PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW: 28-29 AUGUST 2010
Week 3 of the FA Premier League began with a classic clash of styles. Blackburn Rovers are a tough, long-ball, direct-styled team – a way of playing that has brought them a measure of success in recent years. They were up against the ultimate ‘passers’ team. Arsenal are well known for their brilliant passing techniques, their beautiful football, patience and counter-attacking ability. The match was brilliant to watch as Arsenal threw everything they could at Blackburn. Walcott was on the score sheet again after latching on to a fine crossfield ball from van Persie to give the visitors the lead. On-loan striker Mame Diouf brought the home side level 7 minutes later. The game swung between the two until Arshavin grabbed the winner in the 51st minute. The surprise of the weekend came when recent UEFA Champions League qualifiers Tottenham Hotspur went down at home to Wigan Athletic. Spurs haven’t lost at home in 18 matches. Perhaps Harry Redknapp’s men were suffering from a Champions League hangover. Whatever their excuse, you can’t deny Wigan the praise they are due. A fighting display was rewarded when Rodallega grabbed a goal with 10 minutes remaining to give Wigan their first ever victory at White Heart Lane. Andy Carroll has many tongues wagging. The Toon striker scored his fourth goal of the campaign during Newcastle’s visit to Wolves. The Magpies needed more than one however as Carroll’s effort was only enough to cancel out Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s early strike. Blackpool and Fulham were the other sides to share the spoils as it ended 2-2 at Bloomfield Road. Fulham came off an impressive draw against Manchester United last weekend. Blackpool were recovering from their 6-0 drubbing by Arsenal. Bobby Zamora scored first but Fulham found themselves behind after an own goal by John Pantsil and a goal from Luke Varney, gave Blackpool the advantage. Dickson Etuhu denied Blackpool a famous first Premier League home win with a goal just three minutes from time. Chelsea had scored 6 in their last two matches and were hoping to continue in their rich goal scoring vein. Stoke however proved to be harder to break down than their last opponents as the Blues could only breach their defenses twice. Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba were once again on the score sheet. The game may have cost Chelsea dearly however as Frank Lampard and John Tery both face a spell on the side lines with injuries. Wayne Rooney finally broke his 13-match goal drought after converting from the spot for United. The opener came after 32 minutes as West Ham fought hard to keep the Reds at bay. Eye catching performances from Nani and Berbatov saw both score with magnificent efforts to give United a 3-0 win.
Bolton Wanderers seemed dead and buried after they found themselves 2-0 down with only 10 men. Roger Johnson opened the scoring for Birmingham City before being involved in an incident that resulted in Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen being sent off. Birmingham doubled their lead through Craig Gardner before Bolton fought back in true Trotter fashion. A converted penalty by Kevin Davies sparked an amazing comeback by the visitors. Robbie Blake capped it off brilliantly when he scored with a wonderful free kick to secure the home side a point. Another team to go down to 10 men was West Bromwich Albion. Star striker Fernando Torres had already given the Reds the lead with a stunning strike before James Morrison saw red. It was Torres’ first Premier League goal since 28th March and his 50th in all competitions for Liverpool. Sunderland and Manchester City looked to be heading towards a draw as the game entered stoppage time. The Black Cats are without a win so far this season and were handed a brilliant opportunity when Kolo Toure was blown for a push on Darren Bent in the area. The England striker converted the resulting penalty to secure all three points for Steve Bruce’s side. Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will be frustrated that his side couldn’t find an end product earlier and lost out on at least a point in the dying moments.
Featured Match: Aston Villa v Everton
It took Luke Young two years to score his second goal for Aston Villa and what a time to do it. The defender’s second goal of his Villa career was a brilliant finish on his weaker foot to give the home side the lead after just 9 minutes. Young’s early strike proved to be enough to condemn Everton to another defeat as the Blues experienced their worst start to a campaign in 11 years. Both clubs were under pressure and the vital win will certainly help Kevin MacDonald’s chances of remaining in the Villa hot seat. David Moyes on the hand will be experiencing a major headache as he attempts to turn his sides’ fortunes around. The biggest worry for Everton is the fact that they have begun the season with what is pretty much a full squad. The likes of Pienaar, Jagielka, Arteta and even Saha all spent lengthy spells on the sideline last season but are all fit and have featured in all three games so far this season. David Moyes has a few weeks – thanks to the International break – to get his side to their best before Manchester United come for a visit.
Results from this weekend:
Saturday
Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal (1-2)
Blackpool v Fulham (2-2)
Chelsea v Stoke City (2-0)
Tottenham Hotspur v Wigan Athletic (0-1)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United (1-1)
Manchester United v West Ham United (3-0)
Sunday
Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City
Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion
Sunderland v Manchester City
Aston Villa v Everton
Top of the log:
Bolton’s impressive come-from-behind draw with Birmingham City means they leap-frog Manchester City after the Blues’ last minute loss to Sunderland.
Top Goal scorers:
All four of the men at the top were again giving the score keepers work to do. They are now 2 goals ahead of the next batch of challengers for the Golden Boot.
Top Scoring boots
Goals from Drogba and Walcott helped lift the Nike Superfly above their speed boot rivals the Adidas AdiZero. Rooney and Torres both opened their Premier League account to help move Nike’s T90 Laser III into the Top 4.
In-form team:
Chelsea are the only unbeaten side after 3 weeks. Arsenal drew on opening day before Manchester United failed to stop Fulham from grabbing a point last weekend.
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW: 21-23 AUGUST 2010
It seems that 6 is the lucky number at the moment. Chelsea put 6 past West Bromwich Albion on opening day and followed that up with a 6-0 win over Wigan Athletic. Arsenal also scored 6 unanswered goals against Blackpool but the surprise ‘6’ of the weekend was Newcastle’s demolition of Aston Villa.
