Pastor Maldonado becomes the first Venezuelan F1 driver to win a Grand Prix and with that, he brings Williams their first victory since Juan Pablo Montoya at Brazil in 2004. It also comes during the weekend that Sir Frank Williams hits the grand old age of 70.
The big news came last night when Pole sitter, Lewis Hamilton, was demoted to 24th due to not being able to bring the car back to the pits and provide a fuel sample. This automatically placed Maldonado at the front of the grid but he found himself in second place going into the first corner after Fernando Alonso overtook the Williams. The major incident at the start of the race saw Sergio Perez suffer a puncture that would effectively ruin his race.
By lap nine Hamilton had moved from the back up to 11th, just two laps before the first phase of pitting, and would find himself in 14th after he pitted.. Michael Schumacher went into the back of Bruno Senna on lap 13, causing both drivers to retire and will be investigated by the stewards post-race.
The Red Bulls were extremely quiet for most of the race due to some sort of problem with their front wings. This caused Mark Webber to come in for a second pit stop after just 18 laps. Sebastian Vettel would also have his wing changed later on in the race.
Narain Karthikeyan became the third retirement of the race on lap 25, stopping outside the exit of the pit lane. Two laps later, Maldonado had regained the lead by pitting two laps earlier than Fernando Alonso in the second stop phase.
Felipe Massa and Vettel both received drive through penalties on lap 28 for ignoring yellow flags, this put the Ferrari back down to 16th with the Red Bull in 9th. Charles Pic also received a drive through penalty on lap 36 for ignoring blue flags but, instead of taking it, Marussia decided to retire the Frenchman.
The penalty and the wing change seemed to spur Vettel on because the German managed to overtake Jenson Button on lap 38 to take him into 7th. Two laps later, Hamilton found himself in tenth after overtaking both of the Toro Rossos within three corners. Also, Perez was forced to retire after a botched pit-stop meant a wheel nut wasn't on properly.
The third pit phase saw Maldonado once again stop earlier than Alonso and, despite being a little slow, the Venezuelan managed to stay ahead. By lap 59, it was deja vu for Button as he once again saw the Red Bull of Vettel overtake him and move into eighth.
Kamui Kobayashi would seal fifth place for Sauber by overtaking Nico Rosberg on lap 61. Vettel soon found himself in seventh two laps later after overtaking Hamilton before then overtaking the Mercedes to ultimately finish sixth on the penultimate. Maldonado makes it five different winners from five different constructors at the start of this year's F1 season. Result:
1.Maldonado (Williams), 2.Alonso (Ferrari), 3.Raikkonen (Lotus), 4.Grosjean (Lotus), 5.Kobayashi (Sauber), 6.Vettel (Red Bull), 7.Rosberg (Mercedes), 8.Hamilton (McLaren), 9.Button (McLaren), 10.Hulkenberg (Force India), 11.Webber (Red Bull), 12.Vergne (Toro Rosso), 13.Ricciardo (Toro Rosso), 14.Di Resta (Force India), 15.Massa (Ferrari), 16.Kovalainen (Caterham), 17.Petrov (Caterham), 18.Glock (Marussia), 19.De La Rosa (HRT). DNF: Schumacher (Mercedes), Senna (Williams), Karthikeyan (HRT), Perez (Sauber), Pic (Marussia)
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Pedersen Wins Prague
Nicki Pedersen won the battle of the World Champions to win the Czech GP in Prague. The final consisted of Greg Hancock, Jason Crump and Tomasz Gollob, who are now the top four in the overall standings. The win for Pedersen sees him move into fourth on 42 points, Gollob and Hancock are on 43 whilst Crump now leads on 44.
Crump and Hancock progressed to the final by beating Antonio Lindback and the wildcard, Josef Franc in the semi-final. Pedersen and Gollob made it through by beating round two winner, Chris Holder, and Emil Sayfutdinov in the second semi-final.
The performance of the night had to go to Franc who, after winning his opening heat, would then amazingly win his second heat of the night against Crump, Gollob and Hancock in heat 15 before taking a third heat to book his place in the semis in the 18th.
