MANCHESTER, England -- Arsenal felt the full force of Manchester Citys rampant attack to slump to a wild 6-3 loss in the English Premier League on Saturday, cutting its lead over Chelsea to two points and throwing the title race wide open. Chelsea pounced on Arsenals implosion at Etihad Stadium by edging past Crystal Palace 2-1 at home, with Ramires scoring the winner to lift Jose Mourinhos team provisionally into second place. But approaching the halfway stage of the campaign, City is likely to be most peoples favourite for the title after following up big home wins over Manchester United and Tottenham already this season with another masterful attacking display against Arsenal. What had been the tightest defence in the league was ripped apart, with Citys eighth straight home win sealed by goals from Fernandinho (two), Sergio Aguero, Alvaro Negredo, David Silva and Yaya Toure. City enhanced its tag as the leagues entertainers -- it has 35 goals in eight home matches, including six past Spurs and four past United -- and is a point adrift of Chelsea in third. "It was a very complete game in attacking," City manager Manuel Pellegrini said. "It is not easy to score six goals against Arsenal, the best defence in the Premier League." Everton brushed past Fulham 4-1 with three late goals to jump to fourth, while Newcastle drew 1-1 with Southampton in a match that saw the referee receive a bloody nose after accidentally colliding with a player, and ended in a scuffle between the two benches. West Bromwich Albion fired head coach Steve Clarke hours after a 1-0 loss at Cardiff, the visitors fourth reverse in a row, and there were 0-0 draws for West Ham-Sunderland and Hull-Stoke. Arguably the standout match this season lived up to its billing, with weary Arsenal run ragged by City less than three days after the Gunners grueling defeat in the Champions League at Napoli. Arsenals title credentials were always going to be tested in this crucial three-game period, starting with last weekends 1-1 draw at Everton and ending with a home match at Chelsea on Dec. 23, and cracks have been found. "We made too many mistakes," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "Our strength until now was our defensive discipline but that went as the game went on." The prolific strike pairing of Aguero and Negredo put City 2-1 up by halftime, with Theo Walcotts goal having made it 1-1. Fernandinho scored in the 50th, moments after Aguero went off with a calf injury only for Walcott to score again, but Arsenals creaking defence was breached in the final 24 minutes by Silva, Fernandinho and Toures penalty. Per Mertesacker netted Arsenals other goal in injury time. Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere could face disciplinary action after being pictured raising his middle finger toward Citys fans during the second half. With Liverpool not playing until Sunday, Chelsea is Arsenals closest challenger after an unconvincing win over Palace at Stamford Bridge. Fernando Torres scored in the 16th minute for the Blues before Joel Ward set up Marouane Chamakh to equalize for the visitors in the 29th. Six minutes later, Ramires grabbed the winner with a right-footed shot from outside the area to the top left corner. Everton maintained its challenge for a top-four finish by scoring three goals in the final 17 minutes to see off Fulham. Leon Osmans 18th-minute goal in his 300th league game put Everton ahead but Dimitar Berbatov equalized from the penalty spot in the 67th. Seamus Coleman regained the home sides lead before Gareth Barry and Kevin Mirallas completed the victory. The Newcastle-Southampton game ended with ugly scenes on the sidelines as coaches on both benches clashed in reaction to a foul on the pitch. The goalkeeping coach from each team was sent off. Earlier, referee Mike Jones required treatment for a bloody nose after being floored by the flailing arm of Newcastle midfielder Moussa Sissoko. Peter Whittingham scored the second-half winner for Cardiff against West Brom, which proved to be the end for coach Clarke after 18 months in charge at The Hawthorns. On Sunday, its: Aston Villa vs. Man United, Norwich vs. Swansea and Tottenham vs. Liverpool. Nike Air Max 95 Just Do It Orange . -- Manchester United thrilled a record crowd with a brilliant opening goal -- and even Cristiano Ronaldos unexpected entrance proved futile for Real Madrid. Vapormax Canada . Next years tournament is also within sight for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has never played in a World Cup, but Cristiano Ronaldo looks destined for the playoffs with Portugal after a night when the qualifying picture in the nine groups became much clearer. http://www.airvapormaxcanada.com/air-vap...lus-canada.html. If there is one club built to handle an off-field controversy, its the Bill Belichick era Patriots. Even if New Englands offence stumbles a bit out of the gate, their defence can help them stay in