Premier League Tuesday: United, Arsenal, Chelsea All Good For Three

The latest refrain explaining Wayne Rooney's lack of goals (a drought that's into its 10th month) notes the Manchester United attacker is a streaky scorer, an excuse few were willing to afford Dimitar Berbatov during his first two seasons at Old Trafford. But if we suspend our disbelief and accept the premise, then a new streak may have started today for Manchester's favorite Lilliputian.

With goals in the first and last minutes of the opening half, Rooney have Manchester United a 2-0 halftime lead over visiting Aston Villa, and although the visitors were able to use Steward Downing and (goalscorer) Darren Bent to half that lead after intermission, Rooney's assist on Nemanja Vidic's goal made it a relatively easy day for the Red Devils. Aston Villa may have entered the day with momentum, having carried a three match unbeaten streak into the Theater of Dreams, but when Rooney latched onto a long ball from Edwin van der Sar at the 45 second mark, drilling it over Brad Friedel's right shoulder for the opening goal, United shook Villa awake.

And with their rude hosting performance, United stays five points up in the English Premier League, with Arsenal also winning on Tuesday. For Aston Villa, the result could have been worse. Where it not for a number of good saved from Friedel, the result could have been embarrassing, and while Gerard Houllier will certainly not be thrilled with his squad's performance, 3-1 at Old Trafford is not something to panic over. Villa's panicking days are probably behind them.

As today's match approached the 70th minute at the Emirates, it looked like Louis Saha's controversial first half goal would prove to be the difference between Arsenal and Everton. While the Gunners had looked the better side throughout the half, they almost always look better than their opponents. Likewise, it's not uncommon for Everton's often conservative approach to give the appearance of the Toffees being the inferior side. Those facets combined, it wasn't difficult to imagine Everton grinding out the final 20 minutes and earning a win that would have debilitated Arsenal's title hopes.

But then Andrei Arshavin was subbed-in, and more surprisingly, he scored. And then Laurent Koscielny run onto a corner, and perhaps less surprisingly, he scored, and within six minutes Arsenal had reversed their fortunes. The 1-0 deficit they took into the final 20 minutes was a 2-1 lead with a quarter hour to go. And when that 15 minutes elapsed, Arsenal was still within five points of Manchester United, their Tuesday victory having matched United's result at Old Trafford.

While the scoreline may seem an obligatory result, with Everton winless against Arsenal since 2007, it was a well-earned victory for the Gunners, considering their early misfortune. For Everton, it's the second match in a row they've given up a second half lead, with Chelsea scoring a late goal this weekend to earn a FA Cup, fourth round replay.

Chelsea's 3-0 loss at Stamford Bridge to Sunderland in late fall precipitated a decline that may have taken the Blues out of title contention, but on Tuesday evening on Wearside, Carlo Ancelotti's side got a measure of revenge. A late goal from Nicolas Anelka, an easy put-in from a Florent Malouda cross, gave Chelsea a 4-2 victory, keeping them within 10 points of Manchester United, earning the Blues a win where none of United, Arsenal or Manchester City were able to pick-up full points.

The day didn't start well for the Blues, though. An uncontested shot from Phil Bardsley evaded Petr Cech and went in at the far post, putting Chelsea down within five minutes. A gift from Ahmed Al Mohammadi allowed Frank Lampard to equalize from the spot, and when Salomon Kalou and Kieran Richardson traded goals between the 23rd and 26th minutes, the teams were set to go into halftime 2-2.

In the second half, Chelsea looked more like their normal selves, eventually creating a goal for John Terry near the mid-point of the period. From there, the Blues were able to push-on for three, Anelka's late goal running Chelsea's league winning streak to three.

Wayne Rooney's first half brace will overshadow his contribution for Manchester United's third goal, but the stat sheet will capture it, bundling in an assist on Nemanja Vidic's 64th minute goal, giving United a 3-1 lead on Aston Villa. And if that assist is overlooked, it's understandable, giving the work the United defender did on the goal.

Rooney, in possession of the ball to the left of the Villa next, back to Brad Friedel's goal, was given time to find an oncoming shooter. Instead, it was Vidic coming back toward the top of the Villa area, into a space 17 yards from goal. Rooney laid the ball off, allowing Vidic to step into a shot that he put high toward the right corner of Friedel's goal, giving the Villa `keeper little chances to prevent the Red Devils' third goal.

With the match now in its final ten minute, United looks set to maintain their five point lead at the top of the Premier League, with Arsenal on track to win at the Emirates. Villa, however, sees their good run of form derailed, Gerard Houllier's side having accumulated seven points in their last three matches.

