20 years of the FA Premier League - Part 3

2002/03

HAVING ended the previous season empty-handed, Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United were determined for revenge in 2002/03 and they hunted Arsenal down successfully to regain the Premiership title.  It was their eighth success in 11 years.  Despite having broken the British transfer record to sign Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United for £30million; old frailties seemed to be around Ferguson’s team early in the season.  Bolton beat them at Old Trafford for the second successive season, with Leeds and Manchester City (in the last Manchester derby at Maine Road) also inflicting early season defeats.  Meanwhile, Arsenal and Liverpool both started the season in sensational fashion.  Liverpool went 12 games unbeaten at the start of the season, but then endured a miserable run in wintertime.  Gerard Houiller’s side went 11 games without a win, dropped to 7^th and saw their title challenge melt away.  However, Arsenal continued to fly, with Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires all in great form.  On March 2, they beat Charlton Athletic at Highbury 2-0 to extend their points advantage over Manchester United to eight points.  Gradually, United took bites out of the deficit, until they overhauled them before a Highbury face-off in mid-April.  Ruud Van Nistlerooy swung the Premiership pendulum United’s way with an early goal, but two Henry strikes in the opening moments of the second half turned the game around.  A free header from Ryan Giggs drew the sides level, before Sol Campbell was sent off controversially for an accidental elbow into the face of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.  The game finished 2-2, and injuries and suspensions took their toll on Wenger’s side.  Ten days later, they threw away a 2-0 lead to draw at Bolton and a week later, it was all over.  Marc Viduka’s 87^th minute winner was not only enough for Leeds to win 3-2 at Highbury and ensure Premiership football at Elland Road for another season, but give the title to one of their bitter rivals.  Newcastle United launched a brief title assault, with Sir Bobby Robson’s exciting young side finishing a creditable third.  Chelsea took the final Champions League spot on offer, as Claudio Ranieri penniless side won the £25million showdown with Liverpool on the final day of the season.  Little did we know of the drama and the new investment to enter West London that summer!  The stress of management was also shown as Glenn Roeder collapsed and was taken to hospital after West Ham beat Middlesbrough 1-0 on April 21.  Trevor Brooking took over the reins, but he couldn’t save his beloved club from shock relegation on the final day of the season.

CHAMPIONS: Manchester United, 2^nd: Arsenal 3^rd: Newcastle United, 4^th: Chelsea 5^th: Liverpool, 6^th: Blackburn Rovers, 7^th: Everton, 8^th; Southampton, 9^th: Manchester City, 10^th: Tottenham

RELEGATED: West Ham United, West Brom, Sunderland

BIGGEST WIN: West Brom 0-6 Liverpool (26 April 2003)

HIGHEST SCORING GAMES: Manchester United 5-3 Newcastle United (23 November 2002), Newcastle United 2-6 Manchester United (12 April 2003), West Ham United 3-4 Leeds United (10 November 2002)

SCORERS: Van Nistlerooy (Manchester United) 25, Henry (Arsenal) 24, Beattie (Southampton) 23, Viduka (Leeds) 20, Owen (Liverpool) 19, Shearer (Newcastle) 17, Scholes (Manchester United) 14, Pires (Arsenal) 14, Anelka (Manchester City) 14, Zola (Chelsea) 14, Keane (Leeds & Tottenham) 14, Kewell (Leeds) 14, Sheringham (Tottenham) 12, Hasselbaink (Chelsea) 11, Radzinski (Everton) 11

2003/04

ONE team dominated the 2003/04 season and totally rewrote the football history books.  On Saturday May 15 2004, Arsenal beat Leicester City 2-1 to complete a truly remarkable feat.  Not since Preston North End in 1888 had this happened.  A team had gone unbeaten for an entire league season.  The Gunners record was; P38, W26, D12, L0.  Arsene Wenger had completed total football perfection.  The turning point of their season was an early showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford.  The match was disappointing, finishing 0-0.  However, it exploded into life in the closing stages.  Already angered by Patrick Vieira’s dismissal, Arsenal were even more incensed when Diego Forlan went down in stoppage time under a Martin Keown challenge.  Ruud Van Nistlerooy, involved in the Vieira scuffle, hit the crossbar from the penalty, and then, all hell broke loose.  Eight players were charged, with six Gunners players getting up to 18 games in total of suspensions.  After that, Arsenal let their football do the talking, rather than the aggression they showed on that awful day.  Whilst the Gunners were achieving record after record, Chelsea began spending money almost as lavishly at Harrods.  Roman Abramovich bought the club from Ken Bates in June and gave the club fortunes to spend in the transfer market.  In came the likes of Wayne Bridge, Claude Makelele, Damien Duff, Glen Johnson and Adrian Mutu and in also came a new force in the Premiership reckoning.  Chelsea topped the table on merit at the end of November and finished second, their best finish in the league since winning in 1955.  Claudio Ranieri’s reward was the sack.  Manchester United finished a distant third in the table, hobbled by Rio Ferdinand’s eight month suspension he received before Christmas for missing a drugs test.  Amongst their shock defeats was a 1-0 loss away to newly promoted Wolves in January.  Both Liverpool and Newcastle United had very inconsistent seasons, although they just about managed to scrap it out for the final Champions League spot.  A run of four wins in a row towards the season’s end meant Liverpool finished in the coveted fourth position, but Gerard Houiller lost his job after an abject campaign which saw his side finish a mammoth 30 points behind the champions.  Many other established clubs had dismal seasons too.  Tottenham sacked Glenn Hoddle in September, were in the bottom three at the turn of the year and only finished 14^th, whilst Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Everton finished in the bottom six after dreadful seasons.  Worse befall Leeds United however.  Champions League semi-finalists three years earlier, Leeds were relegated as their financial mess imploded with more star players being sold and total disarray in the boardroom.  Leicester City and Wolves went straight back down too, but Portsmouth finished a very creditable 13^th in their first season back in the top flight.

