30 SEPTEMBER 2001

Aston Villa (0) 2 (Angel 46, Vassell 72)
Blackburn (0) 0

Villa remain unbeaten after a comfortable home win over Blackburn.
Juan Pablo Angel opened the scoring, slotting home neatly after
taking Lee Hendrie's pass in his stride, and the points were secured
when Darius Vassell added a second, sliding in at the far post to
scramble home Hendrie's cross.


Fulham (0) 1 (Hayles 56)
Chelsea (1) 1 (Hasselbaink 32)
RED CARD: Jokanovic (Chelsea) 81

Honours even in the West London derby as Fulham came from behind to
draw against Chelsea. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink put the visitors ahead
in the first half, firing home after good work by Zenden, however
Barry Hayles levelled matter early in the second half, blasting home
after Saha had headed against the post. Chelsea were reduced to ten
men late on when Jokanovic was sent off for a second bookable
offence - the mortal sin of throwing the ball away!


Newcastle (0) 0
Liverpool (1) 2 (Riise 3, Murphy 86)

Liverpool recorded a fine victory at Newcastle with a goal at either
end of the match. John Arne Riise gave Liverpool a great start,
smashing home from the edge of the area after an error by Rob Lee.
Newcastle had chances to equalise, however Liverpool guaranteed the
points when Danny Murphy played a neat one-two with Robbie Fowler to
burst clear on goal and slot home.


Ipswich (1) 1 (Stewart 22)
Leeds United (0) 2 (Keane 70, Venus (og) 85)

Leeds regained top spot but only after one hell of a battle from
Ipswich who arguably deserved a point. Marcus Stewart opened the
scoring with a delightful glancing header from Mark Venus' free kick
and it was no more than he or his team deserved having already
struck a shot against the post. Leeds levelled when Robbie Keane was
sent through thanks to a superb through ball by Harry Kewell and,
having been denied twice by Sereni before, made no mistake this time
slotting neatly into the corner. Kewell was also involved in the
winner, capitalising on an awful header by Chris Makin to break away
down the left, his cross unluckily turned into his own net by Mark
Venus with Viduka lurking behind him. Venus also scored in his own
net in the corresponding game last season!


29 SEPTEMBER 2001

Bolton (0) 0
Sunderland (0) 2 (Phillips 76, Craddock 80)
MISSED PEN : Frandsen (Bolton) 62

Bolton missed the chance to regain top spot after missing a penalty
against Sunderland and then conceding two late goals. Per Frandsen
was guilty of the spot kick miss, although full credit should go
returning Black Cats keeper Thomas Sorensen who saved his kick
brilliantly after Gray pulled back Gardner. Enter Kevin Phillips,
who earlier missed an absolute sitter from six yards, however he
made no mistake with fourteen minutes left, firing home after Quinn
had flicked on a corner. Four minutes later, Jody Cradock scored a
rare goal to wrap up the points, glancing home a fine header inside
the far post.


Charlton (1) 2 (Johansson 44, Bartlett 56)
Leicester (0) 0
RED CARD : Brown (Charlton) 27, Lewis (Leicester) 43

Leicester go bottom of the top after a controversial encounter at
the Valley. Two players were sent off before half time, although
both could (and maybe should) have stayed on. Charlton's Steve Brown
was first to go for deliberate handball, however whether he was the
last man is open to question and having injured himself stopping the
ball, he was red carded as he was stretchered off. Just before half
time, Leicester's Junior Lewis followed him, although his crime
appeared to be little more than heading the ball back to his own
goalkeeper!! Officially he went for a very slight push on Jonaton
Johansson. A minute later, Charlton took the lead when Johanssen
netted with a powerful header from Powell's cross. Early in the
second half, Shaun Bartlett doubled the lead and secured the points,
sliding home to score at the far post.


Derby (0) 0
Arsenal (1) 2 (Henry 21, (pen) 63)
RED CARD : Keown (Arsenal) 54

Arsenal go top of the table thanks to a brace from Thierry Henry
against a poor Derby team. His first was a superb free kick on the
edge of the area that found the top corner via the hands of the
keeper. In the second half, Martin Keown was red carded for bringing
down Malcolm Christie to earn a second yellow card, however within
ten minutes, Henry scored his second from the penalty spot after
Andy Oakes brought down Kanu after somehow fumbling a cross under no
pressure. Henry scored from the spot, although again Oakes got his
hands to the kick.


Everton (1) 5 (Campbell 45, Hutchison (og) 52, Gravesen 55, Watson 75,
Radzinski 78)
West Ham (0) 0

Everton demolished West Ham despite losing Paul Gascoigne to injury
in the first five minutes. Kevin Campbell started the rout on the
stroke of half time, heading home a Nik Alexandersson cross. In the
second half, the Toffeemen went into overdrive after former Everton
star Don Hutchison put through his own net after Shaka Hislop
diverted a cross from Mark Pembridge against the midfielder. Thomas
Gravesen added a third from the edge of the area after a superb solo
run from the centre circle, his shot finding the net via the far
post. Poor defending led to Steve Watson scoring the fourth after
Hislop had saved his first effort, before Tomasz Radzinski scored a
goal on his starting debut, collecting a pass from Pembridge and
making the most of Christian Dailly's poor attempt to clear before
rounding the keeper and firing home from a tight angle.


Middlesbrough (0) 1 (Boksic (pen) 75)
Southampton (0) 3 (Beattie 65, 84, Pahars (pen) 73)

Southampton move off the bottom of the table after a fine victory at
previously improving Middlesbrough. James Beattie broke the deadlock
midway through the second half, crashing a shot home off the bar and
then Marion Pahars doubled the lead from the penalty spot after he
had been fouled by Curtis Fleming. Two minutes later Alen Boksic
pulled one back, also from the spot, netting after Jones brought
down Nemeth. However as time ticked away, Beattie clinched the
points, curling home from the edge of the area.


Tottenham (3) 3 (Richards 16, Ferdinand 27, Ziege 45)
Manchester United (0) 5 (Cole 47, Blanc 58, Van Nistelrooy 71, Veron 76,
Beckham 88)

An astonishing match at White Hart Lane as Manchester United move
into second after coming from three goals down at half time to win
5-3. £8m debutant Dean Richards stooped and headed Spurs ahead from
a Christian Ziege corner before Les Ferdinand doubled the lead,
latching onto Gus Poyet's through ball to fire home inside the far
post. On half time, Christian Ziege made it 3-0 with a fine diving
header from Poyet's cross. United needed an early goal in the second
half and got just that when Andrew Cole found the net, heading home
Gary Neville's cross. Just before the hour mark, Laurent Blanc
reduced the deficit further, heading in Beckham's corner and with
twenty minutes to go, Ruud van Nistelrooy equalised, again with a
header, this time from Silvestre's ball in. Amazingly, five minutes
later, Juan Veron put United ahead, firing home from the edge of the
area after being found by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and with time running
out and Spurs deflated, David Beckham added salt to the wounds,
firing home from 15 yards, with Solskjaer again the provider.


Gary Dowden
Chief Editor SoccerAge UK
http://www.soccerage.com
gary@soccerage.com
garydowden@blueyonder.co.uk