29 OCTOBER 2000

Liverpool (1) 3 (Barmby 12, Heskey 57, Berger (pen) 76)
Everton (1) 1 (Campbell 17)
RED CARD : Gravesen (Everton) 75

Red overcomes Blue in the Merseyside derby as Liverpool edge within
three points of Man Utd and Arsenal at the top. Nick Barmby who
moved from Everton to Anfield in the summer, silenced the Everton
boo boys when his far post header found the net after Ziege's shot
was deflected neatly to him. The lead last five minutes as
Westerveld was caught in no-mans-land from a corner, Weir nodded the
ball back and Kevin Campbell was left with a simple nod in. Emile
Heskey put Liverpool back ahead with a fierce drive from long range
that seemed to go straight under Gerrard in the visiting goal before
Patrik Berger decided the game with a powerful penalty after
Gravesen had brought down Smicer, an act that saw him sent off.


Bradford (1) 1 (Collymore 21)
Leeds United (0) 1 (Viduka 79)

Honours even in the West Yorkshire derby as Stan Collymore once
again scored on his debut - and what a brilliant goal it was! Beni
Carbone crossed from the right and the former Leicester man
unleashed a stunning overhead kick that flew into the corner. Leeds
had two headers cleared off the line before Mark Viduka headed home
Matteo's cross to earn the visitors a draw.


28 OCTOBER 2000

Arsenal (1) 5 (Cole 44, Bergkamp 52, Wiltord 76, Henry 82, 87)
Man City (0) 0
RED CARD : Tiatto (Man City) 43

Arsenal remain in second place after a five goal haul against Man
City, however it needed a double stroke of luck late in the first
half to open the floodgates. Firstly City's Danny Tiatto was sent
off for a second bookable offence having brought down Henry as he
approached the area and he had barely started turning on the taps
for the early bath when the free kick was tapped to Ashley Cole by
Dennis Bergkamp and the young scored with a scorching drive. The
second half saw City fall apart as Bergkamp scored the second
himself with a curler into the bottom corner after a back heel from
Ljungberg and after Shaun Goater somehow blazed over an open goal
from just three yards, Arsenal went in for the kill. Henry set up
Wiltord for the third and then had the compliment returned to drive
home the fourth. The final nail in the City coffin also came from
Henry who shot home again having been set up by Wiltord.


Aston Villa (2) 2 (Taylor 33, Merson 41)
Charlton (0) 1 (Dublin (og) 82)

Two goals in nine first half minutes was enough for Villa to see off
Charlton, however thanks to a freak own goal late on, they were made
to sweat for it. Ian Taylor opened the scoring, heading home a Steve
Stone cross, before Paul Merson glanced home a header from Alan
Wright's cross to double the lead. Dion Dublin diverted a cross past
his own keeper late on, but Villa held on for the victory.


Chelsea (2) 3 (Hasselbaink (pen) 12, 86, Zola 38)
Spurs (0) 0

Spurs haven't beaten Chelsea in 23 league attempts after the latest
defeat at Stamford Bridge today. Ramon Vega's mad rush of blood to
the head led to him handling a high cross, although he claimed that
he was pushed by Poyet, enabling Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to score
with ease from the spot. Gianfranco Zola doubled the lead later in
the half with a diving header after Hasselbaink helped on a Dennis
Wise cross and the game was effectively over. Hasselbaink completed
the damage late in the game with a firm curling effort from long
range after Dalla Bonna's pass set him in after a wonderful series
of passes throughout the Chelsea team.


Ipswich (2) 2 (Naylor 25, Venus 28)
Middlesbrough (0) 1 (Gordon 66)

Surprise surprise! Relegation favourites Ipswich are up to 5th after
another victory, thanks to two goals in four minutes midway through
the first half. Richard Naylor scored his first ever Premiership
goal from 35 yards after Mark Crossley's awful clearance fell
straight to him before Mark Venus was set up by Jamie Clapham and
Jermaine Wright to fire home a free kick. Boro pulled a goal back
halfway through the second half when Dean Gordon blasted home a free
kick that took a slight deflection, however an equaliser wasn't
forthcoming and the pressure on boss Bryan Robson increases.


Leicester (1) 2 (Izzett 31, Gunnlargsson 75)
Derby (1) 1 (Delap 11)

Derby remain rooted to the foot of the table having lost a lead in
the East Midlands derby and enabled Leicester to continue their
assault on the top of the table. Rory Delap opened the scoring in
spectacular style, firing home from 25 yards past Tim Flowers,
however the equaliser twenty minutes later from Muzzy Izzet was
similar, this time Mart Poom the keeper given no hope. Arnur
Gunnlargsson came on as sub with fifteen minutes left and within
seconds he scored the winner, slotting home neatly from the edge of
the area.


Man United (2) 5 (Cole 9, 74, Sheringham 45, 50, 56)
Southampton (0) 0

Whatever Arsenal do, Man United copy and subsequently remain top of
the table, looking down on the rest. Although Teddy Sheringham
scored a hat trick, it will be Andrew Cole's opener that will remain
in the memory as his shot somehow squirmed through the grasp of
keeper Paul Jones and dribbled over the line, similar to that Matt
Le Tissier goal against Massimo Taibi in the corresponding fixture
last season. Sheringham then scored three goals in twelve minutes
either side of the break, firstly with a delightful chip after
Scholes had set him up, then with a simple side foot from Beckham's
cross and then completed the hat trick after Cole's miscontrol of
Butt's pass set him up to sweep home the fourth. Cole completed the
rout from close range, heading home after Scholes flicked on
Beckham's corner.


Sunderland (0) 1 (Thome 52)
Coventry (0) 0

Sunderland still haven't hit the heights of last season, but managed
to grind out a victory against Coventry City today. The winner came
from the head of Emerson Thome from Julio Arca's cross to register
his first goal since his move north from Chelsea.


West Ham (0) 1 (Kanoute 72)
Newcastle (0) 0

Newcastle's second 1-0 defeat in succession leaving their fans with
fond memories of the late summer when they topped the table. However
credit to West Ham for grinding out their first home win of the
campaign to lift them out of the bottom three. The only goal came
late on thanks to Frederik Kanoute who crashed home the winner after
a fine through ball from sub Davor Suker put him clear.

Gary Dowden
Chief Editor - Soccerage (UK)
http://www.soccerage.com
gary@soccerage.com