22 January 2012

MANCHESTER CITY 3 (Nasri 56, Lescott 59, Balotelli 95 Pen)
TOTTENHAM 2 (Defoe 60, Bale 65)

Man City left it late to see off Spurs in a dramatic game which burst into life in the second half. In a game of few chances initially, City led ten minutes into the second half when a lovely through ball from David Silva sent Samir Nasri clear and he walloped home a first time shot from the edge of the area giving keeper Brad Friedel no chance. Like London buses, another goal followed shortly afterwards as a corner was flicked on by Edin Dzeko and Joleon Lescott bundled the ball - and himself - into the net and almost stopped the ball from going in! Remarkably, Spurs came straight back and after an awful back header by Stefan Savic allowed Jermaine Defoe to burst clear, round keeper Joe Hart and slot into an empty net and within five minutes, they were level after excellent work from Aaron Lennon on the left who then set up Gareth Bale to curl in a beauty from 20 yards for the fourth goal in ten amazing minutes! It was all set up for a dramatic finale and it arrived in stoppage time as Defoe slid the ball wide from three yards as he couldnt quite stretch far enough to divert the ball in and with time almost up, sub Mario Balotelli was fouled in the area by Ledley King and he stepped up to slot in the spot kick and win the game.

Attendance : 47,422
Assists : Silva, Dzeko, Kaboul, Lennon, Balotelli (won pen)


ARSENAL 1 (Van Persie 71)
MANCHESTER UNITED 2 (Valencia 45, Wellbeck 81)

Man United remain three points behind Man City with a deserved win at Arsenal. United had the better of a scrappy first half and led in stoppage time when a deep cross from Ryan Giggs was headed in easily by Antonio Valencia. Early in the second half, Arsenal wasted a golden chance as a slip from Chris Smalling let in Tomas Rosicky and having set up Robin Van Persie, the Dutchman made space and blazed wide with the goal gaping. At the other end, Danny Welbeck broke clear and slipped the ball past the keeper only for Per Mertesacker to get back and just get it off the line. The equaliser arrived from a United attack which broke down and after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain found Van Persie in the area, his shot on the turn just beat the keeper and crept inside the far post. United regained the lead ten minutes later after an excellent run from Valencia who exchanged passes in the area and then set up Danny Welbeck who made no mistake from 12 yards.

Attendance : 60,093
Assists : Giggs, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Valencia


21 January 2012

NORWICH 0
CHELSEA 0

Chelsea again slip up in their dwindling challenge for the title and will be fighting for a Champions League place at best after a goalless draw at Norwich. Fernando Torres came close for the visitors, forcing a superb save from John Ruddy in the first half and prodding wide from eight yards after the interval.

Attendance : 26,792
Assists : n/a


EVERTON 1 (Cahill 24)
BLACKBURN 1 (Goodwillie 72)

Blackburn's recent improvement continued with a creditable point at Everton. The hosts led in controversial style when Marouane Fellaini clearly handled the ball in the six yard box to set up Tim Cahill to tap in his first goal of the season. Rovers equalised as Morten Gamst Pedersen's free kick was missed by the keeper and although Cahill blocked on he line, his attempted clearance thudded into in-form David Goodwillie and bounced in.

Attendance : 32,464
Assists : Fellaini, Pedersen


FULHAM 5 (Murphy 52 Pen, Dempsey 59, Dempsey 65, Zamora 68 Pen, Dempsey 89)
NEWCASTLE 2 (Guthrie 43, Ben Arfa 85)

Fulham came from behind to wallop Newcastle in a crazy game at Craven Cottage. There was little sign of the excitement to come when Newcastle took the lead just before half time when Hatem Ben Arfa found Danny Guthrie who unleashed a belter into the corner from 25 yards. Fulham came out after the break and blitzed their visitors with four goals in sixteen minutes, starting with a Danny Murphy penalty after Damien Duff was bundled over by Davide Santon although it looked to have started outside the area. Enter Clint Dempsey with two more quick fire strikes as he stooped to knock the ball in with his knee after Bobby Zamora's effort was saved and then he added Fulham's third with a low shot having been found by Zamora again. Three minutes later, another penalty as Andrew Johnson was clattered in the area by keeper Tim Krul who escaped with a yellow card thanks to defenders behind him, and Zamora smashed in the second spot kick. Newcastle had hopes of a late revival when Ben Arfa cut in from the right and drilled a shot inside the near post having been found by Shola Ameobi but there was still time for Dempsey to complete his hat trick as he ran onto Zamora's long ball to fire in the fifth.

