BPL Saturday Review 3rd Oct 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Manchester United delved into their much-used box of late comebacks to rescue a point against Sunderland.

Two weeks after Michael Owen's last-gasp winner against Manchester City, Anton Ferdinand could not get out of the way of an off-target effort from Patrice Evra to grab United a point and deprive the Black Cats of their first Old Trafford win since 1968.

In truth, it lacked the thrill factor of a fortnight ago. And so poor was United's general performance that questions are bound to be asked about their ability to retain their Barclays Premier League title.

Darren Bent gave the visitors a seventh-minute lead, Dimitar Berbatov levelled after 51, only for Kenwyne Jones to restore Sunderland's advantage seven minutes later.

However, deep into injury-time - and shortly after Sunderland had seen former United midfielder Kieran Richardson dismissed for a second yellow card, Ferdinand's own goal earned a point for Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

Elsewhere, bottom club Portsmouth put recent troubles behind them to grab a first Barclays Premier League win after holding off Wolves 1-0 at Molineux.

Paul Hart's men - who had lost all of their seven league games before this afternoon, with reports of wages not being paid following Sulaiman al Fahim's protracted takeover - went ahead on 19 minutes through Hassan Yebda, on-loan from Benfica.

Aruna Dindane almost made it 2-0, but was denied by Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey before Pompey stopper David James produced a fine save from Andrew Keogh in first-half stoppage time.

Wolves felt they had a strong penalty claim just after the hour mark when Michael Kightly appeared to handle the ball, but referee Howard Webb was unconvinced.

Pompey dug in - with James producing a superb late save from Greg Halford - to record a morale-boosting victory, but they remain at the foot of the table.

High-flying Tottenham twice fought back to secure a 2-2 draw at Bolton.

Ricardo Gardner fired the Trotters into a fourth-minute lead after goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini had parried Chung-Yong Lee's shot.

Spurs, though, equalised somewhat against the run of play when Croatia international Niko Kranjcar (34) slotted home after Peter Crouch's knockdown to score his first goal since moving from Portsmouth.

Kevin Davies (69) headed the hosts back in front, but after Crouch had seen his shot come off keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen and hit the bar, defender Vedran Corluka (73) headed in a corner to earn Harry Redknapp's men a share of the points as Spurs moved back into the top three.

Hull moved out of the bottom three with a 2-1 win over Wigan at KC Stadium.

After having a first-half penalty appeal for handball turned down, the Tigers - thrashed 6-1 at Liverpool last weekend - took the lead on the hour through a powerful header from Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

Brazilian Giovanni (68) put the home side, who ended a run of three straight league defeats, in control when he swept in Kamil Zayatte's right-wing cross.

However, there was still time for substitute Scott Sinclair (87) to pull a goal back for Wigan - who last week produced a shock win over Chelsea.

Burnley maintained their 100% home record as they beat Birmingham 2-1 at Turf Moor.

The visitors should have been ahead at the break, but Lee Bowyer somehow missed the target when the ball arrived to him unmarked at the far post.

It proved costly as, on 53 minutes Burnley - who have beaten Manchester United, Everton and Sunderland at home on their first foray into the Premier League - went ahead when England hopeful Joe Hart allowed Steven Fletcher's shot to squirm into the net.

Before Birmingham, promoted last season along with the Clarets, had a chance to respond, Owen Coyle's side doubled their lead when Andre Bikey, a summer buy from Reading, played a one-two with David Nugent and slotted past Hart.

Sebastian Larsson (90) netted a late consolation for Birmingham with a well-taken free-kick.

Manchester United 2-2 Sunderland ; 3rd Oct 2009

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Manchester United delved into their much-used box of late comebacks to rescue a point against Sunderland.

Two weeks after Michael Owen's last-gasp winner against Manchester City, Anton Ferdinand could not get out of the way of an off-target effort from Patrice Evra to grab United a point and deprive the Black Cats of their first Old Trafford win since 1968.

In truth, it lacked the thrill factor of a fortnight ago. And so poor was United's general performance that questions are bound to be asked about their ability to retain their Premier League title.

On the back of an eight-match winning run, facing opponents who had not won at Old Trafford for more than 40 years and managed by a man in Steve Bruce who was unable to boast even a solitary success against his old boss in 12 previous attempts, it was expected to be a stroll.

But Sunderland were the ones who adapted to the blustery conditions quicker. Indeed, it could have been argued United did not adapt at all.

Rare are the times an opposition goalkeeper comes to this ground and gets through an entire half without having to make a save. But this was one.

Craig Gordon did make one meaningful intervention, diving low to cut out John O'Shea's curling cross. Apart from that, the Scotland keeper was redundant.

Anton Ferdinand, the one member of his family to start after brother Rio was consigned to the bench by Sir Alex Ferguson, produced an effective central defensive performance alongside the equally impressive Michael Turner.

Yet even they must have been surprised by how little they had to do.

With teenager Danny Welbeck handed only his second Premier League start, a tentative approach from one flank was to be expected. Maybe the same could also be said of Nani given his dismal display at Stoke seven days previously.

The Portugal international was no better on Saturday, and this time Ryan Giggs was not on the bench to bail him out.

And, in Darren Bent, Sunderland boasted a man at the top of his game.

When he made the quick dash down from Bolton, England coach Fabio Capello might not have been expecting to spend half-time thinking about whether Bent should be in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Belarus.

Yet, had it not been for his decision to hand over penalty duties to Kenwyne Jones at Sunderland last week, he would now be top of the scoring charts.

And what a fine effort his seventh of the season was as Sunderland took the lead in only the seventh minute.

He got far enough away from O'Shea during a lengthy Black Cats build-up to have room to turn away from the Irishman when Lee Cattermole played the final pass.

The finish was inch perfect, giving Ben Foster no chance.

Replacing Paul Scholes at the break was a bold statement by Ferguson, which triggered an instant response.

Nani was a suddenly a man inspired, twice causing confusion with direct runs, the second of which demanded a brave low save of Gordon to deny Wayne Rooney.

The clearance came straight back out to O'Shea, whose curling 51st-minute cross was perfectly met by Dimitar Berbatov's overhead kick, which nestled in the bottom corner.

