With only seven games remaining, any point is a vital point at either end of the table. Seven games took place yesterday with no tea-time kick-off and perhaps surprisingly not a single red card. The lunch-time kick-off was all over at half-time as Wolves hosted Everton. The deadlock was broken after 21 minutes when Jermaine Beckford flicked a header past Hennessey. It was 2-0 after 39 minutes when Phil Neville scored his first goal in three years with a nice curler into the top corner. It could have been worse for Wolves because Hennessey also pulled off some great saves but it finished 3-0 when Bilyaletdinov fired a screamer past the young Welshman in first half injury time. Everton move to within a point of Liverpool who play on Monday, Wolves remain nineteenth.
With Arsenal not playing until today, Manchester United had the chance to go ten points clear at the top. Their opponents at Old Trafford were Fulham but again this match was all over at half-time. United took the lead after twelve minutes through Berbatov but replays showed he was marginally offside. It was 2-0 two minutes after the half-hour when Valencia headed a Nani cross from very close range after Schwarzer had committed himself. The defeat leaves Fulham eleventh but still only six points from safety.
West Brom edged their way to tenth as the unbeaten Roy Hodgson continued his run away to Sunderland. Sunderland did take the lead when Nicky Shorey put the ball into his own net after ten minutes. Odemwingie equalised after 28 minutes but parity was only for three minutes until Phil Bardsley smashed one home for 2-1. Again West Brom equalised this time through Youseff Mulumbu nine minutes into the second half. West Brom then took all three points when Paul Scharner rounded off a perfect move after 72 minutes. Sunderland are struggling and find themselves in thirteenth but level on points with Fulham.
Blackburn and Birmingham earned themselves a point apiece at Ewood Park in their relegation battle. Lee Bowyer gave Birmingham the lead after 32 minutes but Blackburn equalised through Junior Hoilett in first half injury time. Both teams move up to 35 points but Birmingham have that game in hand against Chelsea.
Stoke also remain level on points with Fulham and Sunderland due to Tottenham's resurgence after their thrashing in Madrid. After his mid-week red card, Peter Crouch became the hero again when he broke the deadlock after eleven minutes. Luka Modric made it 2-0 after eighteen but Stoke pulled one back through Matt Etherington nine minutes later. Crouch made it 3-1 after 34 minutes before Kenwyne Jones made it 3-2 seven minutes later in another game that was settled in the first half.
The Reebok also saw a game where the result was settled in the first half but this time the score wasn't. Bolton took the lead against West Ham when Sturridge scored yet again just before quarter of an hour. It was 2-0 six minutes later when Chung Yong Lee scored and the score was settled six minutes into the second half when Sturridge scored his second. Bolton move comfortably into eighth while West Ham are still in the relegation zone.
Bottom of the table Wigan almost earned themselves a point against Chelsea who were looking to bounce back from their mid-week defeat. Substitute Florent Malouda scored the only goal of the game after 67 minutes but it possibly should have been disallowed as Torres looked to have fouled keeper Ali Al-Habsi in the build up to the goal.
No comments:
Post a Comment