FA Barclays Premiership Report (20th - 22nd November)

THE busy November programme in the Barclays Premiership continued this weekend, with more unpredictable results and drama that makes this league as quite simply – the best in the world.  Here’s the round-up.

Saturday 20^th November: Arsenal 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

COOL: Bale begins the remarkable comeback at the Emirates

THE 165^th North London derby will be remembered for one of the most dramatic fightbacks in its distinguished history.  Once again, Arsenal threw away a commanding position, losing at home for the third time already this season.  The build-up was dominated by the pure hatred between Samir Nasri and William Gallas.  They didn’t shake hands in the greeting stage and it was Nasri on form from the outset, meeting Cesc Fabregas angled ball and punishing Hereulho Gomes hesitation to put the Gunners infront.  Andrei Arshavin set-up Marouane Chamakh to make it 2-0, and the game looked as good as over.  However, the reintroduction of Jermain Defoe into first-team affairs turned the match on its head.  Gareth Bale began the comeback, finishing calmly from Rafael van der Vaart’s lay-off.  Van der Vaart then made it 2-2 from the penalty spot after Fabregas stupidly handballed in a free-kick wall.  With four minutes to go, van der Vaart’s free-kick was flicked into the net by Younes Kaboul, sealing Spurs first win on Arsenal soil since May 1993 and leaving Arsene Wenger furious at his side’s traditional failings, which are just as frequent as a European banking collapse.

Saturday 20^th November: Birmingham City 1-0 Chelsea

FINISH: Bowyer sends Chelsea crashing to another loss

CHELSEA’s third defeat in four games came at St. Andrews, and it was down to Ben Foster, who produced a goalkeeping masterclass to shut out the champions.  Didier Drogba was denied on no less than four separate occasions by the sensational Foster, who looked unbeatable.  Lee Bowyer scored the only goal of the match, played in by Cameron Jerome as Chelsea’s defence stood like statues.  Birmingham move out of the bottom three, whilst Ancelotti’s out-of-form Blues remain top on goal difference.

Sunday 21^st November: Fulham 1-4 Manchester City

RESPECT: Hughes and Tevez share a hug before the clash

MANCHESTER CITY put in their most convincing performance of the season at Craven Cottage, as Roberto Mancini’s men had far too much for a poor Fulham side.  Carlos Tevez came up trumps again for City, starting the rout with a lovely finish on six minutes.  A blockbuster from Pablo Zabaleta doubled the visitor’s advantage and Fulham’s awful first half was completed when Yaya Toure neatly finished past Mark Schwarzer from Tevez’s creation.  The Argentine scored his second, flicking in Zabaleta’s drilled shot almost unknowingly soon into the second half.  The only consolation for Fulham came from substitute Zoltan Gera, scoring via a massive deflection with twenty minutes remaining.  This will have been a painful defeat for Mark Hughes to take.

Saturday 20^th November: Bolton Wanderers 5-1 Newcastle United

STUNNED: Newcastle were hit for five at the Reebok

BOLTON moved briefly into the top four, after another efficient attacking display netted three points against Newcastle.  A handball by ex-Wanderer Kevin Nolan started the rout, with Kevin Davies stroking the penalty gift home.  South Korean Lee made it 2-0, despite looking offside in the build-up and as Bolton turned on the style, they got better.  Johan Elmander gave Fabricio Coloccini a nightmare, scoring twice, before the defender elbowed Elmander and got a deserved straight red card from Howard Webb.  Andy Carroll did pull one goal back, before Davies scored again from the spot when he tumbled under Jose Enrique’s challenge.  Bolton have now notched an impressive 26 goals in 14 Premiership games.

Saturday 20^th November: Manchester United 2-0 Wigan Athletic

SLIDING: Hernandez is delighted to wrap up another win

WAYNE ROONEY’s return took the headlines, but Manchester United produced another business like performance to batter a Wigan side that looked like eleven players stuffed to the brim with some early Christmas turkeys.  Patrice Evra had United infront, dealing quickly to some fatal hesitation from Wigan keeper Ali Al-Habsi.  Rooney returned in the second half, coming onto a very mixed reception after his threats to leave the club last month angered many loyal fans.  Wigan didn’t help their cause, as both Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega saw red within three minutes of one another, before Javier Hernandez sealed the victory.