And unlikely source has completed Arsenal's comeback against Everton, but with his second goal in three matches, Laurent Koscielny probably shouldn't be considered an unlikely scorer much longer. The Arsenal defender, as he did against Ipswich Town, has header home a corner kick, his conversion of Robin van Persie's ball from the left giving Arsenal a 2-1 lead.

For much of this half arsenal has looked their normal, dominating selves, but through the period's first 20 minutes, Everton looked ready to hold out for what would have been a debilitating upset for the Gunners. With Manchester United up two at Old Trafford, Arsenal needed three points. Thanks to Koscielny's header, the Gunners now look on track to get them, potentially preserving the five point gap between them and United.

For Everton, just over ten minutes remain to find an equalizer, though this match will have to see a huge swing in momentum for the Toffees to salvage a point. With Louis Saha's relatively early goal, Everton was able to play conservatively, but now chasing the match, Everton may have to find an attacking prowess they've lacked throughout the season.

One down, now to go for Arsenal, now even with Everton at the Emirates thanks to Andrei Arshavin. The Russian Prince, who has recently seen his hold on a spot in Arsene Wenger's choice XI deteriorate, has come off the bench to score his most important goal of the season, equalizing for Arsenal in a most win match. Converting after a long ball from Cesc Fabregas was flicked-on by Jack Wilshire, Arshavin has made it 1-1 with 20 minutes remaining.

The goal comes with Arsenal having played most of the match down a goal, Louis Saha controversially putting Everton up in the first half. With Manchester United up 2-1 at Old Trafford, Arsenal had been looking at the prospect of an eight point deficit at the top of the league such previous scores held. The situation is not much better now, with the Gunners looking at a seven point deficit, but with 20 minutes to find a second score, Arsenal can hold-out hope that they can get three points from the visiting Toffees.

A burst from Stewart Downing out of the Aston Villa midfield, through Manchester United's defense has Villa back in the match at Old Trafford. Down 2-0 at halftime to a pair of Wayne Rooney goals, Downing's surge through the right side led to a cross for Darren Bent, the Vila striker opening his right foot onto a ball put into the space Edwin van der Sar'd just vacating, trimming Manchester United's lead to one.

And with Villa now making United look vulnerable, this game is playing as a typical Manchester United match. Rather than letting the seeming awakening of their club's marquee striker lead to a convincing victory, United breaks down at the back, allows Villa to put Downing behind the defense, the former Middlesbrough man feeding his new teammate for an easy finish.

Now just past the hour mark at Old Trafford, Manchester United seems enlivened, having bunked Villa in their own end. But that uptick in performance comes only after a complete breakdown at the back, one that's pulled Villa within one.

Fifteen minutes into the second half at the Stadium of Light, Chelsea has regained their one goal lead. Converting the rebound of a Frank Lampard shot, John Terry beat Craig Gordon high, into the left of net. The goal gave Chelsea the 3-2 lead in a half where they have looked more Chelsea-like.

What exactly "Chelsea-like" means these days is debatable, but if you picture what a team with Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien should play like, that's what the Blues have looked like in the opening moments of the second half. Thus the irony it was Terry, not one of the headline-grabbing advanced players, that has reclaimed Chelsea's lead.

Advanced for a set piece, Terry was in the right place when Frank Lampard let go of a long shot, the rebound coming to him as hi stood in the middle of the penalty are, to the left of goal. His only touch lifted the ball over a sprawling Gordon, giving the Blues a 3-2 lead.

Complain all you want about the officiating, but also acknowledge this these things happen. And by these things, I mean offside goals, which Louis Saha's certainly was in putting Everton up 1-0 at The Emirates. Arsenal was shocked that Lee Mason allowed the goal to stand, with replays should light between Saha and the deepest defender, but after a brief consultation with his assistant, Arsenal was verified as being down 1-0, Saha's conversion of a Seamus Coleman cross allowed to stand.

Now at half, the Gunners have to know Manchester United is ahead at Old Trafford, and early Wayne Rooney goal giving the Red Devils a 1-0 lead over visiting Aston Villa. Per the live table, Arsenal is eight back of United, and should these scores hold, people will start to question Arsenal's chances of catching Manchester United. Unlike Chelsea, Arsenal has already played United once this year, with the leader's April 30 visit to The Emirates marking Arsenal's opportunity to gain points at United's expense.

That prospect - potentially seeing United eight points in the distance, underscores the importance of not getting three points from Everton. One goal plus a United win would only slightly improve Gunner fortunes, putting them seven back. If United is not going to capitulate to Villa, Arsenal needs two goals.

From just outside the penalty area, Kieran Richardson's dead ball strike has pulled Sunderland even with Chelsea. The midfielder-cum-defender-cum-attacker scored his third goal in two matches, a low shot from 19 yards out to even the match at two.

