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1 March 2011

CHELSEA 2 (David Luiz 54, Lampard 80)
MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Rooney 29)

Clash of the Titans at Stamford Bridge as the current Champions hosted the current leaders with Chelsea coming from behind to inflict Man United's second defeat of the season and to move into fourth place themselves. In an end to end opening, Chelsea had the early chances as Fernando Torres had an effort disallowed for pushing in the area whilst Florent Malouda's drive from the edge of the area was straight at keeper Edwin Van Der Sar. United eventually settled and went ahead just before the half hour mark when Nani found Wayne Rooney who turned and drilled in a low shot inside the post from 25 yards. Chelsea came close to levelling when Frank Lampard's free kick was kept out by the keeper who then somehow got his hand to the rebound from Branislav Ivanovic who looked certain to bundle the loose ball in.

It took the hosts nine minutes of the restart to get level as a deep cross was nodded on by Ivanovic and David Luiz was given too much time to size up a volley which arrowed inside the near post. Rooney then had a chance to regain the lead for United but shot across goal and well off target have been sent clear down the left before Dimitar Berbatov and Ryan Giggs came on from the bench, the latter equalling Bobby Charlton's league appearance record for United. Chelsea also brought on Didier Drogba and Yuri Zhirkov with the former striking a free kick over the bar just after coming on. Rooney continued to cause problems and had a crisp shot well saved before Chelsea were awarded a penalty when Zhirkov went over the leg of Chris Smalling, allowing Lampard to hammer the spot kick high into the roof of the net. Zhirkov was having a major impact as he had a stinging drive which was blocked by Nemanja Vidic before sailing to safety via the post as Chelsea looked to settle the game once and for all. As you would expect, United didn't lie down and Fabio almost netted in successive games but couldn't squeeze his shot past Petr Cech and as the game entered four minutes of stoppage time, Chelsea looked to run down the clock as United conceded a series of set pieces. Ultimately it paid off as Ramirez tried to burst into the area and was hauled down by Vidic on the edge to earn the United man a second yellow card and subsequent red which gave the hosts the time to see out time.

Attendance : 41,825
Red Card : Vidic 93 (Manchester United)
Assists : Nani, n/a, Zhirkov (won pen)


28 February 2011

STOKE 1 (Delap 53)
WEST BROM 1 (Vela 87)

West Brom move out of the bottom three after grabbing a late draw at Stoke. After a goalless first half, the hosts went ahead early in the second as a corner from Jermaine Pennant is nodded in at the near post by Rory Delap. The Baggies levelled late on when a ball into the area by Steven Reid found sub Carlos Vela to take a touch and drill in even though he looked to be just offside.

Attendance : 25,019
Assists : Pennant (ck), Reid


27 February 2011

MANCHESTER CITY 1 (Balotelli 26)
FULHAM 1 (Duff 48)

Honours even at Eastlands as Fulham came from behind to hold Man City. The hosts led when Carlos Tevez found Mario Balotelli on the edge of the box and he made space before walloping a shot into the bottom corner however Fulham grabbed a point with an equaliser just after the break when Andy Johnson drilled cross was thudded in by Damien Duff. The game ended on a sour note when the two managers clashed in a strained handshake with was actually more of a slap of hands with Fulham boss Mark Hughes clearly angry over something. Grow up guys!

Attendance : 43,077
Assists : Tevez, Johnson


WEST HAM 3 (Parker 22, Demba Ba 45, Cole 91)
LIVERPOOL 1 (Johnson 84)

West Ham move off of the bottom of the table with a superb win over ever-improving Liverpool. The Hammers were well ahead at the interval as Scott Parker ran towards the defence before exchanging passes with Thomas Hitzlsperger and clipping a lovely effort over the keeper and into the net from the edge of the area and they doubled it just before the break when Gary O'Neil crossed for Demba Ba to send a terrific diving header past the keeper. Liverpool rallied and set up a dramatic finale when Luis Suarez turned and crossed for Glen Johnson to convert at the far post but the Hammers clinched it in stoppage time as Carlton Cole collected the ball from Jonathon Spector, held off the defender and drilled in at the near post.

