Archive for November, 2008

Premier League: Portsmouth 3-2 Blackburn Rovers

Sean Davis' first goal in 2½ years rescued a 3-2 win for Portsmouth after squandering the lead against Blackburn

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Premier League: Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal

This is proving an unforgettable season for Arsenal. Fans would prefer not to be carrying around recollections of losses to Hull and Stoke, but there are also memories to cherish. This victory is a companion piece to the win over Manchester United at the Emirates three weeks ago. The mightier the opposition the better the prospects for Arsène Wenger's squad.

If Arsenal were in crisis then the anguish has now passed to Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Brazilian does have his grievances since the visitors' equaliser, the first of Robin van Persie's goals, should have been ruled offside. Scolari's Chelsea had already seen Liverpool take three points at Stamford Bridge, to say nothing of defeat by Burnley in the League Cup, before the arrival of Arsenal. All the same, there is sympathy for the manager. In part, he is a victim of changing times. This is no longer a club of unlimited resources. So long as the fitness of the presently suspended Didier Drogba is in question, Scolari has, in Nicolas Anelka, a single proven striker at his disposal.

He would have no complaints about the presence here of Michael Ballack, Deco and Frank Lampard as his attacking midfielders, but the Englishman, at the age of 30, was the youngest of them. If there was to be zest, it had to emanate from the overlapping right-back Jose Bosingwa. The January transfer market commonly proves barren for managers but it also appears, in any case, that Scolari would have to raise funds by offloading players.

It is a little while since Arsenal's circumstances were enviable, but the energy of youth was an asset here. Although they are not yet at the same standard as some streamlined predecessors, it is this batch that has delivered their club's first win on this ground since the 'invincible' season of 2003-04. The circumstances in which that was achieved rankle with Chelsea.

Scolari is normally gracious and he embraced Wenger at the end, but he also deplored the officials. With the score at 0-0, a tight call after five minutes went against Salomon Kalou wrongly and there would have been less sympathy with a linesman's erroneous verdict on Van Persie in the 59th minute. He was behind the defence when Denilson set him up in a move that had also involved Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fábregas. The Dutchman kept his mind fixed on the task and lashed a shot home with his weaker right foot.

Chelsea were dismayed and fragile. Three minutes later, Adebayor knocked down a Fábregas set-piece and Van Persie drilled the ball past the left hand of Petr Cech. For all we know, the deposed captain William Gallas could conceivably develop a soft spot for the Dutchman.

Van Persie's execution had been unanswerable at each goal, but the opposition's concentration did wobble at the clincher. While that would hitherto have been classified as an aberration for Chelsea, minds currently seem to have a habit of wandering. During the midweek draw in Bordeaux, Lampard and John Terry lost concentration at critical moments.

Yesterday, Arsenal had superior endurance. They bore the concession of a markedly stupid opener in the 31st minute. Manuel Almunia, attempting a quick throw-out, hurled the ball too far. The visitors, unexpectedly, were at immediate risk. With devastating fluency, Chelsea's Bosingwa linked with Mikel John Obi and Anelka before having possession returned to him. His lethal low cross was turned into his own net by Johan Djourou.

After all that has afflicted Arsenal in this campaign, they could have slithered into defeatism. It is to their credit that there was no such despair, but Chelsea also nursed the revival by being so colourless. Anelka drew a blank here as the realisation grew that his prolific efforts until now have masked limitations. Scolari did not have another credible finisher in attack.

That accounts, in some degree, for the fact that, at home, they have a solitary point to show for their three home fixtures against English representatives in the Champions League. Even that draw had come when Manchester United were in sight of victory at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal closed off all the escape routes here.

Both clubs have their injury problems, but it was Chelsea who were compelled to give a debut to a 19-year-old when the Slovakian Miroslav Stoch took over from Deco. That was a desperate step for a manager, yet Scolari felt it worth taking.

It was notable that Almunia had very little to do over the course of the afternoon. Cech had more to concern himself with even though Chelsea looked the sounder team. There were saves to make then, with a possibility that Gallas might break the deadlock in the 14th minute. The centre-back did not connect when Cech beat out a Samir Nasri attempt in his direction.

