Premier League, Week 22: Manchester City keep pace with United

A wholly uneventful second half should have been sparked to life when Mike Dean sent off Kompany in the 75th minute, but no such thing happened. Arsenal actually countered well against 11 men, but did almost nothing against 10 and never looked like coming back into the match.

Since that save, Manchester City have scored twice and look like they’re having a fun little run-out in a training match. Unsurprisingly, Arsenal don’t look good playing from behind with 10 men, and City’s 2-0 lead is likely to expand in the second half.

Despite those heroics, Sturridge would soon be the villain for his side, as later on a loose ball in the area fell to him with time, but his attempted curled finish was blazed wildly over to waste a huge chance to equalise for the visitors.

It was to be the final big chance of the game, with United managing to hang on for the victory. As has been the case so often with the Red Devils this season, they might have had a convincing win, but spurned early chances and then allowed their opponents to come back into the game. Nonetheless, they’ll be delighted to get a derby game out of the way, which can always be problematic. Liverpool were awful in the first half, but if Daniel Sturridge can provide as much energy to their side as he did in the second, then they may have a very good signing indeed.

It could go down as Nemanja Vidic’s goal, however, as the ball brushed off him on it’s way into the net. One for the dubious goals committee to decide, but for now, United are in the driving seat at Old Trafford and things are looking grim for Liverpool. They need something different here, and quickly.

Manchester United and Liverpool have both made substitutions for the second half, with Manchester United replacing Ashley Young with Antonio Valencia, and Liverpool taking off Lucas Leiva for Daniel Sturridge.

United’s change was partly a forced one, with Ashley Young struggling with a knock after colliding with Daniel Agger, but it appears Liverpool will be going 4-4-2. An odd decision to take Lucas Leiva off, because Joe Allen had really been struggling in the first half. For United, they’ll be hoping Valencia can put his recent poor form behind him - he’s not been enjoying the best of seasons.

All should be well at the Emirates then, right? They are the anti-Manchester City. The Gunners are successful and doing things “the right way.” So why is the club under fire?

Arsenal have not won a trophy since 2005 and are flirting with a non-top four finish this season, booting them from the Champions League. Most of the club’s best players have been sold off and the club has put making money above winning, bastardizing the “sport” aspect of football.

But the Reds still have a bit of a problem: they have not won a single match against a team in the top half yet this season.

On Sunday, Liverpool can remedy that, but the odds are not in their favor. They are away to a team that has won nine of 10 at home this season, and the Reds have won just three of 10 away from Anfield. There is also that little thing of Manchester United being the best team in England (which, admittedly, only means so much this season) and Liverpool being thoroughly mediocre.

Did other things happen? Not really. Oh well.

Wigan continued to press for an opening, but were wasteful when one finally came along, Franco di Santo and Emerson Boyce both sending good chances over the bar from close range.

Fulham didn’t take the warning however, and shortly afterwards, Di Santo did find the target, going on a great run as he cut in from the left of the pitch and powered the ball past Schwarzer for a deserved equaliser for both player and team.

In traditional Evert fashion this season, the Toffees were were the better side all day but simply couldn’t score the goal they need to win. Swansea City deserves a ton of credit for an excellent defensive performance but David Moyes’ side found yet another way to leave points on the pitch they should have claimed.

Everton piled on the pressure in the second but Swansea’s defense was up to the task clogging up the space in their attacking third and preventing Everton from looking dangerous. The Toffees best chances came on corners when they were able to get a player in some space for headers. Of course, when you’re sending all your headers over the cross bar by a fair distance, you’re ultimately just being wasteful.

Reading struggled from the opening whistle to deal with Morrison and after some close calls through the first 20 minutes of the match, he finally made them pay for the inability to deal with him.

In the 19th minute Morrison worked his way down the left wing, tying up defenders as he waited for a teammates to work his way in to space in front of the Reading Goal. Lukaku obliged, setting up shop six yards out from the goal and receiving Morrison’s pass and putting it past Adam Federici with a left-footed shot.

Villa Park; Saturday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

This is conceivably the most important game of the day, a relegation six-pointer pitting an Aston Villa side fresh off a humiliating first-leg defeat to League Two Bradford City against Southampton, the team directly below them in the table. But just because it’s important doesn’t mean you have to watch it. Please do not watch it. I beg of you.

Pick: Draw, 2-2

Craven Cottage; Saturday, 15:00 GMT/10:00 AM ET

This is another game that’s reasonably important for reasons that make it unlikely you’ll want to watch. Wigan is trying to escape the drop zone, while Fulham is looking for a win that will erase much of the cause for concern that they will enter it themselves. Almost certainly better than Villa-Southampton, but still. Stay away.