25 November 2007
FULHAM 2 (Murphy 51 Pen, Kamara 63)
BLACKBURN 2 (Emerton 57, Warnock 79)
Blackburn twice came from behind to earn a draw at Fulham in a game which only really started after the break. After a mundane first half, the second sprung to life when Fulham were awarded an early penalty
after Ryan Nelsen fouled Diomansy Kamara, allowing Danny Murphy to calmly slot the spot in into the corner. Rovers bombarded forward and after both Morten Gamst Pedersen and Jason Roberts missed chances, the equaliser arrived as David Bentley's cross was nodded on by Roberts and controlled and drilled in at the far post by Brett Emerton. Fulham regained the lead six minutes later against the run of play thanks to a sweeping move as Murphy played in Simon Davies and his cross was tapped in from close range by Kamara. Rovers again battled back with home keeper Antti Niemi saving from Christopher Samba and a double save from Pedersen and Emerton. Home sub Shefki Kuqi could have wrapped it up after a mistake from Tugay sent him clear however Brad Friedel tipped his shot just wide and it proved vital as Rovers grabbed another equaliser. Roberts did brilliantly to make space and his drilled cross was thumped in at the far post by Stephen Warnock.
Attendance : 22,826
Assists : Kamara (won pen), Roberts, Davis, Roberts
WEST HAM 1 (Cole 20)
TOTTENHAM 1 (Dawson 67)
Honours even in the London derby between West Ham and Spurs although the visitors missed a last minute penalty which would have won the game. Spurs had the better of the opening stages only to go behind after an error from Younes Kaboul. The defender's attempted long ball forward thudded against Luis Boa Morte who then sent Nol Solano away down the right and his cross left Carlton Cole with a simple tap in. Spurs felt they should have had a penalty before half time as Robbie Keane burst clear and after looping the ball over keeper Robert Green, went down having been caught by Green's leg only for the ref to point for a goal kick! Justice was done midway through the second half when Spurs levelled as Green came off of his line to try and catch a Jermaine Jenas free kick, however he was beaten to the ball by Michael Dawson whose header looped in under the bar. The Hammers had chances to win it late on as keeper Paul Robinson saved well from Scott Parker and Dean Ashton and George McCarthy had a header cleared off the line, however in stoppage time, Lucas Neill was judged to have bundled over Jermaine Defoe in the area and a contentious penalty was awarded. Defoe took it but was denied a winner against his former club thanks to a superb save by Green to touch the ball against the post.
Attendance : 34,966
Assists : Solano, Jenas (fk)
24 November 2007
DERBY 0
CHELSEA 2 (Kalou 17, Wright-Phillips 73)
Chelsea eased to a victory at bottom club Derby despite the late dismissal of Michael Essien. A superb one-touch, four-man move put Chelsea ahead as Steve Sidwell sent Salomon Kalou clear to slot in under pressure. He should have doubled the lead later in the half but blazed over from five yards after an awful header from Claude Davis. In the second half, Frank Lampard made space and hit the post and the rebound fell nicely for Shaun Wright-Phillips to find the net although Derby felt that Andrei Shevchenko had fouled Giles Barnes in the build up. In the final minute of stoppage time, Essien caught Kevin Miller in the face with a flailing arm as the Derby man put him under pressure and was shown a straight red card.
Attendance : 32,789
Red Card : Essien 90 (Chelsea)
Assists : Sidwell, n/a
ARSENAL 2 (Gallas 83, Rosicky 86)
WIGAN 0
New Wigan boss saw his side hold leaders Arsenal for 83 minutes before finally breaking under the strain. William Gallas was twice involved in the move for the opener which ended with him flashing a near post header in from Bacary Sagna's cross. Two minutes later, the Gunners broke clear with Nicolas Bendtner finding Tomas Rosicky to scuff a shot in off the post.
Attendance : 60,126
Assists : Sagna, Bendtner
BIRMINGHAM 0
PORTSMOUTH 2 (Muntari 34, Kranjcar 82 fk)
Portsmouth's excellent start continued with two very different goals at manageress Birmingham. The first saw Benjani find Sulley Muntari in the area and although keeper Richard Kingson seemed to have the shot saved, it squirmed under his body and rolled over the line. The second goal was sensational as Niko Kranjcar smashed a free kick from the left edge of the area which ripped into the top corner of the net.
