Christian Benteke was on target again as Liverpool won 1-0 at Sunderland and made a significant impact on the Premier League as they moved up four places and alongside Manchester United.

Benteke’s goal had earned them a 1-0 win over Leicester City to end a poor run of form by Jurgen Klopp’s team and he claimed the decider at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland slipped to their fifth successive defeat.

It was an encouraging win for Liverpool, but Sunderland are in serious trouble and in danger of being cast adrift. They rarely threatened to find a way past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and Liverpool could have scored more, notably when Benteke went clear in the closing stages.

The goal he scored came only 22 seconds into the second-half after an opening 45 minutes when Roberto Firmino had been involved in a one-man attempt to put Liverpool ahead and improve his disappointing record in front of goal.

The Brazilian had scored only once in 21 appearance, hitting the target in Liverpool’s excellent 4-1 victory at Manchester City. He has still contributed much to Liverpool’s season, but it represented a poor return for a midfield with a licence to join in attacks.

Firmino certainly looked in the mood to punish them further, particularly in the first-half when he went close to beating keeper Vito Mannone on three occasions.

His first involvement gave no hint of the problems he was to cause Sunderland as his heavy touch deprived him of a chance created by a smart pass from his fellow-Brazilian Philippe Coutinho.

For the rest of the opening half it was Mannone versus Firmino, with the Sunderland keeper coming out on top. Mannone, who had already saved a 30-yard effort from Nathaniel Clyne, produced a remarkable effort when he went to his left to touch Firmino’s 25th minute shot against the post.

The second save came 11 minutes later when Mannone reacted well to a header from Firmino, preventing controversy since Sunderland were adamant that Clyne had handled before he cross from the right touchline.

Firmino was frustrated again when he was the beneficiary of a well-worked corner routine. He was left in space for a fierce shot that was goalbound before it failed to find its way through a crowded area.

Sunderland could offer little in response to Liverpool’s first-half authority, although striker Jermain Defoe did give Mignolet a rare moment of concern with a 15th minute shot that the Liverpool keeper handled well.

Benteke slid in his goal immediately after the restart after Clyne’s ball was played into his path by Adam Lallana.

It was his sixth goal against Sunderland – more than against any other Premier League club – and the 38th league goal they have conceded this season and Liverpool must have sensed they could add to that miserable record.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce’s decision to sign Lorient centre-back Lamine Kone during the transfer window already looked like a timely move, but the loss of another defender means Kone is likely to go straight into the side when he arrives.

Kone was watching on the sidelines and will not have been impressed by what he witnessed, particularly from a Sunderland attack that continued to struggle to make an impact.

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Arsenal’s title challenge is back on track following a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Monday (Dec 28) which sent them to the top of the Premier League and saw goalkeeper Petr Cech set a new clean-sheet record.

Goals from Gabriel and Mesut Ozil, who was again Arsenal’s key performer, were enough for the Gunners to settle a few nerves following a shock 4-0 defeat at Southampton two days earlier.

The victory also marked an important landmark for Cech who kept his 170th clean sheet in the Premier League – most of them in Chelsea colours – to overtake the previous mark set by David James.

With former leaders Leicester due to play fourth-placed Manchester City 24 hours after this fixture, the result leaves Arsenal one point clear at the top of the table – and goes some way to answering criticism that Arsene Wenger’s side were starting to buckle under the pressure of trying to win the title for the first time since 2004.

If you took only history into account then this fixture would be one of the most uneven the Premier League has ever seen – mighty Arsenal, 13-time champions, 12-time FA Cup winners and perennial Champions League participants against a club that was playing in the fourth tier of English football only 12 years ago.

But there’s a lot more to English football than that and there was not a huge chasm between the teams as Arsenal ground out a crucial three points.

Bournemouth, renowned for their attractive style of play, went into the game having not lost since early November, including morale-boosting victories over Chelsea and Manchester United.

Arsenal by contrast had seen their own six-match unbeaten run brutally ended by Southampton in defeat at St Mary’s, a result which almost instantly deflated the euphoria which had been building in north London.

