Manchester City to stay on EPL summit for Christmas

LONDON - Reuters

Manchester City, who had little trouble beating Stoke City, will be on top of the English Premier League on Christmas Day for the first time in more than 80 years. REUTERS photo

Premier League leader Manchester City and champion Manchester United switched attention back to the action and away from controversies surrounding racism with easy wins on Dec. 21.

City ensured it will be top at Christmas for the first time since 1929 with a 3-0 home win over Stoke City thanks to two goals from Sergio Agüero and one from Adam Johnson.

The performance delighhted boss Roberto Mancini who told the BBC: “We are happy to be top but as I said three days ago it’s important to stay top at the end of the season.

“But for our supporters I think it’s a good Christmas. If we want to win the championship we should get 90 points because Manchester United keep winning.”

United remained two points behind City after thrashing Fulham 5-0 at Craven Cottage.
Among United’s scorers was 38-year-old Ryan Giggs who maintained his record of a goal in all 20 seasons since the Premier League began, although his effort just before halftime took a deflection off Fulham defender Philippe Senderos.

The results lifted City to 44 points from 17 matches with United on 42.

Uruguayan Luis Suarez, found guilty on Dec. 20 and banned for eight matches and fined 40,000 pounds for racially insulting Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in October, was allowed, pending his appeal, to play for Liverpool whose Charlie Adam missed a penalty in a 0-0 draw at Wigan Athletic.
Suarez’s lawyer told a news conference in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo that he would be appealing the English FA’s decision meaning he can continue playing until the appeal is eventually heard.