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Cardiff City’s Kim Bo-kyung leads his teammates in celebration after his goal on Sunday. (AP-Yonhap News) |
MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Free-scoring Manchester City moved into the Premier League’s top four by embarrassing Tottenham 6-0, but Manchester United’s revival was halted by a late equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Cardiff on Sunday.
Spurs arrived at Etihad Stadium with the league’s best defensive record but left having tied a record for its worst loss in the Premier League era, with Sergio Aguero and Jesus Navas both scoring twice for City.
“It is impossible to play better than we did today,” said City manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose side has scored 26 goals in six straight home wins this campaign.
Wayne Rooney showed his good and bad sides for United in south Wales, fortunately escaping a red card for kicking out at an opponent before giving his team the 15th-minute lead. The reigning champions were denied victory, though, as South Korea midfielder Kim Bo-kyung headed in Cardiff’s second equalizer in injury time.
Fourth-place City is six points behind league leader Arsenal and only off the pace because of its dire away record. United is a point back in sixth after seeing its run of three wins in a row end at a ground where City has already lost this season.
Spain
Villarreal striker Ikechukwu Uche scored two goals and earned a penalty that left Levante with 10 men in its 3-0 win in the Spanish league on Sunday.
Villarreal’s victory in Valencia kept it in fourth place and in control of Spain’s last Champions League spot.
Uche broke free in the area in the 10th minute and was brought down by goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who was shown a direct red card.
Bruno Soriano stroked in the penalty kick after Javi Jimenez replaced Navas, with Uche scoring in the 74th and then from a bicycle kick in the 89th.
Italy
Juventus eased to a 2-0 win at Livorno on Sunday to provisionally take over top spot in Serie A, while Fiorentina fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at Udinese.
Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez scored in the second half for Juventus as the two time-defending champions moved two points above Roma, which hosts Cagliari on Monday.
Tomas Heurtaux scored for Udinese, which had lost four of its past five matches.
Germany
Hamburger SV rallied to beat Hannover 3-1 on Sunday and plunge its northern Bundesliga rival deeper into crisis. Goals from Milan Badelj, Maximilian Beister and Hakan Calhanoglu ended Hamburg’s two-match losing run and kept Hannover winless in seven games.
