Southgate shows Villa way past Leeds

Southgate shows Villa way past Leeds
AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

LONDON, JAN 4: A double by defender Gareth Southgate, his first goals since December 1998, inspired Aston Villa to a 2-1 win over Premiership leaders Leeds United their second successive defeat last evening.

Leeds, who were last beaten at home by Liverpool in late August, retained their one-point lead in English Premier soccer league over Manchester United, away in Brazil for World Club Championship, although Arsenal moved to within four points after a 1-1 draw at bottom club Sheffield Wednesday.Sunderland stayed in fourth despite crashing 1-0 away at Wimbledon, leaving them with just a point from the last three games, because Liverpool also went down, 1-0 at Tottenham.

In two relegation battles, Southampton got their first win in seven games with a 1-0 win over Bradford City, who slipped to third from bottom, and Derby County's recent signing Branko Strupar struck twice to beat Watford 2-0 and lifted the Rams out of the bottom three.

In the late match, Everton retained their unbeaten home record,they and Manchester United are the only two sides to have not been beaten at home in Premiership, with a 2-2 draw with Leicester City, although it required a second-half penalty from David Unsworth to secure the point.

Southgate showed he was more effective at scoring from open play than penalty spot, having missed a spot kick for Villa in a recent League Cup quarter-final shootout, by stabbing the ball home past Leeds 'keeper Nigel Martyn in the 19th minute. However, Leeds' Australian star Harry Kewell levelled with a 32-metre effort in the first minute after half-time. Southgate then headed past Martyn from Paul Merson's cross to restore their lead in the 62nd minute.

Arsenal overcame the loss of flying Dutch winger Marc Overmars mid-way through first-half with an ankle injury as French international mid-fielder Emmanuel Petit gave them the lead in the 40th minute with his first goal since mid-August.

Wednesday, who had only allowed Arsenal a point in their previous five visits, equalised early in thesecond-half when their £2 million summer signing from Ajax Gerald Sibon headed home Ian Nolan's cross at the far post.Tottenham's Chris Armstrong got his first goal in eight matches with a 25-metre shot after Liverpool defender Veggard Heggem's poor defensive header, to end Liverpoool's best run in four years of one defeat in 12 matches.

West Ham fought back with two late goals to draw 2-2 with Newcastle as mid-fielder Frank Lampard and then a first goal from their Croatian international defender Igor Stimac gained an improbable point.Magpies Greek mid-fielder Nico Dabizas had given New Castle an early lead with his fourth goal of the season against a Hammers side, who had won on their last two visits.

Welsh international mid-fielder Gary Speed looked to have sealed the three points when he volleyed Newcastle two up mid-way through the second-half till West Ham's late show. Derby never looked in trouble after Strupar, a £3 million signing from Belgian side Genk last month, struck from the edge of thepenalty area in the second minute following Republic of Ireland mid-fielder Rory Delap's pullback.

Strupar, making his third appearance for Derby, added a second after the break to give Derby only their third win at home this season. and Watford were fortunate not to lose captain Robert Page after he head-butted a Derby player.

Southampton's Kevin Davies continued his rich vein of form with his third goal in successive matches as he rose unopposed to head home from Stuart Ripley's cross over Bradford City.

Wimbledon, unbeaten at home since the end of August, also gained three valuable points as Carl Cort headed home his 12th goal of the season from Martin Andresen's cross.

Everton got a well-deserved point when unsworth coolly converted the penalty after Leicester's Jamaican defender Frank Sinclair had handled in the box.David Weir put the home side ahead after 15 minutes but Matt Elliot scored twice in five minutes to give Martin O'Neill's side a deserved half-time lead.

City, riddled withinjuries, also lost 'keeper Tim Flowers in the opening minutes after he collided with Nick Barmby, who also had to leave the field.Leicester remain eighth in the table on 30 points, level with Chelsea who have a superior goal difference and who face Coventry at Highfield Road tonight.