As they say when the TV picture goes down, normal service was expected to resume shortly. Instead, United conceded again.

Foster, and no doubt Ferguson, who had already been incensed by a couple of Alan Wiley's decisions, will doubtless feel Jones fouled the United keeper as he rose to meet Andy Reid's cross just before the hour mark.

But Foster should have been stronger in the challenge. Instead, he was shoved aside to allow Jones to head into an empty net.

Thrilling late comebacks from such positions are the stuff of Manchester United legend.

Probably only this knowledge kept the hosts going as, even after Kieran Richardson's needless dismissal, it never actually looked like happening.

Evra refused to accept second best, though, leaving Ferdinand to beat the ground in frustration.

Hull 2-1 Wigan; 3rd Oct 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Goals from Jan Vennegoor and Geovanni eased the pressure on Phil Brown as Hull claimed a vital win over Wigan Athletic.

The pair both struck in the second half of a scrappy Barclays Premier League contest at the KC Stadium to end a dismal sequence of results for Brown's struggling side.

Substitute Scott Sinclair headed an 87th-minute reply for the visitors but Hull held on through five minutes of injury time.

It was only the Tigers' second win of the league campaign, their first for six weeks and just their third in 30 outings since last December.

The result also marked a dramatic reversal of fortunes for both clubs, with Hull having been thrashed 6-1 at Liverpool last week while Wigan pulled off a shock win over Chelsea.

After three consecutive defeats, Brown shuffled his pack for the contest by making three changes and moving Kevin Kilbane into central defence.

Newly-appointed captain Nick Barmby was one of the players to come in along with Dean Marney and Kamil Zayatte, and all three lined up in midfield.

Wigan, who won the corresponding fixture last year 5-0, were not surprisingly unchanged, with Jason Scotland again leading the line.

The game got off to a lively start and Hull had a penalty shout declined with only two minutes gone.

Wigan were almost caught out as Stephen Hunt hooked in the ball from the left with his back to goal but goalkeeper Chris Kirkland scrambled back and clawed it away from under his crossbar.

It fell invitingly to the onrushing Barmby six yards out but his powerful shot rebounded off Maynor Figueroa and referee Mark Clattenburg dismissed claims for handball.

Marney then found space and tried his luck from distance but Kirkland was not troubled.

A deep cross-field ball from Hunt then picked out Barmby in the area but the former England international was unable to make firm contact with his volley.

Wigan had another chance when a Charles N'Zogbia corner was pushed out to Hugo Rodallega by Boaz Myhill but the Colombian shot over.

Myhill then beat away a low shot from Mohamed Diame and dived at the feet of Rodallega before Scotland fired narrowly wide after a strong burst.

Geovanni also shot over for Hull after a good run and Vennegoor of Hesselink then glanced a header just wide from the Brazilian's cross.

N'Zogbia was the first to be booked for a late challenge on Andy Dawson that saw play halted while the left-back received treatment.

After a lively opening period, the game went off the boil in the 20 minutes before half-time.

It was not until the second half that the game picked up again, with Wigan's Paul Scharner creating a chance but shooting well over.

Marney then won the ball in midfield for Hull and burst forward but his shot was was deflected wide.

N'Zogbia found good space for Wigan and crossed for Diame but Paul McShane made a timely interception.

Hull grabbed the lead as Vennegoor of Hesselink claimed his first goal for the club on the hour.

The Dutchman charged forward to divert Marney's corner past Kirkland with a firm header at the near post.

Scotland almost produced an instant reply with a shot wide but Barmby missed a chance to double the advantage when he miskicked in front of goal.

It proved to be Barmby's last action of the game before making way for Kamel Ghilas and handing the armband to Geovanni.

The Brazilian responded to grab Hull's second goal in the 68th minute after good work by Zayatte.

Emmerson Boyce gave the ball away on halfway and Zayatte powered into the area and clipped in a fine cross for the unmarked Geovanni to turn in from six yards.

Wigan gave themselves late hope when substitute Sinclair pulled a goal back three minutes from time.

Jordi Gomez's shot from the right was beaten out by Myhill but Sinclair was well placed when the rebound fell his way and instinctively headed in.

Diame then shot over from the edge of the area as Wigan looked to snatch a point.

The signal for five minutes of injury time increased Wigan's belief but Hull held on despite a heart-stopping moment when Gomez went down in the area. He was booked for diving.

Bolton 2-2 Tottenham; 3rd Oct 2009

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Tottenham's manager Harry Redknapp saw his side get some reward for a battling display at the Reebok Stadium.

Twice behind in an open game they secured a point thanks to a goal from Vedran Corluka in the 73rd minute.

Tottenham went into the match without a win in nine attempts at the ground and then got off to a terrible start.

Ricardo Gardner opened the scoring in the second minute and that could have been the cue for another bad day in Bolton.

Instead Tottenham regrouped and equalised 30 minutes later through Niko Kranjcar. Even though Kevin Davies equalised they refused to lie down.

Bolton got off to a flying start when the visitors failed to deal with a long throw from Jlloyd Samuel.

Lee Chung-Yong was unmarked at the back post and helped the ball on. Ricardo Gardner then got a vital touch to send his effort beyond Carlo Cudicini.

Bolton were playing some good football and Gardner skipped away in the 13th minute before releasing Tamir Cohen with a neat through-ball.

The Israel midfielder got a good touch inside the area but his effort was diverted to safety - much to Tottenham's relief.

Cohen was then booked in the 31st minute for a challenge on Wilson Palacios which left the Spurs player writhing on the floor.

Palacios made a quick recovery, however, and had a hand in their equaliser. He delivered the ball to Peter Crouch, who nodded it on and Kranjcar sent a stunning shot into the net.

Bolton responded and Zat Knight met Matt Taylor's free-kick in the 38th minute but was off-balance and headed wide.

Then Cohen clipped the ball wide after good link-up play involving Kevin Davies and Taylor.

Tottenham were left badly exposed on the stroke of half-time when Taylor sprung the offside trap.

He homed in on goal but Cudicini was alert to the danger and was happy to concede a corner.

Bolton carved out a good chance after 50 minutes when Davies got away from Tom Huddlestone down the right.

The tenacious striker played the ball into the path of Lee, who was lurking in the penalty area. However the Korean opted to try and release Taylor instead of shooting and his pass was easily cut out.

