The long-running feud between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho hit a new low on Sunday as the Arsenal boss pushed the Chelsea boss in a game that saw Chelsea extend its lead at the top of the Premier League to five points after beating the Gunners 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.
Wenger refused to take a backwards step in the 20th minute after leaving his technical area following Gary Cahill’s ugly two footed tackle on Alexis Sanchez. Mourinho told the Frenchman to “back off” as their rivalry endured another ugly episode, with the Gunners boss firmly planting two hands on the Portuguese’s chest and pushing him back. I expect the FA to give Wenger a lengthly touchline ban after Sunday’s incident.
Although Arsenal showed more steel than in March’s 6-0 capitulation, the defeat means that Wenger has yet to beat a Chelsea side managed by Mourinho after 12 attempts.
Chelsea took the lead through an Eden Hazard penalty awarded after the Belgium international slalomed through two challenges before being brought down by Laurent Koscielny as the Arsenal defence.
In the second half Mourinho parked the bus and hit Arsenal with a classic counter attack when Cesc Fabregas played a beautifully flighted pass to allow Diego Costa to net his ninth Premier League goal of the season and make sure of the result.
Don’t look now but Manchester United are back in the top four as Radamel Falcao scored his first goal in English football and United recorded back-to-back victories for the first time under Louis van Gaal with a 2-1 win against Everton.
For most of the match, Falcao struggled as he missed four good chances to find the net, but he finally tucked a poacher’s effort away in the 62nd minute to hand United a valuable victory at Old Trafford.
United dominated from start to finish and they deservedly took the lead through Angel Di Maria, who curled a tidy finish past Tim Howard in the first half.
Everton were allowed back into the game when Luke Shaw lost Steven Naismith and the Scot responded by heading past David De Gea.
United owe the victory to goalkeeper David De Gea who kept United in it with two fine late saves from Leon Osman and Bryan Oviedo, and earlier in the game he saved Leighton Baines’ penalty.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino enjoyed a moment of personal vindication as Christian Eriksen’s goal secured a 1-0 win over his former club Southampton.
Pochettino quit Southampton to take charge at White Hart Lane this summer and has endured a difficult start to his first season in north London. Eriksen’s first half goal gave Tottenham their first Premier League win since August and only their second victory in eight matches in all competitions.
Finally Diafra Sakho scored his fifth goal in as many games as West Ham rose into seventh place in the league after a 2-0 win at home to bottom-of-the-table Queens Park Rangers.
Nedum Onuoha’s early own-goal put the Hammers in front before Sakho’s header just short of the hour mark left London rivals QPR still searching for their first away point this season and ensured there was no happy return to Upton Park for former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp as well as ex-Irons players Rio Ferdinand and Rob Green.
Defeat left QPR with just four points from their opening seven league points heading into the international break while, by contract, Sam Allardyce’s Hammers were level on points with Arsenal and Liverpool.
