Saturday Match Reviews - 16th August 2008

Source - www.premierleague.com

Arsenal 1 West Brom 0

A debut goal for Samir Nasri proved enough to give Arsenal a 1-0 win over new boys West Bromwich Albion on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season at the Emirates Stadium.

The £12million Frenchman netted after only four minutes as the Gunners dominated the first half.

However, it was a different story following the restart as last season's Championship winners fought back and were unfortunate not to get something from the match.

Arsene Wenger - whose injury-hit squad had battled to victory in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against FC Twente in Holland during the week - was in the end no doubt happy enough with the final result.

But the Gunners manager knows it will take more than such average performances over the next nine months to secure a first league title since 2004. As expected, Arsenal were soon on the offensive, and forced a succession of early corners.

It proved to be a dream start for Nasri. The ball was worked quickly through the right side of the penalty area to Denilson, who cut the back into the path of the French winger and he calmly guided his shot low into the far corner.

Arsenal were soon rampant again, as Emmanuel Adebayor chipped the ball over for Theo Walcott, whose goalbound close-range header was blocked by Baggies defender Paul Robinson.

Gunners captain William Gallas was allowed space some 30 yards out - and his low, rasping drive was only just wide of Scott Carson's right-hand post.

West Brom were struggling to get a foothold in the match and Arsenal surged forwards again in the 18th minute. Right-back Bacary Sagna let fly with an angled drive, which deflected off Meite and almost into the far corner.

Nicklas Bendtner headed wide from a near-post corner as the Gunners threatened to extend their lead once again. There was finally some respite for the battered Baggies when they forced a corner in the 27th minute.

However, the delivery was poor and eventually the ball went out harmlessly for a goal-kick.

Manuel Almunia was eventually called into action on the half hour when Ishmael Miller flicked on a long ball into the path of Do-Heon Kim. The Korean held off his marker and drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box, which the Arsenal keeper had to turn behind at full-stretch.

Johan Djourou then did well to get back ahead of Miller as the West Brom striker looked to sneak in behind the home defence. This was now the best spell for the newly-promoted Black Country club.

However, the visitors were still unable to create another decent opening as the interval approached.

Neither manager made any changes at the restart, although news did filter through that full-back Justin Hoyte's £3million move from Arsenal to Middlesbrough had now been completed.

Adebayor sliced wide from an acute angle when the ball broke kindly to the big African in the left side of the penalty area.

On 50 minutes, there was a big let-off for Arsenal. First Miller's close-range effort was blocked by the legs of Almunia after he had sprung the offside trap, before Djourou cleared Robinson's follow-up shot from in front of his own net.

Arsenal could then have made it 2-0 moments later when Adebayor got clear into the left side of the area once more - and this time bent a low, curling effort just wide of the far post with the keeper beaten.

After the Gunners had dominated the opening half, this was now a much more evenly contested match-up. The Baggies continued to press and Arsenal sensed they needed the cushion of another goal.

Substitute Robin van Persie's far-post header from a cross by Adebayor was straight at Carson. The Dutch forward almost netted an acrobatic strike when he turned in the six-yard box to poke a left-foot effort just wide, but in the end 1-0 to the Arsenal proved enough for victory.

Bolton Wanderers 3 Stoke City 1

Record Bolton Wanderers signing Johan Elmander marked his debut by finding the target as Stoke City got an indication of how tough life will be in the Barclays Premier League.

After 23 years of waiting to return to the top flight this was a wake-up call for manager Tony Pulis and his players.

Bolton, after all, just escaped the drop last season thanks to a five-match unbeaten run when it mattered most.

However they looked a class apart after a sluggish start with Gretar Steinnson and Kevin Davies joining Elmander on the scoresheet.

Stoke made a bright opening only to fall apart in an 11-minute spell before half-time and their only consolation was a header from substitute Ricardo Fuller in stoppage time.