Chelsea’s performance last week wasn’t much of a surprise as it was West Brom’s first game back in the League. Wigan however really should have done better. Roberto Martinez’ men ended last season badly with some heavy losses and this season has started horrendously with a 4-0 drubbing from new boys Blackpool and now the 6-0 football lesson at the hands of Chelsea. Malouda was once again on the score-sheet while a brace by Anelka and Kalou was rounded off by Benayoun’s first goal for the Blues. Wigan are now rooted to the bottom of the log with no points and a -10 goal difference. Blackpool’s fine display last week against Wigan sent the Tangerines onto Cloud 9 but they were brought back to earth by Arsenal on Saturday. Theo Walcott is desperate to prove everyone wrong and went about it well with a hat-trick as his side ran circles around the hapless Blackpool defense. Arshavin, Diaby and Chamakh were also on the score-sheet while Cesc Fabregas made a welcomed return from the bench. Tottenham Hotspur overcame their midweek Champions League disappointment with a good away win against the tough Stoke side. Tony Pulis has built a good side at the Britannia but Ricardo Fuller’s 25th minute strike wasn’t enough to grab a point for the Potters. Gareth Bale scored the opener before Fuller made things level. Bale scored his second 4 minutes later to put Spurs back in front. Gomes was twice tested late on but the Spurs defense held strong to secure Harry’s men all three points. Another fine goal-keeping display took place at St Andrews where Ben Foster was instrumental in securing a win for Birmingham City. It seems that City is the place to go to build your England goalkeeping career. Joe Hart was brilliant on loan last season and now ex-Manchester United stopper Foster is out to impress. And impress he did. A fine penalty save followed, by some confidence-boosting saves saw Foster enable his side to hold on for a 2-1 win over Blackburn. Everton’s less than impressive early season form continued when they only managed a draw at home against Wolves. Tim Cahill set the home side on the road before Sylvan Ebanks-Blake made sure that the points would be shared. West Bromwich Albion got their first win back in the league when they beat a confusingly poor Sunderland side. West Ham continue to struggle. They went down to Bolton in front of their home fans at Fratton Park.
Newcastle United were nowhere near good enough last Monday night against Manchester United but looked like a different team against Aston Villa on Sunday. Villa looked good last week under caretaker coach MacDonald but a 6-0 whipping won’t help his chances of taking the job fulltime. A goal from Joey Barton, a Nolan brace and Carol hat-trick saw the 4th 6-0 result this season. Manchester United’s bogey team came back to haunt them again. Fulham have been a thorn in United’s side the last few years and United failed to kill off the Cottagers. New manager Mark Hughes failed to get a point against United when he was manager of cross city rival Manchester City but secured one on his first encounter as Fulham boss. United had a penalty saved late on which would have put them 3-1 ahead but Stockdale’s fine save proved even more valuable when Hengeland made up for his earlier own-goal with a last minute header to level matters.
Featured Match: Manchester City v Liverpool
Roberto Mancini handed the City money men their first victory of the season with an impressive display at home against Liverpool. Last week agasint Spurs, City looked disjointed and disconnected. Whatever Mancini did this week paid off however as City’s performance looked like that of a team rather than a mish-mash of superstars. New signing James Milner looked impressive as he walked straight into the starting line up. His pass, after a great run, was latched onto by Gareth Barry who slotted home to give City an early lead. New captain Carlos Tevez then doubled the lead. Liverpool came back strongly but Steven Gerrard was denied by the post. Tevez put it beyond doubt when he converted a penalty brought about by Skrtel’s tackle on Adam Johnson.
Results from the weekend:
Saturday
Arsenal v Blackpool (6-0)
Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers (2-1)
Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-1)
Stoke City v Tottenham Hotspur (1-2)
West Bromwich Albion v Sunderland (1-0)
West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers (1-3)
Wigan Athletic v Chelsea (0-6)
Sunday
Newcastle v Aston Villa (6-0)
Fulham v Manchester United (2-2)
Monday
Manchester City v Liverpool (3-0)
Top of the log:
United remain in the Top 4 despite their draw with Fulham. Chelsea and Arsenal lead the way after their 6-0 wins.
Top Goal scorers:
Hat-tricks by Andy Carrol, Didier Drogba and Theo Walcott see them topping the goal scorers list. They are joined by Flourent Malouda who also has three to his name.
In-form team:
6-0 wins are the flavour of the month for Chelsea with both West Bromwich Albion and Wigan Athletic receiving 6 of the best from the reigning champions.
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW: 14-16 AUGUST 2010
The opening day of the FA Premier League is over and the results provide us with one or two surprises. Chelsea, it could be said, surprised a few people with their display on Saturday evening. A win would have been expected but the 6-0 drubbing of West Bromwich Albion wasn’t necessarily on the cards. It took the champions just 6minutes to find the back of the net through Malouda who grabbed a brace. Lampard was also on the scoresheet but it was Didier Drogba who really stole the show. The Ivorian’s hat-trick showed just why he was last season’s Golden Boot winner. Chelsea were outplayed in the Community Shield but this performance will send a strong message to both United and all other title hopefuls that the Blues are not going to give up the trophy easily. Aston Villa put in a great display for a club who lost their manager of four years just 5 days earlier. Martin O’Neil walked out which left Kevin MacDonald in charge and he couldn’t have hoped for a better start. His side always looked the better team with goals by Downing, Petrov and Milner. The two ‘upsets’ came in the form of victories for Wolves and Blackpool. David Jones and Steven Fletcher – who was making his Wolves’ debut – gave Wolves a valuable home win over the much fancied Stoke City. Blackpool’s victory was even more of a shock. The newly promoted side struck 4 past Wigan Athletic who had home ground advantage. A brace by Marlon Harewood followed Taylor-Fletcher’s early strike to hand Blackpool the tie before halftime. Alex Baptiste gave the visitors a 4th and 3 points that will go a long way to helping them stay up. Blackburn Rovers were the only other team to get a result after their 1-0 win over Everton. Tom Howard’s mistake in the 14th minute was pounced on by Nikola Kalinic and that is all Rovers needed to secure what could also be described as an upset.
There were four draws over the weekend. Bolton and Fulham played out to a goalless draw. David Stockdale came in for Arsenal target Mark Schwazer and went a long way to prove he could be Mark Hughes’ number 1. Bolton looked the better side but Fulham held on to secure their first point under new manager Hughes. Sunderland looked set to come away from their first home game with three points until Birmingham scored 2 goals in 12 minutes to rob them of all 3 points. Bent and Carr gave the home side the advantage. Sunderland had gone down to 10 men thanks to two yellow cards for Lee Cattermole. The home side had to hold City for 35 minutes to secure the win and looked good with just 13 minutes left to play but goals from Dann and Ridgewell broke the hearts of the Stadium of Light faithful.