CHAMPIONS: Arsenal, 2^nd: Chelsea 3^rd: Manchester United, 4^th: Liverpool 5^th: Newcastle United, 6^th: Aston Villa, 7^th: Charlton Athletic, 8^th; Bolton Wanderers, 9^th: Fulham, 10^th: Birmingham City

RELEGATED: Leicester City, Leeds United, Wolves

BIGGEST WIN: Portsmouth 6-1 Leeds United (8 November 2003)

HIGHEST SCORING GAMES: Manchester City 6-2 Bolton Wanderers (18 October 2003), Tottenham Hotspur 4-4 Leicester City (22 February 2004), Middlesbrough 5-3 Birmingham City (21 March 2004)

SCORERS: Henry (Arsenal) 30, Shearer (Newcastle) 22, Saha (Fulham & Manchester United) 20, Van Nistlerooy (Manchester United) 20, Forssell (Birmingham) 17, Owen (Liverpool) 16, Angel (Aston Villa) 16, Yakubu (Portsmouth) 16, Anelka (Manchester City) 16, Pires (Arsenal) 14, Beattie (Southampton) 14, Keane (Tottenham) 14, Hasselbaink (Chelsea) 12, Ferdinand (Leicester) 12

2004/05

JOSE Mourinho was welcomed into the Premiership and his mission was simple; to deliver Chelsea their first championship in 50 years.  Along the way, he not only mastered the English game, but revolutionised Chelsea’s fortunes.  On Saturday April 30, the inspirational Frank Lampard scored twice to seal a 2-0 win at Bolton and complete Chelsea’s dream.  They became Premiership champions for the first time.  Not only that, but they rewrote the Premiership history books.  Mourinho’s men only conceded 18 goals all season, whilst new goalkeeper Petr Cech broke the record for the number of minutes he kept goal without conceding.  The Blues managed 95 points, won 27 games, which was the most ever in a 38-game season and lost only once (1-0 at Manchester City on October 16).  Blue really was the colour in 2004/05.  Established contenders Arsenal and Manchester United were forced to play second fiddle.  The Red Devils did manage to end Arsenal’s incredible unbeaten run at 49 games, after another bruising encounter between the two teams at Old Trafford ended 2-0 in United’s favour on October 24.  However, it was Arsenal who had the last laugh and finished second, ensuring automatic qualification for the Champions League.  Having sold star striker Wayne Rooney to Manchester United and been relegation favourites in pre-season, Everton defied all the critics to finish an outstanding fourth in the league, despite a humiliating 7-0 defeat at Arsenal towards the season’s end.  It meant that Everton beat Liverpool in the league table for the first time since 1987, although Rafa Benitez did mastermind an incredible Champions League triumph in his first season at the club.  A new manager became the new fashion this season too with Paul Sturrock (Southampton), Sir Bobby Robson (Newcastle), Gary Megson (West Brom) and Jacques Santini (Tottenham) among those to lose their jobs in the first three months of the season.  Graeme Souness was given the task of managing Newcastle, but he couldn’t stop an amazing incident in April, when two of his midfielders, Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer started fighting during a match at home to Aston Villa.  Both were sent off and banned and 14^th place was the final outcome.  At the bottom of the table, Norwich City, Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Brom got locked in an intense dogfight all season.  On ‘Survival Sunday,’ Norwich had their fate in their own hands, but lost 6-0 at Fulham and went straight back down.  Harry Redknapp failed to mastermind Southampton’s sorry season and their 27 year stay in the top flight was ended by a 1-2 loss at home to Manchester United.  West Brom beat Portsmouth 2-0 and a late Charlton equaliser from Jonathan Fortune at home to Crystal Palace was enough for the Baggies to stay up.  In doing so, West Brom became the first team ever to stay up in the Premiership, having been bottom of the table on Christmas Day.

CHAMPIONS: Chelsea, 2^nd: Arsenal 3^rd: Manchester United, 4^th: Everton 5^th: Liverpool, 6^th: Bolton Wanderers, 7^th: Middlesbrough, 8^th; Manchester City, 9^th: Tottenham, 10^th: Aston Villa

RELEGATED: Crystal Palace, Norwich City, Southampton

BIGGEST WIN: Arsenal 7-0 Everton (11 May 2005)

HIGHEST SCORING GAMES: Tottenham Hotspur 4-5 Arsenal (13 November 2004), Arsenal 5-3 Middlesbrough (22 August 2004), Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 Everton (1 January 2005)

SCORERS: Henry (Arsenal) 25, Johnson (Crystal Palace) 21, Pires (Arsenal) 14, Lampard (Chelsea) 13, Hasselbaink (Middlesbrough) 13, Defoe (Tottenham) 13, Yakubu (Portsmouth) 13, Gudjohnsen (Chelsea) 12, Cole (Fulham) 12, Crouch (Southampton) 12, Rooney (Manchester United) 11, Cahill (Everton) 11, Fowler (Manchester City) 11, Keane (Tottenham) 11, Earnshaw (West Brom) 11

2005/06

FOR the second successive season, Chelsea totally dominated the Premiership, winning the league by eight points from nearest rivals, Manchester United.  At times, Chelsea had leads in the table as big as 15 points.  They were top of the league from the third week onwards, kept clean sheets in their first six Premiership games and never looked threatened.  They won the league in crowning style, on the penultimate weekend of the season.  Goals from William Gallas, Joe Cole and Ricardo Carvalho spearheaded Chelsea to a 3-0 win over Manchester United, which highlighted the gulfing class between the two sides.  Liverpool had a much better domestic campaign this time around, winning ten games in a row between October and December and achieving a similar run from March to May.  The Anfield club also gave Robbie Fowler an emotional return in January, when he signed from Manchester City.  Four goals in the season run-in earnt him an extra season on Merseyside.  Whilst Fowler continued, Alan Shearer retired at the end of the season.  Sadly, injury forced the decision prematurely three weeks earlier than anticipated, but his final involvement was scoring a penalty at the Stadium of Light against Tyneside rivals Sunderland.  Whilst Newcastle finished seventh in the table, Sunderland had a horrific campaign.  They wound up with 13 points, which for two seasons, was the worst total ever in Premiership history.  The Black Cats only managed three wins all season and sacked Mick McCarthy in March.  After walking out on Portsmouth a year earlier to manage bitter South Coast rivals Southampton, Harry Redknapp returned to Fratton Park, and ‘Harry Houdini’ inspired the club to an incredible run of form that kept them in the Premiership.  They were eight points adrift of safety in March, but two Pedro Mendes strikes against Manchester City were the catalyst for the dramatic upturn in fortunes.  Portsmouth’s revival meant Birmingham City were relegated, just two years after finishing in the top half of the league and West Brom also couldn’t hold onto their Premier League status.  After 93 years at Highbury, time ran out on the glorious stadium as Arsenal got prepared for life at their new home.  Plus, the new 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium could welcome Champions League football after a dramatic final day.  For much of the season, a disastrous away record meant Arsenal trailed the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and newcomers Wigan Athletic in the table.  They went into the final day a single point behind Tottenham and fell 1-2 behind at home to Wigan on Highbury’s final day.  However, the King of Highbury, Thierry Henry, said farewell in the grand manner.  He scored a hat-trick to complete a 4-2 victory.  Dodgy food chef or not, Tottenham folded at Upton Park, losing 2-1 at West Ham, which meant they were pipped to the final Champions League spot right at the end of the campaign.   

