By IANS
London : For once, English Premier League officials are receiving deserved praise for getting a crucial decision right in the key clash between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
Eagle-eyed assistant referee Darren Cann spotted that William Gallas’ late volley had been clawed back from well behind the line by Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar as a pulsating top-of-the-table clash Saturday ended in a 2-2 draw, says Premiership’s official website in its review of weekend action.
The only dissenting voice, not surprisingly, was Sir Alex Ferguson, who churlishly claimed the visitors should have been awarded a free-kick some two minutes prior to the hosts’ equaliser.
Having twice taken the lead through Gallas’ own goal and Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferguson’s disappointment at conceding an injury-time goal was understandable, but should not be allowed to overshadow an encounter which burst into life after the break, or Cann’s key call in the closing stages.
With the status quo maintained at the top, Ferguson felt the real beneficiaries would be Chelsea and Liverpool, and Avram Grant’s side continued their recent charge to brush aside Wigan Athletic.
In what turned out to be the death-knell for Chris Hutchings’ brief tenure at the JJB Stadium, first-half goals from the in-form Frank Lampard and a superb second from full-back Juliano Belletti secured a fourth successive victory as Chelsea stayed fourth behind Manchester City who edged past Sunderland 1-0 Monday night.
Liverpool remain unbeaten, but their barren stalemate at Blackburn means they have now drawn more times than they have won this season and they are six points adrift in seventh.
One point at Ewood Park is no bad result, but given the number of chances Liverpool created, they really should have had all three. Sadly, Dirk Kuyt wasted their best opportunities, certainly having an evening to forget.
Newcastle United defender Claudio Cacapa endured an even more embarrassing afternoon at St James’ Park as Portsmouth roared into a 3-0 lead within 11 minutes.
With Cacapa brushed aside first by Benjani and then by John Utaka, Sam Allardyce had no option but put the summer signing out of his misery by substituting him after just 18 minutes.
But the damage had already been done and Portsmouth recorded a 4-1 victory, their first against Newcastle in 58 years, although the visitors’ goalkeeper David James was kept busy for the remainder of the match.
Poor defending has also been the downfall for Tottenham Hotspur for much of this season, and although they remain without a win since August, they could do little about Luke Young’s stunning long-range leveller for Middlesbrough at The Riverside Stadium.
Juande Ramos saw his side take the lead through the recalled Darren Bent, and the point gained also lifts them out of the relegation zone, with manager-less Wigan their next opponents.
Fulham fans must have feared the worst when they went ahead against Reading at Craven Cottage, having seen their side throw away the advantage on six occasions this term.
But for the first time this season Lawrie Sanchez’s side managed to hold on to the lead to take only their second three-point haul of the campaign with a 3-1 triumph.
Bolton Wanderers collected their second point under new manager Gary Megson as Kevin Nolan’s deft injury-time finish secured a point against West Ham United at Upton Park.
Full-back George McCartney’s first-ever goal in club football – an outstanding acrobatic volley – had put West Ham ahead, but Alan Curbishley was left fuming by their inability to kill the game off.
Everton also produced a late show at home to Birmingham City with James Vaughan marking his first Premiership appearance of the season to complete the scoring in injury time.
Olivier Kapo (80) cancelled out Yakubu’s opener and Everton looked on course for a point before Lee Carsley’s powerful effort and Vaughan’s cool clincher.
Derby County remain without a goal away from home in English Premier League, their 0-2 defeat at Aston Villa extending their barren streak on their travels to seven matches.