Southampton 2-3 Manchester United
When the fixtures for the season were announced Southampton fans must have though that it was a practical joke. Their opening day fixture was to be against Manchester City and just a fortnight later they'd have to play Manchester United, tough didn't begin to described 2 of their first games. Despite this they put up a very spirited battle against Manchester City and again refused to roll over for Manchester United.
The match started brightly for the Red Devils who forced the Saints to concede a corner with in around 90 seconds as the visitors looked for an early goal. The home sided however defended well and grew into the game quickly as they started to look threatening around the 10 minute mark. With their confidence growing in front of our eyes Southampton actually started to look the better team and then they did the unthinkable as they took the lead via a Ricky Lambert header around 16 minutes in.
Shocked by the goal United realised they had a game on their hands and fought back swiftly with an equaliser just 7 minutes later through Robin Van Persie's volley which showed the class of the Dutchman. Having equalised United then looked for the lead with Van Persie getting a number of chances though the Dutchman failed to recreate the magic that had seen him scoring his first. This saw the team going into the half level, a scoreline that was perhaps fair due to the stout defending of the home side.
The second half saw United coming close before Southampton, for the second time in the match, took an unexpected lead this time it was Morgan Schneiderlin heading in from close range. The goal, almost a carbon copy of the Saint opener showed that United really do have defensive issues even with Anders Lindergaard replacing David De Gea.
The second Saints goal really forced United into action with Paul Scholes and Nani replacing Shinji Kagawa and Tom Cleverly. The involvement of Scholes almost had an immediate impact with the ginger haired maestro playing in Robin Van Persie within seconds of being on the pitch but Kelvin Davis saved his team. Manchester United were starting to turn the screw and the pressure caused some serious kamikaze work from Southampton with Kelvin Davis making an awful pass out followed up by a stupid challenge by Jos Hooiveld on Robin Van Persie inside the penalty area. Van Persie sadly failed to net the spot kick with Davis making a mends for his lapse of concentration.
After a spate of substitutions it seemed as if United were going to suffer their second loss of the season until Robin Van Persie netted his second of the day reacting quickly after Rio Ferdinand's header failed to find the back of the net. With just 3 minutes left it looked almost certain that the Saints were going to get at least a point from the match, it was what they deserved in all honesty, however Robin Van Persie was reading from a different script and manage to secure all 3 points for United as he completed a memorable hat-trick and truly did make amends for the missed penalty.
Whilst Nigel Adkins may feel slightly aggrieved by the fact his team got nothing from the match he should probably feel ecstatic at his teams performance. Not only were the Saints a match for United but Adam Lallana looked exceptional, Ricky Lambert has proven he can score against anyone one and the team proved they have no fear. Often we think it's unfair to judge a team on losses to the top teams but it's more than fair to judge Southampton on their two performances against the Manchester teams which have proven that they can live with anyone in the league. This is not a team that is going to be intimidated, it's not a team that is going to give up and most importantly it's not a team that will betray their manager.
Alex Ferguson's season hasn't been what he'd have expected. A loss in their opening fixture to Everton followed by successive 3-2 victories in matches they were expected to ease to victory in isn't a sign of the United of old. This is a United team that is genuinely struggling, despite showing a championship winning spirit to come from behind twice here (and once against Fulham). The signing of Robin Van Persie, despite the high price tag, has proven to have been an excellent one with the Dutchman netting 4 goals in 2 starts despite the penalty miss. United's manager however will need to be worried about his defensive unit which so far looks poor and, as with City, United cannot expect to score 3 goals every time they are going to win a game.
Showing posts with label Robin Van Persie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robin Van Persie. Show all posts
Monday, 3 September 2012
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Premier League Week 2-Write up Manchester United v Fulham
Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Having lost in their opening fixture away to Everton, Manchester United knew they would need a win in their first home Premier League game. Going into this match however they were facing a confident Fulham who had breezed aside Norwich 5-0 just a week earlier in one of the most impressive performances of the opening week.
The confidence of Fulham showed from the opening whistle and after just 141 seconds Fulham had raced out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a Damien Duff finish inside the penalty area from a Bryan Ruiz free kick. Their lead however was to be short lived and less than 8 minutes later Robin Van Persie would open his account for United as he banged in a beauty.
After equalising United pushed hard for another goal and their pressure told as they scored their second of the match with new signing Shinji Kagawa putting in from close range after a Mark Schwarzer save landed at his feet. It seemed after this goal that United would want to put Fulham to the sword and bag themselves as many as they could get. Just minutes after taking the lead the ball was in the net again thanks to Rafael, though it was ruled offside as United sought to increase their lead. The pressure eventually told as they claimed a 3rd goal before half time, again it was Rafael who put the ball in the net, this time he was onside as United appeared to have the game in the bag before half time.
