Monday 22 April 2013

RVP Hat-trick Seals 20th Title

Manchester United 3-0 Aston Villa: Manchester United are officially the 2012/2013 Barclay's Premier League champions, their 20th title, after a comfortable victory over Aston Villa. The party began on 90-seconds when Ryan Giggs was picked out by Rafael before the Welshman laid the ball across the goalmouth for Robin Van Persie to tap home. The Dutchman made it 2-0 on 13-minutes with, what is becoming a trademark goal, a sublime volley from over the shoulder after Wayne Rooney played the aerial ball. The hat-trick and title win was complete on 33-minutes after Giggs performed a great run before unselfishly played the ball to Van Persie to again tap home. With the title now sealed, all focus returns to the relegation battle as Villa remain just three points above Wigan who have a game in hand.

Tottenham 3-1 Manchester City: Manchester City surrender the title after Tottenham's comeback. The result sees Spurs remain a point behind Chelsea, but two behind Arsenal with a game in hand. Carlos Tevez worked well to give City the lead after five minutes when his effort led to James Milner pulling the ball back for Samir Nasri to slot home. Spurs equalised on 75-minutes when the returning Gareth Bale played a low cross for Clint Dempsey to tap home at the back post. That turned the games on its head as Tottenham went 2-1 ahead on 79-minutes when substitute Jermain Defoe curled a great effort past Joe Hart after being played through by Lewis Holtby. The win was then assured just three minutes later when Bale made it 3-1, scoring over Hart after Tom Huddlestone played the ball in to him.

Liverpool 2-2 Chelsea: It was a return to Anfield for Rafa Benitez but the headlines will all go Luis Suarez after another controversial, yet bizarre, incident. Chelsea took the lead on 26-minutes when poor defending saw Oscar head a Juan Mata corner in to the bottom corner. Brendan Rodgers' half-time substitute paid off just seven minutes after the restart when Suarez brilliantly found his new strike partner, Daniel Sturridge, to score against his old club. Five minutes later and Suarez became the villain when he handled from the corner to give Chelsea a penalty. Eden Hazard stepped up and easily sent Pepe Reina the wrong way to reinstall the lead. Suarez should then have the pitch in the disgrace, and now must face a lengthy retrospective ban, when a battle between himself and Branislav Ivanovic ended with the Uruguayan grabbing the Serbian's arm and sink his teeth in to it. But Suarez has previous as he was once banned for biting in Holland for seven games and a similar punishment must be handed out this time around. If there was going to be an equaliser in this game, it was always going to happen in the depths of stoppage time and scored by Suarez. That's exactly what happened as Sturridge's 97th minute cross was headed home by Suarez to controversially seal a point for Liverpool. The point for Chelsea means that sit a point behind a Arsenal, but have a game in hand, and now a point ahead of Tottenham.

Norwich 2-1 Reading: Reading are one game from relegation, but they hold on to their Premier League status for one more game at least with victory over QPR this weekend, a result which would relegated Harry Redknapp's men. This comes after losing to Norwich in a game that sees the Canaries move seven points clear of the drop with only four to play. Norwich took the lead five minutes in to the second half when Ryan Bennett scored the rebound after Grant Holt's header from Robert Snodgrass' free-kick was parried, Bennett's first ever goal for Norwich. It was 2-0 two minutes later when Alex McCarthy tried to come out and catch a Snodgrass cross that he was never to claim and Eliot Bennett coolly slotted between his legs. Garath McCleary finished off a great run with a good long range goal with 18-minutes to play, but Norwich held on to virtually condemn Reading to Championship football next season.

QPR 0-2 Stoke: Like Reading, QPR are now only a game away from relegation. If they beat Reading at the weekend then they relegate the Royals while remaining a Premiership team for one more game at least. Peter Crouch put Stoke ahead three minutes before half-time, finishing from a Cameron Jerome low cross. The points were secured 13-minutes from time when Crouch was pulled down in the box by Clint Hill whilst trying to reach Robert Huth's header which had just come back off the post. The penalty was given and Jonathan Walter stepped up, after being made to take it again, to convert in to the bottom corner. The win is crucial for Stoke as they now move six points clear of the bottom three.

West Ham 2-0 Wigan: Wigan remain three points from safety in what is now looking like a straight fight between themselves and Villa to be the last to fall from the Premiership. Matt Jarvis gave West Ham the lead when his 21st minute cross managed to miss those in the box before beating Joel Robles and ending up in the net. Kevin Nolan then scored his 100th career goal with a volley from Andy Carroll's header to put the game beyond all doubt with ten minutes remaining. The win for The Hammers means that a top ten place is still very much in their grasp this season.

Sunderland 1-0 Everton: Everton's hopes of Champions League football may now be all but over after defeat at the Stadium of Light. The Toffees fall six points behind Chelsea in fourth but Chelsea, and Tottenham in fifth, have a game in hand. The second win in a row for Paolo Di Canio is extremely crucial as it now sees Sunderland move six points clear of the relegation zone. The only goal of the game came in first half injury time when Tim Howard rolled the ball out to Leighton Baines. Baines then gave the ball away to Stephane Sessegnon and the Frenchman gleefully took his chance to toe-poke past the American keeper.

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal: Arsenal's hopes of Champions League football next season have been boosted by this victory at Craven Cottage. The three points mean they now sit a point ahead of Chelsea and still two ahead of Tottenham, with both having a game in hand over The Gunners. Fulham's match was hampered after just 12-minutes when Steve Sidwell was sent off for a studs in challenge on Mikel Arteta. Per Mertesacker scored the only goal two minutes before half-time, heading from a yard out after Theo Walcott's free-kick had found Laurent Koscielny at the back post. The man count was levelled in second half injury time when Olivier Giroud was also shown a straight red for an over the ball, studs in, challenge on Stanislav Manolev. But the damage had already been done and Arsenal held on to the win.

West Brom 1-1 Newcastle: Newcastle move six points clear of the relegation zone after a point at The Hawthornes. The visitors took the lead on eight minutes when Yoann Gouffran finished off a move that saw Papiss Cisse pick out a cross to Yohan Cabaye before the ball was played to Gouffran. But the three points were taken away from Newcastle on 64-minutes when Billy Jones finished after a pass from Romelu Lukaku.

Swansea 0-0 Southampton: This was probably one of the first 0-0 draws between two teams who have nothing left to play for towards the end of the season. There wasn't a lot of class between the sides and the point sees Southampton move eight points clear of the drop which should be enough with just four games remaining.

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