Goals from Korean star and Giggs against Middlesbrough help Manchester United apply pressure on Liverpool in EPL race
Goals from Korean star and Giggs against Middlesbrough help Manchester United apply pressure on
Liverpool in EPL race Premier League leaders Manchester United piled the pressure on second-placed Liverpool by moving six points clear at the top with a 2-0 win away to relegation-threatened team Middlesbrough on Saturday.
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Manchester United's Ji-Sung Park, celebrates his goal against Middlesbrough in the English Premier League at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium on Saturday. PIC/AP |
Goals either side of half-time from Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-Sung ensured an easy win for Sir Alex Ferguson's reigning champions at the Riverside Stadium.
Minding the gap
Liverpool will narrow the gap to three points again if they beat another relegation candidate in Newcastle on Sunday but, whatever the result at Anfield, they will still have played one game more than United.
The defeat left Middlesbrough second bottom in the table and still three points short of safety. Chelsea, at full strength ahead of the second leg of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona, moved level on points with Liverpool after a 3-1 home win in the west London derby against Fulham, the first three goals coming in the opening 10 minutes.
The match at Stamford Bridge was not yet 60 seconds old when Nicolas Anelka scored after Florent Malouda's cross was held up by Didier Drogba.
Elsewhere, Arsenal's 3-0 win away to Portsmouth at Fratton Park ensured the Big Four United, Liverpool, Chelsea and the Gunners would all look down on the rest of the table come end of season.
Manchester City left Blackburn Rovers nervously looking over their shoulders after a 3-1 win at Eastlands where South American trio Felipe Caicedo, Robinho and Elano all scored before the break. Tottenham beat bottom-of-the-table West Brom 1-0. West Ham remain on course for a European place next season after Diego Tristan's stunning strike clinched a 1-0 win over Stoke.
Bolton grabbed a valuable point in a scoreless draw at Wigan.