Attendance : 25,692
Assists : Ben Arfa, Duff (won pen), Zamora, Zamora, Johnson (won pen), Ameobi, Zamora


QPR 3 (Helguson 33 Pen, Buzsaky 45, Smith 81)
WIGAN 1 (Rodallega 66 fk)

New QPR boss Mark Hughes started his home reign with hard fought win against Wigan. Rangers looked home and dry by half time after a Heidar Helguson penalty following a handball from James McCarthy and, on the stroke of half time, Akos Buzsaky doubled the lead with a brilliant curling free kick which smashed in off the post. Wigan pulled a goal back when Hugo Rodallega emulated Buzsaky with an equally impressive free kick but the hosts should have wrapped it up seven minutes later after Helguson was hauled down in the area by Gary Caldwell, however this time Ali Al Habsi did superbly to keep his spot kick out. With nine minutes left, Rangers did make sure when Shaun Wright-Phillips found Tommy Smith who arrowed a cracking shot in from long range.

Attendance : 16,002
Assists : n/a, Campbell (won fk), Figueroa (won fk), SWP


STOKE 1 (Jerome 86)
WEST BROM 1 (Morrison 35, Dorrans 91)

West Brom pulled further away from the drop zone with an excellent late win at Stoke. They led from late in the first half when James Morrison struck a long range effort which was fumbled by keeper Thomas Sorenson and bobbled over the line. Stoke blew a golden chance to level when Jonathon Walters saw his penalty saved by Ben Foster after he was fouled by Gareth McCauley however they did level matters with just four minutes to go when Cameron Jerome headed in Jermaine Pennant's cross. It looked to be heading for a draw only for Graham Dorrans to fire a free kick through a crowd of players and inside the far post.

Attendance : 26,856
Assists : Mulumbu, Pennant


SUNDERLAND 2 (Sessegnon 14, Gardner 85)
SWANSEA 0

Sunderland - close to the bottom three not long ago - beat Swansea to continue their revival under Martin O'Neill and move into tenth place. A goal in each half settled it as Stephane Sessegnon played a neat one-two with James McClean on the left and curled in a superb shot from a tricky angle. They clinched it late on with an even better goal when Craig Gardner walloped a dipping volley from 25 yards which arrowed in with Sessegnon the provider this time.

Attendance : 36,904
Assists : McClean, Sessegnon


WOLVES 2 (Knightly 21, Edwards 31)
ASTON VILLA 3 (Bent 11 Pen, Keane 51, Keane 84)

On loan Robbie Keane netted two second half goals against his first club as Aston Villa saw off Wolves in a cracking game at Molineux. Villa led early through Darren Bent's penalty after he was fouled when he robbed Christophe Berra of the ball in the area, however by half time, Wolves had turned it around. Firstly, Emmanuel Fringpong found Michael Kightly who cut inside from the right and fire across goal and in and then David Edwards nodded in from close range after Roger Johnson had helped a corner on. Keane levelled early in the second half with a superb shot on the turn after being found by Ciaran Clark's header and then Wolves were reduced to ten men when Karl Henry back-heeled Marc Albrighton in the chest after they'd tussled for the ball. Keane struck again late on as he won it for his new club with an unstoppable shot off the bar after a cross was cleared to him. To his credit, he barely celebrated either strike against the club that gave him his first break.

Attendance : 27,084
Assists : Bent (won pen), Frimpong, Johnson, Clark, n/a


BOLTON 3 (Davies 4, Reo-Coker 29, Steinsson 50)
LIVERPOOL 1 (Bellamy 37)

Bolton move out of the bottom three with a superb win against Liverpool. They led early as Mark Davies latched onto a flick from David Ngog and was allowed to run through the Liverpool defence and fire in from 15 yards. They doubled the lead when Chris Eagles found Nigel Reo-Coker who controlled the ball on his chest and scored from close range. Liverpool pulled one back before the interval as Craig Bellamy was sent clear by Andy Carroll and edged the ball past the keeper but early in the second half Bolton clinched it when Gretat Steinsson volleyed in David Wheater's header.

Attendance : 26,854
Assists : N'Gog, Eagles, Carroll, Wheater

Gary Dowden - Joint Admin YahooGroups Premier-L list
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