Rosicky thunderbolt seals Arsenal win at Spurs
Manchester: Steven Gerrard scored two penalties as Liverpool closed to within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea with a 3-0 win at beleaguered rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
Gerrard found the net from 12 yards either side of half time before Luis Suarez added a third goal in the 84th minute to give Liverpool their first victory at Old Trafford in five years.
In the only other game of the day, Arsenal came away with three points at Tottenham Hotspur after Tomas Rosicky’s second minute strike.
Gerrard should have had a hat-trick of spot-kicks, with a third penalty hitting the post after United captain Nemanja Vidic had been shown a second yellow card for felling Daniel Sturridge, but it was to prove anecdotal.
Gerrard said that the result proved that Liverpool were “genuine contenders” for the title, but although they have a game in hand on Chelsea, manager Brendan Rodgers sounded a note of caution.
“Our dominance in the match was clear,” he said. “We could arguably have scored five or six and that is testament to the quality of the players.
“But we won’t get carried away. It is a wonderful result and our confidence is high at the moment, but our only focus is on the next game.”
While Rodgers’s side look more like potential champions with each display, United’s season continues to unravel.
This was the defending champions’ fifth home defeat of the campaign and having started the day 11 points below the Champions League places, their hopes of a top-four finish have been all but extinguished.
As a result, Wednesday’s Champions League home game with Olympiakos now takes on crucial significance, but with United 2-0 down from the first leg of the last 16 tie, there could be more misery around the corner.
“It was important we came out in the second half and got a goal back, but instead we gave one away and that made it very difficult for us,” said United manager David Moyes.
“It looks like we are a long way off (the top four). We are well aware of that, but we are going to keep fighting.”
There were fewer than three minutes on the clock when a Jordan Henderson pass down the inside-right channel set Sturridge free, but he shot wide with his weaker right foot.
United demonstrated plenty of commitment in the opening exchanges, with Phil Jones and Robin van Persie both flying into early challenges, but they had not mustered a shot worthy of the name by the time Liverpool went ahead in the 34th minute.
As Suarez looked to dink the ball past Rafael da Silva on the left-hand side of the area, the Brazilian jutted out a hand and referee Mark Clattenburg immediately awarded a penalty.
Having been booked for clattering Gerrard moments earlier, Rafael was fortunate to avoid a second yellow card, but the Liverpool captain showed no mercy from the spot.
Liverpool’s fans at the opposite end of the ground celebrated deliriously, and although United briefly rallied, with Wayne Rooney stinging Simon Mignolet’s palms, there was more of the same to come.
Only 25 seconds of the second half had elapsed when Jones barged into Joe Allen after he had chested down a lofted pass from Henderson and Gerrard’s second spot-kick was again unerring.
After van Persie had headed wide from a Rooney cross, Gerrard was handed an opportunity to complete a first ever hat-trick against United when Sturridge tumbled over Vidic’s outstretched leg.
This time, however, his aim was slightly off, with the ball hitting the post.
Liverpool were not finished though. Moments after being thwarted by a stunning save from David de Gea, Suarez ghosted in behind the hosts’ flatfooted defence to roll home and make United’s misery complete.
The Gunners also moved to within four points of Chelsea in the late match.
Consecutive away league defeats had seen Arsenal lose ground at the top but they held off a spirited second-half revival by Spurs.
Tottenham were caught on the counter-attack with only a minute on the clock and when the ball dropped to Rosicky 25 metres out on the right he lashed the ball first time into the top corner of Hugo Lloris’s goal.
Spurs are in fifth place, behind Man City. (AFP)