United extends Premiership lead to three points

By Vic Mills

LONDON (JP): With Liverpool held 1-1 at lowly Nottingham Forest, Manchester United extended its lead at the top of the Premiership to three points at the weekend with a 2-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Missing Graham Hyde and John Newsome through injury and with Mark Pembridge suspended, Wednesday, with only one defeat in its last 20 games, settled for containment at old Trafford. A brave decision as rain made defending difficult.

As they found to its cost when Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona combined sublimely to set up Andy Cole for United's first, it was the US$10 million man's fifth goal in nine games since his return from illness and injury. Czech Karel Poborsky hammered home United's second on the hour with an angled drive from 15 yards.

Wednesday goalkeeper Kevin Pressman denied United further goals as both Cantona and Giggs went close. With the points won, their eyes already on a mid-week European Cup quarterfinal in Porto, United cruised home.

Having not won at the City Ground since 1984, Liverpool began brightly against Nottingham Forest taking the lead with a spectacular Robbie Fowler volley after just three minutes.

However as if a mirror of its season, Liverpool was unable to exploit its superiority. Forest dully leveled, albeit against the run of play, on the half hour as a punched clearance from David James fell to Scot Gemmill who rolled it across the edge of the penalty area for Ian Woan to power home.

Destined to play its part in the title race, injury-hit Arsenal drew level with Liverpool on 57 points after a 2-0 win at Southampton. Goals from Steven Hughes and Paul Shaw, two of the Gunners lesser lights, were enough to plunge second to bottom Stains further into trouble.

After defeats to Liverpool, Southampton and Monaco, fourth- placed Newcastle United hit back Saturday with a 4-0 win over Coventry City courtesy of goals from Steve Watson, Robert lee, Peter Beardsley and Robbie Elliott.

The Tyneside club was not the highest scorers on the weekend, however, as Chelsea hit six for the first time since December 1990 as they overwhelmed Sunderland.

Without a win at Stamford Bridge in 40 years, Sunderland soon found themselves three down to goals from Gianfranco Zola, Frank Sinclair and Dan Petrescu. The Wearsiders replied through Paul Steward and Alex Rae, but Chelsea ran out comfortable winners with more goals from Mark Hughes (2) and Roberto di Matteo.

Rehearsal

In a rehearsal for its Coca-Cola Cup final, Middlesbrough beat Leicester City 3-1 at Filbert Street. The visitors' goals came in a thoroughly engaging first half; Clayton Blackmore drove the first, Juninho put clean through by Emerson notched the second, the diminutive Brazilian then made the third for Mikkel Beck.

Ian Marshall scored a consolation goal for Leicester who will hope for a better defensive performance when the two meet at Wembley on April 6.

With seven points covering the bottom seven clubs, the relegation battle promises to be every bit as intriguing as the title race. A point emphasized at the weekend as only bottom club Middlesbrough of the seven, won.

Of the remainder, West Ham United boosted its flagging morale with a creditable nil-all draw at Aston Villa, while Everton won only its second game in the last thirteen with a 79th minute Dave Watson goal against Derby County.

Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, continued its steady climb out of trouble with a hat trick from Kevin Gallacher in a 3-1 win over weary Wimbledon. In the other mid-table battle, Tottenham Hotspur took the points against Leeds United thanks to a first-half strike from Darren Anderton.

The German Bundesliga is also set for a fascinating climax with just two points separating Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Vfb Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen.

Stuttgart intensified the championship race by coming from behind to beat Dortmund 4-1. Stefan Reuter put the leader ahead only for Stuttgart's cosmopolitan strike force to storm back with goals from Bulgarian Krasimir Balakov, Dutchman Frank Verlaat, Brazilian Giovane Elber and Croat Zvonimir Soldo.

Having lost top spot following consecutive defeats, Bayern Munich drew level with Dortmund on 46 points after a 3-0 home win against Schalke 04. In the other game of consequence, Bayer Leverkusen joined Stuttgart on 44 points after a 1-0 home win over newly promoted Armenia Bielefeld.

The weekend brought no movement at the top of the Dutch first division with PSV Eindhoven preserving its three-point lead with a 1-0 home win over Fortuna Sittard.

Second-place Feyenoord kept up the pressure with a comprehensive 5-0 defeat of RKC Waalwijk.

Elsewhere around Europe, the race is very much for second place. In Italy, Juventus remains five points clear at the top after two goals from stand-in striker Christian Vieri set it up for a 3-0 win over Roma.

A 22nd-minute Enrico Chiesa goal against Internazionale established Parma as the second force in serie A. Despite having Dino Baggio sent off in the 79th minute, Parma held on to open up a four point gap over third-place Sampdoria who beat Reggiana 3- 0.

There was no change either in Spain where Real Madrid remains nine points clear after a hard fought 2-1 away win at real Sociadad.

Barcelona stands second on goal difference from Real Betis after a modest 1-0 away win at Logrones. Second best for much of the game, Barcelona took the points with a goal from Emmanuel Amunike.

There were no such problems for real Betis who won at a canter 4-0 against Real Vallecano with a second successive league hat trick for Alfonso Perez.