Chelsea holds on to spike Gunners
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, January 21, 2013
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Chelsea's Frank Lampard scores from the penalty spot during the English Premier League match against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in heavy snow yesterday. |
Chelsea enjoyed some much-needed home comfort with goals from Juan Mata and Frank Lampard securing a 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the English Premier League yesterday.
Arsenal staged a second-half revival with Theo Walcott halving the deficit at a snowy Stamford Bridge but Chelsea hung on for only its second win in six home league games since Rafa Benitez was hired as interim manager.
Victory lifted third-placed Chelsea to 45 points from 23 games, 10 behind leader Manchester United whose game at Tottenham Hotspur was going ahead later in north London despite heavy snow putting the fixture in doubt.
Mata scored after six minutes after Cesar Azpilicueta's lofted ball put him through on goal, although Arsenal was seething at the referee's failure to award a free kick its way in the initial stages of the move.
Lampard made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after 16 minutes after Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny escaped a red card for bringing down Ramires in the area. The midfielder's calm finish was his 195th goal for the club and he is now just seven behind Chelsea's all-time record goalscorer Bobby Tambling.
Walcott's superb finish just before the hour gave Arsenal hope and Chelsea enjoyed a nervy final half hour as the Gunners pressed for an equalizer but the hosts held on. Arsenal (34) stayed in sixth place.
On Saturday, Manchester City kept up its stubborn pursuit of United with a routine 2-0 win over Fulham, with David Silva's double reducing the champion's deficit to four points.
Liverpool thrashed Norwich City 5-0 to revive hopes of qualifying for European competitions next season, with Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge striking up a good combination up front and both getting on the scoresheet at Anfield.
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