CHAMPIONS: Chelsea, 2^nd: Manchester United 3^rd: Liverpool, 4^th: Arsenal 5^th: Tottenham, 6^th: Blackburn Rovers, 7^th: Newcastle United, 8^th; Bolton Wanderers, 9^th: West Ham United, 10^th: Wigan

RELEGATED: West Brom, Birmingham City, Sunderland

BIGGEST WIN: Arsenal 7-0 Middlesbrough (14 January 2006)

HIGHEST SCORING GAMES: Blackburn Rovers 4-3 Manchester United (2 February 2006), Charlton Athletic 2-5 Manchester City (4 December 2005), Fulham 6-1 West Brom (12 February 2006)

SCORERS: Henry (Arsenal) 27, Van Nistlerooy (Manchester United) 21, Bent (Charlton) 18, Lampard (Chelsea) 16, Rooney (Manchester United) 16, Keane (Tottenham) 16, Harewood (West Ham) 14, Bellamy (Blackburn) 13, Yakubu (Middlesbrough) 13, Drogba (Chelsea) 12, Camara (Wigan) 12, Mido (Tottenham) 11, John (Fulham) 11, Gerrard (Liverpool) 10, Shearer (Newcastle) 10

2006/07

CHELSEA’s two year domination of the Premiership crown ended in 2006/07, as Manchester United became champions once again.  United secured the league title at the beginning of May, with a 1-0 win at Eastlands against goal shy Manchester City.  24 hours later, Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off and Chelsea failed to beat Arsenal at the Emirates, drawing 1-1.  This meant that Jose Mourinho’s team had to gracefully give up the title.  Manchester United were inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo, who finally began to show some consistent form at club level, which would make him one of the world’s best footballers in years to come.  Late winners away from home at Fulham and Liverpool on two successive Saturdays in springtime turned out to be very decisive for Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, despite a late slip-up against Portsmouth and a frustrating home draw with Middlesbrough.  Chelsea ended up drawing their last five matches, and tensions clearly were beginning to rise between owner and manager.  Jose Mourinho didn’t seem impressed with Roman Abramovich’s interference in purchasing both Michael Ballack and Andrei Shevchenko.  Neither player made a significant impact at Stamford Bridge.  Key injuries to the likes of John Terry and Petr Cech also had their effects on Chelsea’s season.  Liverpool edged out Arsenal by a single point, but both clubs had inconsistent campaigns.  There seemed to be positive news from Anfield in February, when George Gillett and Tom Hicks completed a deal to buy the club.  Sadly, the promises made by the pair of success and a new stadium were broken and dark days in the long-term faced the Anfield side.  The other big story of the season was West Ham’s controversial signings of Argentine pair Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano.  The club had broken Premier League third-party ownership regulations and the clubs fighting around them such as Sheffield United and Wigan Athletic were incensed when the Premier League decided on giving the Hammers a fine rather than a points deduction.  Alan Pardew was sacked in December by the new owners and Mascherano moved away from the controversy to sign for Liverpool.  However, Tevez scored a flurry of late season goals, which ultimately kept the Hammers, now managed by Alan Curbishley, up.  The great escape was completed by a last day victory at Old Trafford, with Tevez scoring the deciding goal again.  Wigan beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramwall Lane, which meant their Premiership adventure cruelly ended after one season back in the top flight.  Not only that, the deciding goal came from a David Unsworth penalty.  Unsworth had started the season as a Sheffield United player!  A similar fate of one season in the top flight befell Watford, whilst Charlton Athletic paid the price for sacking two managers and also were relegated. 

CHAMPIONS: Manchester United, 2^nd: Chelsea 3^rd: Liverpool, 4^th: Arsenal 5^th: Tottenham, 6^th: Everton, 7^th: Bolton Wanderers, 8^th; Reading, 9^th: Portsmouth, 10^th: Blackburn Rovers

RELEGATED: Sheffield United, Charlton Athletic, Watford

BIGGEST WIN: Reading 6-0 West Ham United (1 January 2007)

HIGHEST SCORING GAMES: Arsenal 6-2 Blackburn Rovers (23 December 2006), West Ham United 3-4 Tottenham Hotspur (4 March 2007), Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Manchester City (17 September 2006)

SCORERS: Drogba (Chelsea) 20, McCarthy (Blackburn) 18, Ronaldo (Manchester United) 17, Rooney (Manchester United) 14, Viduka (Middlesbrough) 14, Doyle (Reading) 13, Bent (Charlton) 13, Kuyt (Liverpool) 12, Berbatov (Tottenham) 12, Yakubu (Middlesbrough) 12, Lampard (Chelsea) 11, Van Persie (Arsenal) 11, Anelka (Bolton) 11, Zamora (West Ham) 11, Johnson (Everton) 11

Premiership fixtures released for 2011/12

FOOTBALL fans across the country are beginning to plan ahead for the new domestic season, after the fixture lists in England and Scotland were published at 9am this morning.

     The opening weekend of the 20th Premiership season sees defending champions Manchester United begin their latest title defence with a trip to the Hawthorns to play West Brom.  Manchester rivals City have a home encounter with playoff winners and Premiership deubtants Swansea City.  Both QPR and Norwich City will be happy with their opening encounters.  QPR, in the top flight for the first time since 1996 will entertain Bolton Wanderers at Loftus Road, whilst Norwich have an away trip to Wigan Athletic on their return to playing the big boys.  Jordan Henderson will meet his old club, as Sunderland get to travel to Anfield to face Liverpool.  Last season's runners-up Chelsea begin life after Carlo Ancelotti with a tricky assignment at Stoke City, who are formidable at home.  In two of the more attractive fixtures, Newcastle United come up against Arsenal at St. James Park, in a rerun of February's dramatic 4-4 draw, whilst Tottenham face a juicy match at White Hart Lane against Everton.  To complete the opening lineup on Saturday August 13, Blackburn meet Wolves at Ewood Park and two new managers get to test their creditability against one another at Craven Cottage as Martin Jol's Fulham come face-to-face with Alex McLeish's Aston Villa.

     The first massive fixture of the season is Arsenal v Liverpool on August 20, with Manchester United meeting Tottenham on the same weekend.  A week later, United v Arsenal at Old Trafford stands out.  On the final day of the season, Chelsea host Blackburn, Manchester United head to Sunderland and Swansea finish off at home to Liverpool.  The campaign finishes on Sunday May 13, one week earlier than last season to allow England more time to prepare for the 2012 European Championships in Poland/Ukraine, should Fabio Capello's side qualify of course.

     See below for the Premiership opening day fixtures and dates of some of the crunch encounters in the first half of the season.
NOTE: Some dates will change once ESPN and Sky Sports confirm the first set of live television fixtures, in around a fortnight's time.


