Manchester City wins 3-1 in Premier League

Posted Sunday, December 12, 2010 by

LONDON (AP)—Manchester City won 3-1 at last-place West Ham on Saturday to strengthen its hold on a place among the Premier League’s top four teams.

Yaya Toure put City ahead in the 30th minute before an own-goal by goalkeeper Robert Green and an 80th-minute score by Adam Johnson. West Ham scored with a minute left.

Aston Villa beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 and Blackpool won 1-0 at Stoke. But two weeks after a record-equaling 41 goals over a Premier League weekend, there were just eight in Saturday’s first five games.

Everton drew 0-0 with Wigan and Fulham drew 0-0 with Sunderland. Liverpool is at Newcastle later in the day.

Tottenham hosts Chelsea on Sunday, when Wolverhampton Wanderers host Birmingham and Blackburn is at Bolton.

City and first-place Arsenal have 32 points, although the leader is at Manchester United in Monday’s only game. United is a point back in third but has played two fewer games than City, which is guaranteed to finish the round in the Champions League qualifying places.

Toure, an Ivory Coast international, beat U.S. defender Jonathan Spector, who started a second straight Premier League match in West Ham’s midfield. He smashed a 15-yard shot high into the net.

Toure’s 73rd-minute shot bounced off a post and into the net following a deflection. Then Johnson, Mario Balotelli’s replacement, sealed the victory by taking Silva’s pass and scoring into an empty net.

James Tomkins scored for the Hammers, who are even at 12 points with next-to-last Wolverhampton but trail on goal difference.

American fullback Eric Lichaj started a Premier League match for the first time as Villa moved four points clear of the relegation zone.

BERLIN (AP)—St. Pauli goalkeeper Thomas Kessler was sent off and Philipp Lahm scored on the ensuing penalty kick to help Bayern Munich to a 3-0 victory in the Bundesliga.

It was the defending champion’s fifth straight home win, with Hamit Altintop and Franck Ribery also scoring.

Elsewhere, Hamburg was beaten 4-2 at home by Leverkusen. Sidney Sam gave the visitors the lead before Hamburg evened the score though an own-goal by Arturo Vidal. He made amends with a goal at the other end in the 60th minute. Renato Augusto scored twice.

Wolfsburg played a scoreless draw at Kaiserslautern; Hoffenheim drew 1-1 at home with Nuremberg; and Cologne beat Frankfurt 1-0.

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP)—Rangers missed a chance to gain on second-place Celtic when it drew 1-1 at Inverness in the Scottish Premier League.

The defending champions trailed on a 31st-minute goal by Jonathan Hayes and salvaged a point on a 20-yard shot in the 57th minute by Kenny Miller.

Rangers have 38 points from 15 games, three more than Celtic. Hearts are six points further back in third place after Rudi Skacel scored twice in 5-0 win over Aberdeen, which was playing its first match under new manager Craig Brown. Aberdeen is now last, trailing Hamilton on goal difference.