JOIN USTevez, Nasri join hands as City win
Carlos Tevez marked his Manchester City return by setting up Samir Nasri's late winner in a vital 2-1 home victory over Chelsea on Wednesday that kept the pressure on leaders Manchester United in the title race.
The Argentine, an outcast after falling out with the club in September, came off the bench with City trailing 1-0 to Gary Cahill's deflected shot, and his moment of class in the 85th minute lifted City to within a point of their local rivals.
Sergio Aguero had levelled from the penalty spot for City, who have won all 15 home league matches this season.
Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 at home with Stoke City in their first game since the FA Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers was abandoned on Saturday following Fabrice Muamba's cardiac arrest.
Rafael van der Vaart scored a late equaliser for Spurs to end a run of three league defeats but they fell below north London rivals Arsenal, who won 1-0 at Everton to climb to third.
Thomas Vermaelen's first-half goal secured rejuvenated Arsenal's sixth successive league win, which took them into the top three for the first time this season.
United have 70 points from 29 games with City on 69. Arsenal have 55 points to Tottenham's 54 and Chelsea, who host Tottenham on Saturday, are out of the Champions League places on 49.
Liverpool suffered a late collapse in west London, throwing away a 2-0 lead to concede three late goals and lose 3-2 at struggling Queens Rark Rangers, who moved out of the relegation zone above Muamba's Bolton. City boss Roberto Mancini, who said Tevez would never play for the club again when the striker refused to warm up in a Champions League match in Munich six months ago, called the Argentine off the bench in the 65th minute with the home side desperate for a way back into the game. This time, Tevez needed no persuasion to join the fray as he was given a rousing welcome by City's fans.
After 78 minutes, Michael Essien was adjudged to have handled a shot from Pablo Zabaleta and Aguero stayed cool to beat Petr Cech from the penalty spot. Seven minutes later, Tevez showed why he used to be such a hero at the club, playing a cute reverse pass in a crowded area to Nasri, who tucked away City's winner. Goals from Shaun Derry, Djibril Cisse and Jamie Mackie in the final 13 minutes at Loftus Road gave QPR a remarkable victory over Liverpool.