Featured Match: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Liverpool v Arsenal
The Premier League started with a bang when Spurs hosted Manchester City. The game began with a frantic pace with Spurs looking the better side for most of the first half. Joe Hart found himself in the starting line-up ahead of Shay Given and it proved a great choice by Mancini. Many people wonder how he will manage both players and rumors persist about an exit for one of them. Hart can be thanked for the point City secured as Spurs had multiple chances to win the game. The closest was when Garth Bale managed to beat the young keeper only to be denied by the post. Manchester City looked like a team made up of stars who had never played together and lacked penetration. You can see the potential but one must wonder how long it will take them to click together. In the end a 0-0 draw will be an acceptable result for both managers. Liverpool and Arsenal will also both be reasonably happy with a draw although Wenger may have expected more. His side failed to make the most of man advantage after Joe Cole was sent off – for the first time in his professional career – just before half time. A strong tackle was deemed a straight red card offense and Cole was sent for an early shower – not the perfect start to his Liverpool career. Liverpool didn’t seem to mind however as Ngog sent the home side into the lead just after half-time. It was 40 minutes of defensive football after that for the Reds as Arsenal threw everything at them. The Gunners seemed to run out of ideas in the final third but their patience was eventually rewarded thanks to a blunder by Pepe Reina. A header from Chamakh rebounded off the post only to be bundled in by the Spanish keeper.
Monday
On Monday night Newcastle United began their new season back in the Premier League with a trip to Old Trafford. Newcastle bounced straight back up to the Premier League with relative ease after the disappointment of being relegated two seasons ago and their trip to Manchester was a sharp reality check. The Premier League seems to become more and more competitive each year and Manchester United showed just what it takes to be successful with a dominating display against the Magpies. Newcastle never really troubled Manchester United, bar an early header from a corner by Carrol that flew wide of the mark. Dimitar Berbatov has had much criticism since his arrival but capped a fine display with well worked goal. Fletcher was also on the score sheet before Ryan Giggs volleyed home after a superb ball from Paul Scholes. United could have had more but 3-0 was the score line at the end which flattered Newcastle more than it did Manchester United.
Results from the weekend:
Saturday
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City (0-0)
Aston Villa v West Ham United (3-0)
Blackburn Rovers v Everton (1-0)
Bolton Wanderers v Fulham (0-0)
Sunderland v Birmingham City (2-2)
Wigan Athletic v Blackpool (0-4)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Stoke City (2-1)
Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion (6-0)
Sunday
Liverpool v Arsenal (1-1)
Top of the log:
After the opening weekend the table has an interesting look to it. Blackpool fans must be wishing the season was just a single game long!
Top Goal scorers:
Didier Drogba just carried on from where he left off. A hat-trick in the last game of last season and another on opening day.
In-form team:
With a commanding 6-0 win over West Bromwich Albion you can’t argue that Chelsea are looking good.
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 9 MAY
Chelsea are Champions. Stamford Bridge rung out with ‘We are the Champions’ after a near perfect display by the Blues who ran riot as they wrestled the title away from Manchester United.
Arsenal were under pressure to find some form with Spurs breathing down their necks. A loss for the Gunners could have handed Spurs 3rd if they beat Burnley. In the end neither happened. Arsenal were on top form as they rattled 4 past Fulham. Roy Hodgeson’s men may have been more focused on Europe than the Premier League match up but that doesn’t take anything away from the Gunners. Spurs started smartly and it looked as if Burnley were in for a long afternoon. Bale and Modric gave the visitors the lead before Elliott pulled one back as they went into the break. Spurs didn’t come back as Burnley fired 3 past a tired and disinterested looking opposition. Cork, Paterson and Thompson all scored to give the Clarets a famous (and one last) win in the Premier League. Spurs had already qualified for the Champions League thanks to their victory over Manchester City midweek. City played out to a 1-1 draw against West Ham. The big news of the game was the return of Luis Boa Morte after a year due to injury. Aston Villa at one stage looked set to challenge for 4th. A loss to Manchester City knocked them out of the race and their loss to Blackburn Rovers left them even further off the pace. Richard Dunne’s own goal meant Rovers finished 10th after just one defeat in their last nine matches. Bolton secured their 6th home win thanks to Kevin Davies and Ivan Klasnic. James McFadden pulled one back but it was all Birmingham could manage. Portsmouth ended their stay in the Premier League with a defeat at Goodison Park. Bilyaletdinov scored in the 4th minute of injury time to send Portsmouth down with the very low point total of 19. Many expected to see Wolves go straight back down to the Championship but Mick McCarthy’s men have been impressive this term. They finish 15th after a good win over Sunderland. The Black Cats had both Michael Turner and Jack Colback sent off late on. It proved decisive as Adlene Guedioura’ was able to fire home a late winner. Liverpool’s season has been a disappointment and that was again true as they failed to look convincing against Hull. The Tigers, who have been relegated, looked the better side on the day. A fairly dull 0-0 draw caps off a poor campaign for the Reds, who end in their worst position since 1999 when they finished 7th.
Featured Match: Chelsea v Wigan, Manchester United v Stoke City
One point separated the title leaders before the games began and just one point separated them by the end. Manchester United’s chances of securing a 4th successive title were reliant on the right Wigan pitching up at Stamford Bridge. Wigan have been the model of inconsistency this season. They have beaten Chelsea and Arsenal while also being on the receiving end of hidings – such as Spurs 9-1 demolition. It was the beatable Wigan that arrived to face Chelsea and beaten they were. Anelka gave the Blues the lead after just 6 minutes. On 31 minutes Lampard was brought down in the box and that was when the rot really set in for Wigan. Gary Caldwell was sent off for the challenge and Lampard converted from the spot: 2-0 Chelsea. Goals from Kalou, a second Anelka goal, a hat-trick from Drogba and a late cherry on the top from Ashley Cole sealed an emphatic victory for Chelsea. Stamford Bridge has waited 3 years for the trophy to return and there was no stopping the celebration that followed the faultless display. Manchester United did what they needed to do – beat Stoke. Rooney and Drogba were going head to head for the Golden Boot but the England forward didn’t get on the score sheet. Drogba’s hat-trick secured him the Golden Boot after they began the day on 26 goals a piece. Flecther, Giggs, a Higginbotham own goal and one from Park secured a good win for the ex-Champions. It wasn’t enough but United know they didn’t lose the title on Sunday afternoon.
