I’m afraid that due to the amount of time it takes to write 10 400 or so word match summaries that I am going to have to limit myself to doing 5 in-depth records instead, with the other 5 more general. This week’s in-depth reports are on; Blackburn vs Arsenal, Aston Villa vs Everton, Chelsea vs Stoke, Wigan vs Tottenham and Sunderland vs Man City. In the weeks to come I shall choose the matches on Friday’s – before the games – so that I can more unbiased towards the most entertaining games
ARSENAL BEAT BLACKBURN’S BRUTE FORCE AS THEO RULES ROOST!
BLACKBURN 1 - 2 ARSENAL
M.B. Diouf 28’ Walcott 20’
Arshavin 51’
Arsenal must have come into this game with some trepidation about the kind of treatment they would receive at the hands of the Blackburn player’s after Arsene Wenger’s midweek comments about some teams turning Football into Rugby. Sam Allardyce have been the crux of Arsene Wenger for many years now, with his Bolton side in particular always having been a bogey team for Arsenal whilst Big Sam was their manager.
It was the Gunner’s however, that started the brighter of the two teams by quite a distance. Abou Diaby had his effort saved of the line by a mixture of Grella and Paul Robinson after Fabregas and Robin Van Persie caught out the Blackburn defence with a short corner taken quickly. Shortly afterwards, there was a brief bust-up between El-Hadji Diouf and Manuel Almunia following on from the flair up they had at the Emirates after Diouf put in a very poor and rather intentional challenge on Almunia.
Blackburn then had a chance of their own saved off the line when Christopher Samba rose highest only for an alert Fabregas protecting the far post to react quick enough to save an early opening goal. Samba followed this up with another two headers as he dominated aerially, with one looping effort taking a good save from Almunia who bashed his head against the post to make it, and another just over the bar.
Arsenal did not take these warnings lightly, with 20 minutes gone, Arshavin had the ball in the centre circle, with a loose touch he had to struggle to beat his man and pass on to Robin Van Persie, who, with an elegant swish with the outside of his left foot picked the gap in the defence to find Walcott running onto the ball. Without breaking stride, the England winger took one touch and fired the ball across goal into the bottom left corner on the half-volley with an awesome strike. One that even managed to break a section of the net! This prompted the after match comment of “well, I can hit them quite hard these days” from Mr Walcott, a man whose confidence is growing vastly having scored 4 goals in the last 2 games.
This served to spice up the game, with the tempo lifting somewhat. This lead to Samba dispossessing an Arsenal player and striding to the centre circle to then deliver a wonderful ball down the channel to El-Hadji Diouf who cut in, skinned Koscielny for pace and delivered the ball across to his name-sake Mame Birme Diouf for him to get his first goal for the club five minutes before half time.
The winner though, came the same amount of time after the half-time whistle. Bacary Sagna was able to sprint down the right wing, whip in an excellent cross that fell to Fabregas, whose blocked shot came straight to the feet of Arshavin who had no hesitance in slotting the ball into the corner past Robinson and his supporting defenders. Arsenal should really have gone on to confirm the victory sooner with a Theo Walcott effort from 30 yards that went narrowly over as well as a Wilshere one on one effort when Walcott had slipped the ball across to him.
Arsene Wenger will not mind though, he will be delighted that his team - often mooted as weak and unphysical – have managed to go to Ewood Park and collect the points necessary to keep up with Chelsea. They go into the international break in 2nd, 2 points behind the pace.
NEW BOY VARNEY THE HERO AS BLACKPOOL TAKE POINT
Blackpool 2 - 2 Fulham
Pantsil (OG) 71’ Zamora 35’
Varney 76’ Etuhu 87’
• Dembele produced a flat cross for Zamora to head home.
• Pantsil sliced a kick into his own goal to give Blackpool an equaliser.
• New signing Varney then put Blackpool ahead as he picked his way into between two Fulham defenders to get onto a through-ball and finish calmly from the edge of the box.
