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Monday, December 29, 2014

Burnley hold City, Arsenal leapfrog West Ham

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Chelsea retained their three-point lead at the top of the English Premier League after Manchester City slipped up at home to Burnley.

Jose Mourinho's leaders were held 1-1 at Southampton earlier in the day but City failed to take advantage of that result after letting slip a two-goal lead against the Clarets.

Chelsea had won five successive games in all competitions but they were behind at St Mary's after 17 minutes when Sadio Mane broke on to Dusan Tadic's pass and away from John Terry to deftly chip over Thibaut Courtois.

Eden Hazard, excellent throughout, produced a brilliant equaliser on the stroke of half-time when he slotted powerfully into the far corner.

Chelsea could not find a winner from late pressure even when Saints midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off two minutes from time for a second bookable offence.

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Manuel Pellegrini's City seemed on the way to a club record tenth successive win when David Silva and Fernandinho struck before half-time.

But George Boyd pulled one back for the Clarets when he turned home Danny Ings' shot. And then Ashley Barnes stunned the Etihad Stadium by reacting quickest in a crowded penalty area to hand Burnley a precious point in their battle against relegation.

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Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United fought out an entertaining goalless draw at White Hart Lane after Louis van Gaal's side had dominated the first half.

Hugo Lloris made stunning saves from United trio Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie and Ashley Young while Juan Mata's deflected free-kick struck a post and Phil Jones had an effort disallowed for offside.

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Arsenal were unbeaten in their last 12 league games against West Ham United and they kept that fine run going with a 2-1 win to leapfrog the Hammers and move into fifth spot.

Santi Cazorla put Arsenal ahead from the penalty spot four minutes before the break after he had been fouled by Winston Reid and Danny Welbeck added a second moments before the interval.

Cheikhou Kouyate gave West Ham hope with a 54th-minute header but Arsenal held on for a crucial three points at Upton Park.

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Alan Irvine's tenure as West Bromwich Albion is looking precariously thin after the Baggies slid to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Albion's seventh defeat in nine games was confirmed after the break as Mame Biram Diouf struck twice for his fifth and sixth goals of the season but his first success in front of goal since the start of November.

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Goal-shy Aston Villa drew another blank at home to Sunderland having had midfielder Fabian Delph sent off after after 48 minutes. Delph saw red for a tackle on Sunderland's Jordi Gomez but Villa, the lowest scorers in the division with 11 goals from 19 games, held on for a point.

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Managerless Crystal Palace managed a goalless draw at Queens Park Rangers the day after Neil Warnock's sacking at Selhurst Park. The draw does little for either team, with QPR in 15th place and Palace in 18th and remaining in the relegation zone on goal difference.

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Bottom-placed Leicester City managed their first win in 14 attempts since beating Manchester United 5-3 at the end of September.

Riyad Mahrez scored the all-important 32nd-minute goal at Hull City and Leicester had to play the final three minutes with ten men after Paul Konchesky was sent off for two bookable offences.

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Sunday's final game saw Newcastle United come from a goal down against struggling Everton to win 3-2 and end a run of four straight defeats in all competitions.

Everton, who have now won only once in their last eight in all competitions, took a fifth-minute lead when Arouna Kone converted Seamus Coleman's cross.

It was the injury-hit Ivorian's first goal since his £6m move from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2013 on what was the occasion of his first Premier League start for the club.

Papiss Cisse had escaped with a suspect elbow on Coleman but the Senegal striker's ninth goal of the season levelled matters after 34 minutes and Ayoze Perez put Newcastle in front six minutes after the re-start.

Jack Colback gave Alan Pardew's men a two-goal cushion with his first Newcastle goal after 68 minutes before Kevin Mirallas pulled one back for Everton six minutes from time to set up a grandstand finish.

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