The former Chelsea player, though, carried out his regular duties perfectly. Perhaps it will suit Gallas that he no longer bears the armband, because he has always seemed too quirky and erratic figure for that role. Many things fell into place for Wenger yesterday.

Man of the match Robin van Persie (Arsenal)

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Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Everton

If Harry Redknapp has presided over a rapid revolution at Tottenham, then David Moyes's tenure at Everton has involved a more gradual evolution. The third-longest serving manager in the Premier League was overseeing his 300th game and the tactical discipline they displayed in quelling a previously buoyant Spurs side was testament to his long-term development of the squad, particularly following the season-ending injury suffered by Yakubu Aiyegbeni after only 10 minutes.

The Nigerian striker started the game as a lone striker but limped off with a ruptured achilles tendon after a challenge with Ledley King. The loss of his top scorer dampened the celebrations for Moyes, whose injury-plagued forwards suffered further depletion in the second half when Yakubu's replacement, Louis Saha, was carried off with a hamstring strain, the severity of which will be assessed today.

Victor Anichebe was thus introduced for the final 20 minutes but he himself is recovering from a hamstring problem and Moyes's other senior attacking option, James Vaughan, will be out for up to three months after having an operation on a knee in Colorado. "It's a massive blow for us, for [Yakubu] as well," said Moyes. "If you look at his record in the Premier League he scores 15, 16 goals a season."

He added that he would try to bring a striker in on loan during the January window but admitted he may have to play Tim Cahill as a makeshift forward. Here Cahill was part of a five-man midfield that disrupted Tottenham's passing, he and the excellent Marouane Fellaini negating Spurs' Tom Huddlestone and Didier Zokora, and Mikel Arteta filling the unlikely role of anchorman with aplomb.

"They're a difficult team to play against," said Redknapp. "It was hard to pass it because there was no space. We resorted to high balls and we can't play that way. Once they get their noses in front they are a very difficult team to break down, and we gave a terrible goal away."

Redknapp berated his players for "switching off" and "turning their backs" when Arteta played a quick free kick short to the industrious Steven Pienaar. He ran to the edge of the penalty area before his shot deflected off Vedran Corluka past the wrong-footed Heurelho Gomes.

Pienaar had emerged for the second half wearing Leon Osman's shirt - "they changed next to each other," explained Moyes - but it was his own jersey he peeled off in celebration to reveal a T-shirt bearing the message "God is Great". Corluka's crucial touch on the ball was welcomed by neutrals because such an intervention had seemed the only way a goal would come. Gomes, who received an ovation prior to kick-off, was not overworked, Everton unable to win a corner from which to test his handling. He was, however, forced into two saves in quick succession before half-time by Fellaini, and looked uncomfortable in the second half when parrying Pienaar's 20-yard drive.

For all their possession Spurs created few chances, the pick of which fell to Darren Bent, who diverted Benoît Assou-Ekotto's cross tamely at Tim Howard. Bent was replaced by Fraizer Campbell after an hour and the Manchester United loanee looked set to equalise in injury time, but the brief opening was closed by Phil Jagielka's block, one of several interceptions from the outstanding defender.

Tottenham have been linked with a January bid for the Fulham defender Brede Hangeland, but it was higher up the field where their resources looked insufficient. Aaron Lennon's contribution was minimal and David Bentley produced little of note even when switched to the right.

Only goal difference is keeping Spurs outside the relegation zone and Redknapp conceded this result, only the second defeat in his 10-match reign, leaves his team back in trouble. In contrast, Moyes was able to reflect on the way he has turned Everton into a team perennially competing for European qualification. "I'm fortunate to have been given 300 games," he said. "A lot of managers don't get that opportunity. There's a future at this club and I want to be part of it - I'm looking forward to getting another 300."