2011/12 BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES - OPENING DAY (Saturday 13 August)
Blackburn Rovers v Wolves
Fulham v Aston Villa
Liverpool v Sunderland
Manchester City v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Arsenal
QPR v Bolton Wanderers
Stoke City v Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton
West Brom v Manchester United
Wigan Athletic v Norwich City

KEY FIXTURE DATES (August - December)
August 20: Arsenal v Liverpool
August 20: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
August 20: Sunderland v Newcastle United
August 27: Aston Villa v Wolves
August 27: Manchester United v Arsenal
August 27: Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

September 17: Manchester United v Chelsea
September 17: Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool
September 24: Manchester City v Everton

October 1: Everton v Liverpool
October 1: Fulham v QPR
October 1: Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal
October 15: Liverpool v Manchester United
October 15: West Brom v Wolves
October 22: Manchester United v Manchester City
October 22: Aston Villa v West Brom
October 22: QPR v Chelsea
October 29: Chelsea v Arsenal

November 19: Chelsea v Liverpool
November 26: Liverpool v Manchester City

December 10: Chelsea v Manchester City
December 17: Manchester City v Arsenal
December 20: Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea
BOXING DAY: Chelsea v Fulham
December 31: Liverpool v Newcastle United

Barclays Premiership season review (Part 2) Club-by-club

West Brom

ROY Hodgson was appointed manager of West Brom in February.  Despite losing 13 out of 16 games between November 1 and February 6, Roberto di Matteo’s dismissal was a gamble by the Albion board.  However, it turned into a shrewd move.  Di Matteo’s inexperience at the top level cost him, whilst the experience Hodgson has at the top level steered West Brom clear of trouble.  He had a point to prove after the Liverpool experience, but he should never have been doubted.  Hodgson was able to provide a perfect balance between attack and defence.  West Brom produced some sterling results during the campaign.  They won at the Emirates, drew at Old Trafford, thrashed Everton 4-1 at Goodison in November and beat Liverpool at home.  Lows included a 6-0 thumping by a rampant Chelsea on the opening weekend and a 3-1 loss at bitter rivals Wolves in May, which ultimately helped keep Wolves in the Premiership.  For once, Albion provided the consistency required staying at the top level, and Roy Hodgson has given them a solid platform for which he can build on next season.

HIGHS: A flying start to the season under Roberto di Matteo and comfortable survival under the guidance of Roy Hodgson

LOWS: A 6-0 thumping at Chelsea on the opening day of the season and a 3-1 reverse at bitter rivals Wolves in May

Newcastle United      

NEWCASTLE United have always had a tendency to provide drama in any previous Premiership campaign, but by their standards, it was a quiet and solid season.  However, they did sack Chris Hughton controversially in December.  Hughton was not being offered a new contract and was ditched, despite lying a comfortable 12^th in the table at the time.  He had steered the club to a 6-0 win over Aston Villa, a memorable 5-1 hammering of rivals Sunderland and a shock victory at the Emirates.  Mike Ashley was criticised for bringing in Alan Pardew, who has struggled at the top level in the past, with both Charlton Athletic and West Ham United.  However, Pardew defined the critics with a debut victory over Liverpool, and Newcastle never looked in any relegation trouble, finishing a comfortable midtable in the league.  Their fans will be disappointed though by being pipped in the league by Sunderland.  Under Pardew, they came from 4-0 down at home to Arsenal and produce the greatest comeback in Premiership history, to earn a 4-4 draw.  Chiock Tiote’s 90^th minute screamer saw the roof almost come off St. James Park. 

Andy Carroll was sold to Liverpool for £35million, so there is money to spend next season and the Magpies supporters will demand that money to be spent wisely and progress to continue.

HIGHS: Coming from 4-0 down to rescue a 4-4 draw with Arsenal and the 5-1 home hammering of Sunderland

LOWS: Sacking Chris Hughton, selling Andy Carroll and being beaten in the final league table by Sunderland

Stoke City                        

IF STOKE fans had been offered a place in the FA Cup final and comfortably in midtable in the Premiership at the start of the season; they will have bitten your hands off!  However, 13^th place is a poor reflection on a side that deserved a top-half finish, certainly more than Aston Villa or Sunderland.  Tony Pulis side never looked in relegation danger, although it took till the middle of April to totally banish those fears.  They did lose their first three games of the season, but then a 2-1 late win against Villa in September was the platform for another amazing campaign.  Robert Huth became a major goalscoring threat, Jonathan Walters was the best player to be signed outside of the top flight and Jermaine Pennant looks revitalised and finally at home, after a career that looked like it was stalling into reverse gear.  Stoke don’t have any world class players, but are a brilliant team unit, who play to their strengths.  That can be seen as an ugly way of playing football, but it is effective and Pulis often has a Plan B of the attractive route, should Plan A not work.  Beating Liverpool and Arsenal at home were the result highs, whilst heavy losses against West Ham and Manchester City were the lows of the campaign.  If Stoke want to break out of the midfield group in the table, they must improve their away form.  Three wins this season on the road (Newcastle, West Brom and Blackburn) is not good enough, and spoils their season.  At the Britannia, only Manchester United, Tottenham and Blackpool won and if anything, it is one of the hardest grounds around to get a positive result for visiting sides.  Steady progress for a likeable club. 

HIGHS: A glorious run to the FA Cup final, reviving Jermaine Pennant's career and impressive home wins over Arsenal and Liverpool

LOWS: General inconsistency, especially on the road, which cost them a better finish

Bolton Wanderers

OWEN Coyle has got Bolton playing his brand of football and now, the Reebok Stadium doesn’t always akin itself to a wrestling match.  Gone are the physical abuse Bolton could give teams, and although still a strength, Coyle has got his style embedded into the squad and it worked for most of the season.  Consequently, 14^th place doesn’t merit their efforts this season, which saw Bolton closer to Europe than a predicted relegation dogfight for the majority of the campaign.  In fact, before the FA Cup semi-final, Bolton looked comfortable in 8^th, so this highlights their loss in confidence and form after the shameful 5-0 battering at the hands of Stoke City at Wembley.  Finally, Johan Elmander looked like a potential goal threat, after a load of underachievement under the previous regime.  However, he has moved onto Galatasaray in the close season.  Coyle’s best signing was the loan acquisition of Daniel Sturridge on deadline day from Chelsea.  Frozen out at Stamford Bridge, Sturridge loved first-team football in Lancashire and scored goals on a regular basis.  I would imagine Bolton will try to do another loan deal for next season, after his impressive form in the second half of the season.  This was an encouraging season for Bolton and despite the final league position, its upwards and onwards for Owen Coyle and the Trotters.

