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4 December 2007

NEWCASTLE 1 (Taylor 60)
ARSENAL 1 (Abebayor 4)

Arsenal go four points clear at the top after being held to a draw at Newcastle. The game could hardly have begun worse for the hosts as they were behind inside the opening four minutes. A poor clearance found Emmanuel Eboue on the right and his cross was controlled and brilliantly volleyed in by Emmanuel Adebayor. Newcastle came close when Stephen Taylor's header was tipped against the post by keeper Manuel Almunia but they rarely threatened before half time. After the break the hosts were on top and levelled matters on the hour when a cross from Habib Beye was headed on by Alan Smith and fired in off the inside of the far post by Taylor.

Attendance : 50,305
Assists : Eboue, n/a


3 December 2007

MANCHESTER UNITED 2 (Ronaldo 10, Ronaldo 58)
FULHAM 0

Man United move back into second after a goal in each half from Cristiano Ronaldo saw off Fulham. United's opener came after Carlos Tevez could have had a hat trick inside the opening eight minutes, although they needed some help from their opponents. A corner was cleared to the edge of the area only for Fulham's Stephen Davis to nod the ball back into the area where Nemanja Vidic headed it on for Ronaldo to smash a first time volleyed sweetly into the top corner. The win was secured just before the hour when Ronaldo headed in a John O'Shea cross.

Attendance : 75,055
Assists : Vidic, O'Shea


2 December 2007

TOTTENHAM 2 (Keane 50, Keane 53)
BIRMINGHAM 3 (McSheffrey 24 Pen, Jerome 62, Larsson 92)

New Birmingham boss Alex McLeish saw his side win at Spurs thanks to a sensational stoppage time winner. Spurs felt that two major decisions went against them beginning with a challenge by Younes Kaboul on Gary McSheffrey in the area which resulted in a penalty although contact at worst was a slight push. McSheffrey got to his feet and drilled the spot kick down the middle of the goal. Early in the second half it was level on penalties as Johan Djourou fouled Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane thumped in from 12 yards. Three minutes later, Keane was on the end of a clipped ball into the area from Tom Huddlestone and hammered the ball into the roof of the net, however Birmingham battled back and were level when Sebastien Larsson found Cameron Jerome who found the bottom corner from the edge of the area. Keane's day came to an abrupt end when he went in slightly late on Fabrice Muamba and was shown an incredibly harsh straight red card when a yellow would have been more appropriate. It looked to be heading for a draw until injury time when Spurs cleared a corner to Berbatov who looked to dribble clear only to be tackled by Larsson who then unleashed a first time shot which swerved away from the keeper and ripped into the top corner.

Attendance : 35,635
Red Card : Keane 68 (Tottenham)
Assists : McSheffrey (won pen), Berbatov (won pen), Huddlestone, n/a, n/a


LIVERPOOL 4 (Hyypia 17, Torres 45, Gerrard 56 Pen, Babel 86)
BOLTON 0

Liverpool move into third after a comfortable win against Bolton. Steven Gerrard was again the star of the show as his free kick left to Sami Hyypia glancing in the opening and his superb through ball sent Fernando Torres clear to clip the second over the advancing keeper. Between the two goals, former Anfield star Nik Anelka blew a golden chance to equalise as he chased a through ball, he was presented with an open goal after keeper Jose Reina collided with team mate Jamie Carragher on the edge of the area however with the goal gaping, he slotted the ball well wide of the near post. After the break, Peter Crouch was bundled over by Abdoulaye Meite and Gerrard netted from the penalty spot and late on, Ryan Babel scored with a tap in after Dirk Kuyt's shot was parried away.

Attendance : 43,270
Assists : Gerrard (fk), Gerrard, Crouch (won pen), n/a


1 December 2007

ASTON VILLA 1 (Gardner 14)
ARSENAL 2 (Flamini 23, Adebayor 36)

Arsenal consolidate top place after coming from behind at Aston Villa. The home side began confidently and took the lead when John Carew's cross was deflected nicely for Craig Gardner to fire in first time. It jolted Arsenal into life and by half time they'd turned the game around. The equaliser came after a lovely interchange of passing ended with Emmanuel Adebayor's cross being touched to the edge of the area by Tomas Rosicky for Mathieu Flamini to smash into the net. More quick fire passing then gave Bacary Sagna the chance to cross for Adebayor to show superb strength to head home from ten yards. Villa had by far the better of the second half and could have grabbed a point only for Carew to crash a header against the bar.