Sayfutdinov took his first two heats of the night before Holder, Gollob, Crump and Lindback made it two wins in three heats. Crump initially false started in the 11th heat but would then win it after all four riders were allowed to restart.
Nicki Pedersen's first heat win of the night didn't come until heat 13 and would then make it two in two on heat 20. Holder won his third heat of the meeting in his fourth ride before his fellow Australian, Crump, followed suit straight after Franc.
With four different riders leading the standings over the three meetings, it goes some way to say this year's Speedway GP series is going to be very tight and special.
Crump and Hancock progressed to the final by beating Antonio Lindback and the wildcard, Josef Franc in the semi-final. Pedersen and Gollob made it through by beating round two winner, Chris Holder, and Emil Sayfutdinov in the second semi-final.
The performance of the night had to go to Franc who, after winning his opening heat, would then amazingly win his second heat of the night against Crump, Gollob and Hancock in heat 15 before taking a third heat to book his place in the semis in the 18th.
Sayfutdinov took his first two heats of the night before Holder, Gollob, Crump and Lindback made it two wins in three heats. Crump initially false started in the 11th heat but would then win it after all four riders were allowed to restart.
Nicki Pedersen's first heat win of the night didn't come until heat 13 and would then make it two in two on heat 20. Holder won his third heat of the meeting in his fourth ride before his fellow Australian, Crump, followed suit straight after Franc.
With four different riders leading the standings over the three meetings, it goes some way to say this year's Speedway GP series is going to be very tight and special.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
150th Pole For McLaren
Lewis Hamilton secures McLaren's 150th Pole position in the qualifying for the Spanish GP in Catalunya. It's Frank Williams' 70th birthday this weekend and to celebrate, Pastor Maldonado was fastest in Q2 and followed that up by amazingly qualifying in second.
With four winners from four constructors this season, it was no surprise to see four constructors in the top four on the grid. Fernando Alonso will start third for his home race with Romain Grosjean in fourth, Kimi Raikkonen will start fifth in the second Lotus car.
Sauber have set up a new deal with Chelsea and Sergio Perez managed to qualify in sixth. Kamui Kobayashi also managed to get into Q3 but a mechanical failure in Q2 meant he couldn't do a lap in the final session was therefore delegated tenth place.
Sebastian Vettel didn't set a time in Q3 and becomes the meat in a Mercedes sandwich, Nico Rosberg will begin the race ahead of the Red Bull whereas Michael Schumacher, who also didn't set a time, starts the race in ninth.
Q2 was settled in dramatic fashion as places 5-12 were separated by a tenth. This meant that Jenson Button, starting 11th, and the Pole sitter for the last two Spanish GPs, Mark Webber in 12th, both missed out on the final part of qualifying.
The two Force Indias line-up side by side in 13th and 14th with Paul Di Resta out-qualifying Nico Hulkenberg. The Toro Rossos also line-up side by side behind the Force Indias with Jean-Eric Vergne beating Daniel Ricciardo for the first time this season. Felipe Massa makes up the top 17 with yet another miserable qualifying session.
The big name to fall from Q1 was Bruno Senna, in a stark contrast to Maldonado. The Brazilian was pushing to get through and the ultimately cost him as he took too much kerb and span out on his final lap. Vitaly Petrov managed to out-qualify his Caterham team-mate Heikki Kovalainen in 19th and 20th.
Charles Pic beats Timo Glock in qualifying for the first time this season in the Marussia battle. HRT unsurprisingly start on the back row with Narain Karthikeyan failing to secure the 107% time, this could mean he his unable to race tomorrow, but he should be okay.
With four winners from four constructors this season, it was no surprise to see four constructors in the top four on the grid. Fernando Alonso will start third for his home race with Romain Grosjean in fourth, Kimi Raikkonen will start fifth in the second Lotus car.
Sauber have set up a new deal with Chelsea and Sergio Perez managed to qualify in sixth. Kamui Kobayashi also managed to get into Q3 but a mechanical failure in Q2 meant he couldn't do a lap in the final session was therefore delegated tenth place.
