saturday epl review: week 22

Cazorla keeps the Gunners on top as Aguero and sturridge returns with a bang.

santi cazorla celebrates his double against fulham

The diminutive spanish magician produce a scintilating display at the Emirate to ensure the Gunner stay top. After a first half scare by fulham who almost took the lead through steve sidwell volley which scszsney delt with very well, the gunners came out smoking and two goals goals in space of five minute by the little spaniard was enough top maintain their number one spot.

kun Aguero returns with a bang

At the Etihad, Manchester city who are still in second position, produce another marvellous display to overcome a stubborn Cardiff city side who had beaten them in the reverse fixture earlier, with a 4-2 victory thereby taking their total goals score this season in all competition to 103, second to none.Edin Dzeko, Jesus Navas, Yaya Toure and returnee Kun Aguero all netted while Craig Noone and Fraizer Campbell scored for the visitor. The defeat drops Ole-Gunner Solskjaer's men to the buttom of the log on goals difference with 18 points.

Liverpool needed to dig dip to earn a point at home to Aston Villa, there by failing to keep pressure on the leading pack. Aston raced into a 2-nil lead after 36 minute through Andreas Weimann and Christian Benteke, but Daniel sturridge, in his first start for over two month, pulled one back for the Reds before Captain Steven Gerrard equalized from the penalty spot after Luiz Suarez was brought down in the area by Brad Guzan.
The draw leaves Liverpool still in fourth place, 2 point above Everton who plays on sunday while Aston villa climbs to 10th position.

Newcastle United had their first goal and their first win of the new year at the expense of underperforming Westham united, ending in the process a four-match losing streak in all competitions with a 3-1 at the Boleyn Ground. The visitors had lost their last three in the top flight and had not beaten West Ham in three attempts but went ahead through Yohan Cabaye after 15 minutes with a cool finish from inside the area. Loic Remy ended his own four-match barren run just past the half-hour mark, putting the Magpies firmly in control with a close-range effort. Despite being on the back foot for much of the half, the home side pulled one back when Carlton Cole's shot was parried by Tim Krul and deflected in by Mike Williamson. Cabaye wrapped up the points in the 95th minute after the hosts had failed to make their long spells of pressure count in the second half.

Norwich city beat Hull city 1-0 through a late header by Ryan Bennett from Robert Snodgrass' corner to move the home side five point away from the relegation zone.

Tony Pulis earned a priceless win against his former club as Crystal Palace beat Stoke City 1-0 at Selhurst Park courtesy of a Jason Puncheon second half strike. Puncheon made the most of a mistake by Stoke winger Oussama Assaidi in the 51st minute to send a low drive into the net and hand the hosts their first win in four league matches.
The win propells palace to 16th on the log from buttom place.

Early in the day, Sunderland produce a stunning fight back to draw at home to southampton. It took just four minutes for Jay Rodriguez to fire the visitors into the lead. The saints matched on to a 2-nil lead minutes later when defender Dejan Lovren struck punished the Black Cats defence with a volley under pressure from Wes Brown. The saint should have been out of sight before their second goal, such were their dominance before Fabio Boroni met Adam Johnson's cross and volleyed beautifully past Arthur Boruc.
If there was any man who could turn things around for sunderland, its always going to be Adam Johnson, and he did not dissappoint when he restored parity with a sumptuous strike which Boruc failed to parry clealy.
The result lifts sunderland to 19th position above Cardiff city on Goals difference.

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