{"id":31379,"date":"2013-01-02T13:41:35","date_gmt":"2013-01-02T11:41:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/?p=31379"},"modified":"2024-02-17T12:31:51","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T09:31:51","slug":"english-premier-league-game-week-21new-years-first-day-manchester-united-same-way-city-won-report-all-matches-highlights-epl-news-video-31379","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/english-premier-league-game-week-21new-years-first-day-manchester-united-same-way-city-won-report-all-matches-highlights-epl-news-video-31379\/","title":{"rendered":"English Premier League Game Week 21:New Year’s first day Manchester United same way, City won, report all matches highlights \/ EPL News Video"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/h1>\n

Manchester United\u00a0surely the way to the championship Manchester City and the others followed him to display.<\/h1>\n

Wigan Athletic 0 Manchester United 4: Sir Alex Ferguson’s most happy season in the Premier League<\/h2>\n

He scored a classic goal as Manchester United entered 2013 as they had finished the old year, with a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League.<\/p>\n

There was nothing special about United\u2019s performance against a Wigan team who found life much more difficult than in their easy post-Christmas win at Aston Villa.<\/p>\n

United were functional, confident and dominating. But I wonder whether Sir Alex Ferguson, the day after his 71st birthday, pondered where, out of all the star players he has signed and created, Van Persie fits in that order of merit?<\/p>\n

Title rivals Manchester City rue the fact they did not use the sheikh\u2019s money to buy him and Arsenal, when it is mentioned to them, are still on the verge of tears over his departure.<\/p>\n

Van Persie, 29, joined United in August for \u00a324?million and so far that investment has been worth 19 goals \u2013 with one of his very best yesterday.<\/p>\n

Two Wigan defenders took each other out of the game and as Maynor Figueroa and James McArthur sprawled, Javier Hernandez skipped away down the right and found Van Persie with a squared pass.<\/p>\n

Then brilliance took over. Van Persie controlled the ball with his right foot, made extra room and an angle by moving the ball to his left foot, then hit a curling shot with his right.<\/p>\n

\u201cVan Persie is a completely rounded footballer, his ability to make and take goals is fantastic,\u201d said Ferguson. \u201cHis play for his first goal was absolutely magnificent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew we were getting a top player, a major player. I knew he would make the difference because of his maturity. Van Persie has great international experience, he has played for Arsenal for seven years and he came to us at the very peak of his career.\u201d<\/p>\n

United lost at Wigan last season, one of the nails in the coffin where their title hopes were buried, but there was never the slightest chance of that happening again. United might have a leaky defence that is the bane of Ferguson\u2019s life, but there was nothing to debit in this performance.<\/p>\n

Wigan have now won one of their last eight games, the virtual length of the Premier League not really an adequate measure of how far away they were from doing United any damage.<\/p>\n

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez said it was down to tiredness, four games in 11 days, but it could have been worse.<\/p>\n

Hernandez, apart from being the straight man for Van Persie\u2019s 43rd-minute goal, scored twice and had two more turned down for offside. His first came in the 35th minute. Patrice Evra had a shot that, at first, he fluffed, but then forced a good save out of Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.<\/p>\n

The ball went straight to Hernandez and from six yards he was not going to miss.<\/p>\n

Van Persie scored to make it 2-0, then left the stage until his 63rd-minute free-kick deflected for Hernandez to volley in.<\/p>\n

Two minutes from time, after probably one of his best goals, Van Persie got one of his easiest, guiding the ball home after Ronnie Stam and Emmerson Boyce had messed up, giving Danny Welbeck an easy opportunity to find Van Persie.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, December has been a good month for us,\u201d said Ferguson. \u201cThis time it has put us into a seven-point lead with 17 games left, but we don\u2019t want to make mistakes like last year.\u201d<\/p>\n

WIGAN:<\/strong>\u00a0Al Habsi, Ramis, Caldwell (Stam 69), Figueroa, Boyce, McCarthy, McArthur, Beausejour, Di Santo (Gomez 70), Maloney (McManaman 86), Kone.\u00a0Subs Not Used:\u00a0Pollitt, Jones, Boselli, Golobart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Booked:<\/strong> Caldwell.<\/span><\/p>\n

MAN UNITED:<\/strong>\u00a0De Gea, Da Silva, Ferdinand (Smalling 68), Evans, Evra, Young (Welbeck 78), Carrick (Kagawa 68), Cleverley, Giggs, Van Persie, Hernandez.\u00a0Subs Not Used:\u00a0Lindegaard, Valencia, Vidic, Scholes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Booked:<\/strong> Smalling.<\/span><\/p>\n

Goals:<\/strong> Hernandez 35, 63, Van Persie 43, 88<\/span><\/p>\n

Attendance:<\/strong> 20,342<\/span><\/p>\n

Referee:<\/strong> Andre Marriner (W Midlands).<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch Wigan Athletic vs Manchester United match video<\/strong><\/p>\n[media id=776 width=610 height=340]\n

