Arsenal win at West Ham, Chelsea pip Swansea
London: Manchester United doggedly overturned a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 against Hull City at the KC Stadium on Thursday and clamber into the Premier League’s top seven.Early goals from James Chester and David Meyler gave Hull a 2-0 lead in the first of the traditional Boxing Day fixtures, only for Chris Smalling and Wayne Rooney to bring United level.
Rooney’s goal, a sumptuous volley, was his 150th for the club in the top flight and he contributed to the winner in the 66th minute by pressuring Chester, a one-time United youth player, to put through his own goal.
Victory, United’s fifth in a row in all competitions, lifted David Moyes’s side to seventh place in the table, ahead of Tottenham on goal difference; both teams have 31 points from 18 games.
In later matches, Arsenal came back from a goal down to beat troubled West Ham 3-1, thanks to a brace from Theo Walcott and one from Lukas Podolski.
Arsenal therefore retook the provisional lead in the standings with 39 points, but Liverpool, on 36, were scheduled to play at Manchester City in the late game.
Chelsea pipped Swansea at home 1-0 thanks to Eden Hazard’s 29th minute goal, moving the London club to provisional second spot with 37 points.
“To be two down and come back to win is a great result,” United manager Moyes told the BBC.
“There’s a long way to go in the league and we have to keep picking up points. I believe we can be in the mix and challenge whoever is near the top.”
Darren Fletcher made his first United start since December last year following nearly 12 months on the sidelines with a chronic bowel condition, but inattentive defending saw the champions fall 2-0 down inside 13 minutes.
Two former United trainees combined to put Hull ahead in the fourth minute, with Alex Bruce heading down a right-wing corner for Chester to volley home his first ever Premier League goal.
Meyler added a second with a mishit shot that United defender Jonny Evans inadvertently deflected past goalkeeper David de Gea after the leaden-footed visitors squandered several opportunities to clear.
United then lost Rafael da Silva to an apparent groin injury, but his replacement, Adnan Januzaj, won the free-kick from which Rooney crossed for Smalling to reduce the arrears with a 19th-minute header.
Rooney tied the scores seven minutes later with a fine goal, cushioning the ball on his thigh and unleashing a crisp volley from 22 yards that swerved into the top-left corner.
Hull lost goalkeeper Allan McGregor to injury at the interval, while Fletcher made way for Javier Hernandez after 61 minutes.
Bruce threatened to restore Hull’s lead with a header from a Tom Huddlestone corner that hit the crossbar, but moments later United completed their comeback when Chester headed into his own net under pressure from Rooney.
It was only Hull’s second home defeat of the season, but United’s sense of achievement was tempered in the last minute when Antonio Valencia was sent off after being shown a second yellow card for dissent.
Man United were kept out of the top six after Newcastle United trashed nine-man Stoke 5-1 for their seventh victory in nine games.
Oussama Assaidi put Stoke ahead but they had Glen Whelan sent off for a second yellow card before Marc Wilson saw red for fouling Loic Remy in the area.
Remy’s penalty was saved, but he soon equalised with a deflected goal before recording his second with a header.
Yoan Gouffran put Newcastle 2-1 ahead, while Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse (through a penalty) finished off the visitors.
Tottenham drew 1-1 with Fulham, which saw Spurs overtaken by Manchester United on goal difference.
Fulham overcame Norwich 2-1 away, while bottom-placed Sunderland were surprise 1-0 winners at Everton.
It was the first victory away for Sunderland since April.
Ki Sung-Yeung scored the winner via a penalty after being fouled by the Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard, who was sent off.
Another relegation-threatened side, Crystal Palace, also won away, beating Aston Villa 1-0.
Crystal are now 17th, with Fulham 18th. West Ham and Sunderland bring up the rear.
16th-placed Cardiff were dealt a bad Boxing Day blow, with a 3-0 defeat to Southampton at home.
The Saints are therefore sitting pretty in ninth place on 27 points. (AFP)