Dave Kitson, a £5.5million summer signing from Reading, twice came close with headers and Leon Cort saw his close-range effort blocked by goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen.

In between Elmander's effort went narrowly over the bar after a good first touch following a flick-on from Davies.

Bolton gave an indication of what was to come in the 32nd minute when Davies headed marginally wide following a cross from Taylor.

They took the lead two minutes later with Iceland international Steinsson's first goal for the club.

It was a stunning strike as well - the ball delivered from an acute angle just outside the area.

Former AZ Alkmaar full-back Steinsson wheeled away in celebration after his effort whistled past goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen via the post.

Stoke looked stunned and little wonder as they had dominated possession up until this point.

Bolton were growing in confidence and looking to kick on after losing their first match at home last season against Newcastle United.

They extended their lead in the 43rd minute when Davies with his back to goal sent a looping header over Sorensen after Gary Cahill had launched the ball forward.

Bolton made it 3-0 in stoppage time thanks to Elmander, who arrived in the summer from Toulouse for a fee reported to be £11million.

Stoke again failed to deal with a set piece with the Sweden international heading home a free-kick from Joey O'Brien.

Elmander almost got a second goal after 49 minutes when he latched on to a ball from Fabrice Muamba, only to see his effort go wide of the post.

Then skipper Kevin Nolan tried to slip the ball through to Elmander but Sorensen read the situation well and made the clearance.

With a three-goal cushion Bolton were looking assured in this their eighth season in the top flight.

Backed by a crowd of 22,717 they were playing some good football and Stoke were finding it tough going.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis made his first change in the 66th minute when he brought on Liam Lawrence for Glenn Whelan in the hope he could turn things around.

Davies was putting in his usual shift for Bolton. Not content with getting forward, he also thought nothing of helping out his defence when needed.

There was a slight scare for the home side when Andy O'Brien's back-pass was short. However Jaaskelainen was quickly off his line and nicked the ball off Kitson's toes as he prepared to take advantage.

Stoke were continuing to work hard but found it hard to peg back Bolton's advantage.

The home side re-grouped and almost extended their lead in the 75th minute only for Ryan Shawcross to clear Nolan's effort off the line.

Then five minutes later Sorensen did well to push away a header from Taylor at the post before Fuller pulled a goal back for Stoke in stoppage time with a header.

Everton 2 Blackburn Rovers 3

Sir Alex Ferguson was in the Goodison Park directors' box to see Blackburn Rovers' Paul Ince make it a winning start to his Barclays Premier League managerial career.

Ferguson no doubt taught Ince a few things about true grit when he played under the Scot at Old Trafford - and the protege seems to have implanted that spirit into his Blackburn side.

Rovers won with a goal from defender Andre Ooijer four minutes into injury time. They had led through David Dunn, before Mikel Arteta equalised for Everton with a fine free-kick in first-half injury-time.

When Ayegbeni Yakubu put Everton ahead, it looked as if the hosts were going to grab the points. But Roque Santa Cruz and then Dutchman Ooijer had different ideas.

Rovers who had three good early chances. Morten Gamst Pedersen surged through the middle to force Tim Howard into a finger-tip save.

Then two excellent crosses from Reid were both met by Santa Cruz and headed just wide. Everton's response was a 25-yarder from Jack Rodwell that was held low by Robinson.

Dunn, from 35 yards, almost embarrassed out-of-position Howard. Dunn, cutting in from the left, forced Howard into a smart save. But the next time Dunn was in a shooting position, he bagged an excellent goal on 22 minutes.

Pedersen and Santa Cruz were involved in the build-up, but Dunn did much of the hard work himself by sending Phil Jagielka skidding away on his backside - having shifted the ball from right to left foot before firing wide of Howard.

Dunn's excellent goal gave Rovers the lift they needed, and they were finding too much room in the centre of midfield. Rodwell was doing his best, but the makeshift partnership with Jagielka was a worry.

Moyes attempted to solve the problem by moving Baines to left-back and shifting Nuno Valente into midfield. But there was pace about Blackburn's play.