Sadly for Manchester United fans their team has a habit of making life harder than it needs to be and midway through the second half goal keeper David De Gea and captain Nemanja Vidic collided in mid air going for the same cross. Somehow the ball caught Vidic on the heel before rolling into the net in what will like be one of the most bizarre own goals of the season. This seemed to give the Fulham attack some real hope and they searched for an equaliser in the final 25 minutes though United just did enough to thwart the Fulham attack. Sadly the defensive duties did have a casualty as Wayne Rooney suffered a nasty gash in stoppage time that will likely keep him out for around a month.
Whilst Alex Ferguson will be happy at the 3 points he won't be happy at the fact United made the game hard for themselves and almost threw it away. Their defensive woes are frightening at the moment and they really need to do something about it or it will again cost them points like it did last season. The absence of Rooney, any other season would have been really catastrophic for the Red Devils however new signings Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa proved in the first half that United probably don't need to rely on Rooney as much this year. In fact it seems likely that Kagawa, who looked tremendous again, will be their key player this season and can really pull the strings with complete ease.
Martin Jol may feel unlucky his team didn't manage to steal a point, they were certainly the better team in the second half and forced a great save from De Gea just before half time, however he will take solace in they way his men played. They refused to give up at 3-1 down like some other teams would have, they refused to accept the game was lost and they showed real character once again. Moussa Dembele put on an excellent performance and could well be the key to the Fulham attack over the coming season and Mladen Petric once again looked a threat and was close to scoring before being subbed off. Jol has got a strong team here and I wouldn't be surprised if they challenge for a Europa League place at the end of the year.
Notes-
This match saw the first Premier League start for Robin Van Persie in a Manchester United Shirt
Damien Duff scored in a second successive game
Having lost in their opening fixture away to Everton, Manchester United knew they would need a win in their first home Premier League game. Going into this match however they were facing a confident Fulham who had breezed aside Norwich 5-0 just a week earlier in one of the most impressive performances of the opening week.
The confidence of Fulham showed from the opening whistle and after just 141 seconds Fulham had raced out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a Damien Duff finish inside the penalty area from a Bryan Ruiz free kick. Their lead however was to be short lived and less than 8 minutes later Robin Van Persie would open his account for United as he banged in a beauty.
After equalising United pushed hard for another goal and their pressure told as they scored their second of the match with new signing Shinji Kagawa putting in from close range after a Mark Schwarzer save landed at his feet. It seemed after this goal that United would want to put Fulham to the sword and bag themselves as many as they could get. Just minutes after taking the lead the ball was in the net again thanks to Rafael, though it was ruled offside as United sought to increase their lead. The pressure eventually told as they claimed a 3rd goal before half time, again it was Rafael who put the ball in the net, this time he was onside as United appeared to have the game in the bag before half time.
Sadly for Manchester United fans their team has a habit of making life harder than it needs to be and midway through the second half goal keeper David De Gea and captain Nemanja Vidic collided in mid air going for the same cross. Somehow the ball caught Vidic on the heel before rolling into the net in what will like be one of the most bizarre own goals of the season. This seemed to give the Fulham attack some real hope and they searched for an equaliser in the final 25 minutes though United just did enough to thwart the Fulham attack. Sadly the defensive duties did have a casualty as Wayne Rooney suffered a nasty gash in stoppage time that will likely keep him out for around a month.
Whilst Alex Ferguson will be happy at the 3 points he won't be happy at the fact United made the game hard for themselves and almost threw it away. Their defensive woes are frightening at the moment and they really need to do something about it or it will again cost them points like it did last season. The absence of Rooney, any other season would have been really catastrophic for the Red Devils however new signings Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa proved in the first half that United probably don't need to rely on Rooney as much this year. In fact it seems likely that Kagawa, who looked tremendous again, will be their key player this season and can really pull the strings with complete ease.
Martin Jol may feel unlucky his team didn't manage to steal a point, they were certainly the better team in the second half and forced a great save from De Gea just before half time, however he will take solace in they way his men played. They refused to give up at 3-1 down like some other teams would have, they refused to accept the game was lost and they showed real character once again. Moussa Dembele put on an excellent performance and could well be the key to the Fulham attack over the coming season and Mladen Petric once again looked a threat and was close to scoring before being subbed off. Jol has got a strong team here and I wouldn't be surprised if they challenge for a Europa League place at the end of the year.
Notes-
This match saw the first Premier League start for Robin Van Persie in a Manchester United Shirt
Damien Duff scored in a second successive game
Premier League Week 2-As it Happens (Saturday)
Full Time
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
Chelsea have returned to the top of the Premier League having secured a maximum 9 points from their 3 games so far.
