soccer-europe.com

1 November 2009

BIRMINGHAM 0
MANCHESTER CITY 0

Man City drew their fourth league game in a row but go into the top four after a goalless draw at Birmingham. The hosts began very well with Christian Benitez twice denied by keeper Shay Given, the first of which was a brilliant fingertip save from a deflected shot which thudded against the post. The visitors saw plenty of the ball but Birmingham defending well and didn't allow City and clear cut chances. After the break, Birmingham missed a golden chance to take the lead when Nigel de Jong jumped for a header but handled the ball but James McFadden's spot kick was well saved by Given, despite team mate Carlos Tevez pointing to the keeper to dive the other way! Deep into stoppage time, Barry Ferguson was shown a second yellow card as he stopped a throw in being taken with his arm. Dopey red card. This was only the fourth 0-0 draw in the Premier League this season.

Attendance : 21,462
Red Card : Ferguson 96 (Birmingham)
Assists : n/a


31 October 2009

ARSENAL 3 (Van Persie 42, Fabregas 43, Van Persie 60)
TOTTENHAM 0

Arsenal move three points above Spurs in the table with a comfortable win in the North London derby. Arsenal went ahead with two goals in the space of a minute at the end of the first half as firstly Bacary Sagna crossed for Robin Van Persie to prod the ball inside the near post and with Spurs still shell shocked, Wilson Palacios lost the ball in midfield and Cesc Fabregas broke clear, beat two men and fired in from the edge of the area, all inside just 11 seconds of the restart! The Halloween horror continued for the visitors after the break as Beniot Assou-Ekotto clattered into Eduardo on the right flank and although the linesman flagged for a foul, the ref played the advantage as Sagna crossed for Van Persie to bundle the ball in after both Ledley King and keeper Heurelho Gomes both missed the cross. Eduardo should have added a fourth but pulled his effort wide whilst clear through.

Attendance : 60,103
Assists : Sagna, RVP, n/a


BOLTON 0
CHELSEA 4 (Lampard 47 Pen, Deco 61, Knight 82 og, Drogba 91)

Chelsea remain top with their second 4-0 win over Bolton in four days after knocking them out of the Carling Cup in midweek. It was goalless until late in the first half when Jlloyd Samuel brought down Didier Drogba as he burst through on goal and was sent off. Frank Lampard converted the penalty and Chelsea never looked back. On the hour, Nik Anelka found Deco who made space before curling in the second and then Ricardo Carvalho crossed for Zat Knight to bundle into his own net under pressure from Branislav Ivanovic. Late on, Drogba added a fourth with a drilled effort from Lampard's back heel.

Attendance : 22,680
Red Card : Samuel 46 (Bolton)
Assists : Drogba (won pen), Anelka, n/a, Lampard


BURNLEY 2 (Alexander 20 Pen, Alexander 77)
HULL 0

Burnley saw off struggling Hull in a game which saw little go right for the visitors. A disputed penalty put the home side ahead as the ref ruled that Stephen Hunt had fouled Tyrone Mears when it looked like he'd lost his balance after miss kicking. Graham Alexander made no mistake from the spot although it got worse for Hull after the break. Geovanni's superb free kick found the top corner via the hands of the keeper only for the ref to rule it out for the sort of pushing and shoving which always occurs in the wall at a free kick on the edge of the area. Geovanni was booked for his protests and his frustrations got the better of him when he was shown a second yellow for an angry lunge on Stephen Fletcher. Burnley wrapped it up when Kevin McDonald found Alexander who shot inside the near post from 20 yards.

Attendance : 20,219
Red Card : Geovanni 70 (Hull)
Assists : Mears (won pen), McDonald


EVERTON 1 (Bilyaletdinov 46)
ASTON VILLA 1 (Carew 47)

Honours even at Goodison as Everton and Aston Villa shared the goals and the red cards. The home side led at half time when Yakubu crossed for Diniyar Bilyaletdinov to slot in. Just after the break, a lovely passing movement from Villa ended with Gabriel Agbonlahor's shot being saved and John Carew netted the rebound. Late on, both clubs had players sent off as Bilyaletdinov went for a two footed lunge on Stilian Petrov and Carlos Cuellar saw a second yellow for a late tackle on Yakubu.

