Rooney reaches landmark in Manchester United’s win
Former Premier League champions end eight-game winless run while Arsenal return to the top of the table.
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney rose to second place on the all-time Premier League scoring list with a clever winner against Swansea City.
The England captain ended a run of 553 minutes without a goal for his club by deftly flicking in Anthony Martial’s cross 13 minutes from time on to secure a 2-1 triumph that ended a run of six league games without a victory for Louis van Gaal’s side.
Rooney climbed above former United forward Andy Cole with 188 goals following his instinctive finish, behind only Alan Shearer who netted 260 times for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.
| Top-scorers |
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15 Romelu Lukaku (Everton) Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) 14 Odion Ighalo (Watford) 13 Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City) 11 Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) 10 Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) 8 Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) |
He also eclipsed Denis Law’s record of 237 United goals to move within 11 of Bobby Charlton’s all-time mark for the Old Trafford club.
Rooney, 30, scored his 50th goal for England last year to surpass Charlton’s international record.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s Premier League title charge rolled on as they moved two points clear at the top with a scrappy 1-0 victory over Newcastle United and Leicester City’s push faltered with a goalless home draw against Bournemouth.
Predictions that Leicester’s unlikely surge to the summit would be short-lived gained further substance when they failed to break down 10-man Bournemouth and missed a penalty through Riyad Mahrez to extend their winless run to three games.
That gave Arsene Wenger’s pace-setters the chance to open a gap and they did not miss it, although they endured a difficult afternoon against Newcastle at the Emirates where defender Laurent Koscielny poached the winner after 72 minutes.
Manchester City showed they are in no mood to give up on the Premier League title race, scoring twice in the final eight minutes to complete a superb 2-1 comeback victory over Watford.
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It looked like their charge would continue to splutter as they fell a goal behind on 55 minutes when Aleksandar Kolarov glanced a header into his own net from a corner.
The match turned on its head as Yaya Toure volleyed home on 82 minutes, directing Kolarov’s corner into the top corner, before Sergio Aguero headed in a Bacary Sagna cross two minutes later.
The victory keeps City in third place, three points behind leaders Arsenal.
Results:
Arsenal 1-0 Newcastle United
Leicester City 0-0 AFC Bournemouth
Manchester United 2-1 Swansea City
Norwich City 1-0 Southampton
Sunderland 3-1 Aston Villa
Watford 1-2 Manchester City
West Bromwich Albion 2-1 Stoke City
West Ham United 2-0 Liverpool