soccer-europe.com

13 September 2009

BIRMINGHAM 0
ASTON VILLA 1 (Agbonlahor 85)

The second city derby turned into a damp squib and was only saved from total obscurity by a late goal which saw Aston Villa win at Birmingham. Ashley Young's free kick set it up as his cross was headed across goal by John Carew and nodded into the bottom corner by Gabriel Agbonlahor. Birmingham pushed for a late equaliser but it was Villa who almost added to the scoreline when Agbonlahor was sent clear but shot over with only the keeper to beat.

Attendance : 25,196
Assist : Carew


FULHAM 2 (Konchesky 57, Duff 79)
EVERTON 1 (Cahill 33)

Fulham came from behind at half time to see off Everton and move into the top half of the table. Everton edged the first half and were ahead when Tim Cahill headed powerfully in from a Leighton Baines free kick although replays showed that the scorer was marginally offside. After the break Fulham battled back and levelled when Danny Murphy's free kick thudded into the wall but fell nicely for Paul Konchesky whose drilled effort deflected off of Sylvain Distin and wrong footed the keeper to find the net. The points were secured when Andy Johnson found Damien Duff who cut inside and fired low into the corner.

Attendance : 24,191
Assists : Baines (fk), n/a, Johnson


12 September 2009

BLACKBURN 3 (Diouf 19, Roberts 56, Dunn 64)
WOLVES 1 (Maierhofer 88)

Blackburn recorded their first league win of the season with a comfortable home win against Wolves. They began well and took the lead when El Hadji Diouf latched onto a mistake from Michael Mancienne to break clear on goal and slot in with ease. Two goals in nine minutes after the break wrapped it up as Jason Roberts got a slight touch onto a header from Gael Givet to double the lead and then David Dunn tapped into an empty net from two yards after the keeper had only partially saved a shot from Roberts. Wolves grabbed a late consolation when debutant Stefan Maierhofer netted from close range after the hosts failed to deal with a corner from Matthew Jarvis.

Attendance : 24,845
Assists : n/a, Dunn (ck), n/a, Jarvis


LIVERPOOL 4 (Benayoun 27, Kuyt 41, Benayoun 61, Benayoun 82)
BURNLEY 0

Despite having their title hopes written off by their own keeper, Liverpool blitzed Burnley at Anfield, aided hugely by a Yossi Benayoun hat trick. His first was a clinical low drive after being found by Glen Johnson and he had a hand in the second as his shot was saved by Brian Jensen, leaving Dirk Kuyt with a simple tap in. Benayoun made it three from close range after a surging run and cut back by Steven Gerrard and then completed his triple after being set up by Andriy Voronin.

Attendance : 43,817
Assists : Johnson, n/a, Gerrard, Voronin


MANCHESTER CITY 4 (Almunia 20 og, Bellamy 74, Adebayor 80, Wright-Phillips 84)
ARSENAL 2 (Van Persie 62, Rosicky 88)

Man City remain 100% in the league after a stunning win at home to Arsenal although the post match comments were largely negative towards Emmanuel Adebayor who was accused of deliberately stamping onto the side of Robin Van Persie's face and for excessive celebrations after scoring against his former club. City needed a freak goal to get started when Micah Richards' looping header hit the post and went in off diving keeper Manuel Almunia. The game exploded into life after the break when Robin Van Persie levelled with a cracking turn and shot after being found by Tomas Rosicky. City regained the lead when Richards crossed and found Craig Bellamy who turned and shot home and then Adebayor sent a thumping header in from another cross this time by Shaun Wright-Phillips, however the former Arsenal man then ran the length of the pitch to celebrate his header in front of the pocket of Gunners fans, causing anger amongst those present. Wright-Phillips added a deserved fourth having been put through by Bellamy before Rosicky celebrated his return from injury with a goal after a nice pass from Cesc Fabregas. Fantastic entertainment but we haven't heard the last of Adebayor's antics even though he apologised straight after the game.

