15 OCTOBER 2001

Tottenham (2) 3 (Ferdinand 10, Ziege 41, Poyet 90)
Derby (1) 1 (Ravanelli 15)

Spurs took a deserved lead after totally dominating the opening ten
minutes when Les Ferdinand crashed home a shot at the far post,
courtesy of a delightful cross from Chrustian Ziege. Derby levelled
within five minutes when Seth Johnson found Fabrizio Ravanelli in
the area and although it appeared that Ledley King had the situation
under control, the Italian slid a shot past the wrong footed Neil
Sullivan and into the far corner. Spurs regained the lead four
minutes before half time when Teddy Sheringham found a superb
through ball to send Christian Ziege away down the left and he
scored with ease as Ian Feuer came off his line. Spurs clinched the
points in stoppage time when Gus Poyet took advantage of a slip by
Mawene and sent a delightful 30 yard chip over Feuer and into the
back of the net.


14 OCTOBER 2001

Blackburn (3) 7 (Flitcroft 18, Dunn 26, Johnson 28, McCann (og) 62,
Tugay 80, Jansen 82, Hignett 90)
West Ham (1) 1 (Carrick 39)
RED CARD : Repka (West Ham) 60

The Hammers were hammered by a rampant Blackburn at Ewood Park,
although for a period early in the second half, the game was very
much in the balance. Gary Flitcroft began the fun, heading home
after a fine chip by Corrado Grabbi and within ten minutes, the lead
was trebled. Firstly David Dunn collected a pass from Henning Berg
and curled home a beauty from 25 yards and shortly afterwards Damien
Johnsen made it three, volleying home at the far post, although
Grabbi's header may well have gone in anyway. Before the break
Michael Carrick crashed home a goal for the visitors from the edge
of the area after being found by Trevor Sinclair and it set up a
superb opening to the second half. Sinclair missed a sitter, heading
over from three yards with the goal gaping and then Freddie Kanoute
headed straight at Friedal before the game changed again inside
three minutes. Tomas Repka, sent off in his first game for the
Hammers, repeated the display in his third game, dismissed for a
second bookable offence, catching Grabbi needlessly as the Italian
was already losing his balance. As West Ham tried to recover, young
sub Grant McCann lashed widely at a Tugay shot and the ball ended in
the back of his own net and it effectively opened the floodgates.
Tugay found the net himself with ten minutes to go, finding the top
corner from 20 yards after Hignett had fed him. Two minutes later,
Matt Jansen made it six, following up after Dunn's shot had been
saved by a shellshocked Shaka Hislop, and in stoppage time, Craig
Hignett wrapped up the demolition at the far post, sliding home
Jansen's ball across goal.


Aston Villa (0) 2 (Vassell 50, Taylor 61)
Fulham (0) 0
MISSED PEN : Saha (Fulham) 86

Aston Villa took full advantage of Fulham's inability to finish and
remain unbeaten thanks to two well taken goals. After a drab first
half, Villa went ahead early in the second half when Mustapha Hadji'
s fizzed near post cross was brilliantly slid home by Darius
Vassell. Ian Taylor, backed after a long spell out injured, doubled
the lead when he slotted neatly home having been put through by Juan
Pablo Angel. Fulham's misery was complete when Louis Saha sent a
penalty wide after Steve Staunton fouled Luis Boa Morte.


13 OCTOBER 2001

Bolton (0) 0
Newcastle (1) 4 (Solano 41, Robert 63, Shearer 72, Bellamy 85)
RED CARD : Jaaskelainen (Bolton) 62

Former leaders Bolton are now six games without a win after being
thumped at home by Newcastle. Nol Solano opened the scoring, tapping
home after Alan Shearer's header across goal, although Bolton
claimed that the Peruvian was offside earlier in the move. The game
changed just after the hour when home keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was
red carded for handling outside his area with Shearer lurking. With
no sub keeper on the bench, Bo Hansen took over in goal and was
instantly beaten by Lauren Robert's free kick won from the handball
incident. Shearer added a third, crashing home a close range header
and late on Craig Bellamy wrapped up the points, firing home a
Robert cross.


Charlton (0) 0
Middlesbrough (0) 0

No goals and little excitement at the Valley in what was an
insomniac's dream. Boro had the best of the few chances, Alen Boksic
firing across goal and just wide, before being denied by Dean Kiely.


Chelsea (2) 2 (Hasselbaink (pen) 20, Gudjohnsen 45)
Leicester (0) 0

Leicester's new management duo of Dave Bassett and Micky Adams have
an idea of what lies ahead as their team stay bottom after defeat at
Chelsea. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink opened the scoring from the penalty
spot after Gary Rowett brought down Eidur Gudjohnsen, although
keeper Ian Walker did get enough on it to push the kick against the
crossbar. The former Spurs stopper also got hands on the second
goal, scored by Gudjohnsen from the edge of the box, but it wasn't
enough to stop it creeping over the line.


Ipswich (0) 0
Everton (0) 0

Everton had the better of this goalless draw with Kevin Campbell in
particular guilty of missing good chances. Arguably the best
opportunity fell to Ipswich's Martijn Reuser, who headed over an
empty net early on.


Liverpool (0) 1 (Murphy 69)
Leeds United (1) 1 (Kewell 27)

Honours even at Anfield as Liverpool came from behind to hold league
leaders Leeds to a draw. Harry Kewell gave the visitors the lead as
he latched onto a cross from Rio Ferdinand and having fired a shot
goalwards, was lucky to see the ball take two deflections and find
the corner of the net. Liverpool, whose boss Gerard Houllier was
taken to hospital at half time with chest pains, equalised when
Robbie Fowler's delightful chip hit the bar, leaving Danny Murphy to
follow up and head home from close range.


Southampton (0) 0
Arsenal (1) 2 (Pires 4, Henry 75)
RED CARD : Marsden (Southampton) 61

Arsenal stay second after a comfortable win at the St Marys Stadium.
Robert Pires scored early on, slotting home after Sylvain Wiltord's
touch had played him in. Chris Marsden was sent off in the second
half for a second bookable offence, a two footed stamp toward
Patrick Vieira, although no contact was actually made on the
Frenchman, the booking was awarded for intent. Thierry Henry, who
had earlier missed an open goal from close range, doubled the lead
and secured the points late on, firing home from 25 yards, although
he was aided by a severe deflection off of Stuart Ripley.


Sunderland (0) 1 (Phillips 83)
Man United (1) 3 (Varga (og) 35, Giggs 60, Cole 66)

Man United were in scintillating form as Sunderland were swept aside
by a team that was missing Beckham, Veron, Keane and Van Nistelrooy.
They needed a slice of luck to start them off however when Stanislav
Varga sent a superb header into the back of the net, unfortunetly it
was in the wrong end and past his own keeper from Luke Chadwick's
cross. Ryan Giggs doubled the lead, finding the corner after a
surging run from Andy Cole and minutes later Cole made it 3-0,
slotting past Sorensen after Chadwick had played him in. Kevin
Phillips scored a late consolation, latching onto a through ball
from Stefan Schwarz and scoring after rounding Carroll, but it was
too little, too late for Sunderland.


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