Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Photo / Reuters
LONDON - Classy Arsenal cruised to a 3-1 win at Reading today to extend their club record to 27 unbeaten matches and replace Manchester United atop the English premier soccer league.
Goals from Frenchman Mathieu Flamini after 44 minutes, Ivorian Emmanuel Adebayor after 52 and Belarussian Aleksandr Hleb
12 minutes from fulltime lifted Arsenal to 30 points from 12 matches.
United have 30 points from 13 games.
Both teams have goal differences of plus 17 but Arsenal are top, having netted 27 to United's 23.
Flamini, who had not scored for Arsenal since December, put his team ahead with a close-range deflected shot after a good passing move.
Adebayor made it 2-0 with a curling shot inside goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann's far post, chalking up Arsenal's 1000th premier league goal.
Hleb added the third after twisting past the goalkeeper and lashing home when it appeared he might lose control of the ball.
"I felt we were in control," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
"It's good to win when you play the last match (of the weekend).
"We showed we had the nerve to deal with that and we are heading the league, in charge and just want to stay in control."
Arsenal, who were last beaten in any competition on April 7, could easily have won by a bigger margin on a chilly night at Madejski Stadium.
Adebayor hit the post in the third minute and the same player had a goal harshly ruled out for offside in the second half.
Nicky Shorey took advantage of rare confusion in the Arsenal defence to grab a consolation for Reading three minutes from fulltime.
- REUTERS
