Reuters
London, Jan 3: Arsenal and Manchester City showed they have the stomach for a title fight Saturday with the Premier League leaders sinking Newcastle United 1-0 and Manuel Pellegrini’s men launching a late comeback to beat Watford 2-1.
Arsenal’s victory was scrappy and nervy but Laurent Koscielny’s 72nd-minute winner was enough to move them two points clear at the summit after Leicester City’s surprise push faltered with a goalless draw at home to 10-man Bournemouth.
Manchester City underlined their credentials as Arsenal’s main challengers and although they looked forlorn for much of the game at Vicarage Road, they showed their mettle in the closing stages.
Trailing 1-0 to Aleksandar Kolarov’s own goal, Yaya Toure volleyed home superbly in the 82nd minute and Sergio Aguero headed the winner moments later to wrap up a precious win that kept them three points behind the pacesetters.
Arsenal are continuing to defy predictions that they lack the consistency of genuine title challengers and while they were not on top form at home to Newcastle, the Londoners did enough to scrape a victory under pressure.
Koscielny volleyed home from a corner to help Arsenal forget their Boxing Day blip, when they slumped 4-0 at Southampton, as they notched a second straight victory and a fifth in six games. That sort of reliability has deserted Leicester over the festive period.
Predictions that their unlikely surge to the top would be short-lived gained further substance when Claudio Ranieri’s team failed to score for the third successive game against a Bournemouth side who had Simon Francis sent off after 57 minutes.
Even Riyad Mahrez, their most consistent performer alongside Jamie Vardy, fluffed his lines, failing to convert a penalty after Francis’ dismissal.
Manchester City were far more ruthless despite a lacklustre start at Watford. Toure’s volley was expertly angled into the top of the net from a Kolarov corner and Aguero leapt athletically to head in a Bacary Sagna cross two minutes later.