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Van Persie torments Chelsea as City & Utd both win

ESPN staff
October 29, 2011
Arsenal hit five at Chelsea © PA Photos
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A tough week for John Terry ended in the worst possible fashion after his 85th-minute slip allowed a defensively awful, but offensively brilliant Arsenal to claim a breathless 5-3 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In a game that the Blues led twice, through Frank Lampard and Terry, it was the Gunners who somehow clawed their way to victory thanks to a Robin van Persie hat-trick, on a day when both Manchester clubs also won.

It was a game Chelsea simply won't believe they lost, but equally a victory Arsenal will feel they absolutely earned. Neither defence appeared to possess a shred of cohesion in a game more reminiscent of a basketball match, but Arsene Wenger's men stuck to their footballing beliefs - through overwhelming adversity - to continue their revival.

Andre Villas-Boas kept faith with skipper Terry despite his alleged race row with Anton Ferdinand, and it appeared the England captain might prove the match-winner when he handed Chelsea a 2-1 half-time lead after Van Persie had cancelled out Lampard's opener. However, the Gunners somehow found the resolve to turn the game on its head thanks to second-half strikes from Andre Santos and Theo Walcott, only to then see Juan Mata level 10 minutes from time.

There was still enough mileage left in a quite superb game of football for Arsenal to win it though, Terry turning and slipping to allow Van Persie a clean run on goal, rounding Cech effortlessly for the winner before he completed his hat-trick in injury-time.

Chelsea should have led inside 80 seconds on home soil as Ashley Cole snuck inside the hapless Johan Djourou, only for Fernando Torres to see the chance snuffed in the act of pulling the trigger. Instead it was Arsenal who wasted the first golden chance of the contest as Gervinho contrived to miss the target by at least three yards after Walcott had him rolled a pinpoint cross inside the six-yard box.

It was an opportunity an away team at Chelsea can rarely afford to miss, and so it initially proved when Lampard coolly steered home a header from Mata's cross. Daniel Sturridge then fluffed his lines when presented with a chance to make it 2-0, and Arsenal quickly punished the youngster when Gervinho set up Van Persie for an open goal after Aaron Ramsey's sublime pass.

Arsenal's defence always looked like being penetrated again though, and by half-time they were deservedly behind for a second time. First Ramires was narrowly offside when poking home, and then Terry had his say at the end of a turbulent week, bundling home a corner under pressure from the outmuscled Per Mertesacker.

Chelsea's defence was no better than Arsenal's though, and when Sturridge failed to track Santos' forward burst early in the second half, the Brazilian rolled it under Cech for 2-2. Then, 10 minutes into the second half, Arsenal were unbelievably ahead as the magnificent Walcott powered into the area to slam home the visitors' third.

Edin Dzeko capitalised on Wayne Hennessey's mistake © PA Photos
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Wenger was then left bewildered on the touchline when Mata was allowed to equalise from 25 yards after what appeared to be a foul from Romelu Lakaku in the build-up, but Terry's slip ensured the points headed back to north London thanks to Van Persie's second goal, before the Netherlands international completed his hat-trick with a rasping effort at the death.

Manchester City remain the Premier League pacesetters after they beat Wolves 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, despite finishing the game with 10 men after Vincent Kompany was sent off. Roberto Mancini featured three changes from the side that smashed United 6-1 at Old Trafford, introducing Aleksandar Kolarov, Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko as Mario Balotelli dropped to the bench, and goals from Dzeko, Kolarov and Adam Johnson earned the points.

In fairness to City, they had a plethora of chances to lead before half-time, but they had to wait until the 52nd minute for the breakthrough when Wayne Hennessey committed a howler. The Wolves keeper took an age to clear the ball on the edge of his area, allowing Sergio Aguero to close him down, and Dzeko coolly slotted the ricochet past the flailing Wales international.

Hennessey's afternoon then went from bad to worse when he parried David Silva's swerving effort directly into the path of Kolarov for City's second moments later. Wolves were handed a lifeline when Kompany was sent off for bundling over Kevin Doyle in front of goal, Stephen Hunt converting the penalty, but Johnson killed the game off with a 25-yard rasper at the death.

