LONDON, 31 December 2004 — English Premier League champions Arsenal won 1-0 at Newcastle United on Wednesday through a superbly struck volley by skipper Patrick Vieira to keep the pressure on leaders Chelsea.
Chelsea won 2-0 at Portsmouth on Tuesday to go eight points clear with 49 points from 20 matches. Arsenal reduced the gap to five points taking their tally to 44 points from 20 games.
Manchester United, who won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Tuesday are third on 40 points with Everton, 2-0 losers at Charlton, also on 40 points in fourth place.
Arsenal wrapped up their third successive league win with Vieira scoring in stoppage time at the end of the first half after reacting first to a loose, bouncing ball.
His 20-metre volley, which took a slight deflection, gave goalkeeper Shay Given no chance in the United goal and despite some spirited attacks, Newcastle failed to score and have now gone six games without a league win. “It was a fantastic team performance” Vieira told Sky Sports News.
“If we keep playing like that and get results like that we will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.”
Real Madrid Name Luxemburgo as New Coach
In Madrid, Real Madrid named former Brazil manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo as their third coach of the season yesterday in a bid to recapture the spark that brought them a record nine European Cups.
The surprise appointment of Luxemburgo, who has just led Santos to the Brazilian title, came at the end of a disappointing year for Real Madrid, whose fans demand constant success.It ends the three-month reign of Mariano Garcia Remon who in turn replaced former Spanish national coach Jose Antonio Camacho after just four months in the job.
“It’s not been an easy decision for us but...we think it is the best decision right now for Real Madrid,” club vice-president Emilio Butragueno told a news conference at which he presented the new Brazilian coach.
“It’s a very great responsibility for me...but I’m not afraid of responsibility,” Luxemburgo said, adding that every coach wanted to manage Real Madrid. Luxemburgo said he believed success in football was built on discipline, unity, work and professionalism as he prepared to take charge of a squad of “galacticos” that includes Brazilians Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos as well as Zinedine Zidane, Raul, Figo, David Beckham and Michael Owen.
