LONDON, Feb 23, (Agencies): Manchester United moved a step closer to the Premier League title after Ryan Giggs’ late goal sealed a 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers that moved Alex Ferguson’s side 15 points clear at the top of the table. Giggs, who was making his 999th appearance in senior football, struck in the 80th minute after Rafael da Silva had given the visitors a first-half lead. QPR posed little threat and remain at the foot of the table, having rarely looked capable of moving towards the 37-point survival target set by manager Harry Redknapp. Rangers face a long, hard battle against relegation, while for United, the remaining weeks of the season look like being a steady march towards their 20th league championship. Their lead could be cut when second-place Manchester City face Chelsea on Sunday, but with 11 games remaining, it is hard to see how they might concede their current advantage.

The only blemish on a routine afternoon for United was a first-half injury to Robin van Persie that forced the striker out of the game. Redknapp had taken his side away to Dubai last week for some warm weather training and a break from the pressure of their increasingly desperate relegation battle. But if they returned refreshed, they were soon handed a harsh reality check as United immediately took control of the game and went in search of the victory that would increase the sense of resignation. Michael Carrick and Giggs quickly assumed control of midfield and while Ferguson’s side failed to make too many clear-cut chances in the opening quarter of the game, it was apparent they were in control. And when Cesar was called into action moments later, he reacted well to tip over Javier Hernandez’s opportunistic back header.

However, the Brazil international had little chance of repelling compatriot Rafael’s strike when the United full-back made the 23th-minute breakthrough. Van Persie hobbled off four minutes before the break but that was Ferguson’s only concern after a one-sided first half. And there was little to concern the United manager after the restart, although QPR did show more fight and, when Loic Remy was brought on, looked more capable of testing the United back four. The France striker’s 64th-minute shot brought an excellent diving save from David De Gea — one of the few occasions the United goalkeeper was tested — while Samba again came close with a header from a corner. Giggs made sure of the victory in the 80th minute when he collected Nani’s pass and struck an angled shot across Cesar and into the far corner of the goal to move his side closer to the title.

Arsenal 2, Villa 1
In London, Santi Cazorla eased the pressure on under-fire Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger as the Spanish midfielder’s double clinched a crucial 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Wenger had faced renewed calls for his resignation after last weekend’s embarrassing FA Cup exit against second-tier Blackburn and the midweek Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich only added to the impression of a club spiralling out of control.
In the circumstances anything but a victory against struggling Villa would have given Wenger’s critics more ammunition to attack the Frenchman, so there was a sense of relief all around the Emirates Stadium when Cazorla bagged the winner with five minutes remaining.
Until then Arsenal had laboured to kill off third bottom Villa, who recovered from Cazorla’s first half opener to equalise through Andreas Weimann after the break.
Cazorla’s efforts moved Arsenal within one point of fourth placed Tottenham, although their north London rivals can reopen a four-point advantage if they beat West Ham on Monday.

Arsenal certainly started as if they had a point to prove. Within minutes of kick-off, Jack Wilshere forcefully got on the end of a misplaced Joe Bennett pass to bring a fine save from Brad Guzan.
Only moments later, in the sixth minute, Wenger’s men took the lead when Cazorla had a shot blocked and then immediately collected the loose ball and guided his shot around Guzan.
It capped an assured, defiant start, but it didn’t solve all of their problems.
Villa looked to capitalise on Arsenal left-back Nacho Monreal’s frequent forays forward. The Spaniard was often superb when contributing to attack but lacked a little defensively.
A long punt upfield ended up at the feet of Weimann and, with the Arsenal defence backing off, he fired the ball through Szczesny’s weak attempted save.
That could have shattered Arsenal’s fragile morale but to their credit the hosts hit back.
Guzan touched another Giroud header over the bar from point-blank range and Cazorla then provided the sting in the tale.

Norwich 2, Everton 1
In Norwich, United Kingdom, grant Holt scored in the fourth minute of injury time as Norwich City came from behind to beat Everton 2-1 at Carrow Road and secure a first win in their last 10 Premier League games.
The Canaries had trailed to a first-half Leon Osman header before substitute Kei Kamara levelled with six minutes remaining, and the hosts were rewarded for their late pressure when burly striker Holt found the net.
For Chris Hughton’s side, the win was their first since beating Wigan 2-1 in mid-December, and the edge given to them by the second-half introduction of Sierra Leone striker Kamara will come as a major boost to a side that has desperately struggled to score goals recently.

