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19 January 2009

LIVERPOOL 1 (Gerrard 68)
EVERTON 1 (Cahill 87)

A late Everton equaliser denied Liverpool the chance to go top of the table in the Merseyside derby at Anfield. Chances were few and far between in the first half but Liverpool did miss a gilt-edged opportunity as Fernando Torres burst through the middle and having held off two defenders, clipped the ball over the keeper but against the outside of the post. After the break, Sam Hyypia shot wide after Steven Gerrard's shot was saved before the captain put the hosts ahead midway through the half. Gerrard collected a square pass from Albert Reira before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner from 25 yards. Everton levelled with three minutes to go as Mikel Arteta smashed in a free kick from the left and Tim Cahill got the slightest touch at the near post to divert the ball in and stun Anfield.

Attendance : 44,382
Assists : Reira, Arteta (fk)


18 January 2009

TOTTENHAM 1 (Defoe 70)
PORTSMOUTH 1 (Nugent 59)

Spurs move off of the bottom and out of the drop zone after coming from behind to hold Portsmouth. A highly entertaining game saw Pompey go ahead when Armand Traore found David Nugent whose deflected effort found the net from the edge of the area. It came within twenty seconds of Aaron Lennon's deflected effort at the other end being brilliantly saved by David James. Spurs did level matters when Luka Modric set up Jermain Defoe to fire in against the club he left in this transfer window and the hosts should have won it late on but Darren Bent somehow headed wide when it looked easier to score.

Attendance : 36,011
Assists : n/a, Modric


WEST HAM 3 (Di Michele 7, Noble 60 Pen, Cole 76)
FULHAM 1 (Konchesky 22)

West Ham move up to eighth after seeing off Fulham in the London derby. Fulham were the architects of their own downfall as a ball into the area by Lucas Neill was poorly controlled by John Paintsil, allowing David Di Michele to nip in and divert the ball past the keeper and into the net. Fulham's equaliser was the goal of the game as Danny Murphy found Paul Konchesky who ran unattended from his own half before crashing home a scorching shot from 30 yards. The Hammers were back ahead when Carlton Cole beat Konchesky to the ball and was tripped in the area allowing Mark Noble to send the keeper the wrong way from the spot. The points were wrapped up when Fulham lost possession in midfield and as the hosts broke, Di Michele found Cole to slot in the third. Despite being eighth, West Ham are only eight points ahead of the bottom club in one of the tightest Premiership's for years.

Attendance : 31,818
Assists : n/a, Murphy, Cole (won pen), Di Michele


17 January 2009

BLACKBURN 3 (McCarthy 61 Pen, Roberts 66, Roberts 86)
NEWCASTLE 0

Blackburn move out of the drop zone with a comfortable win against Newcastle. They took an hour to get started and even then needed a dodgy penalty as Benni McCarthy went over under a challenge from David Edgar. The South African, who'd earlier smashed a free kick against the post, made no mistake from the spot. Rovers then went into overdrive as Morton Gamst Pedersen's touch was volleyed in clinically by Jason Roberts before Newcastle were reduced to ten men as Nicky Butt was shown a second yellow card for bringing down David Dunn. Roberts added a third at the far post after a cross from Pedersen which resulted in Newcastle pair Jose Enrique and Joey Barton squaring up against each other and having to be separated by team mates.

Attendance : 25,583
Red Card : Butt 83 (Newcastle)
Assists : McCarthy (won pen), MGP, MGP


BOLTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Berbatov 90)

Man United go top ahead of Monday's Merseyside derby but left it very late to see off Bolton. United had the better chances but were constantly denied by home keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen before the late breakthrough as Carlos Tevez broke into the area and crossed for an unmarked Dimitar Berbatov to head home from six yards. United have now equalled Chelsea's Prem record of ten successive games without conceding a goal.