Sebastian Vettel didn't set a time in Q3 and becomes the meat in a Mercedes sandwich, Nico Rosberg will begin the race ahead of the Red Bull whereas Michael Schumacher, who also didn't set a time, starts the race in ninth.
Q2 was settled in dramatic fashion as places 5-12 were separated by a tenth. This meant that Jenson Button, starting 11th, and the Pole sitter for the last two Spanish GPs, Mark Webber in 12th, both missed out on the final part of qualifying.
The two Force Indias line-up side by side in 13th and 14th with Paul Di Resta out-qualifying Nico Hulkenberg. The Toro Rossos also line-up side by side behind the Force Indias with Jean-Eric Vergne beating Daniel Ricciardo for the first time this season. Felipe Massa makes up the top 17 with yet another miserable qualifying session.
The big name to fall from Q1 was Bruno Senna, in a stark contrast to Maldonado. The Brazilian was pushing to get through and the ultimately cost him as he took too much kerb and span out on his final lap. Vitaly Petrov managed to out-qualify his Caterham team-mate Heikki Kovalainen in 19th and 20th.
Charles Pic beats Timo Glock in qualifying for the first time this season in the Marussia battle. HRT unsurprisingly start on the back row with Narain Karthikeyan failing to secure the 107% time, this could mean he his unable to race tomorrow, but he should be okay.
Friday, 11 May 2012
2012 Premier League Darts: Week 14
The final week of the Premier League darts was brought to us by the Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, as the final two play-off places were decided. Simon Whitlock has already booked his place at Wembley next week and met Adrian Lewis in the first game of the night. The pair met in Brighton in week five where the Australian won 8-4. Lewis secured the first break of throw in the fourth leg with a bull finish to make it 3-1. Whitlock made it 4-2 going into the break with a 130 check-out before then breaking back in the ninth leg. It became 5-5 before Whitlock managed to secure a 140 check-out to crucially break in the penultimate leg. The Australian held his throw to win the match 8-6 and dump Lewis out of the 2012 Premier League Darts.
Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter battled it out in the second game in a winner takes all match. Painter won 8-5 in Brighton and that would be enough to put him into the final four regardless of the Raymond Van Barneveld, James Wade match. It was Hamilton that started better in a cagey opening by breaking the second leg to take a 2-0 lead. That soon became 4-0 before Painter finally put a score on the board, against the throw, before Hamilton retaliated to make it 5-1 at the break. The point was guaranteed two legs later before Hamilton put himself into the semi-finals with an 8-1 win.
With Hamilton through, it just left Barneveld and Wade to fight it out for the final play-off place. Only a win would be enough for the Dutchman but it was Wade that won way back in week five, 8-6. Barney secured the first break of throw in the fourth leg after a whole host of missed darts at the double but The Machine instantly broke back. But Barneveld managed to make it three breaks in three legs after Wade missed a further two darts at the double to take a 4-2 lead going into the adverts. It then became four breaks in a row before Wade finally held to level the score. Wade broke once again in the ninth leg to take the lead for the first time in this match. The Dutchman secured an amazing 161 check-out to make it 6-5 in Wade's favour before levelling with an 80 check-out via a 25, bull's eye finish. The Machine then missed two darts at his beloved double ten to allow Barney to take a 7-6 lead going into the final leg. Wade recovered to hold his throw and break Barneveld's heart by stealing that final play-off spot.
The final match of the night saw top play bottom as Phil Taylor took on Gary Anderson, The Power derailed the Flying Scotsman 8-1 in Brighton. The first break of throw came in the fourth leg with Anderson securing an impressive 161 check-out. But Taylor instantly broke back before making it 3-3 at the interval. Anderson then broke the Taylor throw again in the eighth leg after the Power missed four darts at the double. Again Taylor broke straight back and managed to equalise once more despite missing a further three darts at the double. The final four legs all went with throw to finish at 7-7, a result that means Anderson remains at the foot of the table. Final standings:
Taylor 20 +57
Whitlock 16 -1
Hamilton 13 0
Wade 13 -6
Van Barneveld 13 -11
Lewis 12 -8
Painter 11 -12
Anderson 10 -13
Next week will see Whitlock face his nemesis Hamilton while Taylor meets Wade in the play-offs, with the winners meeting on the same night.