• Etuhu got Fulham a share of the points with a late chipped effort.
NOT SIX, BUT CHELSEA STILL STROLL
CHELSEA 2 - 0 STOKE
Malouda 32’
Drogba (Pen) 77’
At the close of play, Ancelotti and his boys may well be upset no to have kept up their 6 goal-scoring momentum, but they still have absolutely nothing to be complaining about, they still haven’t conceded yet this season and have a goal difference of +14.
They didn’t quite manage to create the same amount of chances as they normally do; probably illustrating that Stoke had been doing their homework properly. Having said that though, the game was over before Drogba’s converted his penalty with consummate ease in the 77th minute. Drogba’s wasn’t the only penalty of the day though, with Shawcross tripping up Florent Malouda early on in the first half, only for Frank Lampard to miss his third penalty in a row, a record he will most certainly not be boasting about!
The felled Malouda made up for the erring of Lampard with a nice curled finish around Sorensen from the edge of the area to continue his good start to the season. He is a player who quickly establishing himself as one of Chelsea’s main danger men alongside Lampard and Drogba.
Before the half was out, Ashley Cole attempted a truly outrageous volley. A throw in from the left flank came over his shoulder, he swung with his left foot, unleashing an amazing shot to rattle the crossbar. Stoke had their own effort hit the crossbar, with Glenn Whelan hitting a good 25 yard effort that had Cech beaten.
Chelsea finally killed the game off with 15 minutes left on the clock, Anelka was fouled by Sorensen for a stone-wall penalty, which Drogba scored to present him with his 4th league goal this season. Still having their 100% record, Chelsea are still hot favourites to lift the trophy even with the league still in its embryonic stage.
AL-HABSI POINTS!
TOTTENHAM 0 – 1 WIGAN
Rodallega 80’
When Wigan lost 9-1 at White Hart Lane last season, Roberto Martinez was backed for the sack, before Saturday’s game, he was in the same position after two bad losses this season. He would most likely not have dreamed of being able to beat Spurs on their own patch.
However an 80th minute winner from Hugo Rodallega got them three massive points to get them off the mark for the season. It was a goal fully against the run of play, but one that no one associated with Wigan will refuse.
Wigan also had the first meaningful chance of the match with centre-back Steve Gohouri hitting the crossbar early on. Ekotto was almost punished on two separate occasions for dawdling on the ball as he was dispossessed but McCarthy and Bosselli couldn’t quite work things into a goal.
Tottenham then began dominating the game, with a Wigan handball and in-turn penalty appeal being turned down. Jermaine Defoe, who had put his groin operation on hold to play, then forced a sharp reaction save from Al-Habsi when he turned and shot fluidly from an Assou-Ekotto cross.
As the 2nd half pressed on Alcaraz somehow managed to miss from 3 yards, a miss only equalled by Carlos Tevez’s howler. This was followed from an over the bar volley from Jordi Gomez and Wigan started to get nearer. Rodallega then scored his goal to put Wigan into an unlikely lead.
The game came to an end after Krancjar hit a brilliant 30 yard shot that was stopped again by Al-Habsi, followed up by another save with Dawson and Younes Kaboul missed a guilt-edge header. Wigan had smashed and grabbed a victory here and will be delighted with their effort, this will have helped Roberto Martinez keep his position to no end.
CARROLL SONG STILL ECHOING AROUND MOLINEUX
Wolves 1 - 1 Newcastle
Ebanks-Blake 43’ Carroll 62’
• Ebanks-Blake scores again to put Wovles ahead just before half time with a strong touch- down and strike.
• Jarvis was not awarded clear penalty after a tackle from Perch.
• Carroll headed into the back of the net from a Joey Barton free-kick on the hour.
UNITED TAKE IT EASY AS ROO FINALLY SCORES
Man Utd 3 - 0 West Ham
Rooney (Pen) 33’
Nani 50’
Berbatov 69’
• Rooney finally breaks his long-lived deadlock from the spot after Giggs was tripped in the box.
