Manchester City and Arsenal bounced back from damaging Champions League defeats in the English Premier League on Saturday, although both sides were made to toil.
City put their 3-1 loss at Ajax behind them with a 1-0 success at home to Swansea City, while Arsenal celebrated Jack Wilshere’s return from a 17-month layoff by edging bottom club Queens Park Rangers 1-0.
Defending champions City moved to second place and within a point of leaders Chelsea, who host third-placed Manchester United on Sunday, while Arsenal climbed to fourth.
In the 61st minute, Roberto Mancini’s side struck.
Gael Clichy found Carlos Tevez and the Argentine sent a shot dipping into the bottom-left corner to end a run of eight games without a goal.
Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm had to be stretchered off after appearing to hurt his groin as he tried to reach Tevez’s shot, while City defender Micah Richards also left the fray with a leg injury.
The stoppages meant more than 12 minutes of injury time were played – breaking the Premier League record.
Arsenal were made to wait until the 84th minute before Mikel Arteta’s goal took them past QPR to snap a two-game losing streak.
“We played quite well but lacked a little bit of the confidence you miss when you have lost two games,” said Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger, whose side had lost to Norwich and Schalke in their previous two outings.
“A draw would have been a big disappointment but, if we had lost today, it would have been a crisis.”
Wilshere made his first appearance since missing all last season through injury and Bacary Sagna also returned but the hosts squandered opportunities throughout.
The momentum finally tilted in Arsenal’s favour 10 minutes from time when QPR centre-back Stephane Mbia was sent off for petulantly kicking out at Thomas Vermaelen.
Arteta tucked home from close range four minutes later, amid suspicions of offside and, despite late chances for the visitors, Arsenal survived.
Fulham climbed to sixth after sharing six goals with Reading in an extraordinary 3-3 draw.
After falling behind to a stunning long-range strike by Mikele Leigertwood, Fulham hit back through substitute Bryan Ruiz and then pulled ahead in the 77th minute when Chris Baird glanced home a header from Ruiz’s corner.
Gareth McCleary equalised for Reading in the 85th minute before Dimitar Berbatov restored Fulham’s lead three minutes later, only for Hal Robson-Kanu to snatch a draw for the hosts from close range in the last minute.
Wigan Athletic scored a 2-1 win at home to West Ham United that sent the Latics up to 15th, while Stoke City and Sunderland drew 0-0.
Norwich held Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw that left Villa one place above the relegation zone.
Christian Benteke put Villa ahead in the 27th minute but, with Joe Bennett sent off early in the second half, Michael Turner scored an equaliser with 11 minutes to play.
