25 April 2010
ASTON VILLA 1 (Milner 83 Pen)
BIRMINGHAM 0
Aston Villa remain in the race for a Champions League spot with a narrow win in the second city derby in a game which Birmingham deserved at least a point. In an entertaining game both clubs had chances but found either keeper in good form but it was Villa who took the lead late on when Roger Johnson hacked down Gabriel Agbonlahor in the area for what looked to be a guaranteed penalty, even though replays showed the defender getting a slight touch on the ball before fouling the Villa man. James Milner found the roof of the net from the spot.
Attendance : 42,788
Assist : Agbonlahor (won pen)
BURNLEY 0
LIVERPOOL 4 (Cort 52 og, Gerrard 59, Rodriguez 74, Babel 94)
Liverpool's thin Champions League hopes remain alive after a comprehensive win at Burnley who were relegated as a result of their defeat. Liverpool took control in the second half as Steven Gerrard's run and shot found the net via a big deflection off of Leon Cort and then doubled the lead after Alberto Aquilani slipped but the ball fell nicely for Gerrard to curl in a beauty from 25 yards. Aquilani's through ball sent Maxi Rodriguez clear and he finished superbly inside the far post and then late on, Ryan Babel slotted under the keeper after latching onto a through ball from Lucas.
Attendance : 21,553
Assists : n/a, Aquilani, Aquilani, Lucas
CHELSEA 7 (Kalou 24, Kalou 31, Lampard 44 Pen, Kalou 68, Lampard 81, Sturridge 87, Malouda 89)
STOKE 0
Salomon Kalou hit a hat trick as Chelsea walloped Stoke to return to the top of the Premier League. His first came from close range as he stooped low to head home Didier Drogba's cross and he doubled the lead and his own tally with a tap in after keeper Thomas Sorenson failed to hold Frank Lampard's shot. Sorensen's hand was caught by Kalou as he scored, leaving the keeper in agony and needing to be replaced. Sub keeper Asmir Begovic fared no better and was beaten before the interval by a Lampard penalty after Kalou was hauled down rugby tackle style by Robert Huth although the initial contact was outside the area. Chelsea seemed to ease off a little after the break, at least until Kalou completed his triple when he was sent clear down the Lampard and although his first effort was saved, he found the net with the rebound. Florent Malouda then somehow missed an open goal, slotting wide from literally two yards before Chelsea into overdrive in the final ten minutes as Lampard grabbed his second and Chelsea's fifth with a neat, control far post volley with the outside of his boot which looped over the keeper from Sam Hutchinson's excellent cross. Dan Sturridge added the sixth as he was sent clear by Drogba, rounded the keeper and slotted in before Malouda made up for his horror miss with a far post finish from Joe Cole's cross.
Attendance : 41,013
Assists : Drogba, n/a, Kalou (won pen), n/a, Hutchinson, Drogba, J Cole
EVERTON 2 (Smalling 49 og, Arteta 94 Pen)
FULHAM 1 (Nevland 36)
Everton came from behind to beat Fulham courtesy of a stoppage time penalty. Fulham took advantage of an horrendous back pass to take the lead as Erik Nevland latched onto a blind pass from Leighton Baines to put the visitors ahead but Everton levelled shortly after the break when Victor Anichebe's header found the net via Chris Smalling who leapt behind him. With time ebbing away, Chris Baird clattered into Tim Cahill in the area and Mikel Arteta won the points from the spot.
Attendance : 35,578
Assists : n/a, n/a, Cahill (won pen)
24 April 2010
ARSENAL 0
MANCHESTER CITY 0
Man City move to within a point of fourth place after a goalless draw at Arsenal which saw the hosts officially out of the title race. For a game with so much at stake, the first half was similar to the one at Old Trafford earlier with little to raise the excitement level, however the arrival of former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor from City's bench early in the second half upped the volume of the home fans even if things initially changed little on the pitch. With twenty minutes to go, City keeper Shay Given suffered what appeared to be a serious injury as he damaged his shoulder as he dived to push a shot around the post. He was carried off with oxygen and replaced by the first ever player from the Faroe Islands to play in the Premier League - Gunnar Nielsen. Chances remained rare though with Robin Van Persie clipping a free kick just over for the hosts whilst Nicklas Bendtner and Craig Bellamy both had tame efforts at each keeper at either end.
