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| Saturday, September 14, 2002 18:01 EST |
Ferdinand's return to Elland Road not so sweet
[Reuters]
LONDON -- Champions Arsenal rewrote the record books again and Manchester
United defender Rio Ferdinand endured a miserable return to his old club Leeds United in the English premier league Saturday.
Arsenal's 3-0 victory at Charlton Athletic gave them a two-point lead at the top. The team has now scored in 45 consecutive Premier League games, breaking Manchester City's 65-year-old record in England.
Arsenal's win also set a club record of 27-game unbeaten streak in the league, and equaled Nottingham Forest's
record of 22 straight road victories set in 1977-78.
If they score in their next game they will equal Chesterfield's all-division league record of scoring in
46 successive matches in 1929 and 1930.
Leeds defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Elland Road thanks to Harry Kewell's 66th-minute header,
handing Alex Ferguson's team their second defeat in four days.
Elsewhere, Emile Heskey scored a dramatic late winner to give Liverpool a 3-2 victory at Bolton
Wanderers and unbeaten Chelsea crushed Newcastle United 3-0.
There were also wins for Fulham, West Bromwich, Albion and Everton.
Arsenal sits atop the standings with 14 points from six games, two clear of Leeds, Chelsea and Liverpool, who
all have 12 points. Tottenham Hotspur, who have 10 points, play host to bottom club West Ham
United on Sunday.
Charlton started well at The Valley, but after 44 minutes, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp
linked to set up Thierry Henry, who drove in his fourth goal of the season from the edge of the
area.
Another slick move after 67 minutes led to Wiltord making it 2-0 with his sixth goal in five league
Games. Edu's header two minutes from time wrapped up the victory.
England defender Ferdinand, who moved to Manchester United for a British-record fee of $46.88 million in July, was given a rowdy reception upon his return to Elland Road.
But he could do nothing as Leeds' Australian Kewell headed in a cross by Ian Harte to settle a feisty
encounter.
Ferguson's injury-hit side were left to rue a host of missed first-half chances and he suffered another
blow when midfielder Nicky Butt hobbled off with hip and knee injuries that could rule him out of
Wednesday's Champions League match against Maccabi Haifa.
Manchester United already have Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Juan Sebastian Veron on the injured list and
Ferguson also had to defend another midfielder, David Beckham, against accusations that the England
captain elbowed Leeds' Lee Bowyer during the game.
Czech striker Milan Baros scored twice on his league debut for Liverpool at Bolton.
But after Spaniard Ivan Campo scored the home side's second equalizer three minutes from time, it
looked as if Liverpool were going to draw 2-2 for the fourth successive game.
Heskey, though, chose the perfect time to open his season's account, snatching the winner seconds
later.
Newcastle have a poor record in London and two goals by Eidur Gudjohnsen, his first of the season,
and a deflected Gianfranco Zola free kick ensured that record continued as unbeaten Chelsea
maintained their strong start.
Kevin Campbell scored twice as Everton came from behind to defeat Middlesbrough 2-1 at
Goodison Park, while Sean Gregan gave West Bromwich Albion their third successive 1-0 victory this
time at home to Southampton.
Sunderland stayed deep in trouble after a demoralizing 3-0 home defeat by Fulham, for whom Japan
midfielder Junichi Inamoto, Barry Hayles and Steve Marlet scored. Fulham went fifth in the table with
10 points from five games.
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