Attendance : 36,648
Red Cards : Bilyaletdinov 87 (Everton), Cuellar 90 (Aston Villa)
Assists : Yakubu, n/a


FULHAM 3 (Zamora 24, Nevland 73, Dempsey 87)
LIVERPOOL 1 (Torres 42)

Liverpool's season is in freefall after losing at Fulham and having two players sent off. Liverpool had the better of the first half but went behind when their defence stayed static as Damien Duff crossed for Bobby Zamora to tap in however before the break, Fernando Torres volleyed in a superb equaliser after Andriy Voronin's header wasn't cleared on the edge of the area. Torres was subbed after the hour mark amid much anger from Liverpool fans and it increased when Fulham went ahead as Paul Konchesky's cross was nodded back by Zoltan Gera and put into the net from close range by Erik Nevland. Liverpool then capitulated as firstly Phillip Degen was shown a straight red for a late tackle on Clint Dempsey and then Jamie Carragher went the same way as he brought down Zamora as he went through on goal, although he claimed that he won the ball. Fulham wrapped it up late on when Nevland set up Dempsey to score the third.

Attendance : 25,700
Red Card : Degen 79 (Liverpool), Carragher 82 (Liverpool)
Assists : Duff, n/a, Gera, Nevland


MANCHESTER UNITED 2 (Berbatov 55, Rooney 87)
BLACKBURN 0

Man United return to within two points of Chelsea with a deserved, if unimpressive win against Blackburn. United had the better of the first half but took until ten minutes into the second to finally break through as Dimitar Berbatov, twice denied by keeper Paul Robinson before the interval, intercepted an off target effort at goal from Patrice Evra to turn and volley a fine shot into the corner. Sub Gabriel Obertan missed a sitter late on when he should have doubled the lead for the home side but it barely matter as minutes later, Anderson crossed for Wayne Rooney to fire first time inside the far post. Nikola Kalinic had a late goal incorrectly ruled out for Rovers after Benni McCarthy's shot was saved but whether it would have made any difference, we'll never know.

Attendance : 74,658
Assists : Evra, Anderson


PORTSMOUTH 4 (Dindane 35, Piquionne 48, Dindane 64, Dindane 90 Pen)
WIGAN 0

Bottom club Portsmouth finally won at home as a hat trick from Aruna Dindane helped crush Wigan. Dindane, who couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo until now, grabbed his first when Michael Brown sent him clear and his clipped finish over the keeper was excellently done. On half time the lead was doubled with an emphatic finish by Frederic Piquionne after Dindane had put him through on goal. Dindane's second came after good work from Jamie O'Hara and Kanu, leaving him with a close range finish and late on he completed a hat trick from the penalty spot after Emerson Boyce had fouled Kanu.

Attendance : 18,212
Assists : Brown, Dindane, Kanu, Kanu (won pen)


STOKE 2 (Elokobi 17 og, Etherington 44)
WOLVES 2 (Craddock 47, Craddock 64)

Wolves came from behind to draw at Stoke as Jody Craddock scored his first top flight goals in five years for the visitors. Stoke began well and were two up at half time as James Beattie pressured George Elokobi into putting Matty Etherington's cross into his own net and then Wolves failed to clear a long throw from Rory Delap and Etherington took a touch before volleying in from the edge of the area. The visitors battled back and Craddock pulled a goal back after turning in a free kick from Nenad Milijas and then doubled his tally with an excellent glancing near post header from a corner from Milijas.

Attendance : 27,500
Assists : n/a, n/a, n/a, Milijas (ck)


SUNDERLAND 2 (Reid 39 fk, Richardson 76)
WEST HAM 2 (Franco 30, Cole 36)

Cracking game at Sunderland as they and West Ham shared four goals and two red cards. The Hammers burst into a two goal lead as Jack Collison broke the offside trap to set up Guillermo Franco who netted easily and Collison then found Carlton Cole to net the second. Andy Reid's excellent top corner free kick pulled one back before Sunderland were reduced to ten men when Kenwyne Jones was sent off for pushing Herita Ilunga although his cause wasn't helped by the West Ham man going down like he'd been pole axed. Sunderland grabbed a deserved point when Darren Bent's crossed was deflected over the keeper and bundled in at the far post by Kieran Richardson and then late on, the numbers were evened up when Robert Kovac's late tackle on Bent earned him his second yellow.

Attendance : 39,033
Red Card : Jones 47 (Sunderland), Kovac 87 (West Ham)
Assists : Collison, Collison, Malbranque (won fk), n/a

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