Attendance : 22,089
Assists : Benjani, Pamarot (won fk)
BOLTON 1 (Anelka 11)
MANCHESTER UNITED 0
Struggling Bolton recorded their first win under Gary Megson as Man United lost ground on Arsenal. The only goal came early as Ivan Campo's chipped free kick was misjudged by Gerald Pique, allowing Nik Anelka to turn and fire in. United should have levelled in the second half however Carlos Tevez shot wide from close range.
Attendance : 25,028
Assists : Campo (fk)
EVERTON 7 (Yakubu 12, Cahill 17, Pienaar 43, Cahill 62, Yakubu 73, Johnson 80, Osman 85)
SUNDERLAND 1 (Yorke 45)
Everton collected their biggest win in 11 years as Sunderland were put to the sword at Goodison. The die was cast early as Tim Howard's long kick was collected by Yakubu whose shot struck a defender and looped over the keeper and in. Five minutes later, Phil Neville's cross was controlled, turned and fired in by Tim Cahill and just before half time, Nuno Valente and Steven Pienaar combined brilliantly for the latter to find the top corner from close range. Sunderland did pull one back when Dwight Yorke fired in after being set up by Kenwyne Jones but Everton regained their three goal advantage just after the hour when Joseph Yobo's long ball saw Cahill's first touch beat his man and then he slotted in easily. Michael Chopra then missed a sitter from close range to get Sunderland back in it and they were made to pay as Yakubu added
his second and Everton's fifth after Leon Osman's shot was blocked. Neville's long ball then sent sub Andy Johnson through to clip the ball over the keeper and in before Osman added the seventh with a solo run from the half way line that saw the away defence part like the Red Sea before he found the net.
Attendance : 38,594
Assists : n/a, Neville, Valente, Jones, Yobo, n/a, Neville, Jagielka
MANCHESTER CITY 2 (Petrov 11, Ireland 90)
READING 1 (Harper 43)
Man City remain 100% at home but only thanks to a superb stoppage time winner against Reading. City did take an early lead when Stephen Ireland set up Elano whose shot hit the post and sparked the mother of all scrambles, culminating in Martin Petrov walloping the ball home. Bobby Convey set up James Harper to side foot an equaliser into the top corner and it looked to end level before City struck late. Geovanni set it up with a header which Ireland volleyed brilliantly home from the edge of the area.
Attendance : 43,813
Assists : n/a, Convey, Geovanni
MIDDLESBROUGH 0
ASTON VILLA 3 (Carew 45, Mellberg 48, Agbonlahor 58)
Aston Villa's excellent record at the Riverside continued with a comfortable win at Middlesbrough. All three goals came with a 14 minute spell either side of half time, starting with John Carew turned and shooting in Gareth Barry's cross. Boro then failed to clear a corner not helped by a terrible slice by Lee Cattermole which allowed Olaf Mellberg to take his time to control the ball before firing in. Keeper Scott Carson claimed an assist for the third with a long kick forward collected by Gabriel Agbonlahor and after holding off his man, he bobbled a shot past the keeper.
Attendance : 23,900
Assists : Barry, n/a, Carson
NEWCASTLE 0
LIVERPOOL 3 (Gerrard 28, Kuyt 46, Babel 66)
Liverpool remain unbeaten after a comfortable win at Newcastle. Liverpool dominated the first half and were ahead thanks to a cracker from Steven Gerrard who was oddly jeered by the home fans to that point. It came from a free kick touched to him by Lucas Leiva and he absolutely battered his shot into the roof of the net from 25 yards. The lead should have been doubled near half time as Fernando Torres burst through only to be denied by the arm of keeper Shay Given outside the area, however play was waved on and as the ball fell back to the Liverpool man, he struck the post from the edge of the area with the goal gaping. As it was, the second goal arrived 55 seconds into the second half as Gerrard's corner was flicked on by Sami Hyypia at the near post and went in off the shin of Dirk Kuyt who actually knew little about it! The hosts could not get into the game as Torres came close twice in three minutes before sub Ryan Babel combined well with Gerrard to slot in the third. Torres then slotted wide whilst clean through as the jeers of the home fans rang around the stadium. It was turning into an embarrassingly one sided game as Babel fizzed a superb shot just wide.
Attendance : 52,307
Assists : Lucas, Gerrard (ck), Gerrard
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