Mercurial

Perhaps that is why the atmosphere at the Emirates was so muted at the start of a match that Wenger’s side simply could not afford to lose. Gabriel’s header from an Ozil corner after 27 minutes, however, soon settled those nerves.

Set-pieces have been Bournemouth’s Achilles heel all season and the Brazilian defender was totally unmarked as he stooped to head home at the far post.

Gabriel, in fact, was one of four players brought into the Arsenal side by Wenger following that miserable evening on the south coast, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Calum Chambers and Kieran Gibbs also selected in a rare shake-up – and Lauren Koscielny surprisingly left on the bench.

Gabriel justified that faith as he hit the post with another header from another Ozil corner minutes later, the ball bouncing back off the upright onto Per Mertesacker and dropping wide.

Gabriel was also outstanding in defence and the game was effectively over when the mercurial Ozil played a delightful one-two with Olivier Giroud before accepting the Frenchman’s back-heeled pass and sliding the ball home in the 63rd minute.

Arsenal, who missed a string of chances to add to their lead, now face struggling Newcastle at home next weekend before potentially more difficult fixtures against Liverpool, Stoke and Chelsea.

English Premier League results:

Arsenal 2 Bournemouth 0

Crystal Palace 0 Swansea 0

Everton 3 Stoke 4

Manchester United 0 Chelsea 0

Norwich 2 Aston Villa 0

Watford 1 Tottenham 2

West Brom 1 Newcastle 0

West Ham 2 Southampton 1

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Chelsea’s recovery has begun, captain John Terry claimed on Tuesday (Dec 29) with the Blues unbeaten in the three games since Jose Mourinho’s departure.

A victory over Sunderland has been followed by draws with Watford and Manchester United. A surge up the Premier League table has yet to materialise, however, and the champions remain in 14th place, only three points off the relegation zone.

Chelsea travelled to Old Trafford on Monday to take on a United team that had lost four games in a row, but were unable to make that five as the two struggling giants fought out a 0-0 draw.

The hosts edged the chances, but Chelsea skipper Terry was proud of the performance of his team.

He told Chelsea TV: “I think the desire and the effort was spot on. The work-rate was different class throughout the whole starting XI. But more importantly I just want to say thank you to the fans. I think we owed them that performance and I think they can slowly see the tide turning and us putting in performances and getting results.

“The desire in the group is there for everyone to see the last few games. For whatever reason we weren’t winning games from the start and we are where we are and we have to build upon that and we have to change things around very quickly because, looking at the league table, it’s horrible. With a quick succession of wins we can climb the table quickly.”

The normal order of things in the Premier League has been turned upside down in 2015/16, with the likes of Leicester and Crystal Palace challenging at the top of the table and Chelsea languishing near the bottom three.

“I think it has been bizarre,” said Terry. “Being amongst it has been really difficult and that is credit to teams you wouldn’t expect to win games throughout the year improving their squads and improving individuals.

“It’s now down to us as a group and a club to step up and go again to that next level where we want to be. This year it’s probably too far to go, but the season after that and long when I have gone we have set the levels and we need to keep that year after year.”

Guus Hiddink’s side slipped 19 points behind leaders Arsenal with the draw at Old Trafford and 15 points adrift of the top four.

Although it seems inconceivable they could go down, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is not discounting the possibility, even if, like Terry, he feels Chelsea are heading in the right direction.

He told the club website: “Of course you cannot think it is not possible to get relegated. We look forward and I think with the dynamic we are in now and the games we are playing, soon we will start winning games.”

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Manchester City were frustrated again on the road as Leicester bounced back from defeat at Liverpool with a 0-0 draw that maintained their surprise Premier League title challenge.

Leicester had to withstand a barrage of first-half pressure from their visitors but they held firm for the point that took them level with Arsenal at the top of the table. The Foxes grew in confidence after half-time and could have snatched another major scalp in their extraordinary season.

Manchester City are without a win in six Premier League away games but boss Manuel Pellegrini will take heart from a dominant performance before half-time.