But two minutes into first-half injury-time, Arteta was on the scoresheet with a curling free-kick - for a harsh hand-ball against Reid - that left Robinson standing.

Everton could have been ahead two minutes into the second period. Rodwell put Baines away on the left - and when the cross flashed in front of goal both Yakubu and Leon Osman failed by inches to connect with the cross.

Jason Roberts' fine run into the box past three defenders was finally halted by a combination of Howard and Joleon Lescott - when it looked as if the Rovers man would score. Jagielka then saw a header from Arteta's corner flash just wide.

After 64 minutes, Everton surged into the lead. Yakubu's neat ball out to the left sent Arteta racing away - and when the far-post cross arrived, Yakubu was towering above everyone to head home.

The lead lasted two minutes. Warnock's angled ball in from the left saw Santa Cruz get goal side of Lescott to ease the ball past Howard.

Roberts forced a fine save from Howard, with Lescott's block stopping Roberts' second attempt.

With 11 minutes left, Everton sent on Jose Baxter for his debut in place of Valente - making him the Toffees' youngest ever senior player at 16 years and 196 days old.

In the last minute of normal time, Baxter out-jumped Robinson at the far post to head over from a Phil Neville cross.

But Blackburn stole the points in the 94th minute when Warnock's free-kick was headed against the post by Ryan Nelsen, with Ooijer tapping home the rebound.

Sunderland 0 Liverpool 1

Fernando Torres fired Liverpool to victory over Sunderland in their Barclays Premier League opener at the Stadium of Light.

The striker produced a vicious drive eight minutes from time to claim the points. It was a bitter pill to swallow for a Sunderland side who had enjoyed the best of the play and all but negated the return of the Reds' fit-again captain Steven Gerrard.

The Black Cats immediately went on the attack, debutant El-Hadji Diouf powering straight into the Liverpool half before losing the ball at speed.

New boy Steed Malbranque was also eager to make an impression, nimbly turning Yossi Benayoun but chipping his through-ball just too long.

With just five minutes gone Diouf's pace had worried his former side twice, first drawing a last-ditch tackle from Jamie Carragher and then forcing Jose Reina into a clearance.

Liverpool attempted to force their way back into the match, Gerrard drifting out wide as he twice tried and failed to play in Robbie Keane from the right.

Diouf, enjoying quite a start to a Black Cats career, proved more incisive after 13 minutes, crossing the ball for Daryl Murphy but the Irishman headed straight at Reina.

Gerrard then prevented another attempt on goal when he stole in to dispossess the Kieran Richardson in the box.

Sunderland briefly lost their composure after 25 minutes when the unlikely figure of Sami Hyypia caused a mix-up between goalkeeper Craig Gordon and his defence although Liverpool's attackers were unable to take advantage.

Referee Alan Wiley decided not to award a penalty after a heavy collision involving Benayoun, instead blowing for a foul on Gerrard moments before. The resulting free-kick was in a promising position, but a telegraphed routine from Keane and Gerrard ensured nothing would come of it.

Keane made a better fist of a half-chance three minutes before the interval but screwed his shot wide after skilfully setting himself up.

After 54 minutes, former Bolton Wanderers man Diouf spurned a fine chance.

Murphy, making amends for his earlier miss, laid the ball tantalisingly across goal only for Diouf to scuff his shot to a grateful Reina.

Alonso gradually started to rouse the Reds, elegantly starting a move which ended with one of their better chances - a Gerrard shot cannoning off Danny Collins on the six-yard line.

With 20 minutes to go, Benayoun won a free-kick a yard from the edge of the penalty box - but again Gerrard's delivery was tame.

An Alonso special from within his own half almost settled the match in spectacular fashion, but the midfielder was just wide with his strike - much to Gordon's relief.

It was Alonso's touch too that freed his compatriot after 82 minutes - but the finish, swerving at pace, was all Torres.