• Nani cuts in onto his left foot and curls the ball into the corner from 18 yards.
• Berbatov finishes the job with an excellent horizontal volley from a Nani cross.
JUSS A BIT STUPID FROM JAASKELAINEN AS 10-MAN BOLTON SCRAPE A POINT
Bolton 2 - 2 Birmingham
K. Davies 71’ R. Johnson 4’
Blake 81’ Gardner 50’
• Jaaskelainen got sent off after slapping R. Johnson.
• Craig Gardner finished from Cameron Jerome’s strong knock-down.
• Johnson brought a man down in the area to allow Kevin Davies to convert a good penalty.
HODGSON’S HOME DELIGHT AS TORRES RETURNS
Liverpool 1 - 0 West Brom
Torres 65’
• Torres volleys Liverpool to three points for edge of the early to end a torrid time personally.
• Both Liverpool and Wigan are turned down debatable penalties, in particular Wigan’s after Olsson was pulled down by him.
• Morrisson sent off for a dangerous tackle on Torres with 5 minutes remaining.
SUNDERLAND GRAB THE POINTS AS CITY SLICKERS SLIP
SUNDERLAND 1 - 0 MAN CITY
Bent (Pen) 90’
Sunderland came out looking for a big 3 points today in a match that was always going to be tough for both teams. Carlos Tevez will no doubt be left hanging his head in deep shame after a shocking miss from 10 yards with the goal gaping opening.
Sunderland came back at City after this early miss with one narrow one of their own, a 30 yard effort from Henderson that had Hart watching. Lescott and Turner then got involved in a mean tackle with the Wear-side player coming off worse for wear in the tackle. This preceded an even nastier moment for Frazier Campbell off as his knee jarred in the ground, an injury that can now be confirmed as a tear of his cruciate ligaments leading to an absence of around six months.
Following such mean moments Yaya Toure was denied at close-range by Mignolet, who has been making quite a reputation for himself as a strong shot-stopper. This was backed up by his brilliant stretching save to stop a superb back-heeled effort from Emmanuel Adebayor late on in the 2nd half for 6 yards.
Then as the match seemed to be coming to a close, with the Match of the Day commentator tempting fate by saying, “it looks like Joe Hart is set to keep a fifth straight clean-sheet”. Micah Richard tugged all over the back of and brought Darren Bent down in the 3rd minute of 3 minutes of injury time to present Darren Bent with a penalty that would either secure 3 points for Sunderland or a share of the points. As it was Bent successfully put the penalty past a despairing Hart. This leaves City dropping more points to leave them 5 points adrift already, something that will not be likely to please Sheikh Mansour.
YOUNG THE THIEF AS VILLANS SOME TOFFEE
ASTON VILLA 1 - 0 EVERTON
L. Young 9’
After this latest disappointment, Everton have sealed their worst start to a season in 11 years with only 1 point from their 3 games. Considering they have played Blackburn away and Wolves at Goodison Park before today, David Moyes really will not be best pleased. Villa on the other hand were needing to make come-backs from the joint disappointments of crashing out of the Europa League and being beaten by Newcastle last weekend.
All in all it was a game dominated by Everton but the consistent as always Brad Friedel kept them at bay superbly, denying a late effort from Louis Saha at full stretch to save his team’s points with Jagielka heading over late-on as well. Not to be out-done, Tim Howard also made a good double-save from Carew and then Ashley Young stretching far and wide to prevent such efforts.
Mark Albrighton had a very good penalty appeal turned down by the referee when Pienaar was adjudged to have brought him down cleanly. This came after Villa’s enterprising opener and – in the end – winner. Luke Young made a curving, penetrative run into the box and was found by a ball from Ashley Young that was so well-timed and hit that Luke Young didn’t even have break stride to curve it first time with his left foot to score his 1st goal of the season.
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