Monday 22^nd November: Sunderland 2-2 Everton

MIKEL Arteta’s dramatic late leveller rescued a point for David Moyes in a thrilling Monday night battle at the Stadium of Light.  Tim Cahill headed Everton infront with a trademark header inside of six minutes, before teen sensation Danny Wellbeck scored twice to hand Sunderland control.  Arteta’s goal, with eight minutes remaining means Sunderland missed the chance to break into the top six.

Saturday 20^th November: Liverpool 3-0 West Ham United

HEAT: Avram Grant is feeling the pressure with every game

AVRAM Grant is coming under more scrutiny, as his West Ham side put in a shocking performance and wilted far too easily at Anfield.  In fact, they made Liverpool look like a world class side.  Glen Johnson finished brilliantly, after bringing down the ball on his chest to open the scoring.  Dirk Kuyt dispatched a penalty after Fernando Torres was blocked off by Danny Gabbidon’s arm and Maxi Rodriguez made it 3-0, converting Paul Konchesky’s cross.

Sunday 21^st November: Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Aston Villa

FUN: Pedersen continued his recent run of cracking form

ROVERS new Indian owners watched on as their side recorded an impressive win – their third in four matches.  Mortem Gamst Pedersen scored both goals; the first coming two minutes into first half stoppage time with a free-kick that made Brad Friedel look rather stupid.  The second came when Ryan Nelsen’s shot was deflected home by the Norwegian midway through the second half. 

Saturday 20^th November: Blackpool 2-1 Wolves

A STUNNING volley from Luke Varney infront of Prince William portrayed the way for another Blackpool victory.  Marlon Harewood scrambled in a second goal, after Marcus Hahnemann dropped the ball from a dangerous corner.  A late consolation from Kevin Doyle wasn’t enough to prevent Wolves fourth straight defeat.

Saturday 20^th November: West Brom 0-3 Stoke City

64% of POSSESSION meant nothing to West Brom, as Stoke moved upto eighth in the table, after their third straight win.  Jonathan Walters scored twice, once from the penalty spot and Matthew Etherington also netted from twelve yards.  One point in five games leaves WBA in the bottom five.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (13th - 14th November)

MORE twists, more turns than a Formula 1 race circuit, another cracking weekend of Premiership action that needs rounding-up.

Sunday 14^th November: Chelsea 0-3 Sunderland

SUNDERLAND had an incredible afternoon at Stamford Bridge, inflicting a heavy home defeat on Chelsea, their first since February.  The champions started brightly, but then faded as quickly as Daybreak’s hopes of gaining decent TV ratings.  Petr Cech had to make several top saves, before Nedum Onuoha gave the visitors the lead just before half-time with a brilliant individual solo goal.  Asamoah Gyan scored confidently in the second half, finishing off a slick passing move before a dreadful back pass from Ashley Cole gave Danny Wellbeck a gift that he couldn’t miss.  Chelsea looked flat and totally disorganised, as the Black Cats wrapped up a famous win.

Saturday 13^th November: Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 Blackburn Rovers

GARETH Bale’s stock continued to rise, with another two goals in a thriller in North London.  Bale’s header from a Rafael van der Vaart corner caught Blackburn totally unawares and it was 2-0 at half-time when Roman Pavyluchenko headed home, shortly after missing a penalty.  Peter Crouch scored the third after ex-Spurs keeper Paul Robinson saved from Pavyluchenko, only for Gael Givet to give the ball straightaway to the delighted Crouch.  Bale then scored a scuffed effort to make it 4-0.  Despite Spurs fantastic attacking intent, their shaky defending still remains a big question, allowing two late goals from David Dunn and Givet for the visitors, who certainly played their part in this match.

Sunday 14^th November: Everton 1-2 Arsenal

THIS wasn’t a classic, but Arsenal produced some moments of magic to move into second spot in the Premiership table.  Bakery Sagna’s first goal in two and a half years with a shot that flashed past Tim Howard set-up the win, which ended Everton’s seven match unbeaten run.  Cesc Fabregas made it 2-0, with a delicate finish two minutes into the second half.  Everton pressed forward in the closing stages and with 90 seconds to go, the reliable Tim Cahill found the net from Louis Saha’s cross.  Only top class goalkeeping from the under-fire Lukasz Fabianski kept the Gunners infront to the final whistle.