Andy Hamilton and Kevin Painter battled it out in the second game in a winner takes all match. Painter won 8-5 in Brighton and that would be enough to put him into the final four regardless of the Raymond Van Barneveld, James Wade match. It was Hamilton that started better in a cagey opening by breaking the second leg to take a 2-0 lead. That soon became 4-0 before Painter finally put a score on the board, against the throw, before Hamilton retaliated to make it 5-1 at the break. The point was guaranteed two legs later before Hamilton put himself into the semi-finals with an 8-1 win.
With Hamilton through, it just left Barneveld and Wade to fight it out for the final play-off place. Only a win would be enough for the Dutchman but it was Wade that won way back in week five, 8-6. Barney secured the first break of throw in the fourth leg after a whole host of missed darts at the double but The Machine instantly broke back. But Barneveld managed to make it three breaks in three legs after Wade missed a further two darts at the double to take a 4-2 lead going into the adverts. It then became four breaks in a row before Wade finally held to level the score. Wade broke once again in the ninth leg to take the lead for the first time in this match. The Dutchman secured an amazing 161 check-out to make it 6-5 in Wade's favour before levelling with an 80 check-out via a 25, bull's eye finish. The Machine then missed two darts at his beloved double ten to allow Barney to take a 7-6 lead going into the final leg. Wade recovered to hold his throw and break Barneveld's heart by stealing that final play-off spot.
The final match of the night saw top play bottom as Phil Taylor took on Gary Anderson, The Power derailed the Flying Scotsman 8-1 in Brighton. The first break of throw came in the fourth leg with Anderson securing an impressive 161 check-out. But Taylor instantly broke back before making it 3-3 at the interval. Anderson then broke the Taylor throw again in the eighth leg after the Power missed four darts at the double. Again Taylor broke straight back and managed to equalise once more despite missing a further three darts at the double. The final four legs all went with throw to finish at 7-7, a result that means Anderson remains at the foot of the table. Final standings:
Taylor 20 +57
Whitlock 16 -1
Hamilton 13 0
Wade 13 -6
Van Barneveld 13 -11
Lewis 12 -8
Painter 11 -12
Anderson 10 -13
Next week will see Whitlock face his nemesis Hamilton while Taylor meets Wade in the play-offs, with the winners meeting on the same night.
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Penultimate Matches
Newcastle 0-2
Manchester City: Sir Alex Ferguson claims that City now have two hands on
their first Premiership title after this victory. The turning point of the
match came when Samir Nasri was substituted for Nigel De Jong, thus pushing
Yaya Toure forward. The Ivorian would then share a slick one-two with Sergio
Aguero before curling a beautiful shot into the bottom corner on 71-minutes.
City then had countless chances to conceivably wrap the title up before Vincent
Kompany headed a corner away to begin a counter attack. David Santon failed to
control the ball properly and Sergio Aguero quickly dispossessed him and made
his way into the Newcastle half. Suddenly, there were three City players up
with him and it would be Gael Clichy who would slide the ball into Toure who
lofted the ball past Tim Krul to make it 2-0 with two minutes to go. Newcastle
remain in fifth, a point behind Tottenham whereas City host QPR in the final
game of the season.
Manchester United 2-0
Swansea: United had already seen City win by the time they kicked off, knowing
that only a win would still mathematically keep their title hopes alive. At the
start of play, United also had a ten goal deficit they needed to try and claw
back. The deadlock was broken when Antonio Valencia pulled the ball back to
Michael Carrick, the midfielder’s shot was directed in by Paul Scholes for his
fourth goal of the season on 28-minutes. Ashley Young curled the second goal
into the bottom corner after Wayne Rooney’s shot came back out to him four
minutes before half-time. United’s hunt for more goals seemed rather more
subdued in the second half as David De Gea was called into action a bit more.
The scoreline stayed at two meaning the two Manchester clubs remain level on
points with City having an eight goal advantage. If QPR were to provide any
heroics at the Etihad, United must make sure they beat Sunderland at the
Stadium of Light.
