LONDON -- Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini fears losing out to archrival Manchester United for the signature of Robin van Persie could prove the difference in this seasons Premier League title race. The prolific Netherlands striker did little to dispel that theory Tuesday. Van Persie ushered in 2013 by taking his league-high tally to 16 goals with a brace in Uniteds 4-0 win at Wigan, maintaining the teams seven-point lead over City. Javier Hernandez also scored twice but Van Persie stood out again, scoring a sublime strike with his weaker right foot for the pick of the goals. "We expected him to be a major player and add something to us and that is exactly what he has done," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who spent 24 million pounds (then $38 million) on signing Van Persie from Arsenal in August. "Robin is a completely rounded footballer." City also made a statement of intent to kick off the new year, easing past Stoke 3-0 at home, but is now relying on some slip-ups from United. At the moment, they dont look like coming. "We have just got to continue to win football matches," City assistant manager David Platt said. Goals by Pablo Zabaleta, Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero at the Etihad Stadium ended Stokes 10-match unbeaten run. However, a hamstring injury sustained by Aguero late on saw the game end under a cloud for City. Tottenham climbed provisionally to third, above Chelsea by a point, by beating Reading 3-1 after having fallen behind in the fourth minute. Arsenal is provisionally fifth after a disappointing 1-1 draw at Southampton, needing an own goal to earn a point. At the bottom, struggling Aston Villa ended a run of three heavy defeats by drawing 2-2 at Swansea but will rue conceding an equalizer deep into stoppage-time by Danny Graham. Out-of-form pair Fulham and West Ham both won 2-1, against West Bromwich and Norwich, respectively, to stop their slide toward the relegation zone. Van Persie, who could have signed for City last summer, showed once again why he could be the determining factor in this seasons title race. His goal that made it 2-0 was thunderously struck into the corner and arguably his best this campaign, and he rounded off a dominant win at the DW Stadium with his 19th goal in all competitions. "He came to us at the very peak of his career," Ferguson said. "His ability to make and take goals is fantastic." With Wayne Rooney still absent because of a knee ligament injury, Hernandez was given another opportunity up front and he didnt waste it, displaying his predatory instincts with goals in the 35th and 63rd minutes. It left Wigan with no chance of repeating its surprise home win over Fergusons side last season. Another second straight clean sheet also pleased Ferguson, whose defence has been heavily criticized this season after conceding more goals than any other team in the top half. City did its job by crushing Stoke to keep the pressure on its neighbour, although it proved to be a bittersweet match for Aguero. The Argentina striker completed the scoring by converting a 74th-minute penalty but hobbled off with a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out for Citys next two matches. Mancini, though, will be happy with the way his team comfortably saw off an opponent that hadnt been beaten in its previous 10 games. Aguero could easily have come away with a hat trick, only to find Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic in fine form before his resistance was breached by right back Zabaleta in the 40th. With Chelsea not playing until Wednesday, against last-place Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham didnt waste a chance to rise above its London rival. Pavel Pogrebnyak put Reading ahead early but Michael Dawson equalized, Emmanuel Adebayor headed powerfully in for 2-1 and Clint Dempsey added a deflected third. "We did well to close out the festive period with 10 points from four games and hopefully we will continue this form to put ourselves in the position we want to be," Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas said. Spurs are five points ahead of fifth-place Arsenal, which produced a flat display at relegation-threatened Southampton and fell behind to Gaston Ramirezs 34th-minute goal. Guly do Prado turned Theo Walcotts free kick into his own net seven minutes later for Arsenals equalizer but the visitors were outplayed at times by the home side, which climbed out of the bottom three with the draw. Dimitar Berbatov was at his delightful best for Fulham, the languid Bulgarian striker scoring one and running rings around West Broms defence in a vital win at the Hawthorns. Sweden winger Alex Kacaniklic grabbed Fulhams 58th-minute winner, ending his teams four-match winless run that had dropped it close to relegation trouble. Norwich slipped to a fourth straight league loss after conceding first-half goals to Mark Noble and Joey OBrien for West Ham, rendering Russell Martins late goal a consolation. Villa finally earned a point at the end of a chastening festive schedule, in which it had conceded 15 goals in three big losses, but Paul Lamberts side still wont be happy. Christian Benteke looked to have given Villa victory by converting an 84th-minute penalty at the Liberty Stadium for 2-1 but Graham scored in a goalmouth scramble four minutes into injury time to grab a deserved point for Swansea. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The four-time All Pro safety has played in only five quarters this season due to a strained right calf. He had not practiced since two days before a win over Philadelphia on Oct. Cheap Jerseys .Y. -- Buffalo Bills receiver Stevie Johnson is scheduled to have what his agent described as "very minor" surgery to repair a groin injury that nagged the player for most of last season. http://www.nflwholesalecheapjerseysonline.com/ . The San Francisco Giants will need that trend to continue on Sunday if they want to even their best-of-five National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds. Cheap Jerseys From China Online . First, theres the 26-year-old import running backs speed that impresses the coaching staff of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Wholesale NFL Jerseys ., won two more gold medals on Saturday at the Canada Cup swimming competition with victories in the 50-metre freestyle and 100-metre backstroke. BOSTON -- The Red Sox have agreed to terms with designated hitter David Ortiz on a two-year deal worth $26 million that could allow a breakout star of the franchises cathartic 2004 World Series victory to retire in a Boston uniform. A baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations said Friday night that the sides reached agreement on a deal that, with incentive bonuses, could bring Ortiz as much as $30 million in the 2013 and 14 seasons. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been signed. Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said the team had nothing to announce. Ortiz agent, Fern Cuza, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Speaking at the Celtics home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, Ortiz said, "We havent finished it up yet." "Its coming," he said as he walked back to his courtside seat at the TD Garden "Its coming." But fans who had heard about the deal were already shouting their congratulations to the player beloved in Boston as "Big Papi." The crowd cheered when he was shown on the scoreboard at the end of the third quarter, and he acknowledged the support by raising his left arm straight up. One of the most popular players in Red Sox history, Ortiz now has a chance to finish his career in the city where it was rejuvenated after he was waived by the Minnesota Twins following the 2003 season. Ortiz signed with the Red Sox and became an immediate star, batting .288 with 31 homers and 101 in his first season. But it was in 2004 that Ortiz provided some of the signature moments in Red Soxx history.dddddddddddd After a season in which he had a .301 average, and career highs of 41 homers and 139 RBIs, Ortiz batted .545 in the first-round series against Anaheim. With the Red Sox facing elimination in Game 4 of the AL championship series against the New York Yankees, Ortiz hit a game-ending homer in the 12th inning and then delivered another game-winning hit in Game 5 as Boston rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win in seven games. Ortiz had four hits -- two for extra bases -- in 13 at-bats and four walks against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, which the Red Sox won in four games to end an 86-year title drought. In the 2007 post-season, when Boston won it all for a second time, Ortiz batted .370 with 14 walks in 14 games for an on-base percentage of .508. An eight-time All-Star, Ortiz hit a team-record 54 homers in 2006 and was batting .318 with 23 homers and 60 RBIs this season before injuring his right Achilles tendon and playing in just one game after July 16. Ortiz, who will turn 37 this month, is a career .285 hitter with 401 homers and 1,386 RBIs. His 343 homers in a Red Sox uniform is fifth on Bostons career list and his 1,088 RBIs is sixth in franchise history. Ortiz was a free agent and able to discuss money with all teams at midnight. The Red Sox made him a $13.3 million qualifying offer, but the sides continued negotiating and reached an agreement a few hours later. Boston did not make qualifying offers Friday to right-handers Aaron Cook, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Vicente Padilla; first baseman James Loney; and outfielders Scott Podsednik and Cody Ross. ' ' '