FA Barclays Premiership Report (12th - 14th February)

VALENTINES weekend in the Barclays Premiership provided the fans with a breathtaking goal, the title race narrowing to a two-horse race and another dramatic collapse.  Sadly, it didn’t quite live up to the drama of the previous weekend’s antics.

SPECIAL: Rooney heads away to celebrate after the magic moment

After the dud match at Eastlands in November, there were doubts that the second Manchester derby of the season would form a similar affair.  Ultimately, the neutral fans wouldn’t end up being disappointed.  On the weekend of love, there was never going to be an ounce of good feeling and sparks certainly flew between Manchester United and Manchester City.  In the end, it took a belter of a goal from Wayne Rooney to separate the teams, and bury City’s fading chances of a title challenge.  David Silva missed a glaring early chance for the visitors, and he was made to pay for this, as United hit the front shortly before half-time.  Nani was found by a lovely Ryan Giggs pass, which cut out Pablo Zabaleta.  The ever-improving Portuguese winger finished coolly.  City improved after the break and got a deserved equaliser, even if it was fortunate.  Substitute Edin Dzeko’s shot deflected wickedly off Silva and left Edwin van der Sar stranded.  A point apiece would have been the fair outcome, but a special goal from Rooney changed that; a goal worthy enough to win a title, let alone a match.  Nani’s cross may have deflected off Zabaleta, but Rooney’s fantastic improvising couldn’t be faulted.  His overhead kick was simply breathtaking.  Eight points clear of their Manchester rivals, Sir Alex Ferguson only now needs to worry about one team in the Premier League.

That team are his old adversaries from North London, in the shape of Arsenal.  The Gunners had been humiliated at Newcastle seven days earlier, letting a four goal lead slip.  However, they comfortably saw off Wolves 2-0 at the Emirates.  It was an Arsenal onslaught, as even Mick McCarthy admitted afterwards that his team had been ‘completely spanked.’  Robin van Persie continued his rich vein of scoring form, netting twice.  Had it not been for an inspired goalkeeping performance from Wayne Hennessey, the scoreline could have been an absolute avalanche.  The result keeps Arsenal within four points of Manchester United and warms them up nicely for the Champions League showdown tomorrow night with Barcelona.

CONTROL: Jerome Thomas extended Albion's lead, but they didn't hold on

Down at the foot of the table, West Brom did an ‘Arsenal’ and threw away a massive lead and two costly points with it.  New manage Roy Hodgson could only watch on as Albion stormed into a 3-0 lead, only to be pegged back to a 3-3 stalemate with West Ham United.  It was a day for defences to forget.  Both teams’ backlines looked as shaky as the coalition government’s spending cuts!  With First Team Coach Michael Appleton in charge, West Brom charged into their handsome lead inside of half an hour, courtesy of a first of the season for Scot Graham Dorrans, Jerome Thomas and a shoddy own goal from Winston Reid.  After the break, the roles were reversed, as the Hammers took the attacking route and the Baggies; the shocking defensive route.  Spirited by a emotional Scott Parker half-time speech, West Ham looked full of confidence in the second half.  Demba Ba scored twice on his Premiership debut and Carlton Cole scrambled a goal home too.  On the evidence of these defensive displays, don’t be too surprised if both played their football next season in the npower championship.

With Wolves losing and West Brom and West Ham drawing, Wigan had the chance to gain some ground, and they produced a strong performance at Anfield, to hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw.  Raul Meireles continued his hot streak, scoring his fifth goal in six games to give the Reds the lead; chasing their first five wins in a row streak for over two years.  However, Kenny Dalglish’s troops looked jaded after the break and despite Luis Suarez hitting the woodwork twice on his full home debut, Wigan deserved their point.  Steve Gohouri was fractionally offside, when he turned in Charles N’Zogbia’s cross from close range, but Wigan got their just desserts, showing some qualities that had simply been missing on the road for most matches this season.

Tottenham claimed back the initiative in the race for fourth spot and the final Champions League qualification spot, courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday evening.  Like Wigan, this result showed Spurs newly-found spirited qualities.  This was a match they didn’t play well in, but would have almost certainly lost two seasons ago.  When William Gallas decided to walk off and change his boots, Asamoah Gyan took advantage of the extra space to score beautifully.  Gallas might need a new sponsor after this gaffe!  Tottenham equalised through Michael Dawson’s header, his first of the season, although Craig Gordon should have done a lot better in dealing with the effort on goal.  Tottenham’s winner was through another Croatian cracker from Nico Kranjcar, his second in successive matches.

