Arsenal back on top, Rooney helps Man Utd down Liverpool

Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League but their Britannia Stadium hoodoo was extended with a goalless draw against Stoke City yesterday.
A point was enough to take Arsene Wenger’s side clear of Leicester City on goal difference but it was another afternoon of frustration in the Potteries for the veteran French manager.
His side have now failed to win at Stoke’s home ground in six attempts—a sequence that dates back to a 3-1 success in February 2010.
That victory became infamous for the sickening broken leg suffered by Gunners midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who was again singled out for some unsavoury abuse by Stoke fans during his 250th Arsenal appearance.
The bad blood from the injury and Ramsey’s refusal to accept Ryan Shawcross’s apology for the challenge that caused it remains for Stoke fans, who taunted Ramsey throughout yesterday with boos and a chant about the damage caused to his leg.
Arsenal could not silence the home crowd as Stoke held their own, with both Potters goalkeeper Jack Butland and Arsenal counterpart Petr Cech in good form.
After a scrappy opening littered with fouls and poor passes, it was Stoke who carved out the first chance through Marko Arnautovic. The Austrian wandered in off the left flank to collect possession in a central area 30 yards from goal, but his ambitious effort flew high into the Arsenal fans behind Cech’s goal.
The game finally came to a semblance of life in the 20th minute when Glen Johnson and Jonathan Walters found space on the Stoke right to pick out Joselu on the edge of the area. His deft flick teed up Ibrahim Afellay, whose long-range effort flew a yard wide of the target.
Arsenal immediately broke and created an opening of their own thanks to a fine pass by Joel Campbell and an equally clever run by Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman found himself one on one with Butland but the England international spread himself well to make an important stop.
The game remained disjointed but, when Stoke failed to clear their lines in the 28th minute, Ramsey had a goal-bound shot deflected wide for a corner which was dealt with easily by the Potters.
Ten minutes before half-time Arsenal failed to deal with Erik Pieters’s dangerous cross but Joselu headed straight at Cech.  
The Gunners then handed cheap possession to Stoke, for whom Bojan fired just wide. Just over a minute into the second half, Butland denied Arsenal what looked like a certain goal.
The goalkeeper reacted superbly to dive low to his left and turn away a free header from Giroud, who had been left unmarked to meet Ramsey’s corner.
Then Stoke were denied as the tempo of the game was raised a notch. Arnautovic advanced and fed Joselu, whose shot was clawed away superbly by Cech. The former Chelsea star then reacted well to scramble Bojan’s follow-up around the post.
Arsenal needed Cech again in the 66th minute as he turned a shot from Joselu around the post. The game became scrappy once more but it was Arsenal who made most of the running in the closing stages and Campbell tried his luck from a tight angle with five minutes remaining.
But his effort flew well wide to sum up an error-strewn contest.
And in the dying moments Stoke had further chances when Ramsey cleared off the line in a goalmouth scramble before Cech blocked a follow-up from Joselu.

Liverpool felled by Rooney sucker-punch

Earlier, Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney pounced to score a 78th-minute winner as his side stunned eternal rivals Liverpool with a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory at a freezing Anfield.
Presiding over his first game against United, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp watched his team dominate, but Rooney punished their profligacy with his fifth goal in four games, a close range snapshot after Marouane Fellaini had hit the bar.
It was United’s only shot on target, but it was enough to give visiting manager Louis van Gaal his fourth win over Liverpool in four games and a first away victory since the 2-1 success at Watford on November 21.
“When you beat Liverpool, it is good for the fans and for the table as our competitors also lose points,” said Van Gaal. “It is a big step in a good direction and I am very happy. “In the second half we played much better and kept the ball better and created chances, and Wayne Rooney makes the fantastic goal again.”
Victory took United to within two points of the Champions League berths and allowed them to reclaim fifth place from West Ham United, leaving Liverpool six points back in ninth place, their top-four hopes fading.
“It’s a derby and you have one job—to win it,” said a disappointed Klopp.
“United would have to say they were not so good, but they won so they’re happy. We played better, but we feel frustrated.”
They may be England’s two most decorated clubs, but Liverpool and United are not this season’s leading contenders and a scrappy, shapeless first half reflected both clubs’ recent difficulties.
Both teams had drawn 3-3 on their previous outings—Liverpool at home to Arsenal, United at Newcastle United—but there was to be no frenzied attacking to warm the 43,865 shivering souls at Anfield.
What quality football there was came chiefly from Liverpool and, in particular, Roberto Firmino, preferred once again to Christian Benteke as the nominal frontman. He was involved in two early chances, first drilling narrowly wide after Jordan Henderson, freed by Lucas Leiva, had seen a header palmed away by the outrushing David de Gea and then releasing James Milner to slice wide with a fine, half-volleyed pass.
It was from a Firmino flick, meanwhile, that Henderson flashed a shot across goal and wide after a neat move involving Adam Lallana. The Brazilian looked poised to put Liverpool ahead six minutes before half-time, but as he cocked his right foot to shoot, Anthony Martial nipped in to intervene.