after a pulsating first-half display to climb above them into second place in the Premier League on goal difference.

They stunned Louis van Gaal’s side, who had been top before the weekend, by scoring three times in the first 20 minutes through Alexis Sanchez (two) and Mesut Ozil.

United dropped to third, two points behind leaders Manchester City who have 18 from eight games.

“Some of the best football I’ve ever been involved in. It was like the Arsenal of old,” said Arsenal striker Theo Walcott, who dedicated the win to Wenger. “That sends a message to the Premier League that we’re here to be reckoned with.”

Earlier, Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at Everton could not save manager Brendan Rodgers from the sack, a decision announced three hours after the end of the game.

Romelu Lukaku equalised for the hosts after Danny Ings had headed Liverpool in front.

Rodgers’ sacking came a few hours after Dick Advocaat resigned as Sunderland manager, with the northeast club second from bottom.

“Ambition and winning are at the heart of what we want to bring to Liverpool and we believe this change gives us the best opportunity to deliver it,” Liverpool’s American owners — Fenway Sports Group — said in a statement.

In Sunday’s other match, Tottenham Hostpur’s Christian Eriksen scored with two stunning free-kicks to earn his side a 2-2 draw at Swansea City.

Andre Ayew and an own goal by Harry Kane had twice put the Welsh side in front.

Spurs stayed eighth, level on 13 points with Everton and still three ahead of Swansea.

Sanchez scored with a sixth-minute back-heel and Ozil slotted home from Theo Walcott’s cut-back a minute later before Sanchez’s 18-yard thunderbolt completed the scoring in the 19th minute at a giddy Emirates Stadium.

Sanchez has now scored six goals in three games and the Chilean’s latest endeavours helped Arsenal recover from the shock of their 3-2 home defeat by Olympiakos in the Champions League last Tuesday.

United would have gone top with victory, but instead they were left to nurse their wounds following the joint-heaviest league defeat of Van Gaal’s tenure as manager.

“When you start like that, you can never win a game,” Van Gaal said. “I have never seen that from my team.”

At Goodison Park, Ings put Liverpool ahead in the 41st minute when he was left unmarked inside the Everton six-yard box and nodded home James Milner’s corner.

But untidy defending by Liverpool allowed Everton to level in first-half stoppage time, with Lukaku slamming home after Emre Can’s attempted clearance had cannoned against his team-mate Martin Skrtel.

“It is a very good point,” said Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side have won just one of their last nine games inside 90 minutes.

“It is a difficult place to come. We looked like we were getting better in our attack and defensively we were more cohesive. There’s no pressure for me. My worry is for the team and you have seen a response of how they feel.”

Swansea were twice in front, courtesy of a 16th-minute Ayew header and a 31st-minute own goal by Kane, but Danish playmaker Eriksen replied on each occasion with fine 25-yard free-kicks to extend Spurs’ unbeaten run to seven league games.

Experienced Dutch coach Advocaat stepped down as Sunderland manager after a return of three points from eight games.

“This is a very special football club, with so many great people, but I feel it is the right time to do this — not for me, but for the club,” said Advocaat, who rescued Sunderland from relegation last season.

Mourinho raises prospect of being fired

On Saturday, Jose Mourinho talked about the possibility of being fired after Chelsea’s early season slump turned into a full-blown crisis when champions were beaten 3-1 by Southampton — their fourth loss of the Premier League season.

In what appeared to be a pre-emptive move, Mourinho reminded owner Roman Abramovich that the club has an unwelcome reputation for discarding managers.

In the six years before Mourinho returned to the Chelsea dugout in 2013 — after previously coaching the team from 2004 to 2007 — Abramovich went through seven managers.

“I can imagine what people are thinking about what is going to happen or not going to happen,” said Mourinho as he spoke for seven minutes without pause in response to one question from a Sky Sports reporter after the game.

“Let me be clear: One, I do not run away. Two, if the club want to sack me they have to sack me because I am not running away from my responsibility or my team and from my conviction.

“Third, even more important than the first and the second, I think this is a crucial moment in the history of this club because if the club sacks me they sack the best manager that this club has had and the message is...that if there are bad results the manager is guilty.”

If losing four games out of eight so far in the league was not bad enough, Chelsea also lost at Mourinho’s former team, FC Porto, in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Seeking to bounce back from that 2-1 loss at Porto, Chelsea recalled captain John Terry and took a 10th-minute lead when Willian planted a free-kick in the top-right corner from wide on the left.

But Steven Davis rattled home a 43rd-minute equaliser from Graziano Pelle’s chested lay-off before an unsuccessful interception by Terry allowed Sadio Mane to run through and put Southampton ahead on the hour.

After Radamel Falcao had been booked for a dive in the Southampton box, Pelle added a merited third in the 72nd minute, gathering a pass from Mane and arrowing a shot into the bottom-left corner to give Southampton their first win at Stamford Bridge since 2002.

Southampton’s win meant Chelsea have made their worst start to a season for 37 years and with eight points, are only four points above the relegation zone.

Saints manager Ronald Koeman said the second half made all the difference after a difficult start.

“We were more aggressive than Chelsea and in my opinion we totally deserved the three points today,” he told Sky.

Published in Dawn, October 5th , 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.