Man of the match: Phil Jagielka (Everton)

Everton injury blues

Yakubu Ayegbeni Age 26

Ruptured achilles tendon - out until at least August

Louis Saha Age 30

Damaged hamstring which tightened at Wigan last week - January

James Vaughan Age 20

Knee cartilage operation due in Colorado this week - February

Victor Anichebe Age 20

Remains fit it but with 17 league starts, still largely unproven

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Premier League: Sunderland 1-4 Bolton Wanderers

Roy Keane pointed the finger at himself after Sunderland were humbled 4-1 at home by Bolton

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Cristiano Ronaldo is sent off but United show City who are kings of Manchester

Cristiano Ronaldo may need to be convinced but, when the dust settles, Manchester United will cherish the day they reminded their nouveaux riches neighbours who should be known, in the words of the match-winner Wayne Rooney, as "the real kings of Manchester".

Ronaldo's red card removed some of the gloss but, ultimately, that kind of thing is only a minor irritation when you have just beaten the club who have been shouting from the rooftops about changing the order of world football.

A club with United's priorities will not mind too much, either, about the £50,000 fine that will automatically be handed out by the Football Association as this was the second time this season they have collected six or more yellow cards in a match. Do not put money on United winning the Fair Play League but, equally, think twice before questioning whether they have the battling qualities to come from behind in this season's title race.

They won the 150th Mancunian derby because they passed the ball better and had a centre-forward who decided he had waited long enough to score the 100th goal of his career. Wayne Rooney was the outstanding performer, although an honorary mention goes to Michael Carrick. Between them, they dictated the pattern of a game in which the margin of victory was flattering to Mark Hughes's team.

The reason for that owes partly to Robinho's inability to impose himself. This was his weakest game since moving to England and, at times, he looked as though he was struggling from an old ankle injury. Stephen Ireland and Shaun Wright-Phillips, City's other main threats, flickered sporadically, and the home side did not really pose any threat until another Brazilian, Elano, came on at half-time.

His introduction with Pablo Zabaleta was an admission on Hughes's part that the first half had been horribly one-sided. Rooney was having one of those days when he shimmered with menace every time he took the ball. Park Ji-Sung was busy and effective and Ronaldo started off in great form, always wanting the ball and full of positive running.

Rooney would be left to reflect on a hugely satisfying day's work, scoring the game's decisive moment after City's goalkeeper, Joe Hart, had parried Carrick's left-foot drive. For Ronaldo, however, everything would change during the space of 10 second-half minutes.

His first aberration was to clip Wright-Phillips's heels, cutting short a counter-attack and earning him his first yellow card from the referee Howard Webb. It could have turned into red if Webb had taken a dim view of Ronaldo sarcastically applauding the decision. Instead, his exit was sealed when Rooney swung over a corner and the runaway favourite to be named European footballer of the year tomorrow inexplicably decided to bat down the ball with both hands.

Why he did it, only he will know. Ronaldo can be devastating in the air and the opportunity was there to have a go at goal. His argument was that he had been pushed by Micah Richards but there was minimal contact, certainly not enough to make him lose the trajectory of the ball. He took an age to leave the pitch and, on the way, complained that he had tried to stop play after hearing what he thought was the referee's whistle. Again, it did not wash.

City's fans enjoyed the moment but it was a small victory. Hughes will look back on that moment, in the third minute of stoppage time, when a combination of Edwin van der Sar's left hand and Patrice Evra's boot blocked Richard Dunne's effort on the goal-line, denying him an improbable equaliser. The home side will also reflect on Ireland hitting a post after Van der Sar's unconvincing punch, just after the half-hour mark.

These, however, were isolated moments on a day when, for every chance that City created, United had three. Even after Dunne's late chance the team in red elegantly counter-attacked and, alert as ever, Rooney noticed that Joe Hart was still running back after coming forward for the last attack. The striker lofted a wonderfully measured shot from just inside City's half, but the ball was in the air long enough for Hart to get back and stop it dropping just under the crossbar. Even so, United are entitled to think they have reminded City of their place.

Man of the match: Wayne Rooney

(Manchester United)

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