Premiership round-up
Southampton 1-2 Newcastle
Graeme Souness’ second victory in a week provided a platform for the Newcastle season as they once again turn the corner after a slow start to the seasons
Craig Bellamy filled in on the right allowing Kluivert and Shearer to play together for the first time up front.
The match was a disappointment for Saints fans following the 0-0 draw with Charlton on Monday.
Steve Wigley can draw little from the performance, as Anders Svensson’s equaliser was overturned five minutes later.
Arsenal 2-2 Bolton
Bolton Manager Sam Allardyce conceded before the match that any result against the champions would only be possible if the home side had an ‘off day’.
A little harsh perhaps on a Bolton side that fully deserve their current fourth place in the table.
Teams facing Arsenal early in the season can take heart from the absence of defensive rock Sol Campbell. Earlier in the season, Middlesbrough threatened to punish the champions earlier in the campaign, but Allardyce’s side remain the first to blot Wenger’s perfect start, exposing their defence via two set pieces.
Henry and Pires were again on target rounding Arsenal’s tally to 21 goals in the opening 6 fixtures. The champions remain a formidable prospect at full strength.
Birmingham 1-1 Charlton
Luke Young gave the visitors the lead early in the second half and with Damien Johnson receiving his second yellow card shortly afterwards Alan Curbishley will be disappointed not to have escaped St Andrews with all three points.
Dwight Yorke bagged the equaliser upon 68 minutes, the 32 year-old repaying Steve Bruce’s faith in him.
Blackburn 1-0 Portsmouth
A perfect start to Mark Hughes’ first game at the helm of Blackburn came courtesy of second half substitute Matt Jansen.
The Wales manager plucked Jansen from the reserve side an hour before kick off and the gamble paid off as the popular striker began his protracted return to the top flight following his career threatening motor cycle accident two years ago.
Barry Ferguson also impressed, running the middle of the park.
Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp will feel aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty for Brad Friedel’s challenge on Ricardo Fuller.
Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City
Nicolas Anelka joined the hunt for the Premiership golden boot with a double strike away to Crystal Palace.
The three points provide Kevin Keegan a stay of execution, at least until they face Arsenal at the weekend where Anelka will go head to head with Henry and Reyes.
Andrew Johnson’s 77th minute penalty proved no more than a consolation for Ian Dowie’s side as they prop up the table with one point from six matches.
Norwich 0-0 Aaton Villa
Another impressive performance from Norwich’s Robert Green will boost his international prospects.
Between Green’s stewardship between the posts and Villa captain Olof Mellbergs’s man of the match performance the game remained goalless.
Arsenal prodigy David Bentley, who has usurped Thomas Hitzlsperger as the Premiership’s greatest threat outside the box in recent weeks, was unable to trouble Sorensen the Villa goal.
West Brom 1-1 Fulham
A score draw at the Hawthorns belied a lively match which boasted a wild missed penalty courtesy of new Albion signing Robert Earnshaw and three red cards.
Following Diop’s second half dismissal Andrew Cole gave the visitors a slender lead despite being reduced to 10 men. Minutes later Cole and Clement clashed on the pitch and the match boiled over into a 20-man brawl.
Both received their marching orders from Mike Dean which further incensed Fulham coach Coleman who was again highly critical of key of the standard of refereeing.
Meanwhile, Kanu headed home to rescue a point for the home side in the dying minutes.
Chelsea 0-0 Spurs
“Tottenham are happy, I’m very disappointed. If I was a fan and had to pay money, I wouldn’t come,” said Jose Mourinho. The Chelsea manager was vocal as ever, criticising Spurs’ solid defensive performance, which frustrated the home side.
England duo Ledley King and Paul Robinson will be hard to dislodge from the international set-up after impressing again as the visitors chased a point from the off.
Constant Chelsea pressure yielded little reward as the best opportunity of the match fell to Robbie Keane, forcing heroics from Petr Cech. A textbook example of top class defending, the match would have been more at home in Serie A than the premiership.
Everton1-0 Middlesbrough
Marcus Bent extended Eveton’s early assault on the Premiership with a 47th minute strike to earn all three points against Middlesborough.
With 40 points the pre season target for Moyes’ side the Toffee’s are exceeding expectations, ghosting in to 3rd in the Premiership.
Boro failed to carry the good form from their European debut in midweek into league progress with Mark Viduka turning in a sluggish performance in stark contrast to his brace against the Czech champions Banik Ostrava.
Playing Monday
United – Liverpool tonight
