LONDON —Tottenham produced a stunning fightback against Manchester City to boost their Champions League ambitions and leave Manchester United three points away from winning the English Premier Soccer League title.
Reuters
City led through Samir Nasri’s early strike before Spurs hit back with three goals in seven second-half minutes. Clint Dempsey’s tap-in levelled before Jermain Defoe fired past Joe Hart.
Gareth Bale, returning from injury, dinked in the third as Spurs moved level with fourth-placed Chelsea.
Bale’s goal capped a dramatic turnaround in north London and means United will clinch their 20th top-flight crown by beating Aston Villa at Old Trafford tonight.
Roberto Mancini’s defending champions are 13 points adrift of their cross-city rivals with five games left to play for both sides.
Yet for the majority of the match it seemed as though City would clinch a routine win and keep their slim hopes of retaining the title alive after Nasri steered in James Milner’s pullback.
In another match, Liverpool’s Luis Suarez scored a 97th-minute equaliser to rescue a 2-2 home draw with Chelsea yesterday in a Premier League match marked by another bizarre incident involving the hosts’ controversial striker.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
The London club twice took the lead with a header from Oscar and an Eden Hazard penalty either side of a Daniel Sturridge equaliser for Liverpool, before Suarez headed in at the death.
But the post-match headlines are likely to be dominated by the Uruguayan striker for all the wrong reasons as he appeared to bite Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic after the pair had tussled in the area in the second half.
Chelsea now have 62 points, one behind Arsenal in third and one clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who earlier beat champions Manchester City 3-1. Liverpool stayed seventh on 51 points.
After a subdued opening, Chelsea took the lead on 26 minutes when Oscar found himself unmarked from a corner to beat Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina at the near post with a glancing header.
Liverpool were sparked into life by the introduction of Sturridge at halftime and the former Chelsea striker drew them level with a tap in at the far post on 52 minutes.
Parity was short-lived, however, as Hazard coolly dispatched a penalty five minutes later after Suarez had handled in the area, to put a smile on the face of Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez on his return to his former club.
Yet with the six minutes of stoppage time signalled already played, Sturridge crossed for Suarez to glance in a header at the near post that Chelsea keeper Petr Cech could only push into the roof of the net.
