New Year's Day Premier League Round-Up

Manchester United recorded a 4-0 win at Wigan to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League on New Year's Day.

Reigning champions Manchester City kept up the pressure on their local rivals with victory over Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium.

Aston Villa ended a dismal run of form with a share of the points at Swansea, while Tottenham beat Reading at White Hart Lane.

West Ham and Fulham both recorded wins on the opening day of 2013 against Norwich and West Brom respectively. Arsenal drew 1-1 at Southampton in the evening kickoff.

Wigan Athletic 0 Manchester United 4

Javier Hernandez and Robin van Persie scored two goals each as Manchester United maintained their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a four-goal win at Wigan.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side dominated the early stages, and their pressure paid off in the 35th minute when Patrice Evra miskicked his attempt at goal but still managed to push the ball into the path of Hernandez, who hit home his 11th goal of the season.

Hernandez was involved in United’s second goal just before the break when he crossed from the right. Van Persie cut inside Ivan Ramis before sending a brilliant curling shot beyond Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi.

Hernandez sealed the points for United in the 63rd minute. Rafael was brought down 20 yards from goal, and Van Persie’s free kick hit the wall and dropped to the Mexico international, who fired home.

Poor defending in the Wigan area in the 88th minute saw the ball drop for Danny Welbeck, who sent the ball across goal for Van Persie to add his second of the game.

Manchester City 3 Stoke City 0

Goals from Pablo Zabaleta, Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero for Manchester City kept up the Premier League title chase with a 3-0 win over Stoke City.

City dominated the first period but could not find an opening until the 43rd minute. James Milner’s throw-in was picked up by Zabaleta, who played a one-two with David Silva.

The Spaniard left the ball for Milner to shoot. Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic saved with his foot but could only push the ball into the path of Zabaleta, who fired home.

Dzeko, who hit two at Norwich on Saturday, continued his goal-scoring form in the 56th minute when he stabbed home after Begovic could only parry an Aguero strike.

However, the Bosnia striker was shown the yellow card for raising his shirt to reveal a "Happy New Year" message in celebration.

City’s win was confirmed in the 74th minute when Steven Nzonzi brought Silva down inside the area. Aguero made it 3-0 from the penalty spot despite Begovic diving the right way.

But there was a concern for City manager Roberto Mancini after Aguero picked up a hamstring problem during the game.

Tottenham 3 Reading 1

Tottenham needed a slice of luck to see off the challenge of Reading despite dominating their 3-1 win at White Hart Lane.

Spurs were living dangerously midway through the second half as they protected a 2-1 lead, but substitute Clint Dempsey fired in a speculative 30-yard strike which looped over Royals goalkeeper Adam Federici from a deflection to seal the points.

Pavel Pogrebnyak returned to haunt his former employers when he pounced on the rebound from an Ian Harte free kick to stun the White Hart Lane crowd and gave Reading an early lead.

But Michael Dawson sent a diving header past Federici six minutes later for his first goal since February 2011 to equalize.

Federici made two great saves early in the second period but could do little to prevent Emmanuel Adebayor scoring his first home goal of the season in the 51st minute.

Aaron Lennon sent over a cross from the right, and the Togo international rose above Alex Pearce at the far post to head home.

Reading twice went close in the second period through Jimmy Kebe and Pearce but found themselves two goals behind through a cruel piece of ill fortune in the 79th minute.

Sub Dempsey’s strike from 30 yards out took a wicked deflection off Mikele Leigertwood to loop over Federici as Tottenham, who recorded 34 attempts on goal during the game, ran out 3-1 winners.

Swansea City 2 Aston Villa 2

Aston Villa ended their Premier League losing streak but missed out on victory at Swansea after Danny Graham’s last-minute equalizer.

Swansea opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Wayne Routledge broke clear and rounded Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan to drill home from a tight angle.

However, the Liberty Stadium side were left to rue a number of missed chances in a dominant first period when Andreas Weimann connected with Christian Benteke’s ball beyond Ashley Williams to equalize in the 44th minute.

With six minutes remaining, Villa stunned the home crowd when they took the lead from the penalty spot.

Nathan Dyer cleared a Benteke effort off the line, and as he chased the rebound, the Swansea midfielder felled Weimann in the area. Benteke sent Michel Vorm the wrong way to give Villa a 2-1 lead.

Swansea pushed forward in a bid to salvage a point, and Graham found the net in the final minute with the ball bobbling around the Villa penalty area.

West Ham United 2 Norwich City 1

Mark Noble played the lead role as West Ham opened the New Year with a 2-1 win over Norwich at Upton Park.

The Hammers took just three minutes to open their account for 2013 when Ryan Bennett was adjudged to have fouled Winston Reid inside the area. Noble stepped up to put the home side ahead from the penalty spot.

Noble was involved in the second goal in the 26th minute when he found his way to the byline to pull the ball back for Joey O’Brien to slot home on his 50th appearance for the Upton Park club.

Norwich appealed for a penalty early in the second half when Harry Kane appeared to be brought down by James Tomkins, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved play on.

The Canaries set up a nervy finale for West Ham in the 90th minute after Robert Snodgrass won the ball before finding Elliott Bennett, who crossed from the byline for Russell Martin to pull a goal back.

West Bromwich Albion 1 Fulham 2

Dimitar Berbatov and Alex Kacaniklic were on target as Fulham put a dent in West Bromwich Albion’s Premier League top-six hopes.

The Bulgaria international gave the visitors a deserved first-half lead six minutes before the interval, but on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku hauled Albion back into the game early in the second half.

But Kacaniklic secured the points for Fulham in the 58th minute as the Cottagers claimed only their second away win of the season.

Albion were made to pay for their lethargy in the opening period when Berbatov fired home in the 39th minute to give Fulham the lead.

The advantage only lasted until four minutes after the interval when Billy Jones’ ball into the area was turned home by Lukaku in an improved Albion display.

However, that lead and form did not last, and Kacaniklic fired home a low strike from a clever through-ball from Bryan Ruiz.

Southampton 1 Arsenal 1

Southampton moved out of the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference with a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal.

But the solitary point for the Gunners saw Arsene Wenger's team lose ground in the race for a top-four finish.

Southampton took the lead in the 35th minute when a Bacary Sagna mis-kick gave the ball to Jason Puncheon inside the area.

After a challenge on Puncheon, the ball fell into the path of Gaston Ramirez, who swept home to beat Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal.

Six minutes later, though, Arsenal levelled through an own goal by Guly Do Prado.

Theo Walcott delivered a a dangerous free kick from the left, and the Saints player stretched out his leg to block but succeeded only in pushing the ball past goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Ramirez had the ball in the net again in the 72nd minute after superbly taking Steven Davis’ chipped ball on his chest. But the linesman ruled the goal out for a push on Laurent Koscielny.

Puncheon had a chance to win the game late on, but after showing good footwork inside the area to create space, the midfielder struck his shot straight at Szczesny.