Attendance : 60,086
Assists : n/a
BOLTON 2 (Klasnic 26, Davies 28)
PORTSMOUTH 2 (Dindane 54, Dindane 68)
Bottom club Portsmouth warmed up for the FA Cup Final as they came from two goals down to draw at Bolton. Two goals in three first half minutes seemingly put the hosts in control as Ivan Klasnic headed in Jack Wilshire's cross and then Kevin Davies converted a cross from Vladimir Weiss. Pompey battled back and Aruna Dindane pulled one back with a miss-hit shot from Frederic Piquionne's cut back and then he levelled after a good ball across goal from John Utaka.
Attendance : 20,526
Assists : Wilshire, Weiss, Piquionne, Utaka
HULL 0
SUNDERLAND 1 (Bent 7)
Hull are effectively relegated after slumping to a tame home defeat against Sunderland. The only goal came early as Darren Bent netted from a tight angle after Kenwyne Jones headed across goal. Jimmy Bullard blew a golden chance to equalise when his penalty hit the post after Michael Turner fouled Geovanni. The red mist came down at the end of the first half as Jozy Altidore and Alan Hutton battled for the ball out wide and as Hutton got up, he lobbed the ball as the Hull striker who took offence and head butted his opponent. Altidore was red carded, as was Hutton after receiving treatment for the butt. Hull need to win their final two games, hope West Ham lose theirs and overcome a current difference in goal difference of 23.
Attendance : 25,012
Assist : K Jones
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (Giggs 58 Pen, Nani 81, Giggs 86 Pen)
TOTTENHAM 1 (King 70)
Man United return to the top of the league ahead of the Sunday games with a hard fought victory over Champions League hopefuls Spurs. After an instantly forgettable first half, United went ahead just before the hour as Ryan Giggs converted his first ever league penalty after Patrice Evra was clattered by Beniot Assou-Ekotto. Spurs levelled when Ledley King headed in a Gareth Bale corner but United regained the lead through Nani's lofted finish over the keeper having been found by Federico Macheda and five minutes later, Giggs wrapped it up with another penalty after Nani was fouled by Wilson Palacios.
Attendance : 75,268
Assists : Evra (won pen), Macheda, Nani (won pen)
WEST HAM 3 (Ilan 31, Kovac 50, Parker 77)
WIGAN 2 (Spector 4 og, Rodallega 52)
West Ham are almost safe after a topsy-turvy game at home to Wigan. The visitors went ahead when Jonathon Spector could only bundle a cross from Ben Watson into his own net. The Hammers levelled when Ilan converted Carlton Cole's cross and in first half stoppage time, Radoslav Kovac headed in from two yards after Mark Noble's first kick had been saved. Wigan bounced back after the interval when Hugo Rodallega found the net after a Watson corner was helped on by Victor Moses. West Ham grabbed a vital win thanks to Scott Parker who found the bottom corner with a cracker from long range after being set up by Guillermo Franco.
Attendance : 33,057
Assists : n/a, Cole, n/a, Moses, Franco
WOLVES 1 (Ebanks-Blake 81)
BLACKBURN 1 (Nelsen 28)
Wolves collected a crucial point at home to Blackburn and although they could still go down, it would need a strange sequence of results to send them back. Rovers were ahead through Ryan Nelsen's far post effort from Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner which seemed to go in off his knee. Wolves earned a point late on when Sylvain Ebanks-Blake headed in Steven Ward's cross.
Attendance : 28,967
Assist : Pedersen (ck), Ward
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