soccer-europe.com

5 January 2011

ARSENAL 0
MANCHESTER CITY 0

No goals at the Emirates as third placed Arsenal were held by second placed Man City in what was a superb result for leaders Man United. Arsenal began by far the better side with Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas both thudding efforts against the post with keeper Joe Hart beaten on both occasions. More of the same after the break with Hart making a brilliant save from Van Persie's long range effort and as frustration eventually got the better of Arsenal, Bacary Sagna pushed his head into Pablo Zabaleta as the pair clashed as the ball went dead in a move that saw both players red carded.

Attendance : 60,085
Red Cards : Sagna 89 (Arsenal), Zabaleta 89 (Manchester City)
Assists : n/a


ASTON VILLA 0
SUNDERLAND 1 (Bardsley 80)

Aston Villa slumped into the bottom three for the first time in seven years after slipping to a home defeat against Sunderland who are on the verge of a European place! It wasn't a good night for Emile Heskey who hit the bar from three yards and was then sent off for pushing Jordan Henderson in the face, an act which sparked a mass game of handbags at ten paces, although credit to the Sunderland man for not making a fuss of the push initially. The visitors took the lead when a free kick crashed into the wall but fell nicely for Phil Bardsley to arrow in his first ever top flight goal from 25 yards. Both clubs ended with ten men as Bolo Zenden was shown a second yellow for hacking down Stiliyan Petrov.

Attendance : 32,627
Red Cards : Heskey 69 (Aston Villa), Zenden 86 (Sunderland)
Assist : n/a


NEWCASTLE 5 (Best 18, Best 39, Nolan 45, Best 60, Lovenkrands 63)
WEST HAM 0

West Ham go bottom again after crashing to a heavy defeat at Newcastle. Leon Best netted a hat trick on his first ever Prem start, beginning with a low angled drive after being set up by Peter Lovenkrands. He doubled the lead and his personal tally with a far post volley after Lovenkrands' cross wasn't dealt with and just before the interval, Kevin Nolan slotted in the third as, once again, the Hammers defence only half cleared a cross from Jonas Gutierrez. Best completed his treble as he was sent by Lovenkrands to sweep the ball past the keeper and three minutes later. Lovenkrands walloped in from close range from Joey Barton's cross.

Attendance : 42,387
Assists : Lovenkrands, n/a, n/a, Nolan, Barton


WOLVES 1 (Bosingwa 5 og)
CHELSEA 0

Champions Chelsea fell to a shock defeat at Wolves who move from bottom place to 17th as a result of the win. The only goal came early as Stephen Hunt's corner was shinned into his own net by Jose Bosingwa.

Attendance : 26,432
Assist : n/a


BLACKBURN 3 (Olsson 32, Benjani 38, Benjani 57)
LIVERPOOL 1 (Gerrard 81)

The pressure on Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson increased as they were well beaten at Blackburn. The hosts tore Liverpool apart twice in six minutes as firstly Mame Diouf found Martin Olsson to slide a shot inside the post and then Benjani turned his marker in the area and walloped in the second after collecting a cross from Morten Gamst Pedersen. Excellent work on the left by David Hoilett set up Benjani to add a third from close range before Steven Gerrard pulled one back with a crisp volley after Fernando Torres had a shot blocked. Indeed Gerrard should have set up a grandstand finale but blazed a penalty over the bar after he was tripped by Michel Salgado.

Attendance : 24,522
Assists : Diouf, Gamst-Pedersen, Hoilett, n/a


BOLTON 1 (Moreno 54)
WIGAN 1 (Stam 80)

Honours even at the Reebok as Bolton and Wigan earned a point each. The hosts went ahead as Mark Davies found Rodrigo Moreno who found space and thumped a shot high into the net. Wigan levelled when Ronnie Stam slid in at the far post to convert Steve Gohouri's low cross.

Attendance : 18,852
Assists : Davies, Gohouri


EVERTON 2 (Saha 3, Coleman 75)
TOTTENHAM 1 (van der Vaart 11)

Everton put a dent in the title hopes of Spurs after a deserved win at Goodison. They took an early lead with a low drive from Louis Saha from 25 yards having been found by Leighton Baines, however Spurs levelled when Rafael Van Der Vaart headed in from close range as he latched onto Peter Crouch's nod down. The home side clinched the win when a shot from Saha was parried by the keeper and Seamus Coleman headed in the rebound.

Attendance : 34,124
Assists : Baines, Crouch, n/a


4 January 2010

BLACKPOOL 1 (Campbell 68)
BIRMINGHAM 2 (Hleb 24, Dann 89)

Blackpool played at home for the first time since November but will wish they hadn't as they were beaten by a late Birmingham winner. The visitors led at the interval when Alex Hleb intercepted a Steven Crainey pass on the edge of the area and after taking a couple of touches, he clipped the ball past the keeper. Both clubs rattled efforts against the post before Blackpool equalised as DJ Campbell thumped in a header from Gary Taylor-Fletcher. Birmingham won it with a similar effort as Roger Johnson's head down was converted by Scott Dann.

Attendance : 14,550
Assists : n/a, Taylor-Fletcher, Johnson (ck)


FULHAM 3 (Davies 46, Dempsey 56, Hangeland 65)
WEST BROM 0

Fulham move out of the drop zone and go above West Brom on goal difference after seeing off the Baggies at Craven Cottage. Fulham went ahead in first half stoppage time as Youssef Mulumbu lost possession to Dickson Etuhu and as the ball fell to Simon Davies, he fizzed a shot goalwards from 25 yards which seemed to go straight through the hands of keeper Scott Carson. The lead was doubled early in the second half as Clint Dempsey thundered in a header from a Davies corner. It was like Groundhog Day nine minutes later when another Davies corner was headed powerfully in by Brede Hangeland to make up for a sitter that he missed with the scores level.

Attendance : 23,654
Assists : Etuhu, Davies (ck), Davies (ck)


MANCHESTER UNITED 2 (Hernandez 27, Nani 62)
STOKE 1 (Whitehead 50)

Man United go three points clear at the top and remain unbeaten in the league this season with a narrow win at home to Stoke. They took the lead when Nani crossed for Javier Hernandez to finish with a Zola-style flick at the near post. Stoke levelled just after the break when Dean Whitehead nodded in Tuncay's cross but United clinched the win when roles were reversed as Hernandez found Nani on the edge of the area and after turning, he arrowing a scorching shot into the far corner.

Attendance : 73,401
Assists : Nani (cross), Tuncay, Hernandez

Gary Dowden - Joint Admin Yahoo Groups Premier-L list
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/premier-l/
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