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.

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.