Sunday Match Reviews - 17th August 2008

Source - www.premierleague.com

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

Luiz Felipe Scolari got his Chelsea reign up and running with victory over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge and a message of attacking intent to the rest of the Barclays Premier League.

Scolari's first competitive match in charge suggested he wants style as well as substance, and they continued to push forward once Joe Cole opened the scoring in the 12th minute.

Nicolas Anelka, Scolari's only senior forward available, headed in his first goal at home for Chelsea before Frank Lampard put the result beyond doubt just before the break, scoring a penalty just five days after sealing his new five-year contract at the club.

Deco, on his debut, added a fourth from long range just before the end.

While Lampard may have been in the headlines this week it was Scolari who took centre stage on the opening weekend of the new season.

The Brazilian had promised a samba style to his time in west London, and he did not disappoint after being introduced to the crowd and giving them a thumbs-up.

Like his Brazil team that won the 2002 World Cup, he relied on his full-backs to create width - instead of Cafu and Roberto Carlos he has Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole marauding forward.

It allowed his five-man midfield to dominate through the middle, which is where the opener was created from less than a quarter of an hour into Scolari's career in England.

Anelka cushioned a header back to Michael Ballack, who lifted the ball over Pompey's defence with the outside of his boot for midfielder Cole to steer his finish around David James.

It could have got worse for the visitors as Lampard split their defence again, only this time James saved with his feet when Anelka ran through.

The France striker was not made to wait long for his goal. Bosingwa helped set it up by getting to the byline and standing up a cross to the far post.

Ballack almost got in the way as Deco met the ball but the Portugal midfielder managed to clip over James and Anelka beat Sylvain Distin on the line to head into the empty net.

Anelka should have added a third on the half-hour mark when he raced through again, but his effort went just wide of the post after he tapped the ball around James.

Pompey also suggested they were willing to fight back when Petr Cech was forced into a double save before the break, first from Niko Kranjcar's powerful drive, then bravely with his body when Peter Crouch latched onto the rebound.

However, their hopes ended when Chelsea were awarded a penalty in first-half stoppage-time after Distin handled a cross by midfielder Cole.

Lampard tucked away the spot-kick and tapped his badge in celebration as he ran to the crowd.

The attacking continued after the break, with Anelka twice firing over the crossbar after the restart.

Midfielder Cole was sent through over the top again but fired wide of the post after outpacing the Pompey defence.

Younes Kaboul thought he had sight of goal from a corner but his effort came off his knee, and Crouch could not tame the ball when it fell to him.

Pompey also had a penalty appeal when Niko Kranjcar's drive was blocked by Ricardo Carvalho.

Crouch's partnership with Jermain Defoe clearly needs time to gel. It took them 78 minutes to combine, and Defoe could not get direction on his finish when he met a flick-on.

Deco's goal came in the 89th minute, a powerful and swerving effort from 30 yards that James could only parry into the top corner.

Aston Villa 4 Manchester City 2

Gabriel Agbonlahor scored a seven-minute hat-trick as Aston Villa beat Mark Hughes' Manchester City side in the Barclays Premier League opener at Villa Park.

Agbonlahor was left out of the squad by Fabio Capello for Wednesday's friendly with the Czech Republic but took out any disappointment he may have been feeling on City in devastating fashion.

It was also a perfect way for Agbonlahor to celebrate after signing a new four-year contract with Villa on Thursday.

His Villa team-mate Ashley Young, overlooked as well by Capello, was also in impressive form as he laid on two goals in an impressive all-round display by Martin O'Neill's side.

They attacked with great purpose with John Carew dominating in the air and City only briefly threatened after a defensive mix-up handed them a penalty converted by Elano.

Little went right for City after they suffered a pre-match setback when striker Valeri Bojinov was injured in the warm-up and he was replaced by 19-year-old Ched Evans with Felipe Caicedo being drafted in as a substitute.

Villa made a promising start with Carew causing plenty of problems in the air - and the Norway international twice went close to breaking the deadlock.

Carew was first to react to a corner from Ashley Young but his glancing header flew just past the far post. Then the Villa striker got on the end of another corner - this time by Gareth Barry - and forced Joe Hart to save away to his right.

Michael Johnson blocked a close-range drive from Ashley Young and Carew's first-time low drive had Hart sprawling across his goal to collect.