Leicester abandoned their normal 4-4-2 system and started with Gokhan Inler as an extra midfielder alongside N’Golo Kante and the returning Danny Drinkwater, who was back from a hamstring injury.

Shinji Okazaki and Andy King were the men to make way while City brought back Sergio Aguero in place of Wilfried Bony. The visitors made all of the early running and exploited their hosts repeatedly down the flanks.

Pellegrini’s men wasted several decent crossing opportunities before Leicester almost struck a blow against the run of play. Inler was fouled 25 yards from goal and Christian Fuchs’ free-kick was headed over by Robert Huth.

But Manchester City were the more likely scorers and the should have made the breakthrough when Raheem Sterling burst down the right and squared for Kevin De Bruyne. He hit a firm shot but it was pushed away solidly by Kasper Schmeichel in the home goal.

Leicester had been pinned back in their own half with striker Jamie Vardy isolated for lengthy spells. But Riyad Mahrez, his goalscoring partner in crime, nearly made the most of a slip by Nicolas Otamendi and tried a curling shot from an angle that dipped just over.

Manchester City came again, however, and Schmeichel came to the rescue once more when he pushed away a decent shot from Sterling. The pair were engaged in a personal battle and Schmeichel succeeded again on 32 minutes when he pushed a left-footed effort by Sterling over the bar.

After withstanding waves of pressure, Leicester should twice have led in the 40th minute. First Fuchs’ cross from the left eluded Marc Albrighton at the far post by inches. Then Fernandinho gifted possession to Jamie Vardy, who exchanged passes with Drinkwater on the edge of the box before blasting over.

Aguero should have given the visitors the lead a minute into the second half when he arrived at the near post to meet a De Bruyne cross. But Leicester, who had squandered possession cheaply, were reprieved when the Argentine sent a cheeky chip over the crossbar.

Albrighton sent a shot into the side netting from a tough angle after a smart pass by Mahrez as Ranieri’s men grew in confidence. But they almost fell behind when Otamendi met a corner from De Bruyne with a firm header that forced Schmeichel into another good save.

With momentum behind them, Leicester sent on Leonardo Ulloa for Inler as they went on the attack. It almost paid off instantly as Ulloa’s decoy run allowed Vardy to collect Drinkwater’s pass, but he shot straight at Joe Hart in the Manchester City goal.

Late on Hart had to make a good, flying save to keep out a thunderous shot from Fuchs following a short corner by the Foxes.

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Manchester City were frustrated again on the road as Leicester bounced back from defeat at Liverpool with a 0-0 draw that maintained their surprise Premier League title challenge.

Leicester had to withstand a barrage of first-half pressure from their visitors but they held firm for the point that took them level with Arsenal at the top of the table. The Foxes grew in confidence after half-time and could have snatched another major scalp in their extraordinary season.

Manchester City are without a win in six Premier League away games but boss Manuel Pellegrini will take heart from a dominant performance before half-time.

Leicester abandoned their normal 4-4-2 system and started with Gokhan Inler as an extra midfielder alongside N’Golo Kante and the returning Danny Drinkwater, who was back from a hamstring injury.

Shinji Okazaki and Andy King were the men to make way while City brought back Sergio Aguero in place of Wilfried Bony. The visitors made all of the early running and exploited their hosts repeatedly down the flanks.

Pellegrini’s men wasted several decent crossing opportunities before Leicester almost struck a blow against the run of play. Inler was fouled 25 yards from goal and Christian Fuchs’ free-kick was headed over by Robert Huth.

But Manchester City were the more likely scorers and the should have made the breakthrough when Raheem Sterling burst down the right and squared for Kevin De Bruyne. He hit a firm shot but it was pushed away solidly by Kasper Schmeichel in the home goal.

Leicester had been pinned back in their own half with striker Jamie Vardy isolated for lengthy spells. But Riyad Mahrez, his goalscoring partner in crime, nearly made the most of a slip by Nicolas Otamendi and tried a curling shot from an angle that dipped just over.

