Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Arsenal ended their away hoodoo against Premier League title challengers with a 2-0 victory at Manchester City on Sunday that left Chelsea five points clear at the top.
Santi Cazorla gave Arsenal the lead from the penalty spot in the 24th minute, after returning City skipper Vincent Kompany felled Nacho Monreal, and Olivier Giroud doubled the lead in the 67th minute with a deft header.
City included Sergio Aguero in the starting lineup, after a month-long injury absence, but the Argentine was largely anonymous against a vastly improved Arsenal defence. The result lifted Arsenal to fifth on 39 points and one behind Manchester United in fourth.
The end of second-placed City’s 12-match unbeaten run left them on 47 points to Chelsea’s 52 with their next league outing a daunting trip to Stamford Bridge on January 31. European hopefuls West Ham United earlier revived their push for a top four finish with a 3-0 victory over relegation-threatened Hull City at Upton Park.
The result sent the Hammers up to seventh with 36 points from 22 games, just four behind Manchester United. Struggling Hull are 18th, level with Queens Park Rangers and just two points above bottom-of-the-table Leicester City.
West Ham gave its European ambitions a timely boost as a superb second-half display saw the Hammers beat struggling Hull 3-0 at Upton Park on Sunday.
Sam Allardyce’s side was booed off at halftime after a dismal opening period but Hull paid the price for some lackluster finishing as Andy Carroll, Morgan Amalfitano and Stewart Downing all found the net after the interval.
West Ham climbed above Liverpool into seventh while Hull manager Steve Bruce has now overseen just two wins in 15 league games. The hosts were dreaming of the Champions League when it sat fourth in the middle of December but four league games without a win, including draws against West Brom and Swansea, had dampened expectations.
This victory puts the Hammers back in touch with the top four and was particularly important given their next seven fixtures include Liverpool, Manchester United, Southampton, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal.
