soccer-europe.com

20 March 2011

SUNDERLAND 0
LIVERPOOL 2 (Kuyt 34 Pen, Suarez 77)

Liverpool's unlikely quest for a European place took another step closer with a win at Sunderland. They led in highly controversial fashion as the referee blew for a foul and free kick on the edge of the area as John Mensah fouled Jay Spearing, however after a chat with his assistant, changed his mind and awarded a penalty instead, converted by Dirk Kuyt. They clinched it when Kuyt's throw found Luis Suarez who cut into the area and walloped the ball in from a tight angle. Sunderland's miserable day was compounded late on when Mensah was shown a straight red card for hauling back Suarez as he looked to burst through.

Attendance : 47,207
Red Card : Mensah 82 (Sunderland)
Assists : Spearing (won pen), Kuyt (throw in)


CHELSEA 2 (Luiz 78, Ramirez 92)
MANCHESTER CITY 0

Chelsea move to within four points of second placed Arsenal with a hard fought victory against fourth placed Man City. A tight game finally produced a goal, albeit from an unlikely source as a free kick on the left was drifted in by Didier Drogba and headed in by Luiz although keeper Joe Hart did get a hand to it. They clinched it in stoppage time with a beauty as Michael Essien found Ramirez on the edge of the area and having beaten two men, he swept the ball past Hart from eight yards.

Attendance : 41,741
Assists : Drogba (fk), Essien


19 March 2011

TOTTENHAM 0
WEST HAM 0

West Ham move out of the bottom three after a creditable draw at Spurs who lose ground on the top four. The hosts had the better chances but luck was against them as Michael Dawson and Gareth Bale both hit the bar and Aaron Lennon saw his effort strike the post.

Attendance : 36,010
Assists : n/a


ASTON VILLA 0
WOLVES 1 (Jarvis 38)

Wolves won at Aston Villa for the first time since 1980 to drag their Midlands rivals into the increasingly tight dog fight at the bottom. Wolves had two goals disallowed against a poor Villa side but won it before the break when Jamie O'Hara's cross was nodded back by Christophe Berra for Matt Jarvis to thump in off the post. Villa came close when Ashley Young's shot hit the bar but they are only a point above 18th placed Wolves now.

Attendance : 38,965
Assist : Berra


BLACKBURN 2 (Samba 49, Hoilett 93)
BLACKPOOL 2 (Adam 25 Pen, Adam 29 fk)

Blackburn came from two goals down at draw at home to Blackpool in a dramatic game at Ewood Park. The visitors had two first half goals from Luke Varney chalked off for offside but also netted twice between the pair of disallowed efforts. The first came in controversial fashion as Charlie Adam netted from the penalty spot after Ryan Nelsen fouled Gary Taylor-Fletcher after the striker had shot over. If the first was debateable, there was no doubt about the second as Adam curled in a superb free kick from 25 yards. Rovers battled back after the break and pulled a goal back when Christopher Samba drilled home after both Junior Hoilett and Mame Diouf had efforts blocked. It looked at though they'd run out of time until the final seconds when Hoilett popped up to level with a header after a long ball into the area wasn't cleared. Although Rovers are 13th and Blackpool 15th, both are just a point ahead of the bottom three.

Attendance : 27,209
Assists : Taylor-Fletcher, Adam (won fk), n/a, n/a


MANCHESTER UNITED 1 (Berbatov 88)
BOLTON 0

Man United used a 'get out of jail free' card as their ten men left it late to see off Bolton and move five points clear at the top. United failed to hit anything like top form and were reduced to ten men when Johnny Evans was shown a straight red card for a studs first challenge on Stuart Holden which left a nasty gash on the knee of the Bolton man. Bolton then missed a glorious chance when Matt Taylor headed straight at the keeper before United won in when sub Dimitar Berbatov pounced when keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen failed to hold Nani's effort.

Attendance : 75,486
Red Card: Evans 76 (Manchester United)
Assist : n/a


STOKE 4 (Walters 28, Pennant 46, Higginbotham 49, Fuller 90)
NEWCASTLE 0

Stoke remain in mid-table as they walloped Newcastle. The hosts led at the interval when Jonathon Walters headed in a cross from Jermaine Pennant before they blitzed the visitors with two more early in the second half as a poor clearance from keeper Steve Harper fell to Kenwyne Jones who found Matt Etherington wide and his ball in was converted by Pennant. Three minutes later it was three goals as Danny Higginbotham thumped in a free kick from the edge of the area and with time almost up, Ricardo Fuller added a fourth with a low shot after latching onto a header from Walters.

Attendance : 27,505
Assists : Pennant, n/a, Jones (won fk), Walters


WEST BROM 2 (Reid 3, Odemwingie 58)
ARSENAL 2 (Arshavin 70, Van Persie 78)

Arsenal came from two down to draw at West Brom but lost ground on leaders Man United whilst the Baggies remain a point clear of the drop zone. They lead early when Chris Brunt's corner was headed in by Steven Reid and after the break, the memories of the Carling Cup Final came flooding back as keeper Manuel Almunia and Sebastien Squillaci left Youssef Mulumbu's long ball to each other and Peter Odemwingie nipped in with an easy finish. It sparked Arsenal into life and they forced themselves level when firstly Andrey Arshavin scored a beauty after a good build up with Sebastien Chamakh and then Abdoulaye Meite failed to deal with Arshavin's cross and Nicklas Bendtner's header and Robin Van Persie forced in the equaliser.

Attendance : 25,729
Assists : Brunt (ck), Mulumbu, Chamakh, n/a


WIGAN 2 (Cleverly 25, Figueroa 92)
BIRMINGHAM 1 (Ridgewell 6)

Wigan left it late to see off Birmingham but both clubs now occupy the bottom two places. The visitors led when Liam Ridgewell, looking a yard offside, volleyed in Martin Jiranek's headed but Wigan levelled when a cross from Emerson Boyce was finger-tipped by the keeper, allowing Tom Cleverly to score from close range. With time edging away, Maynor Figueroa drilled in the winner from the edge of the area after being set up by Cleverly.

Attendance : 16,421
Assists : Jiranek, n/a, Cleverly


EVERTON 2 (Coleman 36, Saha 49 fk)
FULHAM 1 (Dempsey 62)

Everton move into eighth with a narrow win over Fulham but despite their lofty position, are only eight points above the bottom three! They took control with goals either side of half time as Leon Osman crossed for Seamus Coleman to head home and then Louis Saha doubled matters with a terrific free kick after the ball was rolled to him by Leighton Baines. Fulham set up a nervy finale when Clint Dempsey scored from long range after being set up by Bobby Zamora.

Attendance : 33,239
Assists : Osman, Rodwell (won fk), Zamora

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