Fixtures taking place this weekend:
Sunday
Arsenal v Fulham (4-0)
Aston Villa v Blackburn Rovers (0-1)
Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City (2-1)
Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur (4-2)
Chelsea v Wigan Athletic (8-0)
Everton v Portsmouth (1-0)
Hull City v Liverpool (0-0)
Manchester United v Stoke City (4-0)
West Ham United v Manchester City (1-1)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Sunderland (2-1)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Top Goal scorers:
Drogba’s hat-trick secured him the Golden Boot ahead of Rooney (26), Bent (24) and Lampard and Tevex both on 22.
Top goal scoring boots:
Adidas Predator X finishes with the most goals this season (191). Nike’s T90 Laser III finishes with (145) ahead of Adidas F50i (101), Nike Superfly (94) and CTR360 (83).
In-form team:
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 1-5 MAY
The penultimate weekend began with one of the relegated teams, Burnley travelling to Birmingham. Burnley had a decent start to the season but the drop off in their form has seen them dumped out of the Premier League. It was their initial home form that caught the attention of the masses, while their away form was always something to forget. That form continued at St Andrew’s. An own goal and one from Christian Benitez gave the Blues all three points despite a late consolation goal from Steven Thompson. Portsmouth are the surprise team of the season. Their relegation and financial woes are a wake-up call for many clubs. Their squad seems almost too good to go down (as was said of Newcastle last season) but down they go. They have shown glimpses of what they can do and Wolves’ trip to Fratton Park was one of these displays. Aruna Dindane’s opener was canceled out by Kevin Doyle before John Utaka and Michael Brown put the result beyond doubt. Newcastle managed to pull themselves together and have won promotion straight back into the Premier League. The Pompey faithful will be hoping for a similar performance from their charges. Everton continued on their unbeaten run, which now stretches 10 games. They were held to a goalless draw by Stoke. Everton needed a win to leapfrog cross-town neighbors Liverpool into the last Europa League spot. Phil Jagielka thought he had secured all three points but his effort was ruled out. A point is all Everton could manage and their chance of European football is over. Tottenham Hotspur stayed ahead in the race for 4th with victory over Bolton. Redknapp took no chances with Bolton, who have proved to be a very tricky opponent, and picked a strong team. Ledley King may have to miss Wednesday’s crucial game at Manchester City due to his knees. Spurs will hope they can carry their great form into the 4th place decider midweek. Tom Huddlestone’s superb strike secured the points and it may just catch Fabio Capello’s eye. West Ham secured their top flight status last weekend – albeit thanks to goal difference – and hoped to finish the season on a strong note. At 2-0 down it wasn’t looking likely for the Hammers after Demspey and a Cole own goal put the Cottagers ahead. Cole pulled one back before Okaka made it 3-1 to Fulham. Substitute, Franco scored in injury time but that was all West Ham had time for. Manchester United started the evening knowing a loss would hand the title to Chelsea. Sunderland have proven a tough opponent and United were made to work hard for the three points. Nani continued his fine form with his fourth goal in as many starts for the Reds since the beginning of April. Berbatov could have made the scoreline far more emphatic if he had capitalized on all the chances that fell to him. In the end Nani’s 28th minute strike was enough to send the title race to the last day.
Featured Match: Liverpool v Chelsea, Manchester City v Aston Villa/Spurs
Manchester United needed their biggest rivals to come through for them. A win for Liverpool would have put United back in pole position to win a 4th successive title. Liverpool would lose their record of 18 titles and see United become the most successful club in Premier League history. All that isn’t to be, and it is thanks mainly to Liverpool skipper; Steven Gerrard. Liverpool have had the Premier League and Europa League to deal with in the past few weeks and without their Spanish star Fernando Torres, have looked flat and tired. The Reds started strong and had Aquilani blasting a drive narrowly over the crossbar. That seemed to be the only resistance Liverpool could offer before Gerrard gifted Drogba with the opener. A horror back-pass from the skipper sent Drogba clear and the big Ivorian made no mistakes as he rounded a flailing Reina. The goal gave Chelsea the momentum and the Blues took a firm hold on the tie – and the title – when Frank Lampard tapped in from close range. The win means the Blues now just need to win at Wigan on the last day to secure the title. Manchester City made sure that the race for 4th goes on. At least until Wednesday… Aston Villa could have ended the Citizen’s push for a Champions League spot with a win at the City of Manchester Stadium. It was looking good for Martin O’Neil when Carew slotted home the opener and followed that up with a shot that was saved by the crossbar. Tevez brought the home side level from the spot before Adebayor gave them the lead and Bellamy put it beyond doubt. The win for City sees Villa drop out of the running. City now turn their attention to Spurs who will visit on Wednesday night. A draw will be good enough for Spurs as they are a single point ahead. That will mean they can’t afford to slipup on the final day however. We wait expectantly for Wednesday’s showdown.
Winners and Losers
Manchester United will admit that they held just a sliver of hope that Liverpool would do them a favor against Chelsea. The Reds didn’t just disappoint United, they disappointed themselves. In their defense, they have had a tough couple of weeks and are missing some key players, but they were still poor. Die hard and neutral fans will be hoping for a revival next season. This season and this weekend however sees Liverpool go home the losers. The winners are Chelsea as it now seem that the trophy is heading back to Stamford Bridge. All is not sealed however! Stranger things have happened.
Monday
Hull City were all but relegated last weekend but it was confirmed last night as they could only manage a draw against Wigan. Victor Moses scored his first goal for the Latics before Will Atkinson and Mark Cullen sent the away side into the lead. Steven Gohouri’s injury time acrobatics secured Wigan a dramatic point. Arsenal had a welcome sight when Robin van Persie scored his first goal since 31st October. David Dunn equalized for Rovers thanks to a clever strategy by Big Sam. Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski’s vulnerability in the air was exposed thanks to the ‘long, high ball’ styled football Rovers employed. It paid off for Dunn and then for captain Chris Samba who headed home to give Blackburn a famous win.
