Offside News

Sports

United rip Stoke, keep pace with beaten City

Comment: 0 February 1st, 2012

WATCH out City, here come the Red Devils!

Everton scored a huge 1-0 win over Manchester City, enabling Manchester United to draw level on points at the top of the Premier League table on Tuesday.

The Red Devils caught City in the lead following a 2-0 whipping of Stoke City, their goals coming off similar penalty strikes.

Thanks to Darron Gibson, a former United midfielder, the Red Devils are now dangerously close to toppling City, who are just enjoying a goal-difference edge.

Gibson netted in the 60^th minute, his brace made possible by a slight deflection and it was all the Toffees needed to humble City at Goodison Park.

The Ireland midfielder moved out of Old Trafford earlier this month to link up with Everton.

The Red Devils brushed Stoke aside behind the penalty hits of Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov.

Going into the crucial stretch of the league, City and United have identical 54 points, five more than Tottenham Hotspur who stayed close after drubbing Wigan Athletic 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

City’s complacency played a large role in their setback as dejected boss Roberto Mancini admitted they underestimated Everton.

Asked by Sky Sports if they had taken the Toffees lightly, Mancini said: “Probably, probably, probably.”

Mancini said he was partly to blame for the loss. “Maybe it’s my fault because I prepared, maybe, bad for this game. It is very important that we win our next game against Fulham.”

The game was interrupted for a few minutes late in the first half when a fan went to the pitch and handcuffed himself to a post in the goal that City were defending. Police later freed him.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson gave goalkeeper Ben Amos his first league start in the absence of an ailing David de Gea and an injured Anders Lindegaard.

Ferguson sent Hernandez and Berbatov up front with Wayne Rooney still unable to play because of an ankle injury.

Hernandez sent the Red Devils ahead in the 38^th minute after Jermain Pennant brought down Park Ji-Sung.

Eight minutes after the interval, it was Berbatov’s chance to seal the final count which resulted when Jonathan Walters held back Antonio Valencia by the left arm as the latter darted into the area.

When United fans heard of the news that Gibson scored for Everton against City, they yelled “There’s only one Darron Gibson.’’ It was one cheer rarely heard during his six-and-a-half-year stint at Old Trafford.

More