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Big win takes Arsenal to second place

— Photo: AFP

FIRING AWAY: Andrei Arshavin, who scored a goal in Arsenal’s facile win, comes with an attempt as Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ronald Zubar looks on.

LONDON: Arsenal romped to a 4-1 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday to move into second place in the English Premier League while Manchester City’s hopes of threatening the top four were hit by a fifth consecutive draw.

City drew 3-3 with Burnley after having battled back from a two-goal deficit to lead with three minutes remaining.

Tottenham Hotspur moved back into the top four, above City, with a 2-0 home defeat of Sunderland after two consecutive losses while Aston Villa climbed to fifth with a 5-1 hammering of Bolton Wanderers at Villa Park.

Portsmouth remains bottom of the table after losing 3-1 at fellow struggler Blackburn Rovers.

Two own goals

Arsenal was helped by own goals from Ronald Zubar and Jody Craddock while Andrei Arshavin’s finish made the second half academic. Cesc Fabregas bagged his ninth goal of the season after the break before Craddock scored a late consolation.

Manchester City looked to have sealed the points when goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips, Kolo Toure and Craig Bellamy wiped out Burnley’s 2-0 lead but Kevin McDonald struck late to earn the visitor its first away point this season.

City, which last won a league game in September, fell to sixth on 20 points, Villa has 21 while Tottenham is on 22. Arsenal has 25.

Unlucky

Sunderland could count themselves unlucky to lose at Tottenham, dominating the game for long periods.

Robbie Keane gave Tottenham an early lead but was hanging on to that slender advantage when its former striker Darren Bent was brought down by goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to earn a penalty, only to have it saved by the Brazilian who was fortunate to still be on the pitch.

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce bemoaned his side’s luck. “Anybody who witnessed that today will know that we should have got something. We were terrific.”

Tom Huddlestone wrapped up the points when he blasted a shot past Sunderland’s substitute keeper Marton Fulop, one of five former Tottenham players in action for the visitors.

The results: Aston Villa 5 (Young 5, Agbonlahor 43, Carew 53, Milner 72, Cuellar 75) bt Bolton 1 (Elmander 45); Blackburn 3 (Roberts 53, 86, Nelsen 73) bt Portsmouth 1 (O’Hara 15); Manchester City 3 (Wright-Phillips 43, Toure 55, Bellamy 58) drew with Burnley 3 (Alexander 19-pen, Fletcher 32, McDonald 87); Tottenham 2 (Keane 12, Huddlestone 68) bt Sunderland 0; Wolverhampton 1 (Craddock 90) lost to Arsenal 4 (Zubar 28-og, Craddock 35-og, Fabregas 45, Arshavin 66). — Agencies

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