Wednesday
Wednesday night saw the battle for 4th reach a climax as Manchester City hosted Spurs. City needed to win, or their chances were over while Spurs would have accepted a draw. Both teams came out firing and the quality of attacking football from both sides was worthy of Europe. Neither side were able to create many clear cut chances however. Spurs had a goal disallowed when Ledley King was judged to have climbed illegally to win his header. Peter Crouch’s header hit the bar just a few minutes later as Spurs seemed to be in the driving seat. City did have good spells but Spurs seemed the more likely to score. They did eventually after some terrific work by Kaboul down the right flank which saw him force a save from Fulop – who could only palm into the path of Crouch. 1-0 it finished and Spurs will play in the Champions League. Stoke City moved into 10th with a 1-0 win over Fulham. Matthew Etherington scored the only goal.
Fixtures taking place this weekend:
Saturday
Birmingham City v Burnley (2-1)
Manchester City v Aston Villa (3-1)
Portsmouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-1)
Stoke City v Everton (0-0)
Tottenham Hotspur v Bolton Wanderers (1-0)
Sunday
Liverpool v Chelsea (0-2)
Fulham v West Ham United (3-2)
Sunderland v Manchester United (0-1)
Monday
Wigan Athletic v Hull City (2-2)
Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal (2-1)
Wednesday
Fulham v Stoke City (0-1)
Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur (0-1)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Wins for Chelsea, Manchester United and Spurs sees the Top 4 unmoved.
Top Goal scorers:
Drogba’s goal brought him level with Rooney on 26 goals. The final day of the season will decide who gets the bragging rights as the ‘Premier League’s Golden Boot’.
Top goal scoring boots:
In-form team:
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 24-25 APRIL
A dangerous side to play is a side who have nothing but pride to play for. Bolton found this out the hard way when Portsmouth came to town. Already relegated, Pompey came from behind to secure a ‘pointless’ point. Ivan Klasnic and Kevin Davies gave the home side the lead before a brace from Aruna Dindane gave the Pompey faithful something to cheer about. Hull City were effectively sent down with their loss to Sunderland. Darren Bent scored after just 6 minutes. Jimmy Bullard’s penalty hit the woodwork and that, coupled with West Ham’s victory left the Tigers 6 points off the 17th placed Hammers. They have to hope West Ham lose both of their remaining matches while winning their last 2 at an average of 11.5 goals a game to stay up. Scott Parker was instrumental in securing West Ham’s Premier League status for next year with his 25-yard strike. Zola’s men had to come from behind to secure a vital three points that all but keeps them up next season. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s goal virtually secured Wolves a spot in the Premier League next season. Ryan Nelsen had given Blackburn the lead and were heading towards another three points. An inspired substitution saw Ebanks-Blake score in his first minute of being on the pitch. Spurs may have lost to Manchester United but Manchester City failed to capitalize. Arsenal have resided to finishing third but wanted to set the record straight after defeat earlier in the year. The draw came at a cost as star keeper, Shay Given was injured and will watch the last 3 games from the sidelines.
On Sunday Aston Villa hosted derby and cross town neighbors, Birmingham City. Villa are not out of the running for 4th spot just yet and with Spurs and City dropping points were looking to take their opportunities. It took a late penalty conversion by James Milner to move them ahead of Manchester City into 5th. Birmingham City and Roger Johnson will feel hard done by as the defender clearly got the ball in his sliding tackle. Erik Nevland gave Fulham the lead as they looked to end a run of 16 successive defeats at Goodison Park. Everton can thank Anichebe and Arteta for keeping that record intact. Liverpool have very slender hopes of sneaking into 4th. A 4-0 win at Turf Moor will keep their hopes alive. Burnley however have been relegated. They needed a win to have any chance of staying up but goals from Maxi Rodriguez, Ryan Babel and two from Steven Gerrard sent the Clarets back to the Championship. With Manchester United’s win over Spurs, Chelsea couldn’t afford any slip ups. And they didn’t disappoint! A hat-trick from Kalou, a brace from Frank Lampard and goals from Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda sent United a strong message. Chelsea regained the lead at the top of the log after surrendering it for the night. The 7-0 thumping of Stoke also gave them an 8 goal-difference cushion.
Featured Match: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester United had expected both Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand to return against Spurs. It turned out that neither could be passed as fit. In the end it seemed as though they weren’t even needed. Spurs were not roll-overs by any stretch of the imagination however. The two played the game on the field in the same way the managers played it in their heads: tactically. It seemed more like a chess match than a football match as two of the League’s oldest and wisest managers attempted to outwit each other. It was by no means a dull game. It almost resembled a European night. Patrice Evra, who was later found in a heap sharing his lunch with the Old Trafford grass, was the instigator of the first of two penalties for the Champions. A great run by the Frenchman was brought to an abrupt halt by Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Ryan Giggs stepped up to take the resulting penalty and coolly slotted it home. A corner resulted in Ledley King bringing the visitors back level. With 10 minutes to play United needed a star to rise. Ronaldo had done it so often for United but it was his fellow countryman who held the key this time. A beautifully weighted through-ball from Kiko Macheda found Nani bursting into the box before he delicately chipped Gomes with all the arrogance in the world. It was a perfect example of why they call it the ‘Theatre of Dreams’. It got better for Nani who was brought down in the box 5 minutes later to hand United (and Giggs) their second penalty of the day. 3-1 it ended but Spurs had the ability to force a draw. It was good news for England fans as Aaron Lennon made his comeback and looked very sharp. Owen Hargreaves was also included on the bench for United but never got to get a kick in.
Winners and Losers
After fighting bravely, Burnley were relegated yesterday. Their faithful fans are this weekend’s losers. The winners are everyone above them as it seems as though West Ham, Bolton, Wigan and Wolves are all now safe.
Fixtures taking place this weekend:
Saturday
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (3-1)
Bolton Wanderers v Portsmouth (2-2)
Hull City v Sunderland (0-1)
West Ham v Wigan Athletic (3-2)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Blackburn Rovers (1-1)
Arsenal v Manchester City (0-0)
Sunday
Aston Villa v Birmingham City (1-0)
Burnley v Liverpool (0-4)
Everton v Fulham (2-1)
Chelsea v Stoke City (7-0)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Spurs and Manchester City will face each other next Wednesday in the game that could decide who finds themselves in the Champions League next season.
