Thaindian News

London, April 25 (DPA) Manchester United piled the pressure onto Chelsea in the title race after they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 to go top of the English Premier League table.
Two penalties from Ryan Giggs and one superbly-taken goal from Nani were enough for United to claim all three points here Saturday and move two points clear of Chelsea at the top with two games to play.

Chelsea can regain the lead if they win their game in hand, against Stoke City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but the London side are now under increasing pressure not to slip up.

“We hope that is what this result has done,” United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said. “The main thing is we are top of the table with two games left.

“Who is to say what is going to happen? We have done our job.”

All the goals came in a pulsating second half at Old Trafford with Giggs putting United in front from the spot on 58 minutes after Benoit Assou-Ekotto mistimed a challenge on Patrice Evra.

Ledley King pulled Tottenham level with a header 12 minutes later though Rafael was guilty of leaving his place on the post.

Both sides chased victory but it was United who retook the lead with nine minutes to go when he lifted a beautiful chip over Huerelho Gomes in the Tottenham goal.

Tottenham were totally deflated and United then snatched a third when Giggs netted from the spot after Nani had been bundled over by a clumsy challenge from Tom Huddlestone.

Ferguson said he had not known who would take the penalty until Giggs placed the ball on the spot.

“I left it between Ryan and Nani to decide who would take them,” he said. “(Giggs)’ experience showed in the end because he took two really good penalties.”

Tottenham remain fourth and in line for the remaining Champions League spot, one point clear of Manchester City, who drew 0-0 at third-placed Arsenal in the day’s late match.

Elsewhere on Saturday, West Ham vastly improved their chances of staying up after they edged out Wigan Athletic 3-2 at Upton Park.

An own goal by Jonathan Spector after four minutes put Wigan in front but goals from Araujo Ilan and Radoslav Kovac - in the fifth minute of first-half injury time - put West Ham ahead at the break.

Hugo Rodallega equalised from close range but with 13 minutes to go, Scott Parker lashed the ball home from 25 yards to send the home fans wild.

West Ham remain just one place above the bottom three but with two games to go, they are now six points ahead of Hull City, who were beaten 1-0 at home by Sunderland.

Darren Bent scored the only goal of the game after seven minutes and Hull blew a great chance to equalize when Jimmy Bullard missed a penalty.

Both sides had a man sent off but the scores stayed the same and though Hull could join West Ham on 34 points if they win their two remaining games, their goal difference is so inferior that they are almost certainly relegated.

“We’ve been in the bottom three all season and at the end of the day we need to hold our hands up and say we weren’t good enough,” Hull chairman Adam Pearson said.

“We need to take it the chin, sort things out internally and hopefully come back bigger and stronger.

“Administration is not on the immediate agenda. The owner has a lot invested in the club. We have to make some cost-cutting decisions immediately. I’m sure there have been worse problems in football and and there will be again.”

Arsenal and Manchester City cancelled each other out in a goalless draw at the Emirates, where a nasty shoulder injury to City goalkeeper Shay Given was the only real incident of note.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake came off the substitutes’ bench to score the equaliser 11 minutes from time as Wolves drew 1-1 with Blackburn.

And Ivorian striker Aruna Dindane scored two second-half goals as relegated Portsmouth came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Bolton Wanderers.