LONDON, 15 September 2003 — French striker Nicolas Anelka hit a second-half hat-trick as Manchester City came from behind to crush Aston Villa 4-1 in the premier league yesterday.
Fulham drew 2-2 at Birmingham City in a game in which both sides finished with 10 men, but the better football by far was at the City of Manchester Stadium.
Trailing at the break to a header from Colombia striker Juan Pablo Angel after a poor display, Manchester City hit back with a free-kick from German midfielder Michael Tarnat and the first of two penalties by Anelka within five minutes of the restart.
The Frenchman scored again from the spot before breaking away to seal his first hat trick in a City shirt and his team’s first league win at their new home. Coach Kevin Keegan, whose side moved up to third place in the table, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference, told Sky Sports: “They deserved to be a goal up, but in the second half our work rate, passing and finishing all got better.”
“I thought everything that was good about us today started around Steve McManaman,” he added after an inspired debut performance by the former Real Madrid midfielder. “That’s not easy on your debut but for a player of his standing he probably expects to go out and do that.”
Villa, with one win from five games under David O’Leary, are 15th with four points.
Birmingham City’s new Finnish striker Mikael Forssell equalized twice on his debut in their scrappy game at St Andrews. Frenchman Louis Saha put Fulham ahead in the first minute, Forssell leveled in first-half stoppage time but Luis Boa Morte restored the visitors’ lead in the 78th minute despite French team mate Sylvain Legwinski having been red carded on the hour.
Forssell poached his second from close range to make it 2-2 in the 82nd minute and, as Boa Morte held on to the ball, City’s Darren Purse was dismissed for bundling the Portuguese forward to the ground in a clumsy attempt to wrench it from him.
City were seething afterward at Boa Morte’s goal, scored after he clumsily challenged goalkeeper Maik Taylor in the air and the ball ran free.
Totti Inspires Roma Romp as Big Clubs Win Again
Two superb goals from Francesco Totti inspired AS Roma to an impressive 5-0 win over Brescia in Serie A yesterday as the top clubs maintained their positive starts to the season. Inter Milan were less impressive but also picked up their second straight win, an own goal from Leandro Cufre enough to give them a 1-0 win at promoted Siena. On Saturday AC Milan and Lazio also kept up their winning starts with 2-1 wins over Bologna and Sampdoria.
Totti, returning to action after missing Italy’s European championship qualifiers last week, was in outstanding form for Fabio Capello’s Roma who already look a much more impressive outfit from the side that struggled last season.
It was Totti who began the move that put them ahead in the 11th minute when he fed Antonio Cassano, who picked out Montella, the bearded striker making no mistake with a clinical finish.
Roma doubled their lead five minutes later with an unstoppable free-kick from Romanian defender Cristian Chivu, making his first appearance after completing a protracted transfer from Ajax Amsterdam.
Totti made it 3-0 in the 23rd minute with a low drive after a smart exchange with Cassano as Roma took full advantage of a woeful Brescia back line.
But it was Totti’s second, 13 minutes into the second half, that really had the fans at the Olympic stadium on their feet. Picking up the ball outside the Brescia area, he spotted Brescia keeper Luca Castellazzi off his line and beat him with a sublime chip. Norwegian striker John Carew, a recent signing from Valencia, also made his mark on his debut with an 89th minute penalty to complete the rout.
Inter, without injured striker Christian Vieri, made hard work of their win at Siena and can count themselves lucky.
Hector Cuper’s side went ahead on the half hour when Marco Materazzi’s header from an Andy van der Meyde cross was headed in by Siena’s Brazilian defender Leandro Cufre.
Inter were solid and well-organized but lacked the creative spark needed to break down Siena’s well-organized defense.
The Tuscan side, playing their first ever home game in the top flight, almost stole a point in the final minutes when former Torino defender Daniele Delli Carri headed against the bar from close range.