Top Goal scorers:
Wayne Rooney, who was last night named PFA player of the year, may not get to add to his goal tally because of injury. Drogba is just a single goal behind while Bent is 2 off the pace.
Top goal scoring boots:
In-form team:
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 17-19 APRIL
It was a great weekend for the Red half of Manchester as United gained another victory over City. Chelsea stumbled as Spurs recorded a second straight win at White heart Lane. Arsenal’s faint hopes of winning the title died for sure – as did possibly their push for second.
Hull City helped their chances of survival by securing a point against Birmingham City. Both sides had their opportunities but it finished all square in the end. A single point was enough to move Hull above Burnley. They still sit in the relegation zone however. Goals from Frazier Campbell and Daren Bent secured three points for Sunderland. Burnley pulled one back late in the game to set up a nervy finish but the Black Cats were equal to the task. Fulham and Wolves played out to the second goalless draw of the day. Fulham will now look to Thursday’s Europa League semi-final against Hamburg. The point moves Wolves to within 1 point of 15th placed Wigan. Bolton have gone close to securing their place in next season’s roster with a win at Stoke. Matthew Taylor scored twice to give Bolton a come from behind win after Dave Kitson had given the hosts the lead. Everton became only the third team this season to walk away from Ewood Park with all three points. The Likes of Chelsea and Manchester United have been frustrated by Big Sam’s men. David Moyes found a winning combination however. Mikel Arteta gave the visitors the lead from the spot before Steven Nzoni made things level with 21 minutes to play. Ayegeni Yakubu and Jason Roberts scored 2 minutes apart to make it 2-2 before Tim Cahill scored the winner in the 90th minute.
Sunday saw Aston Villa get back on the winning road after a hard fought battle with Portsmouth. The South Coast club aren’t playing like a relegated team. Michael Brown gave the home side an advantage after just 9 minutes. John Carew brought matters level, then missed an opportunity to put Villa in front when David James pulled out a fine save to deny his penalty attempt. Martin O’Neil’s inspired substitution worked immediately as Nathan Delfouneso scored with his first touch. The win moves Villa to 6th – 2 points ahead of Liverpool. Arsenal’s loss to Spurs last week effectively ended their chances of winning the title this season. They still had an opportunity to finish second but that looks unlikely now after a shock loss to Wigan. The Gunners looked to be cruising after Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre had scored each side of the half. Wigan didn’t lie down and die however. Goals from Ben Watson and Titus Bramble brought the hosts level before a dramatic injury time winner from Charles N’Zogbia completed the remarkable come back.
Featured Matches: Manchester United v Manchester City & Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
As Manchester derbies go, this one was pretty laid back. There were some wild challenges and the odd kicking of a shin but nothing to really write home about. With United knowing that anything less than a win would end their title challenge and City knowing a loss could ruin their top 4 hopes, both teams seemed too scared to commit. Neither side really looked like a winning side. Neither side looked like they were taking the game by the scruff of the neck. They traded soft blows, dancing around the ring like amateur featherweight boxers while the crowd begged for a heavyweight fight. Football fans around the world – be they Red, Blue or neither wanted to see Tyson v Holyfield. United gambled with young guns like Obertan while Berbatov replaced Rooney with 16 minutes to play. In the end it was the veteran Paul Scholes who grabbed the winner. With just three minutes of extra time (not six) the game looked destined to end in a rather tame draw. With seconds to play Obertan spread the ball wide to Evra who whipped in the perfect cross for Scholes to get his head onto. The win moves United to within a point of Chelsea while the loss for City left them chasing Spurs who are now 2 points ahead. Chelsea fans would have been hoping City would hold off United and with the seconds ticking away would have begun to turn their attention to the Blues’ trip to White Heart Lane. Tottenham Hotspur were fresh off a famous win against derby rivals Arsenal. Jermain Defoe put the home side in front from a penalty after Terry was ruled to have handled the ball. Gareth Bale seems to get better match after match. The Welsh winger scored in his second successive game to give Spurs a 2-0 advantage going into the break. John Terry was sent off for 2 bookable offenses which seemed to hand Spurs the game but a late goal from Lampard caused there to be an edgy ending. It was a bridge too far for the log leaders to cross.
Winners and Loosers
With Arsenal and Chelsea both dropping points, Manchester United walk away from this weekend as the biggest winners after they beat Manchester City. Thanks to wins from Spurs and Aston Villa, Manchester City would have to be the biggest losers.
Monday
Liverpool hardly missed Fernando Torres as they brushed aside West Ham on Monday night. The Red’s faint hopes of Champions League qualification were kept alive after Yossi Benayoun, David Ngog and an own goal by Robert Green gave the Merseyside club all three points. West Ham are now just three points away from the drop.
Fixtures that took place this weekend
Saturday
Manchester City v Manchester United (0-1)
Birmingham City v Hull City (0-0)
Blackburn Rovers v Everton (2-3)
Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers (0-0)
Stoke City v Bolton Wanderers (1-2)
Sunderland v Burnley (2-1)
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (2-1)
Sunday
Wigan Athletic v Arsenal (3-2)
Portsmouth v Aston Villa (1-2)
Monday
Liverpool v West Ham (3-0)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Manchester United move to within 1 point of Chelsea while Spurs return to the Top 4. They face each other next weekend.
Top Goal scorers:
Jermain Defoe’s goal against Cheslea sees him move back ahead of Torres who won’t play again this season due to knee surgery.
Top goal scoring boots:
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 10-14 APRIL
Well this weekend certainly wasn’t a goal fest. Although Burnley scored 4 and Manchester City hit the net 5 times, there were three 0-0 draws and West Ham needed just one to beat Sunderland.
Saturday was ‘relegation battle’ day as Hull City played host to Burnley. The Clarets seemed sure to drop down after a string of poor performances but kept their hopes of staying up alive with a 4-1 thumping of the Tigers. Kevin Kilbane gave the hosts the lead before Martin Paterson brought things level. A penalty brace from Graham Alexander swung the game towards Burnley before Wade Elliott made certain of the three points. They both now sit on 27 points (Hull have a game in hand though). West Ham helped their own cause with a win at home against Sunderland. The Black Cats, who had come off a commanding display against Spurs last time out, were left frustrated by a well organized Hammers defense. Ilan had scored a late equalizer last weekend to secure his side a point against Everton and it was the Brazilian who netted again to give Zola’s men a much needed 3 points.
