Van Persie returns to frustrate Arsenal

LONDON (AFP) –

Arsenal‘s French defender Bacary Sagna (L) slides in for a challenge on Manchester United‘s Dutch striker Robin van Persie (R) during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on April 28, 2013. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Robin van Persie returned to frustrate Arsenal as the Manchester United striker rescued a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, while Reading and QPR were relegated from the Premier League on Sunday after playing out a 0-0 draw.

Van Persie was making his first appearance back at Arsenal since last year’s £24 million ($37 million, 28 million euros) transfer to United and he was given a hostile reception from home supporters.

But, after Theo Walcott gave Arsenal a second minute lead, the Dutch forward silenced the boo-boys when he fired home from the penalty spot after being fouled by Bacary Sagna in the 44th minute.

United manager Alex Ferguson saluted van Persie for keeping his composure and took a dig at the Arsenal fans in the process.

“It takes bottle to take a penalty when the crowd are booing,” Ferguson said. “We have a great spirit of applauding players when they come back to our club. I expected the booing to be honest with you.

Reading striker Nick Blackman (R) vies with Queens Park Rangers’ Armand Traore during their English Premier League match in Reading on April 28, 2013. Both clubs have been relegated from the league after their 0-0 draw ended both clubs’ survival hopes.

“Walcott apparently was offside for his goal. The referee apologised to (United centre-back) Rio Ferdinand saying he got it wrong.

“It wasn’t his fault, it was the linesman’s. It was an uphill fight for us after losing the first goal.”

With the title already wrapped up, champions United were happy to settle for a draw, but the result was a setback for Arsenal, who dropped down to fourth place following Chelsea‘s 2-0 win over Swansea.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said: “We gave everything and at the end of the day the regret you have is the way we conceded the goal. Just before half-time that was a serious blow to us.”

A win for either Reading or QPR at the Madejski Stadium would have kept alive their slender chances of staying up at least until Aston Villa’s clash with Sunderland on Monday.

But both looked wracked with nerves during a goalless stalemate which condemned Nigel Adkins’s Reading and Harry Redknapp’s QPR to starting next season in the Championship.

Bottom club Reading and second bottom QPR are both nine points behind fourth bottom Aston Villa with three games remaining, but a complicated equation influenced by Villa’s meeting with Wigan on the final day of the season means there is no chance of either avoiding the drop.

Chelsea celebrates English midfielder Frank Lampard’s goal during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Swansea City, at Stamford Bridge in London, on April 28, 2013. Chelsea won 2-0.

QPR have been backed heavily by Malaysian owner Tony Fernandes over the last 12 months, but Redknapp concedes their expensively assembled squad won’t find it easy to win an immediate return to the Premier League.

“Next year it will be very difficult to get promoted, there are some good teams,” Redknapp said.

“It will be a big challenge, there are lots of good teams in the Championship.

“For us to get promoted we have to come back in pre-season and get super fit.”

Reading return to the Championship just 12 months after being promoted as second-tier champions and Adkins wants them to learn the lessons of their top-flight failure.

“I have told the players to bottle up the feeling as it is never nice to get relegated and make sure they never feel that way again,” he said.

“We must now build for the future and learn the lessons well from this season. We have to regroup and put ourselves in a position to challenge to get back into the Premier League.”

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea cruised to a comfortable victory over Swansea which lifted them into third place and one point ahead of Arsenal.

Rafael Benitez’s side showed no signs of tiredness despite their recent gruelling schedule and Oscar gave them the lead with a fine finish from Frank Lampard’s pass in the 43rd minute.

Lampard, who had come on as a substitute for the injured Ramires, netted the second goal in first half stoppage-time.

The England midfielder took his Chelsea career goal tally to 201 — within one of Bobby Tambling’s record — when he drove home a penalty after Leon Britton had fouled Juan Mata.

That was enough to move Chelsea three points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

“We played good football,” Benitez said. “The idea was to score an early goal, we didn’t manage that but we did eventually score and then pushed for the second before half-time.”