Attendance : 34,941
Assists : Hitzlsperger, O'Neil, Suarez, Spector


26 February 2011

ASTON VILLA 4 (Young 49 Pen, Hanley 62 og, Downing 64, Young 82)
BLACKBURN 1 (Kalinic 81)

Aston Villa's recent good form continued with a thumping win against Blackburn who continue to edge close to the drop zone. After a goalless first half, Villa went ahead when Rovers defender Keith Andrews lost the ball to Ashley Young and then hauled him down in the area, allowing the Villa man to drill in the spot kick. They needed a stroke of luck to double the lead as Marc Albrighton's fizzed cross found the net via the leg of defender Grant Hanley and almost straight from the kick off they added a third as Young was fouled in midfield but the ref played an excellent advantage which sent Stuart Downing clear to slot in. Rovers pulled one back with a deflected shot from Nikola Kalinic which looped in after he'd been found by Brett Emerton however within a minute Villa regained their three goal margin as Downing found Young to sweep in the fourth. The game - and indeed the week - ended badly for Ryan Nelsen who saw a second yellow for a foul on Young.

Attendance : 34,309
Red Card : Nelsen 93 (Blackburn)
Assists : Young (won pen), n/a, Young, Emerton, Downing


EVERTON 2 (Beckford 8, Beckford 39)
SUNDERLAND 0

Two Jermaine Beckford goals saw Everton record a good home win against Sunderland. The former Leeds man netted with a near post finish from Leon Osman's cross although it seemed to go in off of the defender and he doubled matters with a bobbled finish from Mikel Arteta's cross.

Attendance : 37,776
Assists : Osman, Arteta


NEWCASTLE 1 (Nolan 13)
BOLTON 1 (Sturridge 38)

Honours even at St James Park as Bolton came from behind to hold ten man Newcastle. The hosts led when former Bolton man Kevin Nolan headed in superbly from Cheik Tiote's cross however Bolton grabbed a point with a low drive from Daniel Sturridge after he'd been found by Johan Elmander. Newcastle played most of the second half a man down when Ryan Taylor was shown a straight red for a dangerous two footed tackle on Elmander.

Attendance : 48,062
Red Card : Taylor 54 (Newcastle)
Assists : Tiote (ck), Elmander


WIGAN 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 4 (Hernandez 17, Hernandez 74, Rooney 84, Da Silva 87)

Man United go four points clear at the top with a comfortable win at Wigan. The hosts actually began well and felt that United should have been down to ten men when Wayne Rooney appeared to elbow James McCarthy in midfield but no action - apart from a free kick - was taken and United led shortly afterwards as Nani crossed for Javier Hernandez to clip in at the near post. The league leaders then took total command in the latter stages as Hernandez doubled his tally after a neat one-two with Rooney before Dimitar Berbatov burst clear to set up Rooney with a tap in. The rout was completed late on when Darren Fletcher crossed for Fabio to control at the far post and blast in.

Attendance : 18,140
Assists : Nani, Rooney, Berbatov, Fletcher


WOLVES 4 (Jarvis 2, O'Hara 54, Ebanks-Blake 78, Ebanks-Blake 90)
BLACKPOOL 0

Wolves eased their relegation concerns with a thumping win against Blackpool who are in danger of getting dragged into the dogfight at the bottom. Wolves led early when Adam Hamill crossed for Matt Jarvis to fire in from the edge of the area and the visitors' cause took a major blow on half time when DJ Campbell was sent off for pushing Richard Stearman in the face after the pair clashed on the half way line. Wolves took total command after the break as a loose pass found Jamie O'Hara who ran at the defence before drilling in a low shot. Kevin Doyle then crossed for Sylvain Ebanks-Blake to tap in the third and late on the same played added a fourth with a fine shot across goal after being found by Stephen Ward.

Attendance : 29,086
Red Card : Campbell 43 (Blackpool)
Assists : Hammill, n/a, Doyle, Ward


23 February 2011

ARSENAL 1 (Squillaci 8)
STOKE 0

Attendance : 60,041
Assist : Bendtner (ck)


22 February 2011

BLACKPOOL 3 (Adam 18 Pen, Campbell 44, Ormerod 80)
TOTTENHAM 1 (Pavlyuchenko 93)

Attendance : 16,069
Assists : Campbell (won pen), Beattie, n/a, Crouch


20 February 2011

WEST BROM 1 (Vela 92)
WOLVES 1 (O'Hara 39)

Attendance : 26,170
Assists : Milijas (fk), n/a

Gary Dowden - Joint Admin Yahoo Groups Premier-L list
http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/premier-l/
Leeds United and Scotland and proud of it