The latest Super Sunday and Monday Night Football programme may have had a big say on the battle for the league and the battle for fourth place. The Sports Direct Arena was the stage of the the first instalment of Super Sunday. With Senegal receiving an early exit from the African Cup of Nations, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse returned to Newcastle to face Aston Villa. Villa will be wishing Senegal had made it past the group stage as Ba put the hosts ahead on the half-hour mark. Robbie Keane netted his third goal for his new club to equalise just before half-time. But there was to be a winner and it came 19-minutes from time, Cisse scoring a fantastic volley on his debut to become an instant hit in front of the Toon Army.
The point puts Newcastle just one point behind Chelsea in fifth but it could have been so different. Chelsea were in action in the second part of Super Sunday, facing Manchester United. Gary Cahill made his debut in the absence of John Terry and it could have possibly ended prematurely when he brought Danny Welbeck down just outside the box in the first half when the striker was through on goal. But Howard Webb didn't even deem it as a foul and despite United having the better possession in the first half, Chelsea would go into the break 1-0 ahead. Danny Sturridge out-foxed Patrice Evra in the box and his powerful pull back saw David De Gea get a toe to it, the ball then rebounded off Johnny Evans and fell into the United net, nine minutes before half-time.
United then failed to come out for the second half and a Fernando Torres cross was met by a Juan Mata volley just 26-seconds into it to put Chelsea 2-0 ahead. It got even better for the hosts when David Luiz met a corner and his header came off Rio Ferdinand to make it 3-0 with only five minutes of the second half played out. United felt that they had a penalty claim in the first half when Ashley Young was allegedly having his shirt pulled, well they finally got their penalty two minutes before the hour mark when Evra turned into Sturridge and fell to the floor. Wayne Rooney stepped up and sent his spot kick crashing into the top corner. United were then handed another penalty when Welbeck was tripped by a slipping Branislav Ivanovic. Again Rooney stepped up and went the opposite way to make it 3-2 on 69-minutes. The comeback was completed six minutes from time through a substitute Javier Hernandez header. The point was nearly in doubt again but De Gea made a fantastic stop to prevent Mata from winning the game. United go to two points behind Manchester City at the top.
Monday Night Football witnessed the return of Luis Suarez as Liverpool took on Tottenham at Anfield. There was no goals and the highlight of the first half was possibly an interference from a cat. Suarez came off the bench for the first time since his suspension but just in case he felt he wouldn't be in the papers tomorrow, he received a yellow card just four minutes later for a high challenge on Scott Parker. Liverpool are now a point behind Arsenal in seventh and Spurs go five points behind Manchester United in third. Suarez's first away game will be on Saturday where faces none other than Patrice Evra again at Old Trafford, fireworks are guaranteed to fly.
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