Attendance : 47,339
Assists : n/a, Rosicky, Richards, SWP, Bellamy, Fabregas


PORTSMOUTH 2 (Kaboul 25, Boateng 63)
BOLTON 3 (Cohen 13, Taylor 41 Pen, Cahill 89)

Portsmouth twice came from behind at home to Bolton only to lose to a late Gary Cahill header in the battle of the pointless clubs at Fratton Park. Having lost every game so far, it looked ominous for the hosts when Gretar Steinsson set up Tamir Cohen to drill in however Pompey levelled with a towering header from Younes Kaboul from Jamie O'Hara's corner. Tal Ben Haim then tangled with Davies in the area and despite getting a touch on the ball the ref awarded a penalty, converted by Matt Taylor against his former club. Amazingly it was Bolton's first successfully converted penalty in two and a half years!! Portsmouth levelled again after the break when O'Hara's shot was blocked and Kevin Prince Boateng fired in however with a minute to go, Cahill nodded in after the hosts failed to deal with Jlloyd Samuel's long throw.

Attendance : 17,564
Assists : Steinsson, O'Hara, K Davies (won pen), n/a, Basham


STOKE 1 (Faye 32)
CHELSEA 2 (Drogba 48, Malouda 94)


A goal in stoppage time at the end of each half saw Chelsea come from behind to beat Stoke. The home side went ahead when Glenn Whelan's cross tempted Petr Cech off of his line which made it easy for Abdoulaye Faye to nod the ball over him and in. Didier Drogba walloped in the equaliser at the end of the first half from the left edge of the area having been found by Frank Lampard. The second half was all Chelsea but it wasn't until the 94th minute that they maintained their 100% record when Nik Anelka touched the ball back to Florent Malouda to fire inside the near post from the edge of the box.

Attendance : 27,440
Assists : Whelan, Lampard, Anelka


SUNDERLAND 4 (Bent 13 Pen, Reid 49, Bent 66, Zayatte 75 og)
HULL 1 (Zayatte 44)

Sunderland move up to the dizzy heights of sixth with a crushing win over Hull. Darren Bent netted twice, including the opening penalty after Craig Fagan palmed away a corner. Just before half time, Kamil Zayatte levelled from Geovanni's corner but the lead was restored early in the second half when Andy Reid drilled in Phil Bardsley's cross before Bent added his second by latching onto Steed Malbranque's pass and shooting home as the visiting defence went awol. Zayatte then headed into his own net under pressure from Michael Turner.

Attendance : 38,997
Assists : n/a, Ghilas (ck), n/a, n/a, n/a


TOTTENHAM 1 (Defoe 1)
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (Giggs 25 fk, Anderson 41, Rooney 78)

Spurs lose their 100% record as Man United come from behind to inflict a first home defeat on Spurs in this calendar year to go second in the table behind Chelsea.

The game began in sensational style as Spurs found the net inside the opening minute. A deep cross from Beniot Assou-Ekotto was nodded back across goal by Nemanja Vidic under pressure from Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe, with his back to goal, sent an overhead kick into the net from eight yards. United took a while to get a foothold but levelled when Ryan Giggs rolled back the years with a superb free kick from the edge of the box, whipped over the wall and into the top corner with pace. They should have taken the lead shortly afterwards but missed three chances in a crazy ten second spell as Wayne Rooney was denied by keeper Carlo Cudicini before Dimitar Berbatov had a shot cleared off the line and then shot inches over. United did go ahead just before the break as Paul Scholes sent a long range effort goalwards and although it was easily blocked, it fell to Anderson on the edge of the box to fire in his first ever United goal.

Spurs pressed for an equaliser early after the break as Robbie Keane was denied by a last ditch tackle from Rio Ferdinand, keeper Ben Foster saved brilliantly from sub Jermaine Jenas and from the corner, Crouch headed against the bar when he should have scored. The hosts' cause was helped when Scholes was sent off for a second booking in a matter of minutes as he apparently caught Tom Huddlestone in the face with his boot after the Spurs man won the ball with a studs first tackle. Replays showed little, if any, contact from the United man as Huddlestone grasped his face in apparent agony. It seemed to spur United on as Rooney had a shot saved and Patrice Evra thumped a shot into the side netting and it proved to be an unheeded warning as Rooney then latched onto a through ball from Darren Fletcher, held off two defenders and fired low into the net from 12 yards.

Attendance : 35,785
Red Card : Scholes 59)
Assists : n/a, Berbatov (won fk), n/a, n/a


WIGAN 1 (Rodallega 55)
WEST HAM 0

Wigan won for the first time since the opening day as a second half goal saw off West Ham. Hugo Rodallega tapped in the winner from close range after Jason Koumas saw his effort saved by Robert Green.

Attendance : 17,142
Assist : n/a

Gary Dowden - Joint Admin Yahoo Groups Premier-L list
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