Sunday saw Wolves and Stoke play out to one of three goalless draws. The point gives Wolves a little more breathing space and moves them into 14th on log. Stoke are still in the top 10 – a brilliant performance by the Potters. Manchester United saw their chances of securing the title slip away after they were held by Blackburn. Rovers secured a point against Chelsea and seem to be a bit of a banana skin for the top clubs. Arsenal still have to travel to Ewood Park which is becoming a fortress for Big Sam’s side. A win for Chelsea on Tuesday would see them move 4 points clear of United. Liverpool and Fulham were the third fixture to not produce any goals. Like Manchester United’s title chances, Liverpool’s top 4 push seems to be over. The Reds are now 6 points behind Manchester City – who have played a game less. Fulham continue to impress. The London club could find themselves facing Liverpool in the Europa League final if they carry on in their current vein of form. Manchester City have taken a firm hold on the sought after 4th spot. 4 points ahead of Spurs (who are a game behind) and in great form, City have scored 14 goals in their last three games. City’s biggest problem is that they have drawn too many games this season. Chelsea and United have drawn 5 and 4 respectively while the Citizens have drawn 11. Calros Tevez has become integral for City. He and Emmanuel Adebayor both scored twice against Birmingham with Nedum Onuoha also getting on the score sheet.
Winners and Losers
Chelsea are the winners for the second weekend in a row after Manchester United’s draw. The Blues are now firmly in the driving seat. Liverpool promised so much this season after a massive push for the title last season. It looks however that they are not even going to make it into the Champions League. A real blow for the Red’s fans who are this weekend’s losers.
Tuesday
Chelsea took a firm hold on the title with a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. Nicolas Anelka secured the Blues a hard fought win with his strike late in the first half. The 3 points move Chelsea 4 points clear of Manchester United.
Wednesday
Portsmouth, after a brilliant performance to knock Spurs out of the FA Cup, failed to deliver in the Premier League. Wigan could have gone a long way to easing their relegation worries with a victory. In the end it was all square as both sides failed to find the back of the net. Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa both had an opportunity to press for Champions League football. A few weeks ago Martin O’Neil’s men were in a good position but have failed to score the points needed to mount a serious challenge. Another draw has pretty much ended their hopes of finishing fourth. Tim Cahill scored twice to give Everton the advantage while Villa relied on Agbonlahor and a Jagielka injury time own-goal to secure themselves a point. Spurs on the other hand took their chance. The London club have a tough run-in with fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester United. Spurs have some injury problems and that paved the way for young Danny Rose to get a start. The diminutive left footer fired home a wonder goal from 30 yards. It was the 19-year-old midfielder’s first league start. Gareth Bale scored a minute into the second half before Nicklas Bendtner pulled one back for the Gunners. The loss dents (and almost ends) Arsenal’s title challenge while the win leaves Spurs just a point behind Manchester City.
Fixtures taking place this weekend/next week:
Saturday
Hull City v Burnley (1-4)
West Ham v Sunderland (1-0)
Sunday
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Stoke City (0-0)
Blackburn Rover v Manchester United (0-0)
Liverpool v Fulham (0-0)
Manchester City v Birmingham City (5-1)
Tuesday
Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers (1-0)
Wednesday
Aston Villa v Everton (2-2)
Wigan Athletic v Portsmouth (0-0)
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal (2-1)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Top Goal scorers:
Top goal scoring boots:
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 3-4 APRIL
We start at the Emirates where an immensely stingy Wolves side almost squeezed out a point. Mick McCarthy’s men battled bravely and looked set to secure a valuable point after holding off Arsenal for the full 90 minutes. They did so a man down for half an hour. They had to deal with 5 minutes of stoppage time. It proved 2 minutes too many as Bendtner latched onto a cross from Sagna to move the Gunners to within 1 point of second placed Manchester United. Aston Villa picked themselves up after their 7-1 mauling by Chelsea. A wonderfully struck drive from Ashley Young continued a sparkling vein of form for the English winger. The victory keeps their Top 4 hopes alive – just. Bolton, despite the loss are still 5 points clear of the drop. Hull City are top of the bottom three with 28 points. Their loss to Stoke kept them in the relegation zone. West Ham’s come from behind draw with Everton will be a real boost for Zola. Ilan’s diving header secured a point to move them a point clear of Hull City. Burnley look likely to go down after they were beaten 6-1 by Manchester City on Sunday. Emmanuel Adebayor (2), Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez, Patrick Vieira and Vincent Kompany all scored for the visitors before Steven Fletcher got a consolation goal for the home side. Portsmouth fought bravely to hold off Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park. A loss would have guaranteed Pompey’s relegation. That won’t happen this weekend after a well deserved point at home. Wigan’s loss to Fulham leave them within striking distance of the bottom clubs. Jason Scotland gave the visitors the lead before goals from Stefano Okaka and Brede Hangeland took the game (and points) away.
Manchester City’s win at Turf Moor saw them move into 4th spot after Spurs suffered a campaign damaging loss to Sunderland. Spurs gave away 3 penalties, of which Daren Bent could only convert one. The ex-Spurs striker had given the Black Cats the lead after just 34 seconds before converting his first attempt from the spot. Peter Crouch scored after appearing from the bench but Bolo Zenden’s 86th minute volley put the game out of reach. Liverpool also saw their chance take a dent after a draw at Birmingham City. ‘Out of form’ skipper, Steven Gerrard gave the Reds the lead just 2 minutes into the second half. 9 minutes later however, the Reds’ defense fell asleep which resulted in an easy tap in for Liam Ridgewell. The highlight of the match was Gerrard’s face when Torres was subbed with just under half an hour to play. His confusion was well illustrated a few minutes later when Torres’ replacement, Ngog squandered a golden opportunity. Why Rafa took the Spaniard off remains a big question as Ngog missed two more chances to claim all three points for the Merseysiders.