Saturday 13^th November: Aston Villa 2-2 Manchester United

IT WAS the late show once again from Manchester United as a last minute header from Nemanja Vidic rescued an undeserved point at Villa Park.  Aston Villa should have had the game well out of sight, missing a host of chances.  James Collins hit the bar and Gabby Agbonlahor struck the post.  When Wes Brown bundled down Ashley Young with 20 minutes remaining, Young scored the resulting penalty.  Marc Albrighton made it 2-0, but super sub Federico Macheda gave United hope, with another late strike against Villa, like in April 2009 at Old Trafford.  Vidic’s contribution was well-timed, but it is difficult to see whether this will be seen as one point gained or two lost for Man U.

Saturday 13^th November: Wolves 2-3 Bolton Wanderers

WOLVES were horrific in the first hour of this game, which meant they got no points again and remain second bottom in the league.  Once again, they conceded in the first minute, this time when Richard Stearman headed past his own goalkeeper under intense pressure from Matt Taylor.  A Swedish stunner from Johan Elmander and Stuart Holden, through an open goal rocketed Bolton into a 3-0 lead in the early moments of the second half.  Kevin Foley and Steven Fletcher made it a nervous finish for Wanderers, but Bolton deserved the points and now sit fifth in the league.

Saturday 13^th November: Stoke City 2-0 Liverpool

THE set-piece prowess of Stoke City saw them overcome Liverpool, who quite frankly played rubbish at the Britannia.  No goals in the first half, but the deadlock was broken shortly after the restart by Ricardo Fuller’s scrappy finish.  A poor pass from Steven Gerrard allowed Kenwyne Jones through to seal it in the dying stages.  Liverpool’s nightmare evening was complete when Lucas lashed out at Matthew Etherington and the Brazilian picked up a deserved second yellow card.  Stoke are now into the top ten after back-to-back victories.

Saturday 13^th November: West Ham United 0-0 Blackpool

THERE may have been 48 shots on goal, but just four on target summed up this match.  Shambolic finishing and good defending allowed the teams to share the points.  Marlon Harewood had a goal disallowed and Charlie Adam almost lobbed Robert Green from the halfway line, as Blackpool endured the lion’s share of the chances at Upton Park.

Saturday 13^th November: Manchester City 0-0 Birmingham City

A SECOND goalless game in four days increases the pressure on Roberto Mancini, who surely on borrowed time at Eastlands.  Birmingham came to Manchester well-organised, even though the point they collected does drop them into the bottom three.  City looked very cautious once again and Carlos Tevez being substituted for Gareth Barry summed up this point, as did boos from the home supporters.

Saturday 13^th November: Wigan Athletic 1-0 West Brom

WIGAN provided a dominant performance in a game that would send anyone to sleep.  Victor Moses scored the only goal in the second half to lift Wigan out of the drop zone.  It is now just one point in four games for West Brom.

Saturday 13^th November: Newcastle United 0-0 Fulham

This was another match that provided a distinct lack of goalmouth action at the weekend.  Mark Schwarzer denied new England call-up Andy Carroll twice from point-blank range.  Moussa Dembele went the closest for Fulham, hitting the crossbar from close range.

UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 - Sensational Spurs stun Champions

WITH 53 goals in this week’s UEFA Champions League matches, there was plenty of action and drama.  Take a bow Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the first three teams to qualify for the knockout stages, whilst Partizan Belgrade, Buraspor and MSK Zilina now have no hope of progressing past the group stages.  However, it was another debut club that rocked Europe this week. . .

It was another glory night for the new Welsh wizard Gareth Bale, as he tore Inter Milan to shreds for the second time in a fortnight.  Bale led Spurs to a famous 3-1 win over the European Champions, leaving them top of Group A.  Returning from suspension, Rafael van der Vaart opened the scoring from Luka Modric’s wonderfully executed pass.  In the second half, Bale took over, leaving the likes of Maicon and Lucio trailing in his wake.  His first tormenting run and cross set-up Peter Crouch for a tidy goal.  A great goal from Samuel Eto’o gave Inter hope with ten minutes to go, but Rafa Benitez could only look on as Bale went on another breathtaking run down the left-hand side and produced the perfect pass for Roman Pavyluchenko to wrap it up.  A win against Werder Bremen in three weeks time wraps up qualification for Tottenham, who have bought something fresh to this year’s competition. 