Tottenham should have taken the lead five minutes later following a blistering run from Aaron Lennon.

The England winger fired in a shot that Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to beat away but only to Palacios six yards out.

Palacios was well placed in front of goal but only succeeded in sending his effort closer to the corner flag.

Jermain Defoe, suffering from two dislocated fingers, was then called up in the 67th minute for Robbie Keane, who had been ineffective.

Bolton then took the lead when Cohen chipped the ball to the back post and Davies headed in his third goal of the campaign.

Tottenham, however, almost drew level in the 72nd minute after Jaaskelainen spilled a shot from Defoe. The ball landed kindly at the feet of Crouch but his effort hit the bar.

A minute later the visitors drew level for the second time in the game. Corluka was left unmarked as Kranjcar delivered a corner and headed high into the net.

Tottenham finished strongly. Lennon then surged into the area after linking up with Kranjcar only to see his effort blocked by Sam Ricketts.

The Bolton full-back again carried out his defensive duties in the 85th minute to get in a timely challenge on Crouch.

Premier League Weekend Preview

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Chelsea welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday hoping to put a difficult week behind them.

Carlo Ancelotti's men suffered a shock Premier League defeat to Wigan last weekend and then were unconvincing in beating Apoel Nicosia 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Blues midfielder Frank Lampard knows their performance level will need to be way above the standard on show at the DW Stadium if they are to have any chance against the Reds, who will be looking to bounce back from a Champions League defeat at Fiorentina on Tuesday.

The England international said: "If you look over the season, we have clicked together as a team. We try to win every game and when we don't we just try harder in the next match.

"But we have to be better against Liverpool. They will be up for it and they are a big club so we will have to respond again when we play them."

Champions Manchester United welcome a former player, Steve Bruce, and his Sunderland side to Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping Ryan Giggs - a former team-mate of Bruce - can continue his impressive recent form for the Red Devils after scoring his 150th career goal for them against Wolfsburg in the Champions League.

Ferguson said: "What more can you say about Ryan? He is continuing like a young man. He is enjoying his football, which is wonderful to see."

United will need to keep a close eye on Sunderland strike pair Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones, who have scored 10 league goals between them already this season.

West Ham will be looking to get out of the relegation zone sooner than later in a tough London derby against Fulham on Sunday, while in the north of the capital Arsenal will face Blackburn in the Gunners' first match since Arsene Wenger officially became their longest-serving manager.

Arsenal's local rivals Tottenham will travel to Bolton and will hope to secure a victory to stay in the top four.

Hull take on Wigan on the back of four straight league defeats, with the Latics full of confidence after their victory over Chelsea while Wolves will be looking to inflict more misery on Portsmouth, who have lost all seven of their league games this season.

Burnley host fellow promoted side Birmingham at Turf Moor with both looking to get back to winning ways after defeats last weekend at Tottenham and at home to Bolton respectively.

Everton will be hoping Louis Saha continues his goalscoring run when they welcome Stoke to Goodison Park. The 31-year-old Frenchman has hit the target five times in the league this season, including the winner in their last league outing at Portsmouth.

Gareth Barry returns to Villa Park with his new Manchester City team-mates on Monday with both his old and new clubs looking to underline their top four credentials.

Reds salute Owen

Source: www.manutd.com

Derby winner Michael Owen was the toast of the United dressing room after his last-gasp strike overcame Manchester City’s resistance at Old Trafford.

The arch poacher, on as a substitute, popped up in injury-time to swing a seven-goal thriller United’s way with a clinical finish; the type which prompted Sir Alex Ferguson's summer swoop.

“I always felt the game was going to be played in their penalty box, and there’s no-one better at taking these kind of chances,” Sir Alex told MUTV. "His positional play and finish were absolutely magnificent - world class.

“He was only on for 17 minutes. I just felt with that long to go, with the game being played in their penalty box, there’s no-one better than Michael Owen.”

Patrice Evra echoed his manager’s sentiments, and took Owen’s goal as further proof of United’s squad depth.

“That's why United bought him,” said the Frenchman. “He's the kind of player who can score winners, and he did it very well today. This is United. It's not about 11 players, it's about the squad. When players come in, they have the right attitude.”

Man Utd 4-3 Man City (20th Sept 2009)

Source: www.espnstar.com

Michael Owen stole the show in a derby for the ages as Manchester United defeated Manchester City 4-3 and demonstrated why the team from Old Trafford remain the city's dominant force.

We came wondering about Carlos Tevez, we prepared to sing the praises of Darren Fletcher, then a City draw and United's shocking defensive errors. In the end, we were talking about Owen.

In the fifth minute of stoppage-time, when England's fourth highest scorer had been shunted so far down the list of talking points he was not even worth a mention, the substitute strode onto Ryan Giggs' precise pass, looked up and calmly found the bottom right corner.

Sir Alex Ferguson danced, Mark Hughes looked punch drunk. One of the most eagerly awaited Manchester derbies had become one of the most dramatic.

Hughes was sick, angrily asking how referee Martin Atkinson had managed to come up with so much additional time. He, more than anyone, knows what United can do with it.

It left the rest rather superfluous.

For the record, United led three times but on each occasion were pegged back thanks to their own idiotic mistakes. Carlos Tevez left the field laughing. But only because Anderson was winding him up.

Sir Alex Ferguson has put forward a rather disparaging assessment of Tevez's time at Old Trafford, highlighting why he did not feel the Argentina star was worth the #25million United eventually offered to pay.

Yet the Scot's assessment centred around Tevez's goals output.

No-one could ever quibble at his work-rate. It was one of the reasons that made him such a hero among the Old Trafford faithful and why the City fans were so quick to acknowledge talent beyond the obvious humour of signing a player Ferguson was urged time and again last season to sign up.

That knowledge left Ben Foster with no excuse for the truly abysmal error of judgement that gifted City their equaliser.

Even Joleon Lescott turned away in disappointment as his long pass bounced into no man's land. Foster clearly felt it would eventually run into the area, which was a debatable point in itself.

Eventually, Foster realised more urgent action was required as Tevez stormed in, just as he should have expected.

Any chance of redemption disappeared as Tevez nicked the ball away from Foster's grasp as he tried to reach the safety of his area, and slipped a pass to Gareth Barry which the England midfielder gleefully swept home.

The mistake was made worse by the knowledge Foster had already received one warning, when he got his wires crossed with Nemanja Vidic and allowed Tevez to half-block a long punt downfield.

Foster might have genuine hopes of becoming United's number one goalkeeper and going to the World Cup. In one moment of madness, he might have blown them.

An errant Wayne Rooney backheel might not have been of the same magnitude but its consequences were almost equally dire for United.

Kolo Toure strode onto the loose ball and fed Tevez for the opportunity to score a goal that would have left Ferguson distraught and humiliated in equal measure.

Tevez thought his shot was going in. To his frustration - and Ferguson's relief, it bounced to safety off the post.

It had all looked so different 43 minutes earlier.

United made a bright start, with Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov looking particularly threatening, when Shaun Wright-Phillips let Patrice Evra run free at a quickly-taken Ryan Giggs throw-in.

Evra fed Rooney, who had the strength to wriggle past Toure and Nigel de Jong before prodding home from close range.

At that point, the noise was deafening. If anything, the volume had gone even further up the scale at the end of a awesome first seven minutes of the second half as United got their noses in front, only to be pegged back once more.

Fletcher did the damage for Ferguson's team, rising above Barry to power home a Giggs' curling cross.

Yet, just as the hosts looked set to take control, with Park Ji-sung and Giggs going close, Craig Bellamy thundered home an equaliser.

Bellamy had been buzzing around in his inimitable manner, but there was no doubting the stamp of class on his 20-yard strike as he collected Tevez's short pass, cut inside John O'Shea and drilled into the top right corner. This time Foster was blameless.

But there was so much drama still to come.

Fletcher thought he had won it as he powered home a second header, again from a Giggs cross, 10 minutes from time.

Yet the suicidal tendencies in United ranks had not gone away.

Rio Ferdinand attempted an idle chip a minute from time, but found Barry instead. Barry released Bellamy, who ran 60 yards before tucking past Foster.

It seemed City had come through their biggest test yet. Not on your life.

Everton 3-0 Blackburn (20th Sept 2009)

Source: www.espnstar.com

Everton picked up their second home win in four days this afternoon with a comprehensive Barclays Premier League victory over Blackburn.

Louis Saha scored after 22 and 54 minutes and then defender Joseph Yobo grabbed the third for the hosts, punishing poor defending at a corner after the impressive Paul Robinson had denied the France striker a hat-trick goal.

David Moyes' side had endured a slow start to the campaign, seemingly suffering a hangover from last season's FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea.

But the Toffees appear to be back on track after following Thursday's 4-0 Europa League rout of AEK Athens with another fine win and clean sheet at Goodison Park against a disappointing Rovers side who were looking to haul themselves out of the relegation zone.

While Moyes' worries look to be easing, Rovers boss Sam Allardyce must be seriously concerned now about his side, who have won just one league game all term and were feeble for much of this clash.

Everton made three changes from the side that beat AEK in midweek, with Dutch defender John Heitinga making his home debut.

Russia winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov was out with a groin strain, while Jo and Dan Gosling dropped to the bench to allow Saha and Leon Osman into the starting line-up.

Blackburn gave Spanish defender Michel Salgado his full debut in an otherwise unchanged side from the one that achieved the club's first league win of the season against Wolves last time out.

This had been Everton's worse start to a league season since 2004, with only one win in their opening four games prior to this match.

Their intent to correct that unwanted statistic was evident from the outset. First Osman saw a shot on the turn deflected inches wide, and then Steven Pienaar's cross was headed onto the roof of the net by Saha.

But the game deteriorated into a scrappy affair with far too many stoppages and a general lack of ideas and invention.

Heitinga was booked by referee Lee Mason after a two-footed tackle that enraged the recipient David Dunn.

However, after 22 minutes, Everton were in front. Leighton Baines fired in a free-kick from the left and Saha arrived at the near post to turn the ball past Robinson.

Blackburn responded with a couple of headers from Christopher Samba and a twisting run and shot from Dunn which was held by Tim Howard.

Robinson saved well from Pienaar, and then watched a Marouane Fellaini drive fly wide after a quick Everton break.

Dunn was next into the book for a late tackle on Jack Rodwell.

Rovers sent on Ryan Nelsen for Gael Givet in the centre of defence at the break, with teenager David Hoilett replacing Morten Gamst Pedersen on the left after 50 minutes.

But it was Everton who extended their lead soon after. Fellaini's cross sailed in from the right and Saha got above Pascal Chimbonda with ease to send his header wide of Robinson's dive.

The former Tottenham goalkeeper t hen needed to save superbly to keep out an Osman drive, but Everton soon got their third.

Baines' corner from the right after 58 minutes hit Nelsen and fell invitingly for Yobo to fire in from a couple of yards out.

Allardyce opted to give Jason Roberts some support up front just after the hour, sending on Croatian striker Nicola Kalinic in place of Salgado.

There was some fight still left in the visitors, El-Hadji Diouf cautioned for a foul on Fellaini and Hoilett seeing a low drive blocked by Howard.

Howard was at last called into action to save from Dunn and Diouf, while Everton sent on Jo to replace Saha with 16 minutes left.

Next on was Tony Hibbert in place of Tim Cahill, with Heitinga moving into central midfield.

Teenager Gosling took over from Osman with nine minutes left, by which time Everton were well on their way to a comfortable three points.

Chelsea 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur (20th Sept 2009)

Source: www.espnstar.com

Chelsea remained top of the Barclays Premier League after a demolition of London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

Ashley Cole put the Blues on the way to a comfortable victory with a first-half header and Michael Ballack made it two in the 57th minute.

Didier Drogba finished Spurs off with a third in the 62nd minute to make it six straight wins for the Blues and leave them three points clear of Manchester United at the summit.

To make matters worse for Spurs they lost both Ledley King and Sebastien Bassong through injury to leave Harry Redknapp with a defensive crisis.

There was bad news for Chelasea, too, as Drogba exited seven minutes from time with a calf problem.

Chelsea almost went ahead in the seventh minute when an angled drive from Jose Bosingwa cannoned off the crossbar.