Featured Match: Manchester United v Chelsea
Didier Drogba’s winner was way offside. I start with that because Kiko Macheda’s goal was most likely a handball. United were always going to score on Saturday afternoon. Even without Rooney, United are in good goal-scoring form and the chances were that they (or a Chelsea defender) would find the back of the net – especially as the final minutes started. United did not deserve to win. Chelsea were miles better and 2-1 is a fair reflection of the game. United did finish strong but were second best for most of the game. At 1-0 they would have always been in with a chance. At 2-0 their chances were slim. The fact that Drogba’s goal was so obviously offside is a disappointment. The standard of refereeing seemed to fade as the game went on. Both sides had pretty good shouts at a penalty – none of which were given. In the end the better team won but how they won is a disappointment. I love good football. Everyone does. Chelsea fans are probably saying; ‘What’s the big deal? We were better.’ While United fans are screaming; ‘We should have got a point. You guys cheated.’ Both are valid really. It’s just terrible when the focus of a game isn’t on the game at all. Before the game everyone spoke about Rooney. After the game everyone spoke about offside. What should be spoken about is Berbabtov’s sublime skill in the opening few minutes when he breezed past most of the Chelsea midfield and defense. Or what about Joe Cole’s deft little touch to give the Blues the lead, or some of the pinpoint cross field balls from Scholes. No one mentioned the brilliant defending of the Chelsea back four… The point is we were robbed. United were robbed of a point, Chelsea were robbed of a cleansheet and we (the fans) were robbed of ‘keeping the main thing the main thing’. The title race is now ‘advantage Chelsea’. Make no mistake however, United are not finished and Chelsea are not unstoppable. Lets hope the officials pull up their socks for the run in!
Winners and Losers
Chelsea are quite obviously the winners of the weekend. Although with both Liverpool and Spurs dropping points, Manchester City could also take that little award. Not to moan too much… but the losers are definitely the officials this weekend. Not only was the refereeing at Old Trafford poor but the general standard around the country was less than convincing.
Fixtures taking place this weekend/next week:
Saturday
Manchester United v Chelsea (1-2)
Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-0)
Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa (0-1)
Portsmouth v Blackburn Rover (0-0)
Stoke City v Hull City (2-0)
Sunderland v Tottenham Hotspur (3-1)
Burnley v Manchester City (1-6)
Sunday
Birmingham v Liverpool (1-1)
Fulham v Wigan Athletic (2-1)
Everton v West Ham (2-2)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Top Goal scorers:
Top goal scoring boots:
PREMIER LEAGUE REVIEW 27-29 MARCH
Arsenal began the afternoon looking to take top spot for a couple of minutes but they were thwarted by a spirited Birmingham side. The Gunners took the lead via Samir Nasri, who had come off the bench. With just ten minutes remaining it looked like Arsene Wenger’s side were on their way. A lucky Kevin Phillips injury-time loop left Almunia blushing and Arsenal with just a single point. They fall just slightly off the pace as they are now 4 points behind Manchester United and 3 behind Chelsea. Chelsea left Aston Villa feeling completely humiliated and battered after their massive 7-1 mauling of the Birmingham-based side. Many didn’t see this result coming as Villa’s form hasn’t been bad in the past few games. Chelsea proved unstoppable as they lashed goal after goal passed a helpless Brad Friedel. Lampard (who went on to score 4) gave the hosts the lead before Carew leveled matters. That was the only joy Villa would experience as the Lampard show continued while Malouda (2) and Kalou also got on the score sheet. The win moved the Blues back to within 1 point of Manchester United. The current log leaders started slowly at Bolton before Jlloyd Samuel gifted the home side with an own goal after 37minutes. The second half was another story as the champions found their feet. A brace from Berbatov and clinical finish form Darren Gibson proved United are more than just Wayne Rooney (who was rested for next weekends’ clash with Chelsea). West Ham suffered their 6th defeat in a row when Stoke stole a 1-0 win at Upton Park. Hull surprised Fulham with a fine performance to help their relegation fight. Goals from Jimmy Bullard and Craig Fagan secured a vital 3 points for the home side. Everton were held to a disappointing draw against Wolves. All credit to Wolves who battled well to secure a point that helps them remain in the ‘safe zone’.
On Sunday Blackburn secured yet another 3 points (this time on the road) when David Dunn converted a questionable penalty to leave Burnley looking destined for the drop. Liverpool bounced back well from their defeat last week as they slid three past Sunderland. Craig Gordan has been outstanding for the Black Cats recently but even his heroics couldn’t stop a blistering Torres effort before Glen Johnson’s shot was deflected past him. Torres added a second in the second half, but it could have been a lot worse for Sunderland in what was a pretty one-sided affair.
Featured Match:, Spurs v Portsmouth
Portsmouth will face Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final on 11 April. They will be desperately hoping that their injury worries make an about turn. Pompey are now short 11 players due to injury. Both Hreidarsson and James had to be subbed due to injury while they lost Wilson and Belhadj in training. Two former Pompey stars scored to give Spurs their fifth consecutive win. Peter Crouch headed home a cross from in form Garth Bale before Niko Kranjcar secured all three points 5 minutes from half time. The win moves Spurs 5 points clear of Manchester City who have a game in hand and 4 points ahead of Liverpool who have played one more. Spurs’ own injury list isn’t that much better than Portsmouth’s. They will be boosted by the return of another former Pompey player, Jermain Defoe, who returned to training this week.
Monday
On Monday night , Wigan Athletic fought hard to keep their hopes of beating the drop alive, as Manchester City strived to keep in touch with Spurs in the race for 4th. Wigan were figthing bravely but suffered when Gary Caldwell was sent off for a lunge on Tevez. The Argentinian finally found the net with 18 minutes to play. He doubled the lead three minutes later before securing a hat-trick 6 minutes from time.
Results from this weekend:
Saturday
Birmingham City v Arsenal (1-1)
Chelsea v Aston Villa (7-1)
Hull City v Fulham (2-0)
Tottenham Hotspur v Portsmouth (2-0)
West Ham United v Stoke City (0-1)
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton (0-0)
>Bolton Wanderers v Manchester United (0-2)
Sunday
Burnley v Blackburn Rovers (0-1)
Liverpool v Sunderland (3-0)
Monday
Manchester City v Wigan Athletic (3-0)
TOPS
Top of the log:
Top Goal scorer(s):
With Rooney and Drogba rested this weekend we can expect plenty of goals next week when the Premier League’s two most prolific strikers go head to head.
Top goal scoring boots:
