United’s title hopes hit by 3-0 loss at Newcastle

LONDON (AP) ― Manchester United handed the initiative back to Manchester City in the English Premier League title race on Wednesday, losing 3-0 at Newcastle on a night its former goalkeeper Tim Howard scored a freak goal in Everton’s loss to Bolton.

Newcastle condemned United to a second defeat in four days, with Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye grabbing superb goals either side of halftime and Phil Jones scoring a late own goal to heap more misery on Alex Ferguson’s side.

United was three points behind City, which routed Liverpool 3-0 on Tuesday, and only three ahead of Tottenham, which had a game in hand.

“It’s not a time to panic,” Ferguson said. “We have the patience and experience to cope with that. Losing at this time of the year, we don’t want it, but we need to get the show on the road in terms of the run-in, particularly in March and April.”

Howard became the fourth goalkeeper to score in the Premier League when the United States international’s long clearance from inside his own area bounced over opposite number Adam Bogdan and into the Bolton net.

“It’s not a nice place to be and embarrassing,” Howard said of Bogdan. “I feel for him. I’ve been beaten before by a goalkeeper and it’s quite awful.”

Bolton had the last laugh, however, with David Ngog equalizing in the 67th and England defender Gary Cahill ― who is discussing personal terms over a move to Chelsea ― snatching the winner 12 minutes from time to lift the team off the bottom of the standings.

United’s defeat at St. James’ Park was the latest in a string of shock results among the league’s front-runners over the festive period, with City, Chelsea and Arsenal also losing in recent weeks to keep the title race bubbling.

Newcastle was full value for its win, though, with Ba causing United’s defense all sorts of problems in his last league game before heading off to the African Cup of Nations with Senegal.

His goal, a sublime hooked volley after running onto Shola Ameobi’s flick-on in the 33rd minute, was his 15th of the campaign and left him two goals behind Arsenal striker Robin van Persie in the scoring charts.

Barcelona beats Osasuna 4-0

BARCELONA (AP) ― After having been ruled out with the flu, Lionel Messi showed no signs of illness when he netted a pair of second-half goals in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Osasuna in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

Barcelona had announced earlier in the day that Messi would miss the game because of flulike symptoms, but minutes before the start of the round-of-16 game the club said its star “had responded positively to treatment and is better.”

Messi went on after halftime and had little trouble taking his season scoring tally to 31 goals while giving Barcelona a sizable advantage in the knockout series.

The Argentina forward headed in a cross from Cesc Fabregas in the 72nd minute and fired in a left-footer from the edge of the area in stoppage time.

“I hadn’t vomited and didn’t have a temperature, it was just a stomach ache, nothing else,” Messi said after the game. “That’s why I didn’t practice in the morning, but later I felt better and was good to play.”