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8 November 2009

CHELSEA 1 (Terry 76)
MANCHESTER UNITED 0

Chelsea move five points clear at the top with a narrow win against current Champions Man United at Stamford Bridge. United had the better of an uneventful first half where both clubs had chances but nothing clear cut was created. Wayne Rooney shot into the side netting for the visitors whilst Ryan Giggs looped a shot over and United felt that they should have had a penalty when John Terry hauled down Antonio Valencia. Chelsea took a good half an hour to settle but came close when Nik Anelka's curling shot was well saved by Edwin Van Der Sar. The second half was much the same with chances still rare although Frank Lampard had a shot saved for Chelsea whilst Giggs headed over for United and Rooney arrowed an effort inches wide and then called keeper Petr Cech into a good save midway through the half. It was likely to be a stroke of genius of mistake to break the deadlock and it was the latter - from the referee! He awarded a Chelsea free kick when Darren Fletcher had won the ball and after Lampard drilled the ball in from the left, John Terry nodded into the net although an offside Didier Drogba waved a foot at the ball and luckily for Chelsea didn't connect. Tempers were rising with a couple of flashpoints before Valencia shot wide for United from a good position.

Attendance : 41,836
Assists : Lampard (fk)


HULL 2 (Olofinjana 62, Vennegoor 91)
STOKE 1 (Etherington 29)

Hull came from behind against Stoke and a late winner may just have saved the job of manager Phil Brown for now. Stoke took the lead when a long ball forward by Ryan Shawcross drifted all the way through to Matty Etherington on the left and having cut inside and into the area, he drilled a powerful shot inside the near post. Hull rode their luck but levelled after the hour when Stephen Hunt cut inside, found Seyi Olofinjana who turned his man and curled in a beauty from 25 yards just out of reach of the keeper. Stoke's causes wasn't helped when Abdoulaye Faye was shown a second yellow card for a lunge on Nick Barmby and as the game entered stoppage time, Hull won it when a long shot from Jimmy Bullard took a slight deflection and keeper Thomas Sorensen could only push the ball out to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink who drilled a low shot into the net to send the home fans into raptures.

Attendance : 24,516
Red Card : Faye 87 (Stoke)
Assists : Beattie, Hunt, n/a


WEST HAM 1 (Hibbert 65 og)
EVERTON 2 (Saha 27, Gosling 64)

Everton move into mid table after a narrow win at West Ham who drop back into the bottom three. Everton were ahead at half time with a stinging low shot from Louis Saha finding the bottom corner after he was found on the edge of the area by Tim Cahill. The lead was doubled when Yakubu found Dan Gosling and although his first effort was saved, he walloped home the rebound. A minute later West Ham pulled one back as Junior Stanislas clipped a shot over the keeper only for Tony Hibbert to fire into his own net whilst attempting to clear. The Hammers threw everything at Everton but couldn't grab an equaliser.

Attendance : 32,466
Assists : Cahill, n/a, n/a


WIGAN 1 (Boyce 13)
FULHAM 1 (Dempsey 39 Pen)

Honours even at Wigan as Fulham came from behind to earn a point. The hosts led when Paul Scharner's header found Emerson Boyce who took a touch to control and then shot home. Fulham levelled from Clint Dempsey's penalty after he was fouled by Titus Bramble. The attendance of 16,172 was the lowest of any Premier League game so far this season.

Attendance : 16,172
Assists : Scharner, Dempsey (won pen)


7 November 2009

ASTON VILLA 5 (Young 5, Agbonlahor 43, Carew 53, Milner 72, Cuellar 75)
BOLTON 1 (Elmander 45)

Aston Villa move up to fifth after thumping Bolton at Villa Park. John Carew had a hand in each of the opening four goals as his header was saved to allow Ashley Young to smash in the rebound early on. Next Carew did well to keep the ball in play and set up Gabriel Agbonlahor to take a touch and slot in the second. Bolton pulled one back before the break when Johan Elmander scored from close range after Gary Cahill's deflected effort looped against the post. The two goal lead was restored when James Milner found Carew in the area who wriggled through the defence to slot in the third. Kevin Davies then pushed Carew in the area and although Milner's penalty was saved, he was on hand to score from the rebound after Steve Sidwell initially hit the post with the net gaping! Carlos Cueller wrapped things up with a near post header from Milner's cross.