Manchester United healed some of the scars left over from their demolition job at the hands of City by beating Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park. A Javier Hernandez goal was enough for Sir Alex Ferguson's side to take three points, on a day when a clean sheet will have been priority No. 1 for the champions.

All eyes were on how United would react to their 6-1 humbling against neighbours City, and Ferguson's response was to replace the ruthlessly exposed Rio Ferdinand with fit-again Nemanja Vidic. There was also a return to league action for Tom Cleverley, while Wayne Rooney provided the focal point of a three-pronged attack featuring Danny Welbeck and Hernandez.

Javier Hernandez wheels away in delight after scoring © PA Photos
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United did not have to wait long for the forward line to function, although the goal only came after Tony Hibbert had wasted a hugely promising position for Everton when his cross went straight into the arms of David De Gea with men over in the box. United immediately showed the fullback how to do the job properly, Welbeck finding Patrice Evra down the left, and the Frenchman's cross into the corridor of uncertainty was too inviting for Hernandez, who converted what proved to be the winner.

Everton struggled for a response, although they were inches from a leveller when Leighton Baines hit the underside of the bar from a free-kick - with De Gea rooted to the spot.

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson failed to make a point to his former employers as Liverpool ran out comfortable 2-0 winners at The Hawthorns. The Reds took the lead on nine minutes as Charlie Adam converted from the spot following Jerome Thomas' clumsy challenge on Luis Suarez. And it was two on the stroke of half-time as Andy Carroll, who inexplicably found himself in acres of space, latched on to Suarez's pass before tucking the ball under the onrushing Ben Foster.

At the bottom of the table, Blackburn failed to pick up their second league win of the season after an agonising 3-3 draw with Norwich at Carrow Road. Operating under immense pressure, Steve Kean saw victory snatched away at the death after an injury-time penalty by Grant Holt.

Junior Hoilett produced a moment of magic to open the scoring for Rovers on the stroke of the interval, picking the ball up, running at the Norwich defence and bending into the corner from 25 yards. However, Steve Morison arguably bettered that strike with the equaliser, volleying home past a helpless Paul Robinson.

A goalkeeping error from John Ruddy allowed Yakubu to restore Blackburn's lead just after the hour, before Chris Samba made it 3-1 with a diving header. However, Bradley Johnson gave the Canaries hope eight minutes from time, and then Holt completed the comeback after a controversial penalty was given for handball in the game's dying embers.

Sunderland's struggles continue after they were forced to snatch a late 2-2 draw with Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light. The result leaves Steve Bruce's men 14th in the Premier League table, four points above the relegation zone.

Stiliyan Petrov marked his 200th appearance for Villa with a 20th-minute opener, slamming into the top corner after Alan Hutton's square ball. Sunderland were level by half-time as Connor Wickham bagged his first league goal since moving to the Black Cats, but Richard Dunne appeared to have won it five minutes from time for Villa. Stephane Sessegnon ensured Sunderland earned a point though after Villa failed to defend an 89th-minute set-piece.

Joe Allen handed Swansea the lead © PA Photos
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Swansea's unblemished defensive record at the Liberty Stadium is over, but they still had enough to beat 10-man Bolton 3-1 thanks to goals from Joe Allen, Scott Sinclair and Danny Graham. The Swans' exemplary defensive record disappeared due to a Graham own goal, but they are now up to 10th in the table.

Bolton's job was made all the more difficult by a red card brandished by referee Mark Clattenburg to Ricardo Gardner just moments into the second half for a second booking. Almost immediately Allen strolled into a yawning gap in the visiting defence to hand Swansea the lead, before Sinclair doubled the advantage from the spot after a foul by former Swan Darren Pratley. Graham then found his own net with 17 minutes left to set up a nervy finale before he made amends after being sent clean through.

Wigan look destined to spend the entire campaign fending off relegation after they were beaten 2-0 by Fulham at the DW Stadium. Defeat leaves Roberto Martinez with five points from ten games at the foot of the table. Clint Dempsey broke the deadlock after a swift counter-attack involving Danny Murphy and Bobby Zamora, before Moussa Dembele killed the game off.

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