Whilst Tottenham were producing the performance of the tournament so far, North London rivals Arsenal had an off-night in the Ukraine, losing 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.  Arsene Wenger only took 18 players with him, due to injuries, though he will be disappointed with their lack of maturity here, especially as he still had Samir Nasri, Thomas Rosicky and Jack Wiltshire in his starting eleven.  Theo Walcott did have the Gunners infront after ten minutes, with his own devastating pace leading to a crisp finish after a magnificent counter attacking move.  By half-time, Arsenal’s stroll through the group had come to an abrupt halt against a Shakhtar side that looked totally different from the team that surrendered so meekly at the Emirates two weeks earlier.  Jadson’s free-kick was turned into his own net inadvertently by youngster Craig Eastmond.  Then, a terrible error by Gael Clichy allowed Darijo Srna to cross for ex-Arsenal striker Eduardo to score with the last kick of the first half.  Arsenal weren’t disgraced, but will need to dismiss themselves of these slip-ups, especially when it matter so much more in the latter stages.

On a mild November night in London, Chelsea’s progress was never in doubt, coasting to a 4-1 triumph over Spartak Moscow, which seals their progression from Group F.  Only a point is needed now to secure top spot too.  Carlo Ancelotti took the opportunity to rest John Terry and Michael Essien, and after a subdued first half, Chelsea clicked into top gear in the second half.  Nicolas Anelka opened the scoring from a tight angle that looked almost impossible to establish a lead.  Didier Drogba, making his fashionably late entrance into the Champions League scored a penalty shortly afterwards, before Branislav Ivanovic scored two goals that even Drogba would be proud of.  Although Bazhenov scored a consolation for the visitors, Chelsea’s first Champions League goal conceded in 300 minutes, it was another stroll in the park for the English champions.

A far superior Manchester United virtually secured their traditional passage through, with an emphatic 3-0 win in Turkey against Buraspor.  Frustrated in the first half, United took command in the second half once Darren Fletcher broke the deadlock.  Gabriel Obertan scored his first United goal in some style, with a ferocious effort, before Bebe netted on his European debut.  This was a comfortable win for the pacesetters in Group C.

However, Rangers now face a massive task to join United in the knockout stages after losing 3-0 in Spain to Valencia.  It was a very busy night for Allan McGregor, who produced a series of cracking saves, but he couldn’t prevent Roberto Soldado scoring two goals, and a fine stoppage time volley from substitute Ricardo Costa, that wrapped up proceedings.  Steven Naismith did hit the post twice for the Scottish league leaders and the scoreline was harsh on Rangers, but it was a very disappointing and potentially costly result.

Jose Mourinho returned to the San Siro and witnessed his Real Madrid side advance into the knockout stages, after they rescued a point against AC Milan.  It was a thrilling match, with Milan turning the game on its head through two more goals from one of the deadliest poachers in the European game, super sub Flippo Inzaghi.  It was Real’s own sub, Pedro Leon who scored a stoppage time equaliser that still leaves Milan with work to do, in joining Madrid to go through from Group G. 

Bayern Munich also sealed their place through into the next stage, after they outclassed CFR Cluj in Romania, winning 4-0.  Bayern are already ten points behind Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and with Arjen Robben, Miroslav Klose and Ivica Olic all out injured at the moment, Louis van Gaal has lots of problems domestically.  However, Mario Gomez hit a hat-trick in this masterful performance.  Another team out of their depth in the Champions League is MSK Zilina, beaten 7-0 at home by Marseille in Group F.  There was a hat-trick from Andre-Pierre Gignac, as Marseille became the first team to score seven away from home in the Champions League.  Lyon lost their 100% record on Tuesday night in Group B, going down 4-3 in Portugal to Benfica, who were 4-0 with 15 minutes to go.  Talented winger Fabio Coentrao was on target twice for the home side and a feisty meeting in Denmark saw FC Copenhagen draw 1-1 with Barcelona in Group D, which saw coaches Solde Solbakken and Pepe Guardiola have a bust-up at full-time.  

For some, the dream of reaching Wembley is already over, but for others, they have sent out their fearful messages and it’s looking good for all four English clubs to progress past Christmas.  Matchday four though belongs to Tottenham Hotspur and its wonderful Welshman, Gareth Bale.  

UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 - Bale & Rooney Dominate The Headlines

MATCHDAY three and it is the halfway point of this season’s group stages in the UEFA Champions League.  This week saw fond returns, possible goodbyes and the valuation of a Welshman that has gone up massively after a stunning individual performance at the San Siro.

However, we start off with the chaotic week at Old Trafford, and it was off-the-field decisions that were dominating the headlines.  Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Turkish champions Buraspor will never be remembered as a classic, as Wayne Rooney took up the headlines, both on the front and the back pages.  Rooney’s decision to leave Manchester United, confirmed by Sir Alex Ferguson at Tuesday’s media conference had dumbfounded and stunned fans across the world.  On Wednesday night, banners at Old Trafford, such as ‘Colleen forgave you, we won’t’ summed up the fans attitude to Rooney’s immature behaviour.  Although Rooney has now signed a new five-year deal, putting an end to the saga for now – it has been a very bleak week in Manchester.  The match itself, which Rooney didn’t participate in, due to an ankle injury sustained in training, was settled by Nani’s stunning goal in the sixth minute.  The young Portuguese winner has really grown into a talented player and has probably benefited the most from Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure eighteen months ago.  The Group C encounter was not a stunner, with Buraspor coming looking for the draw, and only having one attempt at goal.  It may be a slow start, but seven points from nine mean United should progress comfortably as group winners.

In the other Group C match, Rangers drew 1-1 with Spanish pacesetters Valencia at Ibrox.  It was a mixed night for Maurice Edu, with the American scoring at both ends.  His own goal was a horrendous misjudgement and it might cost Rangers in the final picture.  Despite a very solid campaign so far, Walter Smith’s side will probably need at least a point in the intimidating Mestalla atmosphere in two weeks time, if they want to progress further in the competition.

Tottenham’s breathless maiden Champions League campaign continued, with a stunning individual performance from Gareth Bale, nearly rescuing an unlikely point in the San Siro against Inter.  Spurs players looked totally lost by the occasion in the first half and Harry Redknapp could only look on with rage and fury, as his side was ripped apart by the European champions in the first half.  Javier Zanetti scored his first goal since February 2008 after just 66 seconds, and from then on, the opening 45 minutes was a disaster for Tottenham.  Seven minutes later, Hereulho Gomes was sent off, after bringing down Jonathan Biabiany.  Samuel Eto’o coolly dispatched the penalty past Carlo Cudicini, and added a fourth goal ten minutes before half-time.  In between that, Dejan Stankovic finished off a thirty-five pass move, stroking a beautiful shot past the despairing Cudicini from the edge of the penalty area.  Tottenham looked dead and buried and for a while, Liverpool’s Champions League biggest win record (8-0 against Besiktas in November 2007) looked under severe threat.  Cue Bale, who sparked a dramatic fightback, with a stunning solo effort in the 56^th minute, then a similar effort in the 89^th minute.  Moments later, fine work from Aaron Lennon set the Welshman up for his first ever hat-trick, once again from a similar angle to his first two strikes.  Luckily for Inter, time ran out on Spurs, but Rafa Benitez and his assistant Mauricio Pellegrino will be worried by the defensive frailties that Bale exposed on them in the second half.

On Tuesday night, Arsenal took a giant leap towards qualification, with a crushing 5-1 demolition of their Group H rivals Shakhtar Donetsk.  Alex Song, Cesc Fabregas from the penalty spot and Marouane Chamakh were among those on target, and there was also a goal and another stunning performance from the wonder kid of the Emirates, Jack Wiltshire.  Brazilian Eduardo made a substitute cameo in the last twenty minutes, and scored a consolation for the Ukrainian champions.  It was brilliant to see the Arsenal fans all applaud Eduardo’s strike, still having a soft spot for their Brazilian striker who departed the Gunners in the summer, for a new life in the Ukraine.

It was plastic fantastic for Chelsea, as they all but wrapped up qualification from Group B, with a 2-0 win over Spartak Moscow in freezing Russia.  Yury Zhirkov scored his first Chelsea goal, and it was a memorable strike too.  Having spent four years at Spartak’s bitter rivals, CSKA Moscow, this was a moment that Zhirkov won’t forget.  Nicholas Anelka added a second as it turned out to be a comfortable night for the Blues on the artificial pitch surface, scene of their heartbreaking 2008 final defeat to Manchester United on penalties.  Also, without Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba through injury, Chelsea are only going to get stronger, and are now favourites with many football experts, to lift the trophy in Wembley in May.

