Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/429113
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 DECEMBER 2014 59 Sport FOOTBALL Football Results & Fixtures BOV Premier League Valletta - Floriana ............................ 4-1 Sliema Wanderers - Hibernians ........ 1-2 Today Hibernians Stadium 14:00 Naxxar Lions - Birkirkara 16:00 Balzan - Qormi Victor Tedesco Stadium 14:00 Zebbug Rangers - Mosta 16:15 Pieta Hotspurs - Tarxien Rainbows England - Premier League Newcastle United - Chelsea ............. 2-1 Hull City - West B. Albion ................. 0-0 Liverpool - Sunderland .................... 0-0 Queens Park Rangers - Burnley ........ 2-0 Stoke City - Arsenal ......................... 3-2 Tottenham Hotspurs - Crystal Palace . 0-0 Manchester City - Everton ................ 1-0 Today 14:30 West Ham United - Swansea City 17:00 Aston Villa - Leicster City Tomorrow 21:00 Southampton - Manchester United Italy - Serie A Fiorentina - Juventus ....................... 0-0 Roma - Sassuolo ............................. 2-2 Torino - Palermo ............................. 2-2 Today 12:30 - SSC Napoli - Empoli 15:00 Atalanta - Cesena 15:00 Genoa - AC Milan 15:00 Parma - Lazio 20:45 Inter - Udinese Tomorrow 19:00 Cagliari - Chievo Verona 21:00 Hellas Verona - Sampdoria Newcastle end Chelsea run A review of Saturday's action in the Barclays Premier League, as Newcastle bring Chelsea's unbeaten start to an end. CHELSEA'S Premier League lead is down to three points after their unbeaten start to the season came to an end on Saturday as Newcas- tle ran out 2-1 winners at St James' Park. Jose Mourinho's men had started the campaign with 11 wins and three draws, but their 15th game of the season proved to be their worst by some way. Papiss Cisse was Newcastle's hero with goals on 57 and 78 minutes, and the home side did well to hang on in the closing stages after Steven Taylor was dismissed. Didier Drogba scored with seven minutes remaining but Newcastle held on well to claim the points and move into seventh place, while Chelsea's lead could come down to three points if Manchester City beat Everton in the tea-time kick-off. An injury to star striker Sergio Aguero cast a shadow over champi- ons Manchester City's laboured but vital 1-0 win over Everton. Yaya Toure struck a first-half pen- alty as City cut Chelsea's lead at the top but the immediate concern was for top scorer Aguero. The Argentinian appeared in tears after hurting his knee in the second minute of what proved a dull con- test at the Etihad Stadium, giving City a major Champions League fitness scare. Arsenal's poor record at Stoke City continued as they were beaten 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at the Britannia Stadium. The Gunners appeared set for a heavy defeat when Bojan (35) and Jon Walters (45) added to a Peter Crouch goal inside 20 seconds for Mark Hughes' men. Bojan thought he had a fourth, only to see it ruled out, and Arsenal staged a late rally with Santi Cazor- la scoring from the spot on 68 and Aaron Ramsey grabbing a second two minutes later. Arsenal had Calum Chambers dis- missed for a second yellow card but continued to pile on the pressure, only to see their rally fall short. Charlie Austin had a mixed day for QPR in their 2-0 win over fel- low strugglers Burnley, scoring one of their goals before being sent off against his former side. Leroy Fer gave Harry Redknapp's side the lead on 51 and Austin made it 2-0 on 74, moments before he saw red for catching Michael Keane with a f lailing arm. Goals were hardly the order of the day in the other three 3pm kick-offs with Hull City, West Brom, Liver- pool, Sunderland, Tottenham and Crystal Palace all coming up blank. Allan McGregor was the hero for Hull City as he saved a Graham Dor- rans penalty in their 0-0 draw with West Brom at the KC Stadium. Dorrans was afforded the chance for the struggling Baggies in the ninth minute but McGregor made the right decision to dive to his left and deny the Scotsman a goal. Liverpool's brief winning run came to an end as they were held 0-0 by Sunderland in a game most at Anfield will want to forget. Barely a shot on target was reg- istered in the 90 minutes but Sun- derland were left to rue a couple of golden wasted chances, Wes Brown heading over from close range and Jordi Gomez forcing a decent save from Simon Mignolet. And a few boos rang out at the end of proceedings at White Hart Lane where Roberto Soldado wasted a series of chances in Tottenham's 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace. Spurs have struggled all season on home turf and Palace came closest to a goal in the second half when Jason Puncheon's eight-yard effort crashed off the underside of the crossbar - the same player was also denied a goal by an offside f lag. Ljajic spares Roma blushes ROMA needed two late goals from Adem Ljajic to deny plucky Sassuolo an historic victory in a Serie A match at the Stadio Ol- impico. The Giallorossi rested talisman- ic captain Francesco Totti with Wednesday's crucial Champions League showdown with Manches- ter City in mind and the capital club missed his leadership as Sas- suolo snaff led two early goals in the 2-2 draw. Simone Zaza scored both, first capitalising on Morgan de Sanc- tis' goalkeeping gaffe and then beating the Roma stopper from a close encounter only minutes later. Daniele De Rossi's dismissal shortly after the break spelled doom for Roma but they rallied to cut the deficit through a Ljajic penalty 12 minutes from time. As the seconds ticked away, the Serbian rif led a last-gasp leveller before Sassuolo defender Sime Vrsaljko saw red to rub salt in the visitors' wounds. Given the fact leaders Juventus were held to a goalless draw by Fiorentina on Friday night, an opportunity to close the gap to a single point passed Roma by, and they remain three points off the pace. Struggling Torino twice fought back to force a 2-2 draw at home to Palermo but the Stadio Olimpi- co club remain without a victory in their last seven league games. Josef Martinez's first goal in Granata colours cancelled out Lu- ca Rigoni's opener before Kamil Glik responded to a clever finish from Paulo Dybala, who has now scored for Palermo in each of his last five appearances.