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LONDON, Feb 13 - Brief reports of this weekend's
English Premier League and FA Cup games: Played on Sunday MANCHESTER CITY 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 2 City were left to rue a glaring first-half miss by
midfielder Steve McManaman who sidefooted wide from point blank
range after being set up superbly by Shaun Wright-Phillips. United grabbed the spoils thanks to Wayne Rooney, who broke
the deadlock after 68 minutes when he converted Gary Neville's
cross with the help of a deflection off Richard Dunne. Dunne
then sliced a Rooney cross into his own net to gift United their
second. - - - - Played on Saturday BIRMINGHAM CITY 2 LIVERPOOL 0 Sluggish Liverpool suffered their 10th defeat in 27 league
matches this season. Birmingham went ahead after Emile Heskey
was fouled in the penalty area and Uruguayan striker Walter
Pandiani, on loan from Deportivo Coruna, scored from the spot.
Midfielder Julian Gray added a second from close range before
halftime. - - - - BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 NORWICH CITY 0 A relegation battle that neither side could afford to lose
and Blackburn were clear winners. The home side went ahead
through Norwegian striker Morten Gamst Pedersen's fierce shot.
Pedersen set up the second with a corner which Paul Dickov
flicked home with his head at the near post. Dickov scored his
second in the second half after defensive errors by Norwich, who
are now eight points behind Blackburn in 18th place. - - - - BOLTON WANDERERS 0 MIDDLESBROUGH 0 Bolton imposed most of the pressure in a match between
seventh and sixth in the league but were let down by poor
finishing and great goalkeeping by Mark Schwartzer. Nigeria's
Jay-Jay Okocha had two good chances to take all three points but
the Australian keeper kept both out. - - - - EVERTON 0 CHELSEA 1 Fourth against first, and it was league leaders Chelsea who
came out on top thanks to a second-half goal from Iceland
striker Eidur Gudjohnsen after French defender William Gallas's
shot came back off the bar. The home side played for more than
80 minutes with 10 men after striker James Beattie was sent off
early on for head-butting. Chelsea now appear all but certain to
claim their first title in 50 years. - - - - PORTSMOUTH 1 ASTON VILLA 2 Villa went ahead thanks to an own goal by Arjan de Zeeuw
from a cross by Luke Moore before the home side hit back with a
dubious penalty after Steve Stone went down in the Villa area.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni scored from the spot for his 10th league goal
of the season and also hit the woodwork in the first half. A
superb strike by Germany midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger earned
Villa all three points midway through the second half. - - - - Playing on Monday ARSENAL v CRYSTAL PALACE - - - - FA Cup fourth round replays Played on Sunday SHEFFIELD UNITED 1 WEST HAM UNITED 1 after extra time,
Sheffield United won 3-1 on penalties The home team displayed typical steel in surviving for an
hour with 10 men and then winning a nervous shootout. Andy Liddell gave them an eighth-minute lead with a driven
free kick but West Ham equalised on the hour when 38-year-old
Teddy Sheringham scored from the penalty spot after home captain
Chris Morgan was sent off for fouling Marlon Harewood. After a goalless extra time Sheffield keeper Paddy Kenny
saved from Sheringham and Harewood before Liddell converted the
winning kick to set up a fifth round date with Arsenal. - - - - Played on Saturday FULHAM 4 DERBY COUNTY 2 Second division Derby caught Premier League Fulham cold with
an early goal from Grzegorz Rasiak, his 12th of the season.
Rasiak also hit the post as Derby dominated before the home side
struck just before halftime with a penalty by Papa Bouba Diop
for handball. Fulham scored through Luis Boa Morte shortly after
the break before Derby deservedly equalised with five minutes to
go when Paul Peschisolido tapped home after a long free kick by
Inigo Idiakez was saved. Fulham pulled away in extra time with
goals by Collins John and Denmark midfielder Claus Jensen. - - - - HARTLEPOOL 0 BRENTFORD 1 Third division Hartlepool have never been in the fifth round
of the cup and their cause was not helped when Jack Ross was
sent off for a foul in the eighth minute, although Brentford's
Stephen Hunt had the resultant penalty saved. Minutes after the
break Brentford, also of the third division, went ahead through
Isaiah Rankin with a header and they fully deserved their win
and a fifth round game at Premier League Southampton. - - - - TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 Tottenham's defence was a constant worry during the first
half and Nwankwo Kanu took full advantage early on with a fine
header from a Zoltan Gera cross. Spurs equalised before the
break with a Robbie Keane penalty after Albion goalkeeper
Russell Hoult brought down Stephen Kelly. Hoult was injured and
replaced. England striker Jermain Defoe put Tottenham ahead with
a scorching finish from a clever free kick.
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