But the Blues had Petr Cech to thank in the 11th minute when Jermain Defoe sprinted clear of the Chelsea defence only to see the Chelsea keeper stick out a leg to deny him.

Tottenham were now enjoying the majority of the possession and Jermaine Jenas was inches wide with a 20-yard drive that had Cech beaten.

It was enough to encourage Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti off his seat and into the technical area.

His presence almost had an immediate effect as Frank Lampard headed just wide from a cross by Nicolas Anelka in the 17th minute.

In the 22nd minute Anelka sent a powerful volley into the side netting after a cross from Florent Malouda had made its way across the six-yard box without attention from the Spurs defenders.

Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty in the 31st minute when Ballack collided with Vedran Corluka but referee Howard Webb rejected their appeals.

But his decision was of little consequence when Chelsea went ahead a minute later.

Drogba turned supplier with a superb cross into the middle of the Spurs penalty area and Cole got in front of Corluka to put a diving header into the net beyond former Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini.

The game had erupted into life at last and it was now a full-blooded derby with tackles flying in from both sides.

Drogba was the target for some rough stuff from the Spurs players as the temperature began to rise.

Chelsea won a free-kick in a central position some 25 yards out when Tom Huddlestone jumped into Ballack two minutes before the interval.

But Drogba hit the free-kick straight at Tottenham's defensive wall.

Chelsea should have gone two in front in the 46th minute but Lampard drove wide after Drogba had found him with a low cross.

In the build-up to Lampard's chance, Spurs defender King sustained a knock that forced his retirement from the action.

Alan Hutton replaced the stricken King with Corluka moving from right-back into the centre of defence alongside Bassong.

Spurs were furious in the 54th minute when Robbie Keane went down under a challenge from Ricardo Carvalho.

Referee Webb rejected Tottenham's appeals but TV replays appeared to show that the Chelsea defender had clipped the Spurs striker's heels.

The debate continued to rage on the pitch with Keane protesting to both Carvalho and Webb that is should have been a spot-kick.

Chelsea made Spurs pay moments later when Ballack made it 2-0.

Drogba's 57th-minute shot was well saved by Cudicini but Lampard followed up to roll the ball back into the six-yard box where Ballack was waiting to poke it home from point-blank range.

Chelsea were at their fluid best with a two-goal cushion and Bosingwa forced Cudicini into another save with a left-foot drive from 20-yards.

Not surprisingly the Blues went three in front in the 62nd minute when Drogba fired home from six yards for his fifth goal of the season.

Cudicini almost gifted Chelsea a fourth in the 73rd minute when he allowed a shot by substitute John Obi Mikel to creep under his body.

But the Italian keeper was alert enough to recover the ball before it could cross the goal line.

It got worse for Spurs when centre-half Bassong fell awkwardly on his shoulder and had to be carried off after lengthy treatment. He was replaced by Niko Kranjcar.

But Chelsea also lost striker Drogba with a calf injury in the 83rd minute which will give coach Ancelotti real cause for concern if he is out for any length of time.

2009 Season Kicks off!!

Hey all,

I know I've been very irregular with the latest updates from the world of the English Premiership but I promise you that this 2009 season is going to be different. You can all look forward to the latest updates and all the buzz from every premiership weekend

Final Results - 4th March 2009

Man City 2 - 0 Aston Villa
Stoke 2 - 0 Bolton
Newcastle 1 - 2 Man Utd
Wigan 0 - 1 West Ham
Blackburn 0 - 0 Everton
Fulham 0 - 1 Hull
Tottenham 4 - 0 Middlesbrough

Match Report - Tottenham vs Middlesbrough - 4th March 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Robbie Keane's first goal since returning to Tottenham and a double from Aaron Lennon ensured there was no Carling Cup hangover for Harry Redknapp's men as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Middlesbrough.

Keane opened the scoring before Roman Pavlyuchenko and Lennon added to the scoreline before the break as Spurs moved closer to mid-table after starting the match two points above the Barclays Premier League relegation zone.

Lennon then added a fourth in the second half at White Hart Lane, building on his performance at Wembley on Sunday when he had the beating of Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra.

It was just the response Spurs boss Redknapp wanted after losing on penalties to United, a clash Keane was cup-tied for after playing three minutes earlier in the competition for Liverpool.

That was part of an unhappy six months at Anfield - but he helped erase those memories with the opener in the ninth minute.

Luka Modric's corner was flicked on by Michael Dawson and Keane stabbed home from close range.

It was his first goal at Spurs' home ground in nearly a year and it came in his third appearance since returning.

Redknapp had wanted a positive reply in contrast to last season, while Juande Ramos was boss, when Spurs won just three more league matches after going to Wembley.

Despite Keane settling the nerves, Spurs were still not in total control after the opener.

Tuncay Sanli thought he had equalised when he latched on to Stewart Downing's long pass and finished off, only for the assistant referee to halt his celebrations.

Pavlyuchenko rubbed salt into the wound by adding the second in the 14th minute, finishing off Modric's cross from six yards out after the Croatia playmaker turned Robert Huth.

If Tuncay thought he was unfortunate to have his goal disallowed, he must have thought he had run out of luck when he drilled a shot that was blocked by Dawson's backside as the defender bravely slid in.

Keane should have extended the lead 10 minutes before the break when Modric weighted a pass through and Brad Jones had to rush out to block the finish - then the Spurs skipper for the night helped set up the third.

Almost the whole of the Spurs team had a hand in the goal as they strung together pass after pass, but it was Keane who threaded the ball through Huth's legs to give Lennon a clear run on goal.

Lennon followed up his Wembley performance with a cool finish, with Boro boss Gareth Southgate turning to his dugout in disgust at the ease in which the hosts had scored.

Huth's mistakes for two of the three first-half goals meant he was hauled off at half-time and replaced by Andrew Taylor.

It was a disastrous 45 minutes rather than the solid performance Southgate wanted after beating Liverpool at the weekend, a first victory in 15 attempts.

It could have been different had Downing, who Spurs made a bid for during the January transfer window, put away an early chance to open the scoring.

Seizing on Jonathan Woodgate's poor clearance, Downing fired an angled shot that Heurelho Gomes had to parry away, with Benoit Assou-Ekotto beating Tuncay to the rebound.