Bolton 2-2 West Brom:
Bolton remain two points from safety in a game where they almost had all three.
Bolton took the lead on 24-minutes when Youssouf Mulumbu barged Mark Davies
over in the box; Martin Petrov stepped up and converted the penalty. It was
then 2-0 when Petrov’s cross was deflected into his own net by Billy Jones on
72-minutes. Chris Brunt made it 2-1 three minutes later with a neatly placed
shot before James Morrison broke Bolton hearts with the equaliser in injury
time. Bolton travel to the Britannia to fight for their Premiership survival on
the last day of the season.
QPR 1-0 Stoke:
QPR now move two points ahead of Bolton and the relegation zone with this
victory over Stoke. Substitute Djibril Cisse scored the winner via a corner in
the final minute of the game, his fifth goal in seven games. This could give
them vital momentum going into the game against Manchester City.
Arsenal 3-3 Norwich:
The only Saturday game saw Arsenal secure a see-saw draw against Norwich,
seeing them stay third by a point. Yossi Benayoun celebrated his birthday with
a curler after just two minutes to give the hosts the lead. Wes Hoolahan
equalised on 12-minutes when his shot was spilled into the net by Wojiech
Szczesny. Grant Holt then made it 2-1 on 27-minutes when his shot was helped
over Szczesny by the boot of Kieron Gibbs. Arsenal were level on 72-minutes
when Alex Song’s ball was volleyed home by Robin Van Persie, the Dutchman would
then make it 3-2 eight minutes later, matching Thierry Henry’s goal record. But
Norwich weren’t to be denied and Steven Morison scored the second equaliser
with five minutes remaining.
Aston Villa 1-1
Tottenham: Villa’s place in the Premiership is all but assured with this
point putting them three clear of the relegation zone with a much superior goal
difference. Tottenham remain fourth, a point behind Arsenal but a point ahead
of Newcastle. Ciaran Clark gave Villa the lead ten minutes before half-time
when his shot was deflected off William Gallas before looping past Brad Friedel
on his return to Villa Park. Spurs were then down to ten men four minutes into
the second half when Danny Rose was sent off for a studs in challenge on Alan Hutton. Tottenham would then have a penalty on
62-minutes when Richard Dunne fouled Sandro in the box from a corner; Emmanuel
Adebayor converted the spot-kick.
Fulham 2-1
Sunderland: Clint Dempsey gave Fulham the lead with a stunning free-kick on
12-minutes, his 50th Premiership goal. Phil Bardsley equalised on
his 150th senior game 11-minutes before half-time. But parity lasted
less than a minute when Moussa Dembele made it 2-1 via a deflection.
Wolves 0-0 Everton:
With nothing to play for, it was always possible that this could be a damp
squid despite Everton’s recent goalscoring form. Nikica Jelavic came closest
for Everton, but his goal was ruled out for offside when it seemed that he was,
in fact, onside. Denis Stracqualursi also thought he had scored in the second
half, but his goal was also ruled out as Marouane Fellaini was offside and
interfering with play.
Blackburn 0-1 Wigan: Blackburn are officially relegated whilst Wigan guarantee their own safety with this Monday Night Football result. A draw wouldn't have been enough for Blackburn but the ultimate heartbreak came with three minutes left, Antolin Alcaraz heading a corner home.
Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea: The replay of the FA Cup final couldn't have been any more of a contrast. Despite Branislav Ivanovic hitting the post for Chelsea, Luis Suarez caused Michael Essien to score an own goal on 19-minutes to give Liverpool the lead. A John Terry slip caused Jordan Henderson to make it 2-0 after being one-on-one with Ross Turnbull on 25-minutes. This was followed by a Daniel Agger header from a corner three minutes later to make it 3-0. The remainder of the first half saw Fernando Torres and Stewart Downing hit the crossbar before the Liverpool midfielder missed an injury time penalty, caused by Ivanovic elbowing Andy Carroll in the chest. Ramires made it 3-1 five minutes into the second half before Turnbull played the ball into Jonjo Shelvey's path just after the hour mark. The midfielder was more than happy to score his first Premiership goal by smashing it into the empty net. The result ends Chelsea's hopes of finishing fourth.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
2012 Premier League Darts: Week 13
The penultimate week of the Premier League darts was inside the NIA, Birmingham. Up first was Simon Whitlock and Andy Hamilton who played out an epic 7-7 battle in Dublin in week seven. The start of this match saw seven breaks of throw in a row, before Hamilton finally held to make 5-3. The Hammer would then break the throw once more on his way to guaranteeing himself a point at 7-3. Whitlock's first hold of throw came in the 11th leg but it was to no avail as Hamilton would end up winning 8-4. This keeps Whitlock on 14 points with Hamilton moving to 11.
The second match of night Gary Anderson take on Raymond Van Barneveld. The Dutchman won the previous match 8-5 in Dublin, a repeat of this would dump the Scot out of this year's campaign. Barney broke the throw in the opening leg with an impressive 138 check-out. But Anderson instantly broke back before making it 3-1 with a second break of throw. The fifth leg also went against throw before Barney went into the break level at 3-3. Four missed darts at the double from Anderson once again allowed the Dutchman to break and retake the lead before bettering that with a fabulous 170 check-out in the eighth leg. But Anderson wasn't flustered and came back to take a 6-5 lead. Barney levelled with a Shanghai 120 finish before both players held to earn a well deserved draw at 7-7. The point is unfortunately not enough for Anderson to have a chance in qualifying, on nine points, Barney moves to 12 points and needs to beat Wade in the final week.
The third match of the night saw Adrian Lewis battle it out against Kevin Painter with the Artist needing to win to keep his hopes alive. When they met in week seven, the World Champion took the match 8-5. Painter began the match with a straight ton check-out before following that with a 106 check-out to break the Lewis throw. Jackpot secured his first leg of the night in the fourth which then became 4-2 going into the break. Painter would then break the throw in leg eight to make 6-2 before sealing a point in style with an unbelievable 150 check-out. The Players' Champion only needed to hold his next throw to win the match 8-3. Lewis remains on 12 with Painter moving up to 11
Phil Taylor faced James Wade in the final match of the night, it was the Power who secured the win in Dublin by 8-2. Taylor instantly broke the throw but that soon became 6-0 as the Power showed his ruthless streak against a hapless Wade. The Machine did manage to secure a ton check-out in the seventh leg to finally get him out of the blocks. But it didn't take long for Taylor to ascertain an 8-1 victory, a result that sees Whitlock qualify for the semi-finals whereas Wade remains on 12 points. Penultimate table:
Taylor 19 +57
Whitlock 14 -3
Lewis 12 -6
Wade 12 -6
Barneveld 12 -11
Hamilton 11 -7
Painter 11 -5
Anderson 9 -13
The second match of night Gary Anderson take on Raymond Van Barneveld. The Dutchman won the previous match 8-5 in Dublin, a repeat of this would dump the Scot out of this year's campaign. Barney broke the throw in the opening leg with an impressive 138 check-out. But Anderson instantly broke back before making it 3-1 with a second break of throw. The fifth leg also went against throw before Barney went into the break level at 3-3. Four missed darts at the double from Anderson once again allowed the Dutchman to break and retake the lead before bettering that with a fabulous 170 check-out in the eighth leg. But Anderson wasn't flustered and came back to take a 6-5 lead. Barney levelled with a Shanghai 120 finish before both players held to earn a well deserved draw at 7-7. The point is unfortunately not enough for Anderson to have a chance in qualifying, on nine points, Barney moves to 12 points and needs to beat Wade in the final week.
