Manchester United beat Chelsea 3-2 in the weekend’s top-of-the-table clash, but the result was overshadowed by some suspect refereeing decisions.
Chelsea finished the game with nine men after Branislav Ivanovic and then Fernando Torres were sent off. Chelsea have since made an complaint to the FA about referee Mark Clattenburg accusing him of using “inappropriate language” of a racial nature.
United, who have so often gone behind early in games this season, raced into a 2-0 lead within 12 minutes. First Robin van Persie’s shot went in off David Luiz via the post, then van Persie converted Antonio Valencia’s low cross for a second.
Chelsea got into the game as the half wore on and Juan Mata made their pressure pay with a pinpoint free-kick just before half time, and Ramires headed to equalise.
Ivanovic and Torres were then sent off – Torres shown a second yellow card for a contentious dive – and a United winner seemed inevitable. Javier Hernandez scored the winning goal but replays showed him to have come back from an offside position to meet a low ball.
The win puts United just one point behind their opponents, ahead of Manchester City on goals difference.
The day’s other big game was played out at Goodison Park between Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool.
Luis Suarez followed up Leighton Baines’s own goal with one of his own to help Liverpool into a 2-0 lead within in the first 20 minutes but Everton rallied to score two of their own to level things up before half time through Leon Osman and Steven Naismith.
Sebastian Vettel remains the only man to have ever won the Indian Grand Prix, having won from pole in yesterday’s race to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 13 points.
Fernando Alonso, starting in fifth, needed to pull off something remarkable to close the gap on Vettel and he managed to pass both McLaren’s of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button early on.
He was still way off both Red Bull’s, but although technical difficulties suffered by Mark Webber helped Alonso to make it into second he couldn’t keep up with Vettel.
New England Patriots routed the St Louis Rams in the annual NFL International Series at Wembley, inspired by quarterback Tom Brady who threw four of the Patriots six touchdowns.
