United keeps the heat on City, Tottenham falters
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Shanghai Daily, January 16, 2012
Manchester United reaffirmed its status as Manchester City's main rival for the English Premier League title on Saturday.
Tottenham had been widely hailed as a potential challenger after drawing level with United in midweek. But a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers let United move two points clear of third-place Spurs with a 3-0 win over visiting Bolton.
Paul Scholes scored his first goal since ending his short-lived retirement before Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick struck to leave United trailing City only on goal difference, although City can restore its three-point lead when it plays Wigan today.
Also Saturday, fourth-place Chelsea beat Sunderland 1-0 through Frank Lampard's ninth goal of the season and Liverpool drew 0-0 with visiting Stoke.
Six months after ending a career during which he only played for United, the 37-year-old Scholes returned to action in last weekend's FA Cup win over Manchester City and became the oldest Englishman ever to score a league goal for United in the 45th minute of Saturday's match.
Scholes turned in a cross-shot from Wayne Rooney, who had a first-half penalty saved by goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.
"It was a surprise to see him at the far post," United manager Alex Ferguson said. "With his age and the fact he has just come back, we were looking for him to control central midfield, which he did. "But he has the instinct. He always has had."
Welbeck made it 2-0 in the 74th from an assist by Rooney and Carrick completed the scoring with seven minutes remaining with a curling 25-meter shot.
City and United each have 48 points, two more than Tottenham. Chelsea is another six points back in the final Champions League qualifying position after Lampard knocked in a close-range rebound from Fernando Torres' powerful volley against the bar.
It was the third straight match in which the 33-year-old Lampard has scored since a recall by coach Andre Villas-Boas.
Blackburn Rovers hoisted itself out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 win over Fulham even though it played 67 minutes with 10 men.
