Arsenal’s Comeback a Winner

Arsenal moved four points clear at the top of the English Premier League on Saturday when it came from behind to defeat Tottenham Hotspur, 2-1, on a late deflected goal that wrong-footed Spurs’ American goalkeeper Kasey Keller.

Spurs took the lead on a fourth-minute goal by Darren Anderton, but Robert Pires tied it for Arsenal in the 69th minute when he knocked in the rebound of a Thierry Henry shot that had been blocked by Keller.

The save against Henry was one of a half-dozen first-class saves made by Keller during the match.

Arsenal’s game-winner came with 12 minutes left, as Fredrik Ljungberg’s 25-yard shot deflected off Tottenham’s Stephen Carr and looped over Keller.

“We had a bit of luck with the second goal; it was a lucky deflection,” said Arsenal Coach Arsene Wenger, “but it was the consequence of our determination.”

Arsenal is four points ahead of second-place Chelsea, which is at home against 10th-place Newcastle United today, while third-place Manchester United is away to eighth-place Liverpool.

Manchester United Coach Alex Ferguson on Saturday reiterated his belief that those five teams will be contending for the title at the season’s end.

“Liverpool, as well as Newcastle, have started to pick up their form,” he said. “I have no doubt the five we spoke about at the start of the season will be there” at the finish.

Chelsea Coach Claudio Ranieri continued to downplay his team’s championship chances, however, despite its 4-0 demolition of Lazio in Italy last week in the European Champions League.

“I haven’t changed my mind about the title,” he said. “I might change it in May, but not now.

“I know football, and what’s important is to build a team with foundations and strength. I’m very happy our fans had such a good time in Rome but I haven’t changed my mind about the title. What I’d like to do is make Chelsea the third horse in the race.”

Handbag United

Bild, a daily newspaper in Germany, published a photo Friday of several Bayern Munich players wearing skirts and carrying handbags.

It was a fake photo, of course, intended to underline the sorry state the defending Bundesliga champions find themselves in after setbacks in league play and a European Champions League loss at home to Olympique Lyon of France on Wednesday.

Franz Beckenbauer, the club’s president, slammed the team in his column in Saturday’s Bild, saying it is imperative that Bayern defeat Borussia Dortmund today.

“Suddenly there is no excitement and no will to play,” Beckenbauer wrote. “Everything is like in slow motion.

“The match against Dortmund gives us an opportunity to show character. In the current situation, with the risk of going out of the Champions League and dropping to no-man’s-land in the Bundesliga, we need real men.”

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Times wire services contributed to this report.