22 OCTOBER 2001

Middlesbrough (2) 2 (Queudrue 2, Boksic 20)
Sunderland (0) 0
RED CARD: Ince (Middlesbrough) 71

Paul Ince was sent off as his Middlesbrough team scored two early
goals to win the Tees-Wear derby. Boro were ahead inside the opening
two minutes when Franck Queedrue, making his home debut, got to a
near post corner ahead of keeper Thomas Sorensen and his effort,
which appeared to hit his shoulder, looped into the net despite the
attention of four defenders on the goal-line. Boro doubled the lead
having dominated the opening twenty minutes as Nemeth was sent away
down the right thanks to a slightly lucky deflection and his far
post cross was met by the head of Alen Boksic, although it found the
net thanks to the head of Jody Craddock. Boro were reduced to ten
men with twenty minutes to go when Paul Ince and Niall Quinn clashed
off the ball. Although it was little more than two players pushing
each other, Ince ended it by shoving the Sunderland man in the face
which resulted in a red card for him, whilst Quinn received a
yellow. Sunderland pushed forward for the final quarter of the game,
but were unable to break the home defence down.


21 OCTOBER 2001

Fulham (1) 1 (Hayles 23)
Ipswich (0) 1 (Wright 55)
MISSED PEN : Boa Morte (Fulham) 29
RED CARD : Boa Morte (Fulham) 45

Not a good day at the office for Luis Boa Morte who missed a penalty
and was sent off before half time in the 1-1 draw with Ipswich.
Barry Hayles put the hosts ahead, firing home after John Collins'
free kick had struck Fabien Wilnis and within six minutes Boa Morte
had the chance to double the lead from the spot after John McGreal
was unluckily penalised for handball, however he made a real hash of
it and his horrible mis-kick went well wide. In stoppage time, Boa
Morte was shown a second yellow card for diving having been
apparently blocked off by Hermann Hreidarsson. Ipswich earned a
valuable point in the second half when Jermaine Wright drilled home
after Edwin van der Saar had flapped at Martijn Reuser's cross.


Newcastle (0) 0
Tottenham (2) 2 (Speed (og) 8, Poyet 20)

Darren Anderton was the main man for Spurs as he set up both goals
in a fine 2-0 win at St James Park. Spurs totally dominated the
first half and were deserved ahead at half time, firstly when
Anderton's shot across goal was helped into his own net by Gary
Speed and then on twenty minutes, a wonderful passing movement by
Spurs culminated in Anderton's first time cross finding Gus Poyet at
the far post and his header looped delightfully over Shay Given and
into the net. Newcastle had the better of the second half, however
Spurs defending solidly and came closest to scoring again when Teddy
Sheringham hit the bar late on.


Leeds United (0) 0
Chelsea (0) 0

No goals at Elland Road as both club remain unbeaten and Leeds go
back to the top of the Premiership. Chelsea were marginally the
better side in possession and almost broke the deadlock when Nigel
Martyn was forced into saves from Eidur Gudjohnsen and Jimmy Floyd
Hasselbaink. The England keeper also tipped a late Manu Petit free
kick onto the bar. Leeds will point to two goalline clearances which
denied them a goal, firstly when Mark Viduka's lob was acrobatically
hooked away by William Gallas and then with time running out, Alan
Smith latched onto a mistake by Gallas only to be denied firstly by
Mark Bosnich and then by a brilliant stop on the line by John Terry.
The game will also be remember for an  awful two footed tackle by
Graeme Le Saux on Danny Mills for which the Chelsea man was only
shown a yellow card. Leeds boss David O'Leary spent the second half
banished to the stands for protesting to referee Paul Durkin as the
players left the field at half time.