Manchester City came again, however, and Schmeichel came to the rescue once more when he pushed away a decent shot from Sterling. The pair were engaged in a personal battle and Schmeichel succeeded again on 32 minutes when he pushed a left-footed effort by Sterling over the bar.

After withstanding waves of pressure, Leicester should twice have led in the 40th minute. First Fuchs’ cross from the left eluded Marc Albrighton at the far post by inches. Then Fernandinho gifted possession to Jamie Vardy, who exchanged passes with Drinkwater on the edge of the box before blasting over.

Aguero should have given the visitors the lead a minute into the second half when he arrived at the near post to meet a De Bruyne cross. But Leicester, who had squandered possession cheaply, were reprieved when the Argentine sent a cheeky chip over the crossbar.

Albrighton sent a shot into the side netting from a tough angle after a smart pass by Mahrez as Ranieri’s men grew in confidence. But they almost fell behind when Otamendi met a corner from De Bruyne with a firm header that forced Schmeichel into another good save.

With momentum behind them, Leicester sent on Leonardo Ulloa for Inler as they went on the attack. It almost paid off instantly as Ulloa’s decoy run allowed Vardy to collect Drinkwater’s pass, but he shot straight at Joe Hart in the Manchester City goal.

Late on Hart had to make a good, flying save to keep out a thunderous shot from Fuchs following a short corner by the Foxes.

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Christian Benteke was on target again as Liverpool won 1-0 at Sunderland and made a significant impact on the Premier League as they moved up four places and alongside Manchester United.

Benteke’s goal had earned them a 1-0 win over Leicester City to end a poor run of form by Jurgen Klopp’s team and he claimed the decider at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland slipped to their fifth successive defeat.

It was an encouraging win for Liverpool, but Sunderland are in serious trouble and in danger of being cast adrift. They rarely threatened to find a way past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and Liverpool could have scored more, notably when Benteke went clear in the closing stages.

The goal he scored came only 22 seconds into the second-half after an opening 45 minutes when Roberto Firmino had been involved in a one-man attempt to put Liverpool ahead and improve his disappointing record in front of goal.

The Brazilian had scored only once in 21 appearance, hitting the target in Liverpool’s excellent 4-1 victory at Manchester City. He has still contributed much to Liverpool’s season, but it represented a poor return for a midfield with a licence to join in attacks.

Firmino certainly looked in the mood to punish them further, particularly in the first-half when he went close to beating keeper Vito Mannone on three occasions.

His first involvement gave no hint of the problems he was to cause Sunderland as his heavy touch deprived him of a chance created by a smart pass from his fellow-Brazilian Philippe Coutinho.

For the rest of the opening half it was Mannone versus Firmino, with the Sunderland keeper coming out on top. Mannone, who had already saved a 30-yard effort from Nathaniel Clyne, produced a remarkable effort when he went to his left to touch Firmino’s 25th minute shot against the post.

The second save came 11 minutes later when Mannone reacted well to a header from Firmino, preventing controversy since Sunderland were adamant that Clyne had handled before he cross from the right touchline.

Firmino was frustrated again when he was the beneficiary of a well-worked corner routine. He was left in space for a fierce shot that was goalbound before it failed to find its way through a crowded area.

Sunderland could offer little in response to Liverpool’s first-half authority, although striker Jermain Defoe did give Mignolet a rare moment of concern with a 15th minute shot that the Liverpool keeper handled well.

Benteke slid in his goal immediately after the restart after Clyne’s ball was played into his path by Adam Lallana.

It was his sixth goal against Sunderland – more than against any other Premier League club – and the 38th league goal they have conceded this season and Liverpool must have sensed they could add to that miserable record.

Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce’s decision to sign Lorient centre-back Lamine Kone during the transfer window already looked like a timely move, but the loss of another defender means Kone is likely to go straight into the side when he arrives.

Kone was watching on the sidelines and will not have been impressed by what he witnessed, particularly from a Sunderland attack that continued to struggle to make an impact.

Source AFP