HIGHS: The loan signing of Daniel Sturridge, beating Tottenham 4-2 in November and a more attractive style of football

LOWS: The FA Cup semi-final humiliation at the hands of Stoke, which saw their season never recover afterwards

Blackburn Rovers       

NEW owners for Blackburn, but they already aren’t greatly popular with the fans and a fatal decision nearly ended their decade stay in the Premiership.  The club were sitting a comfortable 11^th when they travelled to Bolton on December 12.  A last-minute Stuart Holden strike gave Bolton a 2-1 triumph and 24 hours later, the Indian new boys sacked Sam Allardyce.  It was a baffling and strange decision, and it angered a lot of people within the game.  The relatively unknown Steve Kean was given the chance to manage the club and initially, things started well.  A league double over West Brom and a handsome 3-1 home success over Liverpool gave Rovers fans a glimmer of new hope.  However, a diabolical run of form after beating West Brom 2-0 on January 23 saw the Lancashire side drop from 7^th to 16^th.  Luckily, a 1-0 win over Bolton at home in late April steadied a very rocky boat.  Nevertheless, it took until the last day for Blackburn’s safety to be confirmed.  They did this with an impressive first half display at Molineux, which had them 3-0 up at half-time, eventually winning 3-2.  This came on the back of a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester United, on the day United clinched their record-breaking championship.  The form of Paul Robinson and the emergence of Junior Hoillett were the positive points of a difficult campaign for Blackburn.  Having sold Phil Jones to Manchester United for £17million, there is money in the bank, so the supporters will be expecting it to be spent wisely or the club will disintegrate in the near future. 

As for Steve Kean, he has a point to prove at the start of next season; to show he really is the right man for the Ewood Park hotseat.

HIGHS: The emergence of Junior Hoillett, Paul Robinson's consistency and a stunning first half display at Molineux on the last day of the seasonLOWS: Sacking Sam Allardyce, the worst decision of the entire season! 

WolvesA STUNNING 87^th minute strike from Stephen Hunt was enough for Wolves to survive in the Premiership by the skin of their teeth.  They still lost 3-2 at Blackburn on the last day, but scored more goals than Birmingham to keep themselves afloat.  It was a character building season for Mick McCarthy, who steered the club to some of its most memorable results in its history, yet witness some shambolic performances elsewhere, particularly on the road (3-0 at Stoke, 4-1 at Newcastle, 3-0 at Blackburn).  They won at Anfield against Liverpool in December and at Molineux, beat the top three fair and square; Manchester City (2-1 in October), Chelsea (1-0 in January) and Manchester United (2-1 in February), as well as a thrilling 3-3 draw with Tottenham in March.  However, their form against the clubs around them was disastrous.  They picked up 0 points against Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan, only 1 against West Ham and 3 collected in the meetings with Blackpool.  Amongst the great were the ugly moments.  Karl Henry’s x-rated challenge on Bobby Zamora, which broke Zamora’s ankle, received widespread criticism in a match with Fulham, as did a similar challenge which saw the quickest dismissal of the season; inside ten minutes in a 2-0 loss at Wigan in October.  Henry can’t play football; it’s as simple as that.  Steven Fletcher was a good buy and scored some crucial goals in the run-in, particularly his memorable double in the 3-1 result against West Brom.  On the final day, Wolves were lucky, but for the results they collected this season against the big boys, they thoroughly deserved their place in the top flight next season.

HIGHS: Beating Liverpool at Anfield and deserved home successes against the top three (Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City

LOWS: Poor results against the teams around them and Karl Henry's inability to time a tackle correctly!

Wigan Athletic            

TWO nil down against West Ham in the penultimate game of the season, and it looked like the game was up for Roberto Martinez and Wigan Athletic.  However, they produced a stunning comeback, led by the inspirational Charles N’Zogbia.  The last-minute winner from the Frenchman sent the DW Stadium into raptures and gave the club a fighting chance on the final day of the season.  They followed those heroics with a professional display at Stoke and Hugo Rodallega’s priceless 77^th minute header, which won the game and kept the smallest club in the Premiership for a fanbase, up for a seventh successive season.  Martinez has to be praised for never losing his spirit, especially as they were written on (including me) on several occasions this season.  He wants to play attractive football, which sometimes asks for trouble, especially against the top elite.  However, Wigan had the ability to grind out some priceless results, win ugly or win by playing brilliant and ultimately, that’s why they stayed up and Blackpool didn’t.  After a 0-4 demolition at home against Blackpool on the opening weekend, followed by Chelsea’s 6-0 annihilation the following week, the writing looked on the wall for Wigan.  A week later, Rodallega stole a shock 1-0 win at Tottenham, which in a way, summed up their season – being able to produce some unexpected results.  Two draws against Liverpool and an epic 5-3 triumph over Blackburn in February back this opinion up.  Martinez will find it tough to hold on to his star assets this summer, notably Rodallega, N’Zogbia and Maynor Figueroa.  However, he defied the odds this time around, and don’t be surprised to find Wigan doing it again same time next season.

HIGHS: A sensational final day victory at Stoke which saw the club beat the drop against the odds

LOWS: Kamikaze defending which led to some batterings, particularly at the hands of Blackpool and Chelsea

Birmingham City

ALEX McLeish has resigned and looks set to be appointed as the new boss of Midlands rivals Aston Villa.  To be honest, you can’t blame him.  McLeish clearly has had several disagreements with the board at St. Andrews, so the way he has left the club can’t be seen as surprising, if definitely acrimonious.  Birmingham got a case of Second Season Syndrome, and the club were relegated by a 2-1 loss at Tottenham on the last day of the season.  All this came after their greatest day at Wembley at the end of February.  Obafemi Martins 89^th minute winner snatched the Carling Cup final against the overwhelming favourites, Arsenal.  Afterwards, poor form and a shocking injury list took its toll on the Blues, who only won two of their last 11 Premiership games.  Ultimately, it is the players who need to take the blame.  Once Scott Dann got injured in January, Birmingham’s previously steady backline looked shaky for the reminder of the campaign.  In midfield, Sebastian Larsson had a poor season, while Jean Beausejour failed to shine on his impressive World Cup form he showed with Chile.  Nikola Zigic might have scored in the Carling Cup final, but was a real letdown and Birmingham simply didn’t score enough goals.  My advice to teams for next season, DON’T WIN THE CARLING CUP!  Birmingham certainly have the quality to bounce straight back up and can look forward to playing in the UEFA Europa League this season.  However, I bet they’d swap it all for another season in the Premiership.  It was a sorry tale of dismay in the Blue half of the Midlands.

HIGHS: Winning the Carling Cup final

LOWS: Winning the Carling Cup final

Blackpool 

BLACKPOOL may have dropped straight back into the Championship, but they won many fans throughout their epic journey this season and the club will be missed in the Premiership next season.  Ian Holloway offered colour, charisma and panache on the touchline, and his post and pre-match press conferences were always a joy to listen to.  Holloway has a strong opinion on almost any topic in the game and is the perfect interviewee for any budding sports journalist out there.  Whether he will stay at Blackpool remains to be seen; I hope he does.  Like Roberto Martinez, Holloway opted to play the attractive football route and refused to back down after a negative display which saw them overwhelmed 4-0 at Chelsea in September.  However, it ultimately was to be their downfall.  Blackpool could only win matches playing attractively, not ugly and having the worst defensive record in the Premiership didn’t help.  The fans will never forget a league double over Liverpool, an impressive 3-1 win over Tottenham and stunning away victories at Wigan, Newcastle and Sunderland.  However, their inability to hold onto leading positions, throwing away 2-0 leads against Manchester United, Bolton and Blackburn during the campaign ultimately cost them.  Charlie Adam was the Tangerines star player and I’d expect him to be in the Premiership next season, with Liverpool and Tottenham favourites for his signature.  Although it ended with the crushing low of relegation, Blackpool fans shouldn’t be too downhearted.  It was a journey their supporters will never forget.

