Yo-yo day for Manchester City as Arsenal hang on to top spot
Pellegrini's men enjoy view from the summit for a couple of hours before Gunners restore order with two late goals against Cardiff
Manchester City climbed to the top of the Premier League table after winning 3-2 at Swansea City yesterday in the first English top-flight fixture of the year, but their reign lasted barely two hours as Arsenal beat Cardiff City 2-0 in a later kick-off.
Nicklas Bendtner and Theo Walcott were Arsenal's heroes as they scored last-gasp goals to spare Arsenal's blushes at the Emirates Stadium
Manchester City's Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho scored the first goal of the new year in the 14th minute at a rain-soaked Liberty Stadium, drilling home right-footed after Swansea partially cleared a Samir Nasri corner.
Ivorian striker Wilfried Bony equalised with a well-placed header in first-half stoppage time, but his international colleague Yaya Toure restored the visitors' lead with a deflected shot in the 58th minute.
City's Serbian left-back Aleksandar Kolarov added a third eight minutes later, lashing a powerful strike past Swansea goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel, before Bony struck again in injury time with a vicious low shot.
Victory took Manuel Pellegrini's side to 44 points from 20 games, one point behind Arsenal. Chelsea stayed hot on their heels with a 3-0 win at Southampton.