But after Spurs put away their chances, Boro were playing for pride and looking to avoid the psychological damage of a heavy defeat.

Spurs went in search of a fourth goal after the break and asked for a penalty when Keane was bundled over by Emanuel Pogatetz.

Tuncay's looping effort struck Gomes' far post in the second half - and Boro needed that to go in if there was any hope of a comeback.

Lennon added the fourth with 11 minutes remaining, chipping home after Keane slipped him through.

Match Report - Newcastle vs Man Utd - 4th March 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Dimitar Berbatov fired Manchester United seven points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, scoring the winner in a 2-1 victory at lowly Newcastle.

The Bulgarian clinched the points with a 56th-minute strike, but United had to come from behind to re-establish their advantage over Chelsea and Liverpool with a game in hand.

There was jubilation on Tyneside when, with just nine minutes gone, Peter Lovenkrands ended Edwin Van der Sar's record of not having conceded a league goal since November 8 after the keeper failed to cling on to Jonas Gutierrez's shot.

But it took the visitors just 11 minutes to restore parity through Wayne Rooney, and Berbatov ensured United's run of successive league wins stretched to 11 after Park Ji-Sung pounced on an error by Ryan Taylor.

As Sir Alex Ferguson's bandwagon rumbled on ominously, opposite number Chris Hughton was at least able to console himself with a spirited performance in front of an appreciative crowd of 51,636, although that will count for little if it is not transformed into points over the coming weeks.

Such have been the contrasting fortunes of the two clubs this season since they drew 1-1 at Old Trafford during the opening round of fixtures in August, that the talk before kick-off was not of if United would win, but by how many.

But with just nine minutes gone, it was Newcastle who took the lead against all odds as Van der Sar's run without conceding a Premier League goal came to an end in ignominious circumstances.

The Dutchman failed to hold Jonas' shot as it leapt up off the sodden turf and Lovenkrands stabbed the rebound home before casting an anxious glance at referee Steve Bennett's assistant and only then beginning his celebrations.

St James' Park erupted as fans who had arrived fearing a repeat of Liverpool's 5-1 demolition job at the end of December - United won on Tyneside by the same scoreline last season - dared to believe their side could emerge with something to show for their efforts.

It might have been 2-0 within four minutes when Obafemi Martins fired inches wide under pressure from Rio Ferdinand, with the Nigerian also forcing a good 31st-minute block from the England defender after Van der Sar had failed to deal with a Ryan Taylor corner.

However, by that point, United had made the most of their greater share of the possession to get themselves back on level terms in fine style.

Rooney, back in the side after recovering from a virus, turned superbly past Fabricio Coloccini on to John O'Shea's pass and blasted a left-foot shot past Steve Harper with the help of a deflection off Steven Taylor, although the defender's contribution was largely irrelevant.

United continued to enjoy the greater share of the ball and defender Nemanja Vidic header over with the goal at his mercy after the home defence had failed to deal with a 39th-minute Michael Carrick corner.

But the Magpies continued to threaten with Martins and Jonas causing problems.

Mr Bennett had to deal with an ugly incident in injury time when Steven Taylor caught Cristiano Ronaldo with a flailing arm and then careered into Carrick on the sideline, sparking a furious response from skipper Ferdinand.

After consulting his assistant, the referee booked Taylor, and Ferdinand followed him as he continued his protests following the half-time whistle.

A feisty affair continued in the same vein after the break with Vidic accusing Martins of catching him with an elbow as the pair jumped for a high ball.

Van de Sar had to race from his line to prevent Lovenkrands from latching on to a 52nd-minute through-ball, but when the second goal did arrive, it did so predictably at the other end.

Ryan Taylor slipped as he attempted to chest a deep ball back to Harper and Park got there first to square for Berbatov, who calmly slotted it into the empty net.

Newcastle were visibly deflated by the reverse as United once again assumed control, and they might have increased their lead as they powered their way towards the final whistle.

Harper had to save from Ronaldo and Berbatov in quick succession as time ran down, and then dived bravely at the Portugal international's feet after he had slipped away from Steven Taylor.

But Newcastle made one last push and it was Van der Sar who finished the busier of the two keepers as he kept out first Lovenkrands and then Martins, although without any great difficulty.

Match Report - Man City vs Aston Villa - 4th March 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Aston Villa's charge to the Champions League was starting to grind to a halt after Elano and Shaun Wright-Phillips combined to give inconsistent Manchester City a 2-0 victory at Eastlands.

The Brazilian's first-half penalty - the first time he has scored in the Premier League since August - would probably have been enough anyway but man-of-the-match Wright-Phillips made certain of the points two minutes from time.

It means Villa have now gone six games without a win. And while three of those were cup ties, with Arsenal breathing down their necks just three points adrift, fourth place is looking anything but certain.

Ever since his ill-advised TV interview earlier in the season in which he questioned why Mark Hughes kept leaving him out, Elano has maintained an uneasy public truce with his manager.

There are plenty who suggest the Brazilian remains a disruptive influence behind the scenes and there have certainly been times when he has appeared something short of a consummate team man.

Yet, should Hughes somehow find the formula for getting consistent performances from the former Shakhtar Donetsk man, City could really start a surge up the table.

After all, Elano was one of the main reasons why the Blues found themselves in the Champions League slots last December, an honour that now belongs to their latest opponents.

With Robinho and Craig Bellamy both missing through injury, Hughes was able to offer Elano the kind of free role behind a lone frontman - in this case Felipe Caicedo - that he craves.

The response, if not exactly energetic, was certainly enthusiastic and it was his pass to Shaun Wright-Phillips that brought the hosts their penalty in the first place.

Wright-Phillips had found himself in a similar position moments earlier, when Stephen Ireland was the provider.

Amazingly, with just Brad Friedel to beat, the England international slipped his shot wide.

Wright-Phillips did not get that far on the second occasion. Having been caught the wrong side of his man, James Milner attempted the tackle and succeeded only in tripping his opponent.

Brad Friedel almost made amends with a flying dive to his right. Unfortunately for Villa, Elano's spot-kick was just too good.

Hughes was convinced City should have had a second spot-kick when Caicedo went down under Carlos Cuellar's challenge but referee Chris Foy did not quite see it the same way.