SAVE: Petr Cech keeps Dempsey out to spare Chelsea's blushes

Tottenham are now a point ahead of Chelsea in the table, after Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues stumbled to another faltering result; a 0-0 draw with West London rivals Fulham last night.  Fernando Torres started again and once more, looked totally out-of-depth.  The Spaniard was subbed with 20 minutes to play and replaced by Didier Drogba, overlooked from the start by Ancelotti.  Chelsea can even consider fortune to claim a point, as David Luiz made a clumsy challenge and conceded a penalty in time added on.  Luckily for the Blues, Petr Cech rescued them, saving Clint Dempsey’s poor spot kick.

Everton’s stuttering season continued with a 2-0 reverse at Bolton on Sunday afternoon.  Whilst the result keeps Bolton in a healthy 8^th, Everton now loom only three points above the drop zone and their players, whom looked well below standard at the Reebok, need to realise that they are in a relegation battle.  Bolton took the lead on nine minutes, as Gary Cahill’s header deflected off Johnny Heitinga’s chest and left Tim Howard motionless.  Despite Everton threatening for periods, David Moyes men could only muster three attempts on goal in the whole match, and to his fury, they conceded a soft second as Danny Sturridge found room in a crowded penalty area to finish the game.  For the Chelsea loanee, he now has three goals in three matches, and is surely not far off England recognition from Fabio Capello.

In the other weekend matches, Blackpool stopped their losing rot, drawing 1-1 at home to Aston Villa.  Gabby Agbonlahor hit the net for the visitors on the 10^th minute, from a classic Villa breakaway.  Elliot Grandin equalised for Blackpool; the Tangerines 11^th goal from a corner in the league this season.  In the second half, Jean Makoun got a straight red card for bringing down DJ Campbell.  Birmingham City and Stoke City produced a poor advertisement for the Premiership at St. Andrews, but it was Birmingham smiling at full-time, producing a last-gasp 1-0 win.  Asmir Begovic spilled David Bentley’s hopeful shot, and Nikola Zigic headed home with 30 seconds of time remaining to settle this very drab affair.  Finally, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United cancelled each other out in a goalless stalemate at Ewood Park.  Peter Lovenkrands and Roque Santa Cruz came closest for the two teams; both hitting the post during the match.

All in all, this weekend lacked the drama and goals from the previous crazy weekend, but it was another decisive weekend and it belongs to a moment of magic from Wayne Rooney.  What a shame he doesn’t produce it for England on a regular basis then!

FA Barclays Premiership Report (30th October - 1st November)

THE final weekend in October provided plenty of Halloween horrors, as the clocks went back.  Here is a round-up of the great action.

Saturday 30^th October: Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

MARK Clattenburg awarded one of the strangest goals in FA Premier League history to Manchester United, in their routine victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford.  Nemanja Vidic’s perfect header on the half hour had Spurs behind, who have not won away from home at any of the ‘big 4’ (Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man Utd) since August 1993.  However, it was the second goal that caused all the controversy.  Nani went down dramatically from Younes Kaboul’s tug on his shirt.  He handled the ball on the deck and a free-kick was awarded.  Not according to Clattenburg though, who allowed the Portuguese winger to roll the ball away from a startled Hereulho Gomes and into a vacated net.  Confusion and confrontation reigned, but the ‘ghost’ goal was eventually given, much to the staggering of Harry Redknapp.  United can count their blessings, in a game full of entertainment, which saw Gareth Bale, Nani, Roman Pavyluchenko and Ji-Sung Park all hit the woodwork.

Sunday 31^st October: Newcastle United 5-1 Sunderland

IT WAS a Halloween horror show from Sunderland, as Newcastle ripped their great neighbours to pieces at St. James Park, recording the biggest Tyne & Wear derby win since 1956 in the process.  Toon captain Kevin Nolan scored a memorable hat-trick, and there were two goals from Shola Ameobi too.  Former Magpies defender Titus Bramble got a straight red card in the second half for scything down the magnificent Andy Carroll, and then he was waved off sarcastically by the home fans.  Darren Bent scored a meek consolation in stoppage time for the visitors, but this was truly a day that Steve Bruce will want to forget ever existed.