Elsewhere in Europe, it may be odd to see Raul not playing anymore for Real Madrid, but he keeps scoring goals for his new club, Schalke 04.  Two strikes from the veteran helped the Germans to a 3-1 win over Hapoel-Tel Aviv in Group B.  It was his first two goals for Schalke in European competition, extending his Champions League scoring record to 68.  Also in Group B, Lyon kept their perfect record up, with a 2-0 win over 10-man Benfica in France, courtesy of goals from Jeremy Briand and Lisandro Lopez.  Raul’s former club Real Madrid won the showdown match against AC Milan in Group G, with something to spare in the Bernabeau.  Cristiano Ronaldo and Meszut Ozil scored the two goals in the first fifteen minutes, as Jose Mourinho slowly starts to make his impression in Spain.  Ajax beat Auxerre 2-1 in the other Group G game, with the French side being reduced to nine men, including a red card for one of their substitutes.  Finally, well down to FC Basle, who recorded a surprising 3-1 win in Italy against AS Roma in Group E.  Roma may now face a hard task to escape the group stages.  The contenders have now been separated from the stragglers…and Matchday four can see the first ultimate knockout blows being made.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (21st - 23rd August 2010)

The second weekend of the new Premiership season bought a number of penalty misses, amazing scorelines and highlighted the gulf between the best and the weakest in England’s top flight, here is my review from last weekend’s engrossing action.

Sunday 22^nd August: Fulham 2-2 Manchester United

Manchester United dropped their first points of the season, after being held to a deserving draw by hard-working Fulham at Craven Cottage.  Paul Scholes stunning start to the new campaign continued, when he drilled in a 10^th minute opener, scoring his 150^th career goal for the Red Devils in the process.  However, Mark Hughes’s side had the better of the second half, and equalised through Simon Davies on the hour mark.  It looked like United had stolen all the points eight minutes from time, when Brede Hangeland put through his own goal in another goalmouth scramble.  Then, a Damien Duff handball gave substitute Nani the chance to wrap it up.  His penalty was saved by the inspired David Stockdale.  With 90 minutes almost up, Hangeland made amends for his earlier misfortune by meeting his towering leap to Paul Konchesky’s corner and earning a share of the spoils.

Saturday 21^st August: Arsenal 6-0 Blackpool

Following their impressive demolition of Wigan on the opening weekend, new boys Blackpool ended up on the receiving end of an Arsenal demolition derby at the Emirates.  The under-fire Theo Walcott scored the first hat-trick of his club career, and once Ian Evatt was dismissed for fouling Marouane Chamakh when the Moroccan was in on goal, it was curtains for Ian Holloway’s side.  Andrei Arshavin dispatched the resulting penalty and there were further second half strikes from Abou Diaby and Chamakh, who scored his first goal in Arsenal colours.  Considering Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie were left on the bench, this was an impressive signal of intent from Arsene Wenger’s Gunners.

Sunday 22^nd August: Newcastle United 6-0 Aston Villa

Top-flight football returned to St. James Park in impressive and sensational fashion, as Newcastle United ripped Aston Villa to pieces.  It was the Villains who started the stronger, and had a great chance to open the scoring, when Steve Harper fouled Ashley Young in the box.  However, John Carew’s penalty was simply atrocious, smashing the ball towards Newcastle Airport.  The Norwegian kicked the turf in sheer frustration and from then on, Villa rolled over and died.  Joey Barton smashed in an opener four minutes later, meaning that that moustache he had been growing could be removed, as Newcastle won their first Premiership match of the season.  Kevin Nolan chalked up two strikes, but home-grown hero Andy Carroll went one better, with the new Newcastle No.9 scoring his first senior hat-trick and a very impressive one it was too.  Kevin McDonald could only look on in horror at Villa’s lack of fight, determination and belief – as this result might have cost him the top job too at Villa Park.