Unlike Elano, Wright-Phillips' commitment has never been questioned and the England international was City's star performer, keeping the Villa defence on their toes with a succession of mazy runs on his return from a three-match ban.

Yet it also had to be said it was a pale imitation of the Villa side who have impressed so many this season.

Their poor run of form seemed to have drained Martin O'Neill's men of confidence.

The response to a tepid first-half performance was for O'Neill to introduce John Carew for Curtis Davies, a substitution that triggered a number of positional changes, including Gabriel Agbonlahor taking up a wider position.

It suggested an aerial bombardment, but instead it brought more width, which Ashley Young relished.

After seizing the initiative without managing to put Shay Given under any pressure, Agbonlahor finally created a chance for Villa with a superb pass to Gareth Barry, whose first-time volley would have crept in if Given had not got down by his post to bundle it away.

The visitors' offensive forced City to play on the counter-attack. Crucially though, it gave them space to exploit.

Ched Evans' magnificent first touch was a chested lay-off to Wayne Bridge's shot which Elano struck sweetly, only for Brad Friedel to make a superb save.

On this evidence, it was perfectly simple to work out why Sven-Goran Eriksson paid #8million for Elano - and why Hughes felt he needed to splash out slightly less to get Given from Newcastle.

The Republic of Ireland international produced another blinding stop to deny Young.

It was the last chance Villa created. And to rub salt into their wounds, Wright-Phillips capitalised on Ireland's pass at the end to seal the win for City.

Upcoming Matches on 4th March 2009

The following matches will be played today. Manchester United will be looking to recapture their 7 point lead when they take on Newcastle united while Man City will take on the in-form Aston Villa

Newcastle vs Man Utd St James' Park
Man City vs Aston Villa City of Manchester Stadium
Stoke vs Bolton Britannia Stadium
Wigan vs West Ham The JJB Stadium
Fulham vs Hull Craven Cottage
Blackburn vs Everton Ewood Park
Tottenham vs Middlesbrough White Hart Lane

Match Report - Liverpool vs Sunderland - 3rd March 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Liverpool discovered an unlikely new hero as they finally gave manager Rafael Benitez something to smile about following a 2-0 win over Sunderland.

French teenager David Ngog, making his full home debut, scored one goal and helped create the second for Yossi Benayoun as Liverpool cut Manchester United's lead at the top to four points.

Of course Chelsea did the same by winning at Portsmouth, but what was Liverpool's second home league win since Boxing Day lifted the gloom that has descended on Anfield following the shambles at Middlesbrough at the weekend.

Benitez had looked like a man with a huge weight on his shoulders before this match, but he found some comfort in a decent display ahead of next week's Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.

Manchester United may well have two games in hand on Liverpool, but at least the title race is not a procession just yet.

Benitez made four changes from the side that lost to Middlesbrough.

And he chose to use Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano at right-back.

Left out were Sami Hyypia, Fabio Aurelio, Ryan Babel and Nabil El Zhar, with Albert Riera, Yossi Benayoun, Emiliano Insua and David Ngog in the starting line-up.

Sunderland made only one change from the side that drew at Arsenal last time out, with Grant Leadbitter taking over from the injured Teemu Tainio.

Benitez is clearly running out of options at right-back with Alvaro Arbeloa still injured. Jamie Carragher seems not to fancy the job any more so Mascherano was removed from his critical ball-winning midfield role to fill the void.

It left Liverpool with almost a 4-4-2, with Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in centre of midfield. Dirk Kuyt's roving role behind Ngog meant the French youngster was left on his own against Danny Collins and Anton Ferdinand.

And he did pretty well at times. His pace and energy not quite able to make up for the loss of Fernando Torres' brilliance, but Ngog certainly showed spirit.

Sunderland should have been ahead after just four minutes when Kenwyne Jones ran clear after Martin Skrtel's slip, but Jose Reina saved well to his right.

Gerrard, twice, Ngog and Riera all had shots charged down, while Marton Fulop saved well to his left to keep out a Dirk Kuyt drive.

Ngog's enthusiasm got the better of him when he was then booked after 15 minutes for a foul on Tal Ben Haim.

Fulop made an outstanding save after 31 minutes, finger-tipping the ball away at full-stretch from his right post, when Riera's low drive was deflected off Leadbitter.

Mascherano then saw a dipping 30-yard effort graze the bar, before Insua, Xabi Alonso and Gerrard all tried their luck with Sunderland increasingly forced back into their box on defence.

One break inspired by a fine Gerrard tackle on Kieran Richardson allowed Ngog to set up Mascherano on the right, but his drive was into the side-netting.

Liverpool started the second period at a higher tempo, with Benayoun willing to run at defenders.

And it was Benayoun who swept the ball out to Riera on the left to pave the way for Liverpool to take the lead after 52 minutes.

Riera sent over a deep cross that Gerrard headed back into the six-yard box for Ngog fire home his first league goal for the club.

Sunderland were forced to come forward, and Steed Malbranque saw a shot from the right fly over the bar.

After 62 minutes Sunderland brought on Djibril Cisse for Leadbitter, the former Liverpool man getting a rousing reception from the Anfield crowd.

Four minutes later Liverpool got their second. Again Ngog was involved, hooking the ball back across goal for Fulop to palm away only as far as Benayoun, who punished the error.

The next ovation was for Ngog. He had been struggling with cramp and was replaced by Lucas after 71 minutes.

Lucas, with a header, and Babel - shooting from the edge of the box - threatened to extend the lead, before El Zhar came on for Benayoun in the final minute.

Match Report - Portsmouth vs Chelsea - 3rd March 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Didier Drogba kept Chelsea's faint title hopes alive with a late winner to secure a 1-0 victory against Portsmouth at a rain-soaked Fratton Park.

The Ivory Coast international pounced to convert a low cross from Jose Bosingwa to hand interim coach Guus Hiddink his fourth straight win as Chelsea boss.

It leaves them four points behind leaders Manchester United who still have two games in hand on the Blues.

But Chelsea were made to battle all the way by Pompey who remain just two points off the relegation places at the foot of the Barclays Premier League.