Attendance : 42,018
Assists : n/a, Rosicky, Sagna


BLACKBURN 3 (Bentley 54, Bentley 67, Tugay 93)
NEWCASTLE 1 (Martins 47)

Blackburn came from behind to see off Newcastle who have now lost four of their last five games. They took the lead early in the second half when a free kick from Geremi was glanced in by Obafemi Martins, however a double from David Bentley turned the game around. His first was a superb curling free kick which left the keeper standing and the second, a low drive in off the post having been set up by Roque Santa Cruz. Rovers clinched the points late on after Jason Roberts was tackled in the area and Tugay swept home the loose ball.

Attendance : 27,477
Assists : Geremi (fk), Santa Cruz (won fk), Santa Cruz, Roberts


PORTSMOUTH 0
EVERTON 0

Nothing to write home about as Portsmouth and Everton battled out a goalless draw. Portsmouth did come close with a couple of free kicks from Sulley Muntari but this was not one for the DVD collection.

Attendance : 20,102
Assists : n/a


READING 1 (Kitson 54)
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 (Tuncay 83)

Middlesbrough came from behind to earn a useful point at Reading. The host took the lead early in the second half when Dave Kitson latched onto Kevin Doyle's header to loop a fine effort over the keeper however Boro grabbed a late equaliser thanks to Tuncay's header from Luke Young's cross.

Attendance : 22,262
Assists : Doyle, Young


SUNDERLAND 1 (Stokes 93)
DERBY 0

New Derby boss Paul Jewell saw his bottom of the table side lose in the last minute at Sunderland who move out of the bottom three. The goal was a scrambled effort by Anthony Stokes who pounced after a Kenwyne Jones header had been saved. Stokes's original close range shot was also saved but he hooked in the rebound.

Attendance : 42,380
Assist : n/a


WIGAN 1 (Scharner 25)
MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Geovanni 1)

Honours even at the JJB as Wigan came from behind against Man City. New Wigan boss Steve Bruce saw his team get off to an awful start as Titus Bramble miss kicked on the edge of his own area and allowed Geovanni to nip in, round the keeper and slot in after just 30 seconds. Wigan levelled when Jason Koumas crossed for Paul Scharner to score with a diving header, however the game ended on a sour note when Mario Melchiot was red carded for a two footed challenge on City's Stephen Ireland.

Attendance : 18,614
Red Card : Melchiot 88 (Wigan)
Assists : n/a, Koumas


CHELSEA 1 (Cole 76)
WEST HAM 0

Chelsea move into second ahead of the rest of the weekend games after a narrow win over London rivals West Ham. The Hammers were more than equal to their illustrious hosts for the whole of a drab first half and for half an hour of a better second half, however with fifteen minutes left, Chelsea went long ball. A clearance from keeper Carlo Cudicini was nodded on by Didier Drogba and then Salomon Kalou for Joe Cole to collect, round Robert Green and thump into the roof of the net. Replays showed Cole to be very marginally offside but it's the type of tight decision that many have argued should edge in favour of the attacker.

Attendance : 41,830
Assist : Drogba


28 November 2007

BLACKBURN 0
ASTON VILLA 4 (Carew 29, Barry 53 Pen, Young 81, Harewood 89)

Aston Villa are on a roll with four wins on the bounce and seven goals in their last two away games after hammering Blackburn at Ewood Park. They took a first half lead when Ashley Young's free kick was nodded in by John Carew after keeper Brad Friedel failed to collect the cross. The game was effectively decided early in the second half when Ryan Nelsen was shown a straight red card after hauling back Gabriel Agbonlahor in the area. Gareth Barry slotted in the penalty to double the lead. Agbonlahor then crossed to the edge of the area where Young collected the ball and curled a beauty inside the far post and late on Marlon Harewood smashed in the fourth after Carew's shot was parried.

Attendance : 20,0776
Assists : Young (fk), Agbonlahor (won pen), Agbonlahor, n/a

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