In contrast, the result is another blow to Everton’s chances of Champions League qualification, with David Moyes’ side now on a run of just one win in their last six league games.
They remain in the top six, but the defeat will only increase the concern for Toffees’ fans at a time when the future of manager Moyes — whose contract is due to expire in the summer — is the subject of speculation.
Norwich played with determination in the first half, but were punished for their lack of a cutting edge as the visitors got their noses in front in the 39th minute.
Leighton Baines’ delivery from the left wing is a constant source of danger for opposition teams, and so it proved as he swung in a typically pinpoint cross that Osman, all alone inside the penalty area, could not fail to convert.

West Brom 2, Sunderland 1
In West Bromwich, United Kingdom, on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku struck in each half as West Bromwich Albion extended Sunderland’s run of Premier League games without a win to four with a 2-1 win.
Lukaku broke the deadlock from the penalty spot 10 minutes before half-time and added a fortuitous second in the 75th minute, only for Stephane Sessegnon’s immediate response to set up a nervy finale.
West Brom climbed above Liverpool and Swansea City to seventh place in the table, while Sunderland slipped to 14th, five points above the relegation zone.

Peter Odemwingie returned to the West Brom squad after his very public transfer deadline day flirtation with Queens Park Rangers and was roundly booed by the home side’s supporters.
Sunderland, meanwhile, handed a first start to January signing Danny Graham in attack.
After a dreary start to proceedings at the Hawthorns, the game sprang to life in the 24th minute when Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher hit the post before working home goalkeeper Ben Foster with a follow-up effort. Youssouf Mulumbu was then guilty of a terrible miss, the West Brom midfielder heading wide from just four yards after being picked out by Liam Ridgewell.
The hosts were controversially denied a goal in the 31st minute when an effort from Lukaku was ruled out because referee George East had already awarded a free-kick for a foul on a West Brom player.
 

Wigan 3, Reading 0
In Reading, Ivory Coast striker Arouna Kone bagged a brace as Wigan climbed out of the relegation zone with a vital 3-0 win at fellow strugglers Reading. Roberto Martinez’s side took control of the crucial relegation showdown with two goals from Kone just before half-time, Maynor Figueroa netting the third immediately after the interval. Any hopes of a Reading fightback were ended when Russian forward Pavel Pogrebnyak was sent off soon after Figueroa’s strike and Wigan easily held on for only their second win in 14 Premier League matches. While Wigan look capable of another great escape from relegation, Reading slipped to second bottom after their third successive defeat in all competitions.

It looked like a long day for Reading right from the start as goalkeeper Adam Federici was called into action after just four minutes when Franco Di Santo fired goalwards. Reading wasted their best chance of the half moments later when an unmarked Hope Akpan headed over Jem Karacan’s cross from six yards. And Wigan made them pay for that miss in the 44th minute. Gary Caldwell was completely unchecked from a corner and while he made a hash of the chance, the ball bounced to Figueroa whose shot was going in before taking a deflection off Kone’s back near the line. Kone knew little about his opener but his second was a goal to remember.

Fulham 1, Stoke 0
In London, Dimitar Berbatov struck a stunning volley with the last kick of the first half to give Fulham a 1-0 win over Stoke City in a mid-table Premier League clash at Craven Cottage. The former Bulgaria captain, making his 200th Premier League appearance, found the top corner with a brilliantly-executed right foot shot that gave Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic no chance and proved to be the match-winner at Craven Cottage.
Stoke spurned an excellent chance to equalise in the 56th minute when John Walters’ poorly taken penalty, awarded after Ashkan Dejagah was adjudged to have handled a Brek Shea pass, was saved low to his right by keeper Mark Schwarzer. It was only Fulham’s fourth win in their last 19 league matches and their first clean sheet at home for 10 games as they moved up to 11th in the table with 32 points from 27 games, one place and a point behind Stoke. Five other league matches are taking place at 1500 GMT including league leaders Manchester United’s visit to bottom-placed Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road.