The home side had Chelsea rocking from the off when a free-kick from Glen Johnson provided Hermann Hreidarsson with a clear chance but his effort from eight yards was deflected wide.

The game was being played in atrocious conditions with rain sweeping down onto the Fratton Park playing surface.

The pitch was extremely slippery and made ball control difficult for both sets of players.

In the 16th minute, Chelsea should have taken the lead but Drogba was inches away from putting the finishing touches to a drilled cross from Ashley Cole.

The Ivorian flung himself at the ball but missed it by inches at the far post.

Moments later a clever ball by Frank Lampard put Drogba through but the Chelsea striker's shot was charged down by the onrushing David James.

Chelsea continued to have the better of the exchanges and in the 21st minute Florent Malouda flashed an angled 20-yard drive beyond the far upright.

Seconds later Chelsea were unable to take advantage of an error by James. The Pompey goalkeeper allowed a cross from Malouda to slip out of his grasp in the wet conditions but Pompey's Sean Davies cleared for a corner.

The Blues had goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for keeping the scoreline level in the 28th minute when he dived to his right to keep out a powerful low drive from Davis.

A foul by John Terry on Peter Crouch on the edge of the penalty area brought Pompey a free-kick but Johnson smashed his effort straight into Chelsea's defensive wall.

James failed to hold Lampard's 20-yard drive in the 34th minute but again Chelsea were unable to make the most of it as the ball bounced out of his hands.

Chelsea were now beginning to assert some consistent pressure for the first time in the game but the conditions were preventing them from playing the neat passing game they rely on.

Long passes through the middle for Drogba to chase also had little effect with the ball skidding off the surface and out of play on numerous occasions.

Three minutes before the break a goalmouth scramble from a Pompey corner ended in relief for the visitors when Cech pounced to grab the ball inside the six-yard box.

Chelsea almost broke the deadlock in injury time but Michael Ballack's header was just over the bar.

In the 59th minute Chelsea had Cech to thank again as a header from Crouch put David Nugent clear but the Pompey striker's shot was pushed away by the Czech Republic keeper.

Chelsea made two quick changes with Ricardo Quaresma replacing Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel making way for Juliano Belletti.

Both sides had increased the tempo but had little luck in the worsening conditions.

A shot from Belletti was well-held by James as it skidded across the turf.

The Blues remained in overall control though and in the 66th minute a cross from Quaresma was headed just over by Drogba who managed to get ahead of Sol Campbell.

Quaresma was providing an excellent service from the right flank and another cross had to be cut-out by Campbell as Drogba lurked inside the six-yard box.

Portsmouth had become penned in their own half and Davis presented the Blues with a free-kick opportunity in the 68th minute when he brought down Lampard.

Lampard, normally deadly from 20 yards, sent the free-kick into the ball and Campbell's clearance sent Crouch racing clear into the Chelsea half.

The England striker crossed for Niko Kranjcar but the Pompey midfielder sent his effort just wide.

But Ivorian Drogba settled the contest when he drilled home a cross from Bosingwa with 11 minutes remaining.

Match Report - West Brom vs Arsenal - 3rd March 2009

Source: www.espnstar.com

Nicklas Bendtner ended Arsenal's Barclays Premier League goal drought as they swept aside struggling West Brom 3-1 to rekindle their hopes of a Champions League spot.

The Denmark international struck twice to take his goal tally for the campaign to 11 as Arsene Wenger's side moved to within three points of fourth-placed Aston Villa.

Kolo Toure was also on target for the Gunners who had failed to net in their previous four league games. Albion managed a solitary reply from Chris Brunt.

The visitors could not have faced a more accommodating defence against which to rediscover their touch in front of goal.

Albion have conceded 17 goals in their last six league games and at times seemed reluctant to put in a tackle as Bendtner and his team-mates cut through them almost at will.

Baggies keeper Scott Carson looks uncertain and devoid of confidence when dealing with crosses into the box although he did make some reflex stops after the interval to prevent the scoreline becoming more embarrassing.

Russia international Andrey Arshavin looked sharp in his second start for Arsenal who are now unbeaten in 14 league games.

But on this evidence Albion looked doomed to the drop unless they can stop gifting soft goals to the opposition in the final 10 games of the season.

Arsenal made a positive start and needed only four minutes to end their recent goal drought through Bendtner.

Samir Nasri's corner was headed clear by Baggies skipper Jonathan Greening but only found Denilson in space on the edge of the Baggies area.

He had time to release Bendtner who easily cut inside Ryan Donk before drilling a low left-footed drive across Scott Carson into the corner of the net.

Albion needed only three minutes to draw level through Brunt although there was big question mark over the quality of the Arsenal defending.

Luke Moore was brought down 20 yards out by Gunners defender Johan Djourou and Brunt's low free-kick skidded through the defensive wall and past the dive of Manuel Almunia.

Bendtner missed a great chance to restore Arsenal's lead after 13 minutes. Emmanuel Eboue fed the ball into the feet of the Danish international who was unmarked 12 yards out but he blazed his shot over the bar.

The game was flowing from end to end and Almunia had to go down at his near post to hold a fierce shot on the turn from Moore.

A deep corner from Brunt caused problems for Arsenal and was turned back across goal by Fortune but Moore was unable to keep his header down.

Then after 38 minutes some dreadful defending allowed Toure to restore Arsenal's lead.

Arshavin floated a free-kick into the area and Carson remained rooted to his line as Toure stole in to plant a free header into the corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Then a minute before the interval, Bendtner struck for the second time to double Arsenal's advantage. Toure's long ball caught out the Baggies defence and Bendtner was able to skip away from Abdoulaye Meite before hammering a fierce shot past Carson.

Wenger made a half-time substitution with Abou Diaby replacing Toure.

Carson did well to parry a fierce drive from Arshavin after he had been teed up by Bendtner who had burst unchallenged into the Baggies box.

The England keeper then excelled himself in denying Arshavin at close range after more good play by Bendtner.

Arsenal were queueing up to fire shots in at Carson who was relieved to see a long range attempt from Diaby deflect off Meite and over the bar.

Then Bendtner was denied a hat-trick when he cut in from the left flank, skipped past Meite and Robinson and hammered a low shot against the post.

Fortune could have pulled one back but drilled his low shot wide of the far post.