Liverpool fought back to a last-gasp 3-2 victory at 10-man Manchester City to keep pace with Chelsea at the top of the English Premier League on Sunday.
The Reds were 2-0 down before Fernando Torres levelled with two goals and Dirk Kuyt snatched a late winner as Chelsea beat visitors Aston Villa 2-0 thanks to goals from Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka.
The results leave Liverpool and Chelsea level on points at the top of the Premier League, with the Blues ahead on goal difference.
Meanwhile top flight debutants Hull City heaped the pressure on Juande Ramos, manager of rock-bottom Tottenham, with a 1-0 away win that moved the Tigers up to third in the table. And Newcastle salvaged a point in a 2-2 draw at Everton in Joe Kinnear’s first game in caretaker control of the Magpies.
Bolton won 3-1 at West Ham and Portsmouth beat visitors Stoke 2-1.
At Eastlands, Stephen Ireland put Manchester City 1-0 up in the 19th minute and Javier Garrido doubled the lead with a stunning free kick in the 41st.
Spain striker Torres scored Liverpool’s 1 000th goal in the Premier League in the 55th minute, before City defender Pablo Zabaleta was sent off in the 67th minute for a dreadful challenge on Xabi Alonso.
Torres scored a simple glancing header six minutes later before The Netherlands forward Kuyt stole a victory for the Reds with a drilled shot in injury time.
Meanwhile at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea completely outplayed Villa, hitting 27 shots to the visitors’ eight.
Cole scored in the 21st minute with a right-footed shot set up by fellow England midfielder Frank Lampard.
France striker Anelka scored the Blues’ second from six yards out a minute before half time.
Across London, Hull’s excellent run continued thanks to a stunning free kick from Brazilian international midfielder Geovanni in the ninth minute that sunk Spurs.
I
t is Tottenham’s worst start to a season for 96 years — their joint worst to date.
Hull stunned Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal last weekend with a 2-1 win at the other end of the Seven Sisters Road.
Crisis club Newcastle fought back to claim a 2-2 draw at Everton as the fiery Kinnear, serving a touchline ban, watched from the stands at Goodison Park.
Magpies midfielder Nicky Butt pulled down defender Leighton Baines in the box and Mikel Arteta scored the resulting penalty for the Toffees in the 17th minute.
Belgium midfielder Marouane Fellaini scored his first goal for Everton in the 35th minute, converting a cross from Baines. But Steven Taylor pulled a goal back for the Magpies just before the interval, heading in a Geremi cross.
And Damien Duff rescued a point two minutes after the break, scoring off a Taylor cross. Newcastle move up to third from bottom in the table.
Blunders by West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green helped visitors Bolton Wanderers to a 3-1 victory at Upton Park, the Trotters’ first away win of the season.
Green dropped a long ball 30 minutes in, allowing Kevin Davies to poke in the opener.
Four minutes later, Gary Cahill reacted quickest when Green failed to hold a shot.
Carlton Cole gave the hosts hope with a headed goal in the 69th minute.
But Matthew Taylor ensured the Hammers’ first league defeat under new boss Gianfranco Zola with a fierce 86th-minute long-range free kick.
Zola insisted Green was a ”great goalkeeper”.
”He has all my trust, all of the team’s trust. Everyone believes in him. It has been a bad day,” said Zola.
”The important thing is that you are always confident in what we are doing, because they are the right things to do for us.”
Bolton boss Gary Megson said: ”It was a great result for us, as was the manner in which it came for us.
”However, we did not really have to deal with too many clear-cut chances.”
Meanwhile at Fratton Park, Portsmouth saw off visitors Stoke City with a 2-1 win, moving the UEFA Cup side up to seventh in the table. Peter Crouch gave the hosts the lead in the 25th minute with an impressive 25th-minute overhead kick.
Ricardo Fuller equalised for the Potters in the 48th minute but Pompey were back in front three minutes later thanks to Crouch’s fellow England striker Jermain Defoe.
In Saturday’s matches, Manchester United won 2-0 at Blackburn Rovers, thanks to a disupted Wes Brown opener and a classy Wayne Rooney strike.
Meanwhile Arsenal needed an injury-time Cesc Fabregas equaliser to scramble a 1-1 draw at Sunderland, local lad Grant Leadbitter having
scored in the 86th minute.
Middlesbrough won 1-0 at Wigan while West Bromwich beat visitors Fulham 1-0. – AFP