HIGHS: Ian Holloway, Charlie Adam, more Ian Holloway, their supporters, beating Liverpool (TWICE!) and Ian Holloway

LOWS: The worst defensive record in the Premiership, which turned out to be very costly.

West Ham United

UPTON Park looked more like a pantomime performance at the London Palladium this season.  David Sullivan, David Gold and Karen Brady have come in to run the club, and have turned it into the new ‘Newcastle,’ i.e.; the laughing stock of English football.  After crushing Gianfranco Zola’s morale, they’ve now ruined Avram Grant’s reputation and treated him very unprofessionally.  Grant was sacked after relegation was confirmed, and although he kept his dignity throughout a nightmare experience, I bet he has been scarred forever by the haunting campaign at Upton Park.  After a 3-0 loss at home to Arsenal in January, Grant threw his claret scarf into the crowd, which suggested he had been fired.  However, Martin O’Neill turned his back on the job and Avram was given a stay of execution.  Not even a run to the Carling Cup semi-finals, FA Cup quarter-finals, the return from injury for Thomas Hitzlsperger and the incredible form of Scott Parker could prevent the inevitable happening for the Hammers.  They were bottom at Christmas and bottom at the end of the season.  Brady got into a slanging match over the sexism Sky Sports row in January, which didn’t help matters within harmony in the board.  The loan signings of Robbie Keane and Wayne Bridge turned into absolutely disastrous deals.  Sam Allardyce has taken over the reins, and he will do well to keep his patience with an impatient board behind him.  It is a poisoned chalice at Upton Park.  Of course, I feel sorry for the fans, but ultimately, West Ham got what they deserved this season and they won’t be missed in the top flight next season.

HIGHS: None

LOWS: Everything

FA Barclays Premiership Report (23rd - 25th April)

EASTER weekend in the Barclays Premiership saw the final nail in the coffin for Arsenal’s title hopes, a goal drought end for Fernando Torres and an unlikely hat-trick hero at Anfield.  However, it was Manchester United’s weekend – as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side took a giant step towards a record 19^th league championship.

     United edged ever closer to title 19 as they bravely ended Everton’s unbeaten run of seven matches at Old Trafford.  Javier Hernandez headed the vital winner in the 1-0 success, his 19^th goal of an incredible debut season.  The winner came with seven minutes to go; the Mexican powering home from close range after Antonio Valencia crossed in from Sylvain Distin’s error in failing to clear when he had the chance to do so.  Once again, the ability to grind out a result has seen Manchester United through, but the same can’t be said for Arsenal.

TRIBUTE: Tamir Cohen was full of emotion, after his late winner

      The silverware drought at the Emirates will stretch to six years after Arsenal lost 2-1 at Bolton on Sunday afternoon, to slip nine points behind with only four games to play.  Bolton had a deserved HT lead, as Daniel Sturridge was quickest to react to Samir Nasri clearing Gary Cahill’s header off the Gunners goal line.  Within moments of the restart, awful defending by Johan Djourou gave Bolton a penalty, but Szcenzy’s legs kept out Kevin Davies woeful kick.  90 seconds later, and Robin Van Persie equalised.  However, the sting in the tail came with two minutes remaining.  Tamir Cohen headed home unmarked in an emotional moment for the Israeli.  He ripped his shirt off to reveal a picture of his late father Avi on his t-shirt (Avi was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident just after Christmas.)  It is these moments when football is more than just a game.

     The same can be said at Villa Park at the moment, as Gerard Houillier remains comfortable in hospital after being admitted last week, complaining of chest pains.  Gary McAllister took charge of Aston Villa’s insignificant 1-1 draw with Stoke City.  The points shared, thanks to two fantastic headers by Kenwyne Jones and Darren Bent.  Both these sides are as good as safe now.

OVER: The drought has concluded; Torres finally scores for Chelsea

     However, West Ham United doesn’t have such luxuries and Avram Grant’s team dropped back into 20^th place, following a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea.  A downpour hit the Bridge and the game was lucky to go ahead, especially with the puddles all over the pitch.  The result did flatter the home team, but they are now Manchester United’s only championship challengers.  Frank Lampard buried Chelsea ahead before half-time, but Robbie Keane missed two golden chances for the Hammers.  Five minutes from time, Fernando Torres finally broke his duck for Chelsea, at the 14^th attempt of asking.  The drought, which lasted 732 minutes, was a sigh of relief and the reaction the Chelsea players showed towards Torres showed that they are with him all the way.  Florent Malouda made it three, ironically from a Torres assist in the dying moments.

     At the Stadium of Light, it felt more like an episode of Casualty rather than a football match.  Sunderland lost Phil Bardsley to concussion, Danny Wellbeck due to a knee problem and a torn hamstring for Asamoah Gyan in their match against Wigan Athletic.  Remarkably, Sunderland overcame these cruel injuries and a wonderful opener from Wigan’s Mohammed Diame to win 4-2 and virtually guarantee Premiership football again next season.  The much criticised Jordan Henderson scored twice and Stephane Sessegnon added another from the penalty spot in 11 crazy second half minutes.

     Wigan dropped back into the relegation zone, as Blackpool climbed back out of the bottom three.  Ian Holloway’s side had lots of chances and also had three penalty appeals turned down, but could only draw 1-1 at home to Newcastle United.  Peter Lovenkrands had Newcastle infront against the run of play, before DJ Campbell levelled for the Tangerines.  Blackpool edged closer to Blackburn Rovers, who are now worryingly only a point above the line of trouble.  Blackburn lost 1-0 at home to Manchester City last night; City’s first away win in the Premiership since Boxing Day.  Edin Dzeko scored the only goal, his first in the league since his major move from VFL Wolfsburg in the January transfer window.

     City now have complete control of the final Champions League qualification spot, opening up a four point advantage over Tottenham.  Harry Redknapp’s 550^th Premiership match in charge started badly against West Brom, as Peter Odemwingie scored in the first ten minutes.  Nine minutes from time, a stunning curling effort from Simon Cox earnt the Baggies a deserved 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane, leaving Spurs cursing another two points dropped.  In the North London drama, Jermain Defoe scored his 100^th goal in the Premiership and also, Spurs 1,000^th in Premier League football.