City threatened for the first time when Kelvin Etuhu went past Nicky Shorey on the outside before firing a low attempt across the face of Brad Friedel's goal with no-one able to apply a finishing touch.

But then midfielder Gareth Barry missed a good opportunity for Villa after 26 minutes. Nigel Reo-Coker burst down the right flank and his powerful cross was only parried by Hart into the path of Barry but from eight yards out he hooked the ball wide.

Brad Friedel had to make his first save of note after 30 minutes when he got his body behind Martin Petrov's low drive after good play by Gelson Fernandes set up the opportunity.

Villa needed only two minutes of the second period to break the deadlock through Carew - last season's top marksman with 13 goals.

Barry found Ashley Young in space on the left flank and the winger sent over the kind of pinpoint cross which Carew thrives on as he sent a powerful header past Hart from six-yards out.

City tried to respond instantly and Luke Young did well to block a powerful drive from 15-yards out by Elano.

Friedel finger-tipped a low cross shot from Garrido around the post and Martin Petrov volleyed into the side netting.

But it needed a mix-up between Luke Young and Shorey to present City with an equaliser after 63 minutes.

There appeared to be little danger but the two full-backs hesitated and let in Michael Johnson who was eventually brought down by Luke Young in the box.

Referee Phil Dowd immediately pointed to the penalty spot and Elano sent Friedel the wrong way from the spot.

But Villa needed only five minutes to regain the lead through Agbonlahor. An Ashley Young corner was turned back across goal by Curtis Davies to Agbonlahor who beat Hart with a right-foot volley and within five minutes Agbonlahor had struck again to double Villa's lead.

Ashley Young picked out the overlapping Barry and his cross was headed home by the England Under-21 player.

Then in the 76th minute Agbonlahor completed his first senior hat-trick when he raced onto a Barry through-ball and clipped the ball past Hart.

Corluka scored an 89th minute consolation goal for City but they were well beaten by the final whistle.

Manchester United 1 Newcastle United 1

Manchester United shared the first points of their new Barclays Premier League campaign after a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson is unlikely to be too concerned at the loss of two points, given that the Champions finished top last term despite collecting only two from their opening three matches.

But he ended Saturday's match with Patrice Evra providing Wayne Rooney with support up front, revealing the need for another striker in the United ranks.

Frazier Campbell was impressive as an individual, and the Red Devils as a whole were a pretty fearful unit in the opening stages before their cutting edge was blunted.

Ryan Giggs could easily have had a penalty when his early free-kick crashed into James Milner, and Shay Given was required to stand firm amid a barrage of United attacks.

At one stage, Given even saved with his head as Paul Scholes flashed a shot goalwards.

The hosts' problems were at the back against a Newcastle side aided in no small part by the excellence of one of their Argentinian new boys Jonas Gutierrez.

Gutierrez's claims for a penalty when he was tackled by Nemanja Vidic were invalid - replays showing the former Real Mallorca player was outside the box - but by keeping the United defence on their toes, he seemed to unsettle their whole rearguard.

Obafemi Martins was not tracked as he leapt alone to meet Milner's corner with enough power to send it past Scholes, who was trying to clear off the line. The pity for Newcastle was that their lead lasted just two minutes.

Evra was getting forward even more than usual and fed Giggs, who struck a low cross to the near post.

In the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo - who was in the stands but will not be seen on the pitch until October - and his suspended compatriot Nani, Darren Fletcher had been given a big hole to fill.

But the Scot is a determined character, and his eye for an opportunity was to be admired as he stole in to steer a first-time effort past Given.

With the second half taking on a similar pattern to the first, United looked as likely to concede a second as score one.

Martins tested Edwin van der Sar from long range - but then so did Campbell as Given stretched once more to keep the youngster's shot out.

If Martins had been able to keep his header down from point-blank range after United had once again got their marking all wrong from a Milner corner, the hosts really would have been in trouble.

As it was, an increasingly tired-looking Campbell tried his luck before Vidic - who had earlier pulled off a superb tackle to deny Gutierrez a clear run at goal - saw his downward header bounce up on to the crossbar.

Rooney floated a cross-shot on to the roof of Given's net near the end and, having also been booked, bent a free-kick round the post in stoppage time.

But Newcastle were hardly under siege as they collected the point they deserved.