Stoppage time
David Luiz is in the wars again down in his own penalty area as the 4th official's board shows a minimum of 4 minutes stoppage time.
Chelsea Substitution
Frank Lampard comes on to replace Raul Meireles with less than 3 minutes of normal time remaining.
Newcastle Chance
Demba Ba has the best chance for Newcastle but he can't beat Petr Cech from close range.
Chelsea Corner
Ryan Bertrand's powerful shot is judged as having touched Tim Krul before going behind giving Chelsea a corner. It comes to nothing.
Newcastle Substitution
Yohan Cabaye comes off as Newcastle make their final change bringing on James Perch.
Free kick
Chelsea get another promising free kick and after a short discussion betweem Raul Meireles and David Luiz over who's going to take it, Raul Meireles blasts it over the bar.
Newcastle Substitution
Davide Santon has been replaced by Sylvain Marveaux with around 15 minutes left.
Free kick
Chelsea get a free kick in a nice position but David Luiz hits it over the bar.
Free kick
Ryan Taylor delivers an excellent free kick that seemed to almost be perfect bu no Newcastle attacker could get the touch it needed.
Chelsea Substitution
Juan Mata is replaced with 25 minutes left by Ramires
Newcastle Corner and Subsitution
Ryan Taylor comes on to replace Danny Simpson prior to Newcastle taking a corner that incidentally taken by Taylor. Much better than the previous one but Chelsea cut it out without too many worries.
LOVELY!
Fernando Torres is having a bit of fun now as he starts to abuse the Newcastle defense with his skill. His cross to Eden Hazard gets intercepted but idea was wonderful. This, football fans, is Torres getting back to his best.
Newcastle Corner
Newcastle get a corner...but it's awful and very easy for Chelsea to clear. It's positive however that they managed to make something happen up front.
After starting the second half well Chelsea have slowed and appear to be letting Newcastle get back into the game somewhat.
Second Half
We're off for the second half now at Stamford Bridge as Newcastle try to fight back from 2 down.
Half Time
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
Despite a very slow start to the match which so very few chances being created the game warmed up nicely midway through the half. Whilst Eden Hazard will likely grab the headlines once again for me, it seems like Fernando Torres has started to look his old self. It was Torres who was fouled leading to the penalty (that Hazard put away) and it was Torres who was terrifying the Newcastle defense. The link up play between Hazard and Torres has been the difference and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of them adding a 3rd Chelsea goal in the second half.
Roberto Di Matteo may have been concerned when Raul Meireles and David Luiz went down one after the other though they both soldiered on and finished off the half looking perfectly fine. If anything Di Matteo will have to be happy at the performance of both Hazard and Torres who have been so influential in the half. The Chelsea defense hasn't really been tested as their Midfield has generally neutralised all the Newcastle attacks and as a result Chelsea are bossing the game.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has a lot to do in the half time team talk, he will really struggle to turn this around especially considering how good Chelsea are looking. He has got some positives to take from the match so far as Hatem Ben Arfa looks threatening when he has managed to get the ball though generally he's struggled to get much of it due to Chelsea's Midfield which have controlled much of the match. Pardew will need to hope that Chelsea drop the pace for his team to have a chance.
Goal!
Since being booked Fernando Torres has looked like a man posessed and some excellent interplay with Eden Hzard results in an excellent finish for Torres who is showing glimpses of being back to his best.
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Hazard (22)-Pen
Torres (45)
Corner
Chelsea may feel like they deserve another penalty but instead they receive a corner, the corner however goes to waste.
Stoppage time
We will have 4 minutes of stoppage time at Stamford Bridge due to lengthy stoppages following incidents involving Raul Meireles and David Luiz.
Newcastle Chance
Newcastle get their first chance but it's hit straight at Petr Cech who makes an easy save.
Yellow Card
The referee shows the first yellow card of the game as he books Fernando Torres for diving. Whilst the Spaniard was caught he went down very extravagantly from just a minimal touch by Fabricio Coloccini.
Chelsea Chance
Eden Hazard looks to slide in Fernando Torres but the ball gets cut out. The Chelsea attack are starting to open the Newcastle defense up almost at will now.
Ouch!
Raul Meireles looks to be in some pain and Frank Lampard warms up. After being off for a minute or two Raul Meireles returns to the pitch.
Penalty and Goal!
We finally have life in this game as Chelsea go from defending the corner to attack and Fernando Torres goes down in the penalty area. With no Frank Lampard on the pitch the honour is given to Eden Hazard who slots home his first