Monday 23^rd August: Manchester City 3-0 Liverpool

In front of their rich owners, Manchester City signalled their intentions, with an emphatic 3-0 win over former established top four side Liverpool.  With Joe Cole suspended and Javier Mascherano refusing to play, as speculation over a move to Barcelona intensifies, Roy Hodgson’s side had an off-night and City took full advantage of the situation.  Gareth Barry opened the scoring, after a neat link-up between Adam Johnson and new acquisition from Aston Villa, James Milner.  Eight minutes into the second half, Micah Richards powerful header was shinned in by Carlos Tevez with the smallest of touches possible.  The Eastlands skipper put the seal on a dominant performance, by slotting home a penalty on 67 minutes, after the impressive Johnson was tripped in the penalty area by Martin Skrtel.  Even with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in the side, Liverpool looked bereft of ideas and quality.  It could be another long season for the red half of Merseyside.

Saturday 21^st August: Wigan Athletic 0-6 Chelsea

Chelsea continued their scoring spree as Wigan took their third consecutive Premiership battering.  Less than four months after their 8-0 reverse at Stamford Bridge on the last day of the season, more schoolboy defending from Roberto Martinez’s men allowed Chelsea’s attackers another field day.  After an even-fought first 30 minutes, Florent Malouda broke the deadlock, tapping in after Chris Kirkland could only parry a close-range Frank Lampard shot.  The visitors ran away after the break, with Nicholas Anelka and Salomon Kalou both helping themselves to two goals each.  Summer signing Yossi Benayoun put the seal on the final result, as Chelsea showed their superior class once again. 

 Saturday 21^st August: Stoke City 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Gareth Bale’s inspired performance was the difference between these two sides in a hard-fought clash at the Britannia Stadium.  Bale’s opener for Spurs came after 11 minutes, when Ryan Shawcross attempted clearance struck Bale on the knee and crept over the line.  Stoke’s leveller came when Ricardo Fuller smashed in, following a misjudged attempt to clear from Tottenham keeper Gomes.  If Bale’s opener was lucky, his second was simply breathtaking.  The Welshman volleyed in Aaron Lennon’s cross, leaving Thomas Sorensen staring into thin air.  Stoke lost Malmady Sidibe to a season-ending injury and also felt that Peter Crouch cleared a Jonathan Walters attempt off the line, when the ball crossed the line in stoppage time.  Television cameras have since proven that Tony Pulis men have a right to be aggrieved at the final outcome, but Spurs have already shown that last year’s 4^th place finish was no fluke.

Saturday 21^st August: West Ham United 1-3 Bolton Wanderers

The forgotten man of the Premiership, Johan Elmander scored a surprising double, as West Ham crashed to their 7^th successive defeat against hard-working Bolton Wanderers at Upton Park.  When Gretar Steinsson conceded a first-half penalty, the Hammers could have been infront, only for Carlton Cole’s kick to be so bad, that it could have been saved by Juusi Jaaskelainen with his eyes closed!  An embarrassing own goal from Matthew Upson gifted Owen Coyle’s side the lead and two headers from Elmander, either side of a successful Mark Noble spot kick kept up Bolton’s impressive start to the season.  For Avram Grant, this job already looks like a poisoned chalice.

Saturday 21^st August: Birmingham City 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

A second half double from Craig Gardner, his first two goals for the club helped an unimpressive Birmingham to a fortunate win over Blackburn Rovers.  Ben Foster made a superb penalty save from Morten Gamst Pedersen, but Blackburn, on top for large periods, grabbed a deserved through a Steven N’Zonzi header.  Gardner’s two goals cancelled out N’Zonzi’s header, with the second going straight through the hands of Paul Robinson.  Sam Allardyce will be disappointed to have left St. Andrew’s with nothing.

Saturday 21^st August: West Brom 1-0 Sunderland

In a game where the goalkeepers excelled in an attempt to prevent this game from without a goal, Nigerian debutant Peter Odemwingie scored the only goal at the Hawthorns, with nine minutes to go.  West Brom claimed their first win back in the big time, while Steve Bruce will be disappointed that his side failed to create enough opportunities.

Saturday 21^st August: Everton 1-1 Wolves

After a shambolic first half performance, Wolves did well to battle back and earn themselves a share of the spoils at Goodison Park.  Everton dominated the opening exchanges and Tim Cahill gave them a deserved lead on the stroke of half-time.  After the break, Everton sat back and their lack of adventure cost them, as Sylvain Ebanks-Blake netted a deserved equaliser for Mick McCarthy’s side.