20 OCTOBER 2001

Arsenal (0) 3 (Pires 48, Bergkamp 54, Henry 78)
Blackburn (1) 3 (Gillespie 41, Dunn 59, 89)

Arsenal go top ahead of Leeds on goal difference, however they twice
lost a lead against a determined Blackburn side on an astonishing
afternoon at Highbury. Keith Gillespie opened the scoring just
before half time, following good work from Matt Jansen, his near
post shot deceiving keeper Richard Wright who seemed to allow his
shot to go under his hand. Within ten minutes of the restart, the
hosts turned matters around when Robert Pires levelled matters,
dribbling around three players before firing into the corner, and
then Dennis Bergkamp put the Gunners ahead, volleying home Pires'
cross, although Brad Friedel came very close to keeping it out.
Enter David Dunn who equalised just five minutes later, drilling
home from 25 yards after a mistake from Lauren presented him with
the ball, however Thierry Henry put Arsenal back in front with
twelve minutes to go, finding the corner after Wiltord had done well
on the left. Amazingly, with time almost up, Dunn struck again for
Rovers, slotting into an empty net from the edge of the area after
Wright had come off his line to deny Gary Flitcroft. Arsenal almost
snatched it in stoppage time when Friedel produced a wonderful save
from Van Bronckhorst's cross shot as it arrowed towards the corner.


Derby (1) 1 (Ravanelli 15)
Charlton (0) 1 (Euell 71)

Honours even at Pride Park in a game lit up by a superb equalising
goal by Jason Euell. It was Fabrizio Ravanelli who started the ball
rolling, heading home powerfully from a corner, however with twenty
minutes to go, Euell latched onto a poor goal kick by Ian Feuer and
crashed an unstoppable volley back from where it came and into the
back of the net.


Everton (1) 3 (Watson 32, Radzinski 60, Gravesen 63)
Aston Villa (0) 2 (Hadji 69, Schmeichel 89)

Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel got on the scoresheet, not
for the first time in his career, but it was not enough to send his
club spinning to their first league defeat of the season. Everton
tore into a three goal lead and were fully deserving of it. Steve
Watson opened the scoring against his former club, diving home a
header from Gary Naysmith's header across goal and Tomas Radzinski
doubled the lead, tapping home at the far post. Shortly afterwards,
Thomas Gravesen scored the third, crashing home a free kick from 20
yards. Villa mounted a comeback when Mustapha Hadji pulled one back,
heading into the far corner from Alan Wright's cross, and with
seconds remaining, up came Schmeichel for a corner and his far post
volley found the back of the net, much to his delight, however it
was too little too late.


Leicester (0) 1 (Wise 58)
Liverpool (3) 4 (Fowler 3, 41, 89, Hyypia 10)

Robbie Fowler scored a hat trick as Liverpool sent Leicester
spinning to another heavy defeat, leaving them rooted firmly at the
bottom. Fowler's first came from a McAllister corner which was met
by Riise on the volley, his shot was saved by Ian Walker but Fowler
was on hand to smack home the rebound. It got worse for the hosts
within seven minutes as Sam Hyypia doubled the lead, heading home at
the near post from a McAllister free kick. Leicester, and in
particular Ade Akinbiyi, were guilty of some bad misses during the
game and they were made to pay when Danny Murphy found Fowler who
crashed home the third slightly before half time. Leicester did find
the net just before the hour mark when Dennis Wise headed home from
a Callum Davison cross, however the day belonged to Fowler who
completed his hat trick late on, volleying home brilliantly from
Vladimir Smicer's cross.


Manchester United (1) 1 (Veron 25)
Bolton (1) 2 (Nolan 34, Ricketts 84)

Bolton stunned Manchester United and became the first team to win in
the Premiership at Old Trafford having been behind. Juan Veron
scored a trademark free kick, finding the net from 25 yards, and it
looked as though United would go on to win with ease. Bolton however
fought back and levelled matters just nine minutes later when Kevin
Nolan volleyed home a beauty from the edge of the area after a fine
header down by Michael Ricketts. Jussi Jaaskelainen then made an
astonishing save from Andy Cole from close range having saved
seconds earlier from Paul Scholes to keep his team level at the
break. The visitors more than held their own in the second half and
were rewarded late on when Michael Ricketts scored the winner,
capitalising on a mistake by Wes Brown to fire his shot into the
roof of the net. United stay third when they could have been top.


West Ham (0) 2 (Kanoute 53, 79)
Southampton (0) 0

West Ham won the battle at the bottom thanks to two second half
goals from Frederik Kanoute. His first came when he headed home
firmly from Nigel Winterburn's cross. He doubled his tally late on
when Paolo Di Canio's shot hit the bar, leaving the Frenchman to
head home. The Hammers move out of the bottom three and are replaced
by Southampton.


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