     In the other two matches, Andy Johnson came off the bench and within 20seconds of his appearance, scored to peg back Wolves at Molineux.  Steven Fletcher had put Wolves infront with their first attack of the game, but the 1-1 draw doesn’t do Mick McCarthy’s team many favours.  At Anfield, Maxi Rodriguez hit an unlikely treble as Liverpool’s faint Europa League qualification dreams were kept alive.  Birmingham City got battered 5-0 at Anfield – their first league defeat against Liverpool since May 2004.  Dirk Kuyt continued his hot scoring streak and there was also a rare goal for substitute Joe Cole.

     So, there were two in the title race and now, its three from five in the relegation scrap as the 2010/11 Premiership season enters its final month this coming weekend.

FA Cup semi-final review - Potters v Rich Blues in Wembley showpiece

STOKE City and Manchester City will contest this season’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium next month.  This is after the pair overcame Bolton Wanderers and Manchester United in two interesting semi-finals at the home of English football at the weekend.

MOBBED: City players pile on Yaya Toure, after his winner

     Manchester City’s pain of not winning coveted silverware for so long could well be over and they managed to overcome bitter rivals Manchester United 1-0 in the first semi on Saturday evening.  Roberto Mancini’s side fully deserved to advance to the final, ending United’s treble dreams in the process.  The only goal of the game came ten minutes into the second half.  Michael Carrick made a crucial error and was intercepted by the bullish Yaya Toure.  Toure went on to brush off Nemanja Vidic and beat the advancing Edwin van der Sar to ink his name in City folklore forever.  It was another high-profile mistake from error-strewn Carrick, who despite having a better season this campaign, has the tendency to slip up at the critical moment.  As the game wore on, United’s desperation increased, clearly missing the suspended Wayne Rooney.  His replacement, Dimitar Berbatov had an off-day – missing two early chances for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side.  They came within 20 seconds of one another.  The first forced a good save from Joe Hart, whilst the second was a chance his grandmother could have scored with her eyes shut!  How the Premier League’s top goalscorer missed with a gaping goal at his mercy, two yards out is enough to destroy anyone’s self-belief.  After the break, only a Nani free-kick forced Hart into some serious action as United toiled.  Paul Scholes was rightfully dismissed on 72 minutes.  His crude challenge on Pablo Zabaleta punished with a straight red card from referee Mike Dean.  Although an ugly confrontation between Rio Ferdinand and Mario Balotelli slightly marred the post-match celebrations of City, few can begrudge their supporters of an FA Cup final, despite the club’s enhanced wealth of recent seasons.

CLINCHER: Kenwyne Jones beats Jaaseklainen to end the contest

     Their opponents on the big day will be Stoke City, who thrashed Bolton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon 5-0.  The impressive Jonathan Walters scored twice to seal the Potters first ever FA Cup final appearance.  Owen Coyle was close to tears; struggling to take in just how poor his side had been.  Bolton choked on the big stage and this made it a trouble-free and delightful afternoon for Tony Pulis’s team, who recorded one of the biggest ever Wembley thrashings.  Matthew Etherington punished careless possession from Johan Elmander to hit an unstoppable drive past Juusi Jaaskelainen in the 11^th minute.  Moments later, Robert Huth doubled the lead, although Jaaskelainen might feel he could have done better with his shot.  As a contest, the game was well and truly over on the half hour mark, once Kenwyne Jones made it 3-0.  Bolton’s fans started deserting in their drones, unable to witness such a spanking.  Walters added the gloss with his two strikes in a man of the match performance after the interval.  Congratulations to both Stoke and Manchester City, hope you give us a wonderful final.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (19th - 20th March)

THE final hurdles in the Premiership season have seen the whole of the bottom half engulfed by the biggest relegation scrap in the league’s history, whilst at the top, Manchester United regained control of their own destiny.

     Despite having Sir Alex Ferguson banned from the touchline for six matches, following his comments about Martin Atkinson after a recent loss at Chelsea, United had to work extremely hard to edge out Bolton Wanderers 1-0.  Ferguson was sat in the stands, but was on the phone half the time to the dugout, as his leaders struggled against Owen Coyle’s determined Wanderers outfit.  Manchester United’s defensive problems continued as Wes Brown limped off injured and Jonny Evans was sent off for a crunching tackle on Stuart Holden, which has left Holden on the sidelines for the rest of the season.  Despite playing very poorly, the home side nicked it through substitute Dimitar Berbatov.  The Bulgarian pounced on Juusi Jaaskelainen spilling Nani’s shot to score the most valuable goal of his career.

OOPS: Manuel Almunia made another blundering error at the Hawthorns

     It earnt the Red Devils a four point lead at the top of the table, after Arsenal dropped two more points, this time at West Brom.  The Gunners had to fightback from 2-0 to leave the Hawthorns with a battling 2-2 draw.  Steven Reid headed improving West Brom infront inside of four minutes, and the second Albion goal was indefensible as far as Arsenal concerned.  Manuel Almunia entered no man’s land, got into a horrible muddle with Sebastian Squillaci, which allowed Peter Odemwingie and easy goal.  Jens Lehmann has been bought out of retirement as a back-up may be needed sooner rather than later, especially as Almunia looks like a clown juggling away in a circus!  A brilliant hit from Andrei Arshavin bought Arsenal back into the game, before Robin Van Persie bundled in a late leveller.

     Chelsea moved into third place, as they comfortably beat a negative Manchester City 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.  City’s key threat Carlos Tevez was missing through injury and they failed to show any attacking intent whatsoever.  Meanwhile, Mario Balotelli was dropped after his Europa League kung-fu kick had seen him sent off against Dynamo Kiev three nights earlier.  Chelsea had to wait for their goals, and they came in the last ten minutes.  A David Luiz header and a brilliant solo effort from Ramires were the difference, as Fernando Torres continued to misfire badly at Stamford Bridge.

     Torres’s old club Liverpool closed to within four points of fifth placed Tottenham, after getting more than a friendly helping hand in a 2-0 success at Sunderland.  The main controversy came in the first half.  Jay Spearing was fouled by John Mensah, after the Ghanaian made an awful mistake.  Referee Kevin Friend gave a free-kick, but one of his linesman, 40 yards away from the incident amazingly decided that contact was made inside the box and consequently, a penalty was awarded.  Dirk Kuyt duly converted the spot kick calmly.  A dynamic finish from Luis Suarez with 13 minutes to go, helped by a poor piece of goalkeeping from Simon Mignolet sealed the result and to make matters worse for Sunderland, they only had one shot on target and Mensah was given a straight red card for fouling Suarez.  This red card has since been rescinded.  Tottenham missed their chance to close the gap on the top four, as they shared a belting 0-0 draw with West Ham United.  There were over 30 shots on goal, with Robert Green in inspired form.  Jermain Defoe, Gareth Bale and Roman Pavyluchenko were all denied spectacularly by Green, who showed form not seen since his England gaffe in Rustenberg.

