Premier League round-up:Swansea condemned Arsenal to a 2-0 home defeat as Michu fired in two late goals at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners had been second best for long spells, and despite an improved performance after the break, the Swans earned reward for their persistence when Spain forward Michu grabbed a late brace.
Jeers greeted the final whistle at Emirates Stadium, as manager Arsene Wenger’s side dropped more points and fell further behind in the battle to break back into the top four.
Arsenal failed to get any sort of rhythm together, far too careless in possession and lacking ideas in the final third. And they were made to pay when Swansea took the lead after Michu broke clear to slot past Szczesny and leave more questions for Wenger to answer about the character of his side. It got worst for the Gunners in stoppage time when Michu again latched onto a long clearance, racing through to beat the keeper again.
Marouane Fellaini made significant contributions at both ends as Evertonfrustrated champions Manchester Cityyet again with a 1-1 draw at the Etihad. Fellaini headed the Toffees, victors in eight of their previous 10 clashes with City, into a first-half lead but then conceded a controversial penalty to allow Carlos Tevez to level.
Everton felt Edin Dzeko had gone to ground too easily to win the award but Tevez made no mistake and City went on to dominate the second half. The result preserved City’s unbeaten start to the season in the Premier League and prolonged their run of home games without defeat to 37, a sequence stretching back to a loss to Everton two years ago. It was also Everton’s seventh draw in their last nine games.
Defender Daniel Agger's first goal of the season ensured Liverpoolreturned to winning ways at home to Southamptonbut they made hard work of the 1-0 victory. The Denmark international powered home a header just before half-time, only his fifth in 133 Premier League appearances, after a host of chances had gone begging.
In doing so he helped the Reds to only their third home win of the season and back-to-back league wins at Anfield for the first time since September 2011. But in truth it should have been far more comfortable than it actually was, which is a familiar story where Liverpool have been concerned recently.
Jermain Defoe upstaged Dimitar Berbatov by scoring twice to sink Fulham3-0 and move Tottenhamin to fourth place table. The London derby had been billed as a chance for Berbatov to shine against his former club after such a wonderful start to his career in west London, but it was the man who so often lived in the Bulgarian's shadow at White Hart Lane who stole the show today by bagging his 11th and 12th goals of the current campaign.
The England striker this week spoke about how working under Andre Villas-Boas had breathed life into his flagging career, and the 30-year-old delivered once again for his manager by killing off the game with Tottenham’s final two goals.
Berbatov showed flashes of brilliance in a good first half for Martin Jol’s men, but Sandro put Spurs ahead after the break with a 35-yard drive — his second goal for the club. Defoe then stepped up to the plate to seal the match, converting Gylfi Sigurdsson’s pass to make it 2-0 before adding a second five minutes later from Clint Dempsey’s pass.
The win — Tottenham’s third on the bounce, now means Villas-Boas’ team are level with third-place Chelsea in the table, and given current form, it seems only a matter of time before the Portuguese moves ahead of the club who sacked him in March. The only worry for Villas-Boas is that Gareth Bale and Michael Dawson both hobbled off with injuries.
And substitute Dean Whitehead snatched a 75th minute winner for Stokeat The Hawthorns as West Bromfell to their second successive defeat. A dismal game sprang to life in the final quarter hour after Whitehead — a 54th minute replacement for Charlie Adam, poked home from a ball into the box by Michael Kightly to give the Potters a 1-0 win .