Manchester City 3 Stoke City 0:Bad news for City Sergio Aguero injured<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sergio Aguero will miss Saturday\u2019s FA Cup tie against Watford and is a doubt for the Premier League clash at Arsenal a week on Sunday after limping off with a hamstring injury.Aguero and his partner Edin Dzeko had provided Mancini with the perfect response after their manager had accused them of being \u201ctoo soft\u201d following the Boxing Day defeat at Sunderland.Mancini delivered another slap in the face to his front men on the eve of the game when he claimed City\u2019s failure to sign Robin van Persie could cost them the title.<\/p>\n

His man-management methods sometimes leave you scratching your head, but at least Aguero and Dzeko seem to have taken it in the right way.<\/p>\n

They have weighed in with five goals in the last two games to ensure City stay on the coat-tails of United with nine points from the four holiday games.<\/p>\n

But to lose Aguero when he seemed to have finally rediscovered last season\u2019s sharpness is a blow.<\/p>\n

Last night Aguero tweeted: \u201cI have to take a 48-hour rest and have some studies done on the injury. I will keep you posted. It was great to start and end the year with a win. Too bad about the crick [injury] when we were wrapping up the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mancini said: \u201cIt\u2019s a hamstring and it is difficult to assess an injury like that. Saturday he will be out. And he\u2019ll be doubtful for Arsenal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are different degrees of hamstring, that\u2019s why you need the 48 hours. We\u2019ll just have to see. It\u2019s far too early to say.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hollywood actors David Hasselhoff and Timothy Dalton joined the players in the dressing room as they celebrated.<\/p>\n

It was one-way traffic from the kick-off, with City making light work of a Stoke side who arrived on the back of a 10-game unbeaten run.<\/p>\n

But they had to wait until two minutes before half-time before making the breakthrough.<\/p>\n

Pablo Zabaleta scored after Asmir Begovic had stuck out a leg to divert James Milner\u2019s cross into his path. The second goal after 56 minutes arrived in similar fashion, this time Begovic parrying Aguero\u2019s shot to give Dzeko a simple tap-in.<\/p>\n

Aguero, who had hit the post in the first half, deserved a goal and he got his reward in the 74th minute from the penalty spot, although Steven N\u2019Zonzi\u2019s challenge on David Silva looked to be outside the area.<\/p>\n

But Stoke were already a well-beaten side, even though they rallied towards the end when Jonathan Walters missed a great chance to pull one back and Joe Hart tipped Glen Whelan\u2019s drive on to the post.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Stoke boss Tony Pulis said: \u201cSomeone just asked me what the difference was between the two sides. I said about \u00a3220?million. You give me \u00a3220m now and I\u2019ll come back next year and we\u2019ll see how close we are to them then.\u201cI\u2019m not going to criticise the players. They worked their socks off. City were the better team.\u201cYou hold your hands up and dust yourselves down. We\u2019d gone 10 games unbeaten, which was absolutely fantastic, but don\u2019t take anything away from City, they\u2019re a good team, they played well and they were better than us.\u201dAfter scoring his goal Dzeko pulled off his jersey to reveal a \u2018Happy New Year\u2019 message on his T-shirt, for which he was cautioned almost apologetically by referee Michael Oliver.<\/p>\n

City are praying it will be as happy as the old year.<\/p>\n

Man City:<\/strong> Hart, Kompany, Zabaleta, Lescott, Clichy, Milner, Barry, Silva (<\/span>Sinclair 82)<\/span>, Y Toure, Dzeko (<\/span>Razak 90)<\/span>, Aguero (<\/span>Tevez 77)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Subs not used:<\/strong> Pantilimon, K Toure, Nastasic, Garcia
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Goals:<\/strong> Zabaleta 43, Dzeko 56, Aguero 74 (pen)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Booked:<\/strong> Lescott, Dzeko
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Stoke City:<\/strong> Begovic, Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Wilkinson, Whelan, Nzonzi, Adam (Whitehead 68), Jones (Etherington 50), Walters, Jerome<\/span><\/p>\n

Subs not used:<\/strong> Sorensen, Upson, Shotton, Kightly, Crouch<\/span><\/p>\n

Booked:<\/strong> Huth, Nzonzi
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Referee:<\/strong> Michael Oliver<\/span><\/p>\n

Attendance:<\/strong> 47,192<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch Manchester City vs Stoke City match video<\/strong><\/p>\n[media id=777 width=610 height=340]\n