The third match of the night saw Adrian Lewis battle it out against Kevin Painter with the Artist needing to win to keep his hopes alive. When they met in week seven, the World Champion took the match 8-5. Painter began the match with a straight ton check-out before following that with a 106 check-out to break the Lewis throw. Jackpot secured his first leg of the night in the fourth which then became 4-2 going into the break. Painter would then break the throw in leg eight to make 6-2 before sealing a point in style with an unbelievable 150 check-out. The Players' Champion only needed to hold his next throw to win the match 8-3. Lewis remains on 12 with Painter moving up to 11
Phil Taylor faced James Wade in the final match of the night, it was the Power who secured the win in Dublin by 8-2. Taylor instantly broke the throw but that soon became 6-0 as the Power showed his ruthless streak against a hapless Wade. The Machine did manage to secure a ton check-out in the seventh leg to finally get him out of the blocks. But it didn't take long for Taylor to ascertain an 8-1 victory, a result that sees Whitlock qualify for the semi-finals whereas Wade remains on 12 points. Penultimate table:
Taylor 19 +57
Whitlock 14 -3
Lewis 12 -6
Wade 12 -6
Barneveld 12 -11
Hamilton 11 -7
Painter 11 -5
Anderson 9 -13
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Games In Hand
The FA Cup semi-finalists have played out their games in hand this mid-week as the race for third hots up. Liverpool hosted Fulham on the Tuesday with the Cottagers going level on points with Liverpool with a win. The only goal of the game came within five minutes, Martin Skrtel putting the ball into his own net.
Everton stretch their lead over Liverpool to three points after gaining a point at the Britannia. Everton took the lead a minute before half-time when a scramble in the box saw a Tony Hibbert cross come off Peter Crouch and into the net. Cameron Jerome equalised for Stoke on 69-minutes to put them level on points with Swansea in 13th.
Wednesday saw Chelsea host Newcastle in a true battle for fourth place. The opening goal of the game came after 19-minutes when Papiss Cisse set the ball up with his right before volleying past Petr Cech with his left. Cisse would then equal the record of 13 goals in his first 12 goals with a fantastic curling shot from outside the boot in second half injury time to move themselves four points clear of Chelsea, but just a point behind Arsenal.
Newcastle still remain fifth though as Tottenham secured a win over Bolton to remain fourth on goal difference, also a point behind Arsenal. It was an emotional night at the Reebok as Fabrice Muamba was in attendance and came out before the game to a rapturous applause. Unfortunately for Muamba, the result didn't go as planned when Luka Modric curled a great shot into the net eight minutes before half-time. Bolton were much better in the second half and finally got their reward when Nigel Reo-Coker finished off an attacking move just six minutes after the restart. A counter-attack allowed Rafael Van Der Vaart to make it 2-1 on the hour mark before Emmanuel Adebayor made it two goals in two minutes to break Bolton hearts. Adebayor would then make it 4-1 a further seven minutes to create a scoreline that slightly flatters Spurs. Bolton remain in the relegation zone on goal difference.
Everton stretch their lead over Liverpool to three points after gaining a point at the Britannia. Everton took the lead a minute before half-time when a scramble in the box saw a Tony Hibbert cross come off Peter Crouch and into the net. Cameron Jerome equalised for Stoke on 69-minutes to put them level on points with Swansea in 13th.
Wednesday saw Chelsea host Newcastle in a true battle for fourth place. The opening goal of the game came after 19-minutes when Papiss Cisse set the ball up with his right before volleying past Petr Cech with his left. Cisse would then equal the record of 13 goals in his first 12 goals with a fantastic curling shot from outside the boot in second half injury time to move themselves four points clear of Chelsea, but just a point behind Arsenal.
Newcastle still remain fifth though as Tottenham secured a win over Bolton to remain fourth on goal difference, also a point behind Arsenal. It was an emotional night at the Reebok as Fabrice Muamba was in attendance and came out before the game to a rapturous applause. Unfortunately for Muamba, the result didn't go as planned when Luka Modric curled a great shot into the net eight minutes before half-time. Bolton were much better in the second half and finally got their reward when Nigel Reo-Coker finished off an attacking move just six minutes after the restart. A counter-attack allowed Rafael Van Der Vaart to make it 2-1 on the hour mark before Emmanuel Adebayor made it two goals in two minutes to break Bolton hearts. Adebayor would then make it 4-1 a further seven minutes to create a scoreline that slightly flatters Spurs. Bolton remain in the relegation zone on goal difference.
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