Saturday 30^th October: Wolves 2-1 Manchester City

ROBERTO Mancini looked on in disgust, as his players Vincent Kompany and Emmanuel Adebayor had a near pitch bust-up at Molineux.  Their argument overshadowed a great Wolves display, as they recorded only their second win of the season.  Nenad Mijias and David Edwards were the scorers, cancelling out Adebayor’s early penalty after David Silva was fouled by Richard Stearman.

Saturday 30^th October: Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Chelsea

CHELSEA struck lucky to leave Ewood Park with three points, after a plucky performance.  The Blues left it late to win in Lancashire, with Branislav Ivanovic heading the winner in from Yuri Zhirkov’s cross with just four minutes to go.  Earlier, Benjani headed Blackburn into a deserved lead, before Nicholas Anelka equalised.  Sam Allardyce will look at this as a missed opportunity, as both Mame Diouf and Jason Roberts missed chances that a clergyman could have scored with their eyes shut!  Rovers slip into the bottom three.

Sunday 31^st October: Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Liverpool

LIVERPOOL’s first away win in the Premiership since the end of April was much-needed and like Chelsea, they snatched it at the Reebok.  In a mundane match against a lacklustre Bolton side, the winner came with four minutes to go.  Fernando Torres, who missed a glaring chance in the opening exchanges, played through Argentine Maxi Rodriguez, who coolly finished underneath Juusi Jaaskelainen.  It was an unlikely winner, but it records an 8^th successive Premiership win over Bolton for Liverpool and lifts Roy Hodgson’s side into the dizzy heights of mid-table.

Monday 1^st November: Blackpool 2-1 West Brom

BLACKPOOL recorded their first home victory in the top flight since 1971, helped by a lack of indiscipline from a West Brom side, which missed the chance to break into the top four.  Pablo Ibanez was dismissed for the visitors on 11 minutes, for a foul on DJ Campbell in the penalty area.  This red card has since been rescinded on appeal.  Charlie Adam scored the spot kick and when Gonzalo Jara lunged in on Luke Varney before half-time, Albion ended up being down to nine men.  Varney doubled Blackpool’s lead and although Youssouf Mulumbu curled in a late consolation, Blackpool fully merited the three points that lift them back into the top half of the table.

Sunday 31^st October: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

LOCAL pride remained intact in a dull Second City derby at Villa Park.  Villa had the best of the chances, with Ashley Young hitting the post and Ben Foster being tested by Barry Bannan and Nigel Reo-Coker.  A well-organised Birmingham will be far happier with the point, whilst Gerard Houillier must be worried with the lack of goals, Villa drawing a blank for the third successive league match.

Saturday 30^th October: Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United

ARSENAL snatched a crucial victory in the dying stages against struggling West Ham, to keep in touch with leaders Chelsea.  The under-fire Robert Green was in superb form at the Emirates, producing a number of top-class saves as the Gunners struggled to breakdown the bottom side in the Premiership.  Alex Song broke the resistance, heading the winner past Green from Gael Clichy’s cross with just two minutes to go.

Saturday 30^th October: Fulham 2-0 Wigan Athletic

FULHAM were outstanding against Wigan, recording only their second win of the league campaign so far.  American Clint Dempsey scored twice in the first half against a dreadful Wigan side.  Wigan’s unpredictability must concern Roberto Martinez, who have the ability to play like a top six team, or a side that faces relegation to League Two.  Fulham’s excellent day was complete with a late cameo role for Andy Johnson, his first game since January after a fraught spell on the sidelines through injury.

Saturday 30^th October: Everton 1-0 Stoke City

STOKE’s resistance was broken in a game that will never be remembered as a classic, by any stretch of the imagination.  Yakubu scored the winner, reacting quickest to Tim Cahill’s shot hitting the post.  Stoke will feel aggrieved though to have a goal disallowed, when Tuncay was adjudged to have fouled Leighton Baines.  Television replays indicate that Baines was caught in two minds, and lucky to get away with such a dithering error.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (2nd - 3rd October)

The final set of games before an extended international break took place this weekend and saw the two big-spenders in the FA Premier League head into the top two places.  Meanwhile, one of the established elite continues its miserable start to the season, and now there is even talk that the most successful club in English football history is in a relegation battle!  This game is so strange….