Swansea City 2 Aston Villa 2:Swans always playing good football and Villa stop to lost<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Paul Lambert will have been glad to see in the New Year after three alarming defeats, but his festive woes continued as Danny Graham salvaged a point for Swansea with a last-gasp equaliser.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
But the defiant Aston Villa manager insisted his young side deserved high praise despite throwing away two points in injury-time.Strikes from frontmen Andreas Weimann and Christian Benteke looked set to ease the tension surrounding Villa Park following those hefty defeats by Chelsea, Tottenham and Wigan and the loss of 15 goals without reply.Graham\u2019s leveller proved to be the latest blow. Yet Lambert was keen to focus on the positives and saluted his players after they had been receiving a torrent of criticism.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cWe have been beaten heavily in the last three games so it\u2019s a huge point for the future. We should have seen the game through with just 30 seconds to go, but all these young lads have been excellent for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you get beaten heavily, you learn a lot from people. And they\u2019ve shown me that, mentally, they are really strong. It\u2019s always a building block and this is a long-term thing. But I just keep having the belief I have always had.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lads have taken so much criticism in the last three weeks, but here they deserve a lot of praise for what they have done. This was such a massive turnaround for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Michael Laudrup\u2019s Swansea will rue their failure not to have converted more of their golden first-half opportunities either side of Wayne Routledge\u2019s ninth-minute opener.<\/p>\n

Prior to his strike, Routledge was denied by excellent Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan, while Michu struck the post twice after the hosts had secured their lead.<\/p>\n

Swansea\u2019s club-record signing Pablo Hernandez cut the visitors\u2019 backline wide open, and Routledge rounded Guzan before slotting the ball into an empty net for his fifth goal of the season. But the home side were punished for their failure to convert chances, as Weimann levelled just a minute before the interval.<\/p>\n

Benteke\u2019s diagonal pass with the outside of his right boot found strike-partner Weimann, who peeled off the back of Williams. The Austrian striker gave goalkeeper Michel Vorm no chance with a low finish into the bottom corner to score Villa\u2019s first goal in almost six hours of football. And even that came against the run of play.<\/p>\n

The second period almost proved to be a tale of two penalty appeals.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n

Swans defender Angel Rangel surged down the right and Joe Bennett seemed to handle inside the area. Mark Halsey awarded only a free-kick on the edge of the box, though.<\/p>\n

Then, with six minutes left, Villa were given a spot-kick of their own as Nathan Dyer fouled Weimann just seconds after clearing Benteke\u2019s header off the line.<\/p>\n

Benteke converted that spot-kick in style, but Graham had the final say when he smashed the ball home, at the second attempt, for his second strike in four days.<\/p>\n

Lambert added: \u201cMassive teams have come here and come away with nothing, so we didn\u2019t have a divine right to turn up and think we were going to stamp all over them. Swansea came at us from all angles in the first half and we had to weather the storm and hope that we would get a break. Yes, we got a bit of luck but we played well in the second half.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laudrup said: \u201cOur first-half performance was great, but we only scored once from seven chances. We gave Villa belief that they could get something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swansea:<\/strong>\u00a0Vorm, Rangel, Williams, Chico, Davies, Routledge (Dyer 66), Britton (Agustien 79), Michu, de Guzman (Ki 62), Hernandez, Graham.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subs Not Used:<\/strong>\u00a0Tremmel, Monk, Shechter, Tiendalli.<\/span><\/p>\n

Goals:<\/strong>\u00a0Routledge 9, Graham 90.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aston Villa:\u00a0<\/strong>Guzan, Lowton, Herd, Clark, Stevens (Holman 68), Albrighton (Bowery 85), Westwood (Bannan 81), Delph, Bennett, Weimann, Benteke.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subs Not Used:<\/strong>\u00a0Given, Ireland, Lichaj, Carruthers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Booked:\u00a0<\/strong>Clark, Delph, Weimann, Stevens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Goals:<\/strong>\u00a0Weimann 44, Benteke 84 pen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Attendance:\u00a0<\/strong>20,406<\/span><\/p>\n

Referee:<\/strong>\u00a0Mark Halsey<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch Swansea City vs Aston Villa Match Video<\/strong><\/p>\n[media id=778 width=610 height=340]\n

Barclays Premier League game week 21 other Results<\/h5>\n

West Bromwich Albion 1 – 2 Fulham<\/p>\n

Tottenham Hotspur 3 – 1 Reading<\/p>\n

West Ham United 2 – 1 Norwich City<\/p>\n

Southampton 1 – 1 Arsenal<\/p>\n\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Manchester United surely the way to the championship Manchester City and the others followed him to display.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":702,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,36047,80,122,63,17,1,118,14],"tags":[42607,42605,11876,16458,4313,42611,42612,2225,1887,41938,8101,2716,42613,42614,1068],"class_list":["post-31379","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-football","category-australia","category-breaking-news","category-cinema","category-daily","category-europe","category-general","category-hot","category-world","tag-city-won","tag-english-premier-league-game-week-21","tag-highlights","tag-hollywood","tag-manchester-city","tag-manchester-city-3-stoke-city-0","tag-manchester-city-vs-stoke-city","tag-manchester-united","tag-premier-league","tag-report-all-matches","tag-sergio-aguero","tag-sir-alex-ferguson","tag-swansea-city-2-aston-villa-2","tag-swansea-city-vs-aston-villa","tag-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/702"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31379"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78909,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31379\/revisions\/78909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nationalturk.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}