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Nasri completes City comeback, QPR stun Liverpool

Samir Nasri scored an important late goal © Getty Images

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Manchester City kept the pressure on league leaders Manchester United after coming from behind to defeat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, on an evening of Premier League action that saw Arsenal leapfrog Tottenham into third and Liverpool blow a two-goal lead against a victorious QPR.

A clever pass from Carlos Tevez and sublime finish from Samir Nasri five minutes from time saw Manchester City complete a second half comeback to defeat Chelsea 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Nasri chipped the ball over the onrushing Petr Cech having completed a slick one-two with substitute Tevez to win the Premier League encounter and maintain City's title push, after Sergio Aguero had earlier cancelled out Gary Cahill's opener from the penalty spot.

Chelsea were lively for much of the contest but scored slightly against the run of play midway through the second half, before Tevez's introduction - to a warm reception from the home crowd - sowed the seeds of a remarkable turnaround that kept Roberto Mancini's side within a point of Manchester United at the top of the table.

Nasri - a threat for much of the match - fired the first proper warning shot of the contest after 15 minutes as his speculative attempt crashed off the crossbar with Cech well beaten, although Ramires, Fernando Torres and JUan Mata all spurned reasonable openings at the other end with Joe Hart ready to be thrust into action.

The best chance of the opening 30 minutes fell to Mario Balotelli, however, and it was an opening of Chelsea's own making. Lampard's sloppy pass across field went straight to the Italian on the half-way line, and he took advantage of a gaping hole between Chelsea's defence to sprint towards Cech - before sliding his right-footed attempt wide of the goalkeeper's right-hand post.

The Italian was then substituted at half-time for Gareth Barry, with Roberto Mancini perhaps unhappy with the level of his first-half performance.

In the second half, Nasri hit the woodwork for a second time when Cech only managed to tip his cross onto the crossbar, before Pablo Zabaleta's cut-back to Silva was deflected narrowly wide. From the resulting corner, Aguero volleyed over from an acute angle as City began to ramp up the pressure.

Shortly after that, however, a slice of luck at the opposite end changed the course of the contest. On an increasingly rare foray forward for Chelsea, a corner came out to Cahill - and the former Bolton defender turned and hit a first-time effort that clipped the heels of both Toure brothers as it flew past Hart into the bottom corner of the net.

If Chelsea were lucky to go ahead, however, they can consider the manner of the equaliser they conceded somewhat unfortunate. Zabaleta's powerful shot at goal from just inside the box was charged down by Michael Essien's outstretched arm from close range, with referee Mike Dean deciding to award a penalty with little hesitation.

With Balotelli off the pitch the responsibility to convert fell to Aguero, and the diminutive Argentine made no mistake as he sent Cech the wrong way to set up an important final 15 minutes.

Ten minutes later, City had the lead they desperately craved - and it came after fine work from substitute Tevez, who had been brought on shortly after the hour-mark to spark his side back into life. That he did in the 85th minute - Nasri slipped the ball into him from the left as he continued his run into the box, and Tevez had the intelligence to hold onto the ball before turning it around the corner and into the Frenchman's path once more - as Nasri made no mistake in carefully lifting the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.

Too stunned to respond with a clear opening - another substitute, Didier Drogba, snatched at a half-chance in injury time - Chelsea were unable to stop City clinching a vital three points.

Thomas Vermaelen got the only goal of the game at Goodison Park © Getty Images

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Manchester City's comeback may have been impressive - but a late, late goal from Jamie Mackie saw QPR come from 2-0 down to claim an arguably even more spectacular 3-2 victory against Liverpool.

Second half strikes from Sebastian Coates and Dirk Kuyt appeared to have given Kenny Dalglish's side a regulation victory at Loftus Road, but that was before Mark Hughes' side embarked on a remarkable revival.

Shaun Derry got the first goal in the 77th minute, before Djibril Cisse punished his former club with a finish four minutes from time that looked to have salvaged a point for the relegation-threatened Hoops.

Things got even better for the home side shortly afterwards, however, as Mackie moved onto Luke Young's headed pass deep into injury time to fire a beautiful effort beyond Pepe Reina and send the crowd into raptures.

The result moved the west London club out of the relegation zone at the expense of Bolton, while Liverpool remain stranded in seventh.

Elsewhere, Tottenham stumbled once again in the battle for Champions League qualification despite salvaging a 1-1 draw against Stoke City at White Hart Lane.

Cameron Jerome had put the Potters ahead 15 minutes from time, winning a free-kick in enemy territory before finding himself in the right position to turn the ball home past Brad Friedel after Ryan Shawcross had got on the end of the ball into the box.

But Rafael van der Vaart ensured the home side did not go away empty handed, meeting Gareth Bale's injury time corner to head beyond Asmir Begovic and prevent a home defeat.

Nevertheless, the result was somewhat harsh on Harry Redknapp's side, as they enjoyed the vast majority of the chances (26 to Stoke's 10) - with Van der Vaart and Bale both guilty of missing other great openings as Stoke defenders time and again got themselves in the way of attempts as they protected Begovic's goal diligently, until injury time, that is.

Arsenal gained a crucial three points in their bid to secure Champions League qualification, as they moved up to third after defeating Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

With Tottenham stumbling against Stoke, Thomas Vermaelen's goal in the eighth minute of the game proved decisive at Goodison Park - the Belgian rising to head home from Robin van Persie's cross following the breakdown of a corner.

It was no less than Arsenal deserved from a game where they created the best openings but were unable to add to their advantage. Everton, meanwhile, could manage just a single shot on target during the entire game - Nikica Jelavic's attempt from six yards just after half-time forcing Wojciech Szczesny into a rare moment of action.

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