Attendance : 38,101
Assists : n/a, Carew, n/a, n/a, n/a, Milner (ck)


BLACKBURN 3 (Roberts 53, Nelsen 73, Roberts 86)
PORTSMOUTH 1 (O'Hara 15)

Portsmouth remain bottom but Blackburn are out of the drop zone after coming from behind at Ewood Park. The hosts were jeered off at the break as they were behind due to Jamie O'Hara's long range effort from Aruna Dindane's pass. Enter sub Jason Roberts at the interval and within eight minutes he'd equalised when he spun and scored from close range after Ryan Nelsen had nodded a corner down. Nelsen went one better to put his side ahead with a thumping header from David Dunn's corner before Roberts added a third late on with a near post finish from Benni McCarthy's cross.

Attendance : 23,110
Assists : Dindane, n/a, Dunn (ck), McCarthy


MANCHESTER CITY 3 (Jordan 43 og, Toure 55, Bellamy 58)
BURNLEY 3 (Alexander 19 Pen, Fletcher 32, McDonald 87)

Remarkable game at Eastlands as Man City led after being two down at home to Burnley only for the visitors to grab their first away point of the season with a late leveller. Burnley put the proverbial cat among the pigeons with two goals in thirteen minutes as Graham Alexander scored from the penalty spot after Joleon Lescott handled Tyrone Mears' cross and then Chris Eagles crossed for Steven Fletcher to tap in from close range. City pulled one back before half time when Emmanuel Adebayor found Shaun Wright-Phillips took a pot shot from the right edge of the area and, aided by a deflection, it span inside the far post. City equalised when Lescott did well to keep a free kick in the area and Kolo Toure hammered the ball in and three minutes later, Wright-Phillips crossed for Craig Bellamy to sweep the ball past the keeper. Burnley battled back and grabbed an unlikely point late on when Fletcher's header found Kevin McDonald unmarked to level matters up.

Attendance : 47,205
Assists : n/a, Alexander, n/a, Lescott, SWP, Fletcher


TOTTENHAM 2 (Keane 12, Huddlestone 68)
SUNDERLAND 0

Spurs rode their luck to see off Sunderland with a goal in each half. The visitors dominated for long periods but Spurs took the lead when Robbie Keane bundled in Peter Crouch's header. Early in the second half, former Spurs man Darren Bent broke clear only to be brought down by keeper Heurelho Gomes who was lucky only to get booked. Ironically the keeper when guessed right and kept Bent's penalty out. Spurs clinched it with a beauty as Jermain Defoe found Tom Huddlestone who cracked in a rising shot from 20 yards which flew in via the underside of the bar.

Attendance : 35,955
Assists : Crouch, Defoe


WOLVES 1 (Craddock 89)
ARSENAL 4 (Zubar 28 og, Craddock 36 og, Fabregas 46, Arshavin 66)

Arsenal continued their goal-fest season as they hit Wolves for four at Molineux. Wolves began very well but went behind thanks to two errors on their behalf. The first, dismal defending from a Cesc Fabregas corner, saw Ronald Zubar deflected the ball into his own net under pressure from Eduardo and then the hosts lost possession in midfield giving Arsenal a two on one break as Aaron Ramsey found Eduardo whose lovely chip from the edge of the area looped in via the head of defender Jody Craddock. Another own goal? One for the dubious goals committee. On half time, a slick Gunners passing movement, aided by an inadvertent touch by referee Steve Bennett ended with Robin Van Persie's superb touch finding Fabregas to slot in with ease. They eased off a little after the break but added a fourth when a Fabregas corner was palmed away to the edge of the area where Andrey Arshavin found the bottom corner with a well directed first time effort. Wolves grabbed a late consolation when a corner from Matt Jarvis found Craddock who made no mistake with a free header.

Attendance : 28,937
Assists : n/a, n/a, RVP, n/a, n/a, Jarvis (ck)

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