Sunday 3^rd October: Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal

Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to four points, with a solid, if unspectacular display to see off Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.  It was the same old story for the Gunners against their main challengers, as they created opportunities, but failed to take them.  Laurent Koscieny and Andrei Arshavin both missed guilt-edge chances in the opening exchanges.  Arsenal fell behind seven minutes before the interval, when Ashley Cole’s cross was back heeled in by Didier Drogba, for the Ivoirian’s 13^th goal in just eleven matches against Arsenal.  The game was wrapped up by an unstoppable free-kick from central defender Alex just four minutes from time.  You could have put four goalkeepers in that goal and none of them would have stopped Alex’s bullet of a free-kick.  Arsenal will need to improve in more fearful tests if they are to sustain a consistent challenge to their rivals from London.

Sunday 3^rd October: Liverpool 1-2 Blackpool

Blackpool piled on the misery on Liverpool by pulling off a famous win at Anfield; in one of the Premier League’s greatest ever shocks.  The Tangerines outplayed their more experienced opponents in the first half, though they were helped by Fernando Torres’s early departure from the scene, due to a groin injury.  Glen Johnson was at fault for both goals.  First, he dragged down Luke Varney to concede a penalty, which was successfully converted by Blackpool skipper Charlie Adam.  Then, he played Varney outside, who drilled a second goal underneath Pepe Reina.  Although Sotiris Krygiakos headed home an early second half response, Liverpool huffed and puffed and never looked like getting an equaliser.  This staggering result leaves Blackpool in a highly creditable 9^th and Liverpool in the bottom three at the end of a top flight weekend for the first time since September 1964.  With six points in seven games, problems with the unrest at the lack of movement over a potential takeover and the players not playing for the shirt, there is now talk of unthinkable.  Liverpool being relegated!! 

Saturday 2^nd October: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Aston Villa

Spurs have a new cult hero in the shape of Rafael van der Vaart, who scored another brace to overcome a resilient Aston Villa at White Hart Lane.  Villa outplayed their opponents in the first half and took a deserved lead when Marc Albrighton turned home his first senior goal from Emile Heskey’s excellent work, with the striker turning Sebastian Bassong into a clown!  Almost single handily, van der Vaart dragged the home side back into the game, with a simple equaliser, then a breathtaking second, which moved Tottenham into the top five, as Gerard Houillier tasted defeat for the first time as Villains manager.

Saturday 2^nd October: Sunderland 0-0 Manchester United

Manchester United still waits for their first Premiership away win of the season, after limping to a goalless stalemate at the Stadium of Light.  A burst water pipe in the United dressing room delayed kick-off by twenty minutes and their uncharacteristic performance showed up in the first half, as Sunderland outplayed them, with Steed Malbranque wasting their best chance.  Dimitar Berbatov hit the woodwork in the second half, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s side looked bereft of ideas and were lucky to escape with a point.

Sunday 3^rd October: Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle United

Manchester City leapt into second spot in the table, though they received a good amount of fortune against Newcastle United.  The match was overshadowed by a horror challenge from Nigel de Jong that left Hatem Ben Afra with a broken tibia and fibula of his left leg.  Carlos Tevez gave the home side the lead, after he was brought down by Mike Williamson, though TV replays showed that Williamson had tackled Tevez outside the box.  Jonas Gutierrez hit a stunning equaliser, but the Magpies were denied a point by a tremendous solo effort from sub Adam Johnson with fifteen minutes to go.

Saturday 2^nd October: Birmingham City 0-2 Everton

Everton secured their first win of the season and ended Birmingham’s one year unbeaten home record in the process.  The goals were scored by Tim Cahill and a Roger Johnson own goal.

Saturday 2^nd October: Wigan Athletic 2-0 Wolves

Wolves recorded their fourth successive defeat, as their resilience was broken in the second half by Wigan at the DW Stadium.  Their cause wasn’t helped by their captain Karl Henry, who produced an x-rated foul on Jordi Gomez in the tenth minute.  It was a deserved red card if there ever was one, a challenge that would proudly stand tall in one of the Tekken fighting simulations on PlayStation.  Gomez luckily was uninjured and went on to score a brilliant free-kick in the second half, with the points wrapped up by Hugo Rodallega second goal of the campaign in the closing stages.

Saturday 2^nd October: Stoke City 1-0 Blackburn Rovers

Summer signing Jonathan Walters scored his first ever Premier League goal, as Stoke overcame Blackburn at the Britannia Stadium for the third successive season and in the process extended their unbeaten run to four games.  The goal came shortly into the second half, with Walters latching onto a Matthew Etherington pass and coolly beat an onrushing Paul Robinson to lift Stoke upto 7^th.

