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More trouble for Rodgers: Costa scores winner as Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield

Associated Press Saturday, 8 November 2014, 16:43 Last update: about 13 years ago

Chelsea fought back to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield and strengthen its position at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday, while Manchester City twice came from behind to rescue a point against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.

Elsewhere, Manchester United won 1-0 against Crystal Palace thanks to a goal from Juan Mata and Southampton continued its superb start to the season with a 2-0 win over Leicester.

Defending champion City now trails Chelsea by eight points after 10 games. Chelsealeads the standings with 29 points, with Southampton the nearest challenger with 25.

Manuel Pellegrini's team fell behind at QPR in the 21st minute, when Charlie Austin converted from Mauricio Isla's cross. Austin earlier had two goals disallowed, one for offside and one after scoring directly from a mishit free kick by goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Hart accidently kicked the ball twice before Austin found the net, and rules state a player can't touch the ball twice successively from a free kick.

Sergio Aguero equalized after brilliantly controlling a long pass from Eliaquim Mangala, but an own goal from Martin Demichelis in the 76th restored QPR's lead.

Argentina striker Aguero scored again seven minutes later, rounding Robert Green before beating four players on the line attempting to block his shot.

"Aguero had all the QPR defense in trouble whenever he had the ball," Pellegrini said, while QPR manager Harry Redknapp was left ruing his side not holding on for victory.

"I really felt at 2-1 we would go on and win the game," Redknapp said. "You can't relax when they have got so many quality players in the team."

At Anfield, Brendan Rodgers made seven changes from the Liverpool side that lost 1-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

His midweek selection was criticized as he appeared to prioritize the clash againstChelsea, but Liverpool went ahead in the seventh minute through Emre Can's long-range strike, which took a deflection off Gary Cahill on its way to goal.

But the lead lasted only five minutes, before Chelsea equalized from a corner.

Captain John Terry powered a header toward goal, but keeper Simon Mignolet got across brilliantly to palm it out, before Cahill blasted the rebound back into him from close range.

Initially, it appeared Mignolet had made a superb reaction block as he fell backwards, but goal-line technology showed the ball had just crossed the line as it hit the Liverpool goalkeeper.

Diego Costa then put Chelsea ahead in the 67th, pouncing upon the rebound from Cesar Azpilicueta's shot and drilling the ball past Can's last-ditch challenge.

"In the second half, we showed something new, which is to be 1-1 at Anfield and not accept the result as a good result and play to win," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said. "I think we were very impressive. We want to play. We want to win. We want the ball. The personality of the team is amazing."

Elsewhere, Manchester United earned a much-needed three points with a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford with Juan Mata's second-half strike.

Mata replaced Adnan Januzaj in the 63rd and scored four minutes later, his deflected shot beating Palace keeper Julian Speroni.

But it was another underwhelming performance from Louis van Gaal's team, who started with a makeshift defense that had midfielder Daley Blind and 19-year-old Paddy McNair in the center with four alternative options out injured or suspended.

The victory, United's first in four, sees it overtake rival Liverpool and move up to sixth in the table.

Southampton continued its formidable start to the season with a hard-fought 2-0 win against Leicester at St. Mary's, thanks to two goals in five minutes from Shane Long.

The Ireland striker, a substitute for Sadio Mane who had replaced him in the starting lineup, entered the game without a Premier League goal for Southampton since his offseason transfer from West Brom.

But he broke the deadlock in the 75th, curling a neat left-footed strike beyond Kasper Schmeichal, before finishing clinically against the Leicester goalkeeper in the 80th.

"It was difficult against a team who had very good organization in defense," Southampton manager Ronald Koeman said, adding that it was a tough decision to replace Long with Mane in the starting lineup. "Sometimes Shane is not happy. Sometimes Sadio is not happy. It is a good reason to not be happy. Shane made the difference in the second half."

Meanwhile, West Ham drew 0-0 at home to Aston Villa, while Burnley recorded its first win in the league this season, 1-0 against Hull, with a goal from Ashley Barnes.

 

 

 

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