games, especially in the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets in the first two weeks. Nike Just Do It Shoes Canada . Granada defender Diego Mainz barged into the back of Villa to send the Spain striker to the ground inside the area and Costa stepped up to the spot to score his 12th league goal in the 38th minute. Costa showed no effects of the news that his Brazilian citizenship may be revoked after he elected to play for Spains national team, as the forward was a constant threat for Atletico and forced several saves from goalkeeper Roberto. Nike Vapormax Canada .com) - Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending May 11.BOSTON -- Michael Pineda says he was just trying to get a better grip on the ball. Now, he wont need one for a while. A day after being caught using pine tar on the mound, the New York Yankees pitcher was suspended for 10 games by the commissioners office on Thursday. Pineda said he wont appeal, costing him two starts before he can return May 5 at the Los Angeles Angels. "I accept it," Pineda said before Thursday nights game at Fenway Park. "I know I made a mistake." Pineda was ejected in the second inning of New Yorks 5-1 loss to Boston after umpires found the pine tar on the right side of the right-handers neck. After the game, Pineda admitted that he used the pine tar to help him grip the ball on a cool, windy night. "I feel so bad," he said Thursday. Pineda said he had never used pine tar before this season. He spent his first season in the majors with the Seattle Mariners in 2011, then missed the last two with the Yankees following right shoulder surgery. "I think he understood" the seriousness of his action, said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who expected a suspension of about 10 games, "but I think he got caught up in the moment of competing and it got the best of him." Girardi indicated David Phelps would take Pinedas turn in the rotation. Phelps came into the game with two outs in the second after Pineda was ejected. The ejection set off a debate in the baseball world about pitchers who try pine tar, and whether it should be allowed in certain circumstances. Many former aces said they had done it, albeit in a more discreet manner. "Ive seen a lot of things in my career, so Im not blind to it" being viewed as part of baseball, said Girardi, a former catcher in his seventh year as Yankees manager. Rule 8.02(b) prohibits pitchers from altering the ball to gain an unfair advantage, and forbids them from having a foreign substance on them or in their possession on the mound. "I wouldnt be against coming up with an idea" to modify the rule so pitchers could get a better grip on the ball in cold weather, Girardi said. "It would be a great time for someone to start looking at" finding one substtance pitchers would be allowed to use.dddddddddddd. Pineda wasnt seen with the pine tar in the first inning, when the Red Sox roughed him up. Boston manager John Farrell asked plate umpire Gerry Davis to check Pineda after two fast outs the next inning. "I felt like it was a necessity to say something," Farrell said. "You know, I fully respect on a cold night youre trying to get a little bit of a grip. But when its that obvious, something has got to be said." Davis went to the mound, touched Pinedas neck and ejected him. Pineda said no one told him to use it, that he did it "by myself." Earlier this month, Pineda pitched well in a 4-1 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Television cameras showed a substance on his hand in the fourth inning -- Pineda said it was dirt, not pine tar. His hand was clean in the fifth and Farrell didnt ask for him to be checked. Pineda said he didnt use pine tar in a start against the Chicago Cubs, in between his Red Sox outings. Among other suspensions of pitchers for pine tar in the past decade, Tampa Bays Joel Peralta was penalized eight games in 2012, the Angels Brendan Donnelly 10 days in 2005 and St. Louis Julian Tavarez 10 days in 2004. The suspensions of Donnelly and Tavarez were cut to eight days after they asked the players association to appeal, and Peralta dropped his challenge with no reduction. Pineda said Thursday he didnt feel the ball well in the first inning when he allowed two runs on four hits. And he said he wanted to be careful not to hit any batters. "I know its pine tar, but the pine tar did not help me" throw harder, he said. "It helped me for feel, (get) a better grip." Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski understood why Pineda used the pine tar. "I dont have a problem with guys that do it," he said. "I know as a hitter, I want to get in there and know the guy has a grip. "Put it on your hat, put it on your pants, your belt, put it on your glove, whatever you have to do. You just cant do it that blatantly. That was what the biggest issue was. No one has an issue with him doing it. Its just more of the fact that its so blatant." ' ' '