2 Jan 2013

Manchester United keep firm grip on Premier League title race

12:53 pm on 2 January 2013

Manchester United continue to dictate English football's Premier League title race by sweeping to a 4-nil win at Wigan Athletic to maintain their seven-point lead.

Champions Manchester City remain United's nearest rivals after a 3-nil success at home to Stoke City, while Tottenham Hotspur climbed to third by coming from behind to defeat second-bottom Reading 3-1 at White Hart Lane.

Victory took Spurs a point clear of Chelsea, who have two games in hand and host bottom club Queens Park Rangers overnight.

Arsenal were prevented from making ground on the top four after their four-game winning run came to an end in a 1-1 draw at Southampton that left Arsene Wenger's side four points below Chelsea in fifth place.

The point was enough to move Southampton out of the bottom three at Wigan's expense.

Aston Villa put an end to a run of three straight defeats, in which they had conceded 15 goals, by drawing 2-2 at Swansea City.

West Ham United were also on the up, beating Norwich City 2-1 to climb to 11th.

Earlier, Fulham scored a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion to record only their second win in 13 matches.