Attendance : 26,021
Assist : Tevez


CHELSEA 2 (Belletti 88, Lampard 94)
STOKE 1 (Delap 60)

Chelsea also left it late with two goals to come from behind to beat Stoke. The visitors took a shock lead on the hour, totally against the run of play as new signing James Beattie played in Rory Delap and as it looked as though he'd run out of room, he clipped the ball expertly over the diving keeper and in. Chelsea bombarded the Stoke goal and levelled with two minutes to go as a deep cross was nodded across goal by Franco Di Santo and headed in from close range by Juliano Belletti. Chelsea won it in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Nik Anelka's shot was blocked and rebounded to the edge of the area, Frank Lampard was first to the loose ball and he smashed a first time shot into the net.

Attendance : 41,788
Assists : Beattie, Di Santo, n/a


MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Zabaleta 53)
WIGAN 0

Man City put the Kaka saga behind them for 90 minutes as they stuttered to victory against Wigan. The only goal came early in the second half as Pablo Zabaleta netted from the edge of the box after the visitors failed to clear a Danny Sturridge cross properly. Within a minute, the hosts were down to ten men as Richard Dunne kicked out at Amr Zaki after the pair clashed as they went for a header however the game also ended poorly for Zaki who headed over an empty net from three yards after Lee Cattermole's effort looped against the crossbar.

Attendance : 41,262
Red Card : Dunne 54 (Manchester City)
Assist : n/a


SUNDERLAND 1 (Collins 11)
ASTON VILLA 2 (Milner 60, Barry 80 Pen)

Aston Villa continue to gate crash the top four as they came from behind to beat Sunderland in a dramatic encounter. The hosts took an early lead as Danny Collins headed in a Carlos Edwards free kick. Villa levelled when James Milner tumbled under a challenge from Pascal Chimbonda but still managed to bundle in Ashley Young's cross possibly with his arm! Young then saw red for a late challenge on Dean Whitehead before the referee, who denied Sunderland two spot kicks for hand ball incidents, awarded one to Villa when Gabriel Agbonlahor was fouled by Paul McShane and Gareth Barry won the points from the spot.

Attendance : 40,350
Red Card : Young 72 (Aston Villa)
Assists : Edwards (fk), Young, Agbonlahor (won pen)


WEST BROM 3 (McMahon 4 og, Fortune 54, Koren 67)
MIDDLESBROUGH 0

West Brom moved off the bottom ahead of the Sunday games with a comprehensive win over Middlesbrough who are in free fall and in the relegation dog fight themselves. The result was rarely in doubt after Chris Brunt's deflected effort put the Baggies ahead early on after Boro failed to clear a cross. Brunt did look offside from the initial ball in but the goal stood. The lead was doubled when Robert Koren's shot was diverted in off the back of team mate Marc Antoine Fortune's leg and Koren added a third having been put through by Brunt. Boro ended the game with ten men when Didier Digard was shown a straight red for a two footed lunge on Iglesias Borja Valero with the score still at 2-0.

Attendance : 25,557
Red Card : Digard 62 (Middlesbrough)
Assists : n/a, Koren, Brunt


HULL 1 (Cousin 65)
ARSENAL 3 (Adebayor 30, Nasri 82, Bendtner 86)

Arsenal stay just about in touch with the top four after two late goals saw off the challenge of Hull at the KC Stadium. Arsenal went ahead on the half hour with an un-Arsenal like goal as Robin Van Persie's corner was headed back across goal and inside the post by Emmanuel Adebayor. Van Persie had come close minutes earlier with a stinging free kick finger tipped onto the bar by keeper Boaz Myhill. As the weather turned wet and windy, Hull levelled midway through the second half as Bernard Mendy was given time to cross and his deflected ball in was headed home powerfully at the near post by Daniel Cousin. The Gunners regained the lead when Van Persie found Samir Nasri in space on the left of the area and his shot across goal nestled sweetly inside the far post giving the keeper no chance. This time they killed off the Tigers with another goal as Van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner exchanged passes in the area for the latter to sweep the ball in from close range. Bendtner almost added another in stoppage time but his header thudded against the post.

Attendance : 24,924
Assists : RVP (ck), n/a, RVP, n/a


14 January 2009

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Rooney 1)
WIGAN 0

Attendance : 73,917
Assist : Ronaldo


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