     At the bottom, there were more questions created rather than answers given.  Everton reached the 40 point mark and probable Premiership safety, with a 2-1 victory over Fulham at Goodison.  David Moyes celebrated his ninth year in charge and with a potential takeover at Goodison Park being reported, life seems much better on the blue side of Merseyside.  Seamus Coleman made the breakthrough with a diving header in this match, with Louis Saha scoring against his former club, driving a free-kick in early in the second half.  Clint Dempsey did pull a goal back, but Everton deserved their victory.

OPENER: Charlie Adam strikes home the penalty at Blackburn

     The relegation battle at Ewood Park turned into the ultimate game of two halves.  Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw; a result that helps neither side.  Luke Varney was denied a goal by the offside flag and then the Tangerines were given a dubious penalty.  Charlie Adam scored the penalty, and then produced a perfect free-kick to have Blackpool 2-0 up at half-time.  Christopher Samba pulled a goal back early in the second half after a spot of penalty pinball and in stoppage time, Richard Kingston flapped at a free-kick and Junior Hoillett turned in the equaliser for Blackburn.

     In the other matches, Stoke City recorded their biggest ever Premiership win, to all but guarantee their own Premiership safety.  They thrashed Newcastle United 4-0, who had a miserable day and still need at least two wins to follow Stoke’s survival state.  Birmingham are now second from bottom, after losing a crunch match at Wigan Athletic.  Maynor Figueroa produced a stunning late winner to earn the home side a 2-1 victory and throw a lifeline into their season.  Finally, Wolves first win at Villa Park in 37 years has thrown Aston Villa into serious trouble.  Matt Jarvis headed in the winner in a 1-0 win, resulting in a deserved England call-up.  Villa got booed off the pitch and the fans demanded Gerard Houillier to be sacked.  They are now only one point clear of the bottom three.  Two months remain, and who goes down, it’s still far too close to call.

FA Cup 6th Round Review - And now, only four remain

FOUR teams now remain in the quest for FA Cup glory this season.  Bolton Wanderers, Manchester United, Stoke City and Manchester City can all look forward to a Wembley trip for the semi-finals next month, but who will have a second visit in May.

DYING: Lee Chung Young earns Bolton a rare semi-final

     Bolton Wanderers became the first side through to the semi-finals, after securing a last gasp 3-2 win over Carling Cup winners Birmingham City at St. Andrews.  Twice, Birmingham fought back from falling behind, but Lee Chung-Young’s header in the dying stages earnt Bolton a semi-final in this competition for the first time since 2000.  Bolton have been the better side in the Premiership this season, but were made to work very hard by a Birmingham team that has been decimated by injuries and fatigue since their League Cup triumph a fortnight ago.  Johan Elmander had Wanderers infront after ten minutes, before Cameron Jerome’s delightful volley had the home side back on terms.  Curtis Davies daft foul on his namesake Kevin allowed Bolton the chance to get back ahead, which the striker didn’t waste from the penalty spot.  With ten minutes to go, Kevin Phillips produced a quality volley with the instinct to goal that he has shown throughout his amazing career, before Davies beat Jean Beausejour to head a free-kick across the box and allow Korean Lee to nod in from close range to settle a pulsating tie.

     The standout tie was the meeting of the Premiership top two on Saturday night.  However, it turned out to be a comfortable 2-0 success for Manchester United against Arsenal at Old Trafford.  The Gunners had plenty of crafty build-up play and produced several good opportunities.  Edwin van der Sar being named man of the match highlights the fact that Arsenal looked better going forward.  However, Wenger’s men couldn’t provide the final touch, which is starting to become a very familiar story.  Brazilian left-back Fabio steered Manchester United infront on 25 minutes, turning in from close range once his twin Rafael had been denied by the valiant Manuel Almunia.  Wayne Rooney looked somewhere near his best and the striker sealed the match as a contest five minutes into the second half, as Arsenal failed to deal with a trademark United counter-attack.  Wenger’s mood wouldn’t be helped by a nasty collision between Bakary Sagna and Johan Djourou in their desperate attempts to stop Javier Hernandez score a third.  Djourou came off worse; the Swiss defender out for the remainder of the season with a fractured shoulder.  Arsenal are now a wounded club, knocked out of three competitions in the space of a fortnight and are likely to end up without a trophy AGAIN!  For Sir Alex Ferguson, a repeat of that historic treble in 1999 is still potentially on the cards.

HOBBLED: Piquionne limps off as the Hammers lose at Stoke

     Stoke City made their first FA Cup semi-final in 39 years, edging out West Ham United 2-1 in the game of the weekend.  It was a tie full of controversy, and Avram Grant has since been charged by the FA for improper conduct.  This followed his comments about the referee Mike Jones, who it must be said, had a terrible game.  Stoke’s formula one was to score from a long throw-in and this they achieved in the eighth minute.  Rory Delap’s throw-in found the head of Robert Huth who powered Stoke infront.  In a nine-year career, Huth had scored only seven goals before this season, but he has eight in this season alone.  The Hammers equaliser was very controversial on the half hour mark.  Thomas Hitzlsperger’s wonderful diagonal ball found Frederic Piquionne, who controlled the ball with his arm.  Accidentally or not, the goal should have been ruled out.  Piquionne did well to finish with the ball in the net, but a collision with Danny Pugh finished his afternoon prematurely.  Tony Pulis was furious with the decision, but 18 seconds into the second half, parity was restored.  Matthew Etherington went down under the minimalist of contact from Scott Parker and Jones amazingly gave a penalty!  Justice was done as the excellent Robert Green saved Etherington’s penalty.  On the hour mark, Danny Higginbotham’s fierce free-kick took a deflection off Parker and just crossed the line before Green could keep it out.  Ultimately, it settled the tie, although Stoke survived a late penalty claim and Matthew Upson rattled the crossbar with a bullet of a header.  No glory for Grant this year in his specialist subject, and now, only a tense battle to beat the drop faces West Ham. 

     They may not be playing their best football of the season, but Manchester City has a habit to juggle out results on a regular basis.  They secured the final semi-final berth, at the expense of Championship play-off contenders Reading.  Reading’s resistance was broken in the final fifteen minutes as David Silva’s corner was powered in by Micah Richards.  It was Richards’s third goal of the season and it finally found a way past Alex McCarthy.  He produced several top-class stops to keep City out for long periods. 

     All that means we have a semi-final weekend of Manchester City v Manchester United and Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City on April 17 and April 18.  Wembley has arrived for the last four, but who will be feeling the joy and pain.  The countdown to the semi-finals has begun . . .