Arsenal crushed to historical rival Tottenham, Second miracle by Norwich City they after Arsenal they beat Manchester United,Liverpool got Luis Suarez.

Arsenal 5 Tottenham Hotspur 2: Arsene Wenger got another plan for season

Arsene Wenger hopes the sense of déjà vu over this score-line will be mirrored by another finishing place in the top four of the Premier League.

The Arsenal manager considered last season’s 5-2 win against fierce rivals Tottenham was the catalyst for reaching the coveted and lucrative Champions League places.

Another 5-2 triumph yesterday lunchtime, amazing in itself, certainly had the feel of a cathartic moment.

For many weeks a cloud has been hanging over Arsenal following poor results and some weak performances. Here, suddenly, there were sunshine smiles on the faces of players, supporters and Wenger himself.

There was no doubting the supreme quality of some of their play. They might have scored a few more goals too. It was classic and classy and comprehensive. There was no doubting, also, that nerves remain.

Would it have been different here without the early red card for Spurs striker Emmanuel Adebayor when the visitors were already 1-0 ahead? We will never know.

Last year the Gunners recovered from two goals down to win 5-2.

Anything is possible in football – as this game illustrated.

For a few deceptive minutes at the start yesterday Tottenham had played with hope in their hearts thanks to an early goal from Adebayor (who else?) and obvious jitters in the Arsenal defence.

The lead came when Jermain Defoe slipped away from Per Mertesacker and was played in for a shot that Gunners keeper Wojciech Szczesny could only half stop and Adebayor scooped into the net.

Moments later Aaron Lennon sent a shot fizzing inches wide of the post. Arsenal were in major discomfort; the insecurities of the past few weeks oh so evident.

Adebayor’s dismissal in the 17th minute changed everything.

It was a correct decision by referee Howard Webb to punish the Tottenham and former Arsenal striker for a reckless, studs-first lunging tackle on Santi Cazorla.

He had let down his team-mates, his manager, and the now muted Spurs fans. Instantly, all the momentum was with Arsenal. The extra man helped, but so did the psychological crumbling of the Tottenham team until half-time.

Their limp reaction was astonishing in a derby.

Arsenal capitalised with three goals; raiding with insistent vigour down the right flank through Theo Walcott, and weaving intricate threat with the silky technique of Cazorla and Jack Wilshere.

They were level in the 24th minute, Mertesacker atoning for his earlier lapse with a superb header to convert a cross by Walcott. It was the giant German’s first Premier League goal.

Spurs chose Hugo Lloris in goal ahead of veteran Brad Friedel and the French keeper twice denied compatriot Olivier Giroud with flying saves. He was foxed, though, by a mis-hit shot from Lukas Podolski that put Arsenal in front on 42 minutes.

TV cameras panned to the crowd where Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was rubbing his hands in delight. They did so again a few minutes later when Giroud swept home the Gunners’ third goal after a mazy run by the rejuvenated Cazorla.

Spurs responded with bold and brave substitutions at the break, withdrawing both full-backs, going to three in defence and sending on another attacker in Clint Dempsey.

That was down to manager Andre Villas-Boas, whose ambition and psychology could not be faulted, although his claim that Spurs “controlled the game from the first minute to the last” was nonsense.

Tottenham required a quick goal after the break, but it didn’t arrive and the impetus fizzled out. Arsenal had control and they fashioned a fine fourth goal steered home by Cazorla from a Podolski cross.

Gareth Bale did score a second for Spurs with a powerful shot, and Defoe missed a chance to make it 4-3.

Arsenal’s superiority was confirmed in stoppage time when Walcott shot home from a pass by substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

It was reward for a strong display by Walcott, and Wenger confirmed it may help the winger win the improved contract he wants.

Ref: Howard Webb

Att: 60,111

ARSENAL: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Vermaelen; Arteta, Wilshere (Ramsey 71); Walcott, Cazorla, Podolski (Santos 80); Giroud (Oxlade-Chamberlain 86).

TOTTENHAM: Lloris; Walker (Dempsey 46), Gallas, Vertonghen, Naughton (Dawson 46); Lennon, Huddlestone (Carroll 71), Sandro, Bale; Defoe, Adebayor.

Arsenal vs Tottenham Match Video:

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Norwich City 1 Manchester United 0:Norwich seems to upset the  for this year’s champion nominees

Manchester United’s Champions League trip to Turkey for tomorrow’s match at Galatasaray has assumed real significance.

What should have been virtually a night off for a club who have already qualified for the last 16 must now be used to solve urgent problems after losing at Norwich and being knocked off the top of the Premier League.

United’s first defeat in 10 matches came about because Norwich exploited three areas of weakness.

They targeted the United full-backs Rafael and Patrice Evra after identifying them as weak links defensively.

And Sir Alex Ferguson’s selection created two additional problems.

Deploying 38-year-old Ryan Giggs and the pedestrian Michael Carrick in midfield meant Norwich were never troubled centrally by pace.

So the home team were always able to regroup and their own central midfield pair of Bradley Johnson and Alex Tettey were able to provide a screen in front of the home back four.

And with Wayne Rooney kept out by an ankle injury, Robin van Persie changed his role and was largely ineffectual.