The foul was drawn by Ahmed Al Mohammadi, partially making-up for the penalty he gave away in the 15th minute. The foul was less certain to yield a goal, but thanks to Richardson's left foot, providing a strike that left Cech little chance to prevent the equalizer, Sunderland was just as certain of their second as Chelsea was their first, equalizing in the 26th minute.

The 2-2 scoreline reflects the open, end-to-end style of the game, which has since gone to halftime. Sunderland has already gotten home results against the league's top three, though few could have anticipated this match would provide so many early goals.

With Sunderland having already gotten home results against the three teams Chelsea's chasing in league, one point would be an acceptable result for the Blues. However, having fought back from their early deficit (only to give up their lead), Chelsea now has a chance to make-up ground on Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City, within reach of three points the league's leaders were unable to get.

The difficult start Chelsea created by allowing Phil Bardsley's goal has been forgotten, with Salomon Kalou's right-footed shot in the 23rd minutes making it 2-1, Blues. The goal, scored from just outside the penalty area, could have possibly been prevented were it not for a misread from Sunderland `keeper Craig Gordon.

The movement started from the Chelsea right flank, where Nicolas Anelka played a ball across the field to Kalou, running upfield in the left-center of the park. Gordon aggressively came off his line to either play the ball or cut-off the angles on Kalou's shot, though it's not clear which. He did a poor job of both, giving Kalou almost the entire right side of net to target. A simple, controlled punch of the ball saw Chelsea to the lead.

The goal completed a drastic turnaround that saw the Blues give away a fourth minute goal. Slightly fortunate, Chelsea was given a penalty kick in the 15th minute, Frank Lampard pushing them in front, before Kalou gave Chelsea their first lead of the season over the Black Cats.

Manchester United needed a comeback at Villa Park to draw Aston Villa in the club's first meeting. Today, the Red Devils are up after one minute, with Edwin van der Sar getting the assist on a rare Wayne Rooney goal.

The play started from a spot kick just outside of United's area. Van der Sar lined-up and booted the ball deep - eight yards outside of Villa's box, when Rooney had beaten Richard Dunne. The United attacker trapped the ball with his right foot before running onto a shot from 17 yards out, half-volleying a rocket high into the left of Brad Friedel's goal, giving the `keeper no chance to prevent United's early lead.

For Rooney, it is only his second open-play goal since March, a spell of inefficiency that has cause some to speculate whether the England international is worth of his lineup spot ahead of Javier Hernández. For one moment - one very early moment - at Old Trafford, Ronney has silences the skeptics with an exhibition of speed, touch and power that's put the league leaders in front.

Sunderland's lead lasted just over ten minutes before the Black Cats gave Chelsea a penalty kick. Frank Lampard stepped to the spot and equalized in the 15th minute, pulling the Blues even, 1-1, after 15 minutes.

The penalty was awarded by Mark Halsey when Ahmed Al-Mohammadi, Sunderland's right midfielder, went through the back of Ashley Cole in the left side of the Black Cats' area. Lampard confidently beat Craig Gordon, cancelling out Phil Bardsley's fourth minute opener.

It was a much needed goal for the Blues, whose early deficit recalled the decisive 3-0 victory Sunderland posted on them earlier this season at Stamford Bridge. Sitting ten points behind Manchester United, Chelsea can afford few slips if they're intent on rejoining the league's title race.

For Sunderland's part, a win would put them within one point of Chelsea, and with the defending champions currently sitting in fourth place, such a victory would announce Steve Bruce's side as legitimate contenders for Champions League. But for now, Sunderland must regain the moment lost with Lampard's penalty, a score that leaves us 1-1 after a quarter hour.

There were plenty of blame to go around for Chelsea on Sunderland's first goal, but Petr Cech will not put his attempted save in his highlight reel. In the fourth minute at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland left back Phil Bardsley was allowed to carry the ball into attack, cur in toward the penalty area and take a uncontested shot from 20 yards out. The result was an early lead for the Black Cats, with Cech beaten to his far post.

While a Sunderland attacker making a run down the left flank (drawing José Bosingwa with him) and Michael Essien nowhere to be found, Phil Bardsley was allowed to carry the ball from near the center line to the edge of the Chelsea area. John Mikel Obi was tasked with challenging the defender, but before he could Bardsley had cut in one his right foot an lined-up a shot. The ball - low, bouncing toward the far post - saw a late reaction from Petr Cech, who was only left to dive before the ball went well inside his left post.

The goal continues Chelsea's struggles this season against Sunderland, to whom they lost 3-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. New Chelsea acquisitions Fernando Torres and David Luiz are not dressed, while Sunderland is debuting midfielder Stephane Sessegnon.