Saturday 2^nd October: West Ham United 1-1 Fulham

West Ham stayed bottom, but put in another committed and improved performance to collect another point against draw specialists Fulham.  Fulham remain one of only two sides unbeaten in the Premiership this season and took a first half lead, when Clint Dempsey fired in a powerful shot past Robert Green.  Green must be sick of the sight of Dempsey, after his nightmare moment in Rustenberg that allowed Dempsey weak shot to spill through his grasp in the England v USA match.  This time, he had no chance.  West Ham’s deserved leveller came through a second half header from Frederic Piquionne.

Saturday 2^nd October: West Brom 1-1 Bolton Wanderers

A header from James Morrison earnt West Brom a lucky draw against a better and stronger Bolton side at The Hawthorns.  After a dire first half, the ever-improving Johan Elmander gave Bolton the lead, firing in his fourth goal of the season from Kevin Davies’s knockdown.  The Albion’s leveller came with twelve minutes to go, when Morrison nodded home Peter Odwemwingie’s cross.  

England 1-1 USA - Green Gaffe Hands Americans Unlikely Point

It’s never easy supporting England at major tournaments, isn’t it?  Once again, 20million of us found this out, following a frustrating opener to the 2010 World Cup campaign in the altitude of Rustenberg.

A horrendous error by West Ham’s Robert Green, somehow fumbling a Clint Dempsey shot that looked easier to save with his eyes closed earned Bob Bradley’s USA a hard-fought and deserved point on Saturday night.  Once again, the Three Lions opening performance will have not set the alarm bells ringing in the camps of fellow favourites Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Holland and Germany.

And it had all started really well for Fabio Capello’s men.  Just four minutes had been played, when Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Emile Heskey all linked up beautifully in the build-up to England’s first goal of the 2010 finals, scored by the new skipper, Steven Gerrard.  If you were watching ITV HD, 1.5million missed the goal, but the other 18.5million would have been roaring around the country to the delightful start.  Sadly, this brilliant advantage was squandered six minutes before half-time, by a blunder of the first magnitude.  

Green, only selected ahead of David James and Joe Hart a mere two hours before kick-off had been given very little to do, and the evidence of the error he made suggested he must have been half asleep.  Fulham winger Dempsey did well to evade the pressing Gerrard three times.  His shot was ambitious and looked absolutely no threat.  However, Green produced the clangers of all clangers by allowing the ball to slip through his grasp and trickling into the net.  It was a horrendous moment which only guarantees Green’s participation in the traditional Christmas Blunder DVD’s, rather than a place in England’s next team.

By then, Capello was already looking animated on the touchline.  James Milner, still suffering from a virus that had plagued him all week, looked out-of-sorts and once booked, was replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips.  This was a surprising move, with many believing Joe Cole might have been a better bet.  At the interval, Ledley King’s groin couldn’t keep up with the pace, and with indications that he might be out for three weeks, his selection looks like to be a gamble too many, especially after the injury that Rio Ferdinand picked up in training ten days ago.  Jamie Carragher replaced him at half-time, and when he was easily skinned by the threatening Jozy Altidore, questions were asked about the pace of the England defensive unit.  In this exchange, Green did at least bounce back, by producing a good save at his near post, which rebounded onto the post and away from danger.

Only in the last twenty minutes did England threaten to score again, with Emile Heskey missing a one-on-one, smashing a shot down Tim Howard’s throat, which had he placed it either side, would have beaten the Everton goalkeeper.  Wayne Rooney was well marked out of the entire game, but he produced a few moments of quality, which included a long-range effort which had Howard scrambling.  Wright-Phillips also had a chance which he squandered and eleven minutes was nowhere near enough time for Peter Crouch to make any impact.

By far, this wasn’t the start that Operation Capello had in mind.  However, England drew their opener in 1966 against Uruguay, and still won the Jules Rimet trophy.  We lost the 1986 opener to Portugal and drew the first game of the 2002 tournament in Korea against a far better looking Sweden side.  The Three Lions are notorious slow starters, so surely we can only get better.  Whether we have World Cup winning potential will only be realised more when our second game takes place, on Friday night in Cape Town against African outsiders Algeria. 

Let’s not give up and keep the belief….