The match at Galatasaray should have provided an opportunity to rest players and give youngsters experience. Now, however, Sir Alex must address vulnerabilities which look suddenly worrying.

He is likely to give Phil Jones his first appearance of the season tomorrow – but the question is, where? The 20-year-old can play in two of the problem areas: he can operate at full-back but has been used as a defensive midfield player.

Jones missed United’s pre-season tour and the start of the campaign because of back spasms and then a leg injury. He trained last week and was on the bench at Norwich, for whom Tettey and Johnson excelled.

Tettey, a Ghana-born Norwegian international signed in August from French club Rennes, was overwhelmed by the victory. At the final whistle, he sank to his knees and buried his face in the turf. The result was vindication for Chris Hughton, who took over as Norwich manager in the summer when Paul Lambert left after lifting the club 54 places in three seasons.

There were some early season reverses, but Hughton has a reputation for drilling players well and now the effort he has put in at the club’s training complex is paying off.

So, too, are his purchases. As well as Tettey, he brought in all four of the men on duty in defence on Saturday.

But Wes Hoolahan, who was at the club before even Lambert arrived, has been at the fulcrum of their remarkable revival this season. His form earned him a Republic of Ireland cap last week after four years out of the side.

He said: “We wanted to get at them on the flanks. It was a superb cross by Javier Garrido and a great header by Pilks [Anthony Pilkington] that brought the goal.

“We have a system now. We work hard off the pitch getting it right – and then we work hard on the pitch.”

After leaking 17 goals in their first seven Premier League games, Norwich have now recorded three consecutive clean sheets.

They are unbeaten in six games and during that run they have taken nine more points than last season from matches which are directly comparable. The transformation began when Hughton devised a 4-4-1-1 system, in which Hoolahan operates just behind lone striker Grant Holt and in front of Tettey and Johnson.

United use a similar formation. When Rooney and Van Persie play together; the Dutchman takes the front role. But at Carrow Road United started with Javier Hernandez as the spearhead and Van Persie just behind him. It did not work.

NORWICH (4-4-1-1): Ruddy 9; Whittaker 8, Turner 8, Basson 8, Garrido 8; Snodgrass 7 (E Bennett 90), Johnson 9, Tettey 9, Pilkington 8; Hoolahan 9 (Howson, 83, 6); Holt 7 (Morison 83, 7). Goal: Pilkington 60.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-1-1): Lindegaard 7; Rafael 5, Smalling 7, Ferdinand 8 (Anderson 83), Evra 6; Valencia 5 (Scholes 69, 7), Carrick 5, Giggs 5, Young 7; Van Persie 7; Hernandez 6 (Welbeck 69, 5). Booked: Rafael.

Referee: A Taylor (Greater Manchester).

Norwich City vs Manchester United match video:

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Liverpool 3 Wigan Athletic 0:Thank God Liverpool got Luis Suarez

When Wigan boss Roberto Martinez had reflected upon the side he could now be managing, he was typically
polite and diplomatic.

Liverpool, he said, were not a one-man team.

But that is precisely what they are. Without Suarez, Liverpool would not have a fit striker over the age of 18. Without
his goals and assists, Liverpool would have five points in Brendan Rodgers’ reign.

Without Suarez’s ninth and 10th strikes of the season, this was heading for a stalemate.

With his huge contribution, Rodgers’ team are threatening to reach the top half of the table.

With Suarez pledging his loyalty to Liverpool and Manchester City denying they are planning a January bid for the prolific Uruguayan, Anfield can look forward to plenty more goals.

“He is a master marksman, absolutely outstanding and we are thrilled to have him,” Rodgers said.

But he is a constant in controversy who attracted the ire of Martinez.

“He was very fortunate because there was a stamp on David Jones the referee didn’t see,” said the Spaniard.

“It could have been a red card.”

Neither decisions nor luck went Wigan’s way. Martinez lost Ben Watson with a broken leg.

Suarez finished clinically for the opener, firing past Ali Al-Habsi after Raheem Sterling had robbed Maynor Figueroa, charged clear and then set up the striker to score.

Minutes later Suarez made a speedy burst to latch on to Jose Enrique’s pass and guide his shot beyond Al-Habsi.

Suarez set up the move that brought the third goal, too. He fed Sterling, whose shot was parried by Al-Habsi and Enrique tucked in the rebound.

Rodgers is so short of forwards he is using a full-back as a left winger.

But instead of stopping goals, Enrique scored one and almost got another.

In the first half, the Spaniard met Suarez’s low cross at the near post but Al-Habsi made a brilliant point-blank block.
“Look at Gareth Bale,” Rodgers said.

“I thought about pushing Jose further forward. I think he can do that role. He is a terrific talent.”

He praised his entire side. “I thought the team was outstanding. It’s not just Suarez.”

But without him, where would Liverpool be?

Liverpool vs Wigan Athletic match video: 

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Manchester City 5 Aston Villa 0: City and Mancini get prepare for Real Madrid match

Roberto Mancini is calling on Manchester City to produce the “perfect performance” to beat Real Madrid and keep their Champions League hopes alive.