From
Send to

Man United drub Arsenal 8-2

Aug. 29, 2011 - 19:03 By
LONDON (AP) ― Manchester outclassed north London in a Premier League goal frenzy Sunday, with United thrashing Arsenal 8-2 and City routing Tottenham 5-1.

Edin Dzeko scored four goals for City at White Hart Lane. Wayne Rooney responded with a hat trick at Old Trafford as Arsenal allowed eight goals in the league for the first time in 115 years. United scored eight goals for the first time since 1999.

“You feel humiliated when you concede eight goals,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. “It was a terrible day for us.”
Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung celebrates his goal against Arsenal. (AP-Yonhap News)

Arsenal has just one point after three games, with a player ejected in each match. This time, defender Carl Jenkinson was dismissed against the league leaders.

“The performance today was incredible and we deserved the result,” Rooney said. “Whether or not Arsenal have a full-strength squad, every time we play them we have a go and try to score. They had some players out but that should take nothing away from us.”

United tops the standings on goal difference ahead of City. They are the only teams to have opened the season with three successive wins. Tottenham is stranded at the bottom after being ripped apart by big-spending City.

“Today was something special for me, to score four goals in the Premier League is fantastic,” Dzeko said. “I think we’re getting better and better.”

Also Sunday, Leon Best scored twice in the second half in a 2-1 victory for Newcastle over Fulham. American midfielder Clint Dempsey scored in the 88th minute for the Cottagers, his first Premier League goal of the season and third overall. Ryan Shotton’s late goal gave Stoke a 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

In the League Championship, American forward Robbie Findley scored his first league goal for Nottingham Forest in a 4-1 home loss to West Ham. Findley has three goals overall for Forest this season.

Spain

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick to lead Real Madrid to a 6-0 rout at Zaragoza to open the Spanish league season.

Jose Mourinho’s team displayed the attacking power that led it to a second-place finish last season behind Barcelona.

Ronaldo opened the scoring and Marcelo doubled Madrid’s lead at La Romareda stadium before halftime.

Xabi Alonso then extended the lead midway into the second half before Ronaldo scored again, and Kaka came off the bench for a goal of his own and an assist for Ronaldo.

Madrid squandered numerous chances to add to the rout, while Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas was never troubled.

“The team is playing well and creating chances,” Ronaldo said. “I have to thank my teammates. We all win and lose together.”

Atletico Madrid was held to a 0-0 draw by Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 with promoted Rayo Vallecano.

Germany

Raul Gonzalez scored for Schalke in a 1-0 win over previously undefeated Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga.

Raul found the net at the third attempt in the 64th minute, when he used his knee to send the ball over Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The 19-year-old goalkeeper had already blocked two shots from Raul.

Schalke moves into second place behind Bayern Munich on goal difference and even on points with Werder Bremen after four games.

Hannover, the league’s only unbeaten team, needed a goal by Mohammed Abdellaoue to rally to a 1-1 draw with Mainz.

France

Big-spending Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to beat Toulouse 3-1 and gain ground in the French league. PSG trails first-place Montpellier by two points after four rounds.

Toulouse took the lead when Etienne Capoue headed home a corner kick before halftime. PSG tied it in the 56th minute when Kevin Gameiro outpaced the Toulouse defense to take a pass from Javier Pastore and chip past goalkeeper Ali Ahamada.

Pastore then fed substitute Mevlut Erding, who slipped the ball by Ahamada to give PSG the lead in the 90th. Jeremy Menez sealed the win with a goal in the third minute of injury time.

Rennes beat Caen 3-2 while Sochaux edged Saint-Etienne 2-1.

Scotland

Glasgow rivals Rangers and Celtic earned 2-0 victories in the Scottish Premier League, bouncing back from elimination in European play.

Goals by Steven Davis and Steven Naismith sent Rangers past Aberdeen. U.S. midfielder Alejandro Bedoya made his Rangers debut, entering as a 69th-minute substitute for Kyle Lafferty and joining fellow Americans Maurice Edu and Carlos Bocanegra on the field for Rangers.

Gary Hooper scored both Celtic goals against St. Mirren.

In Thursday’s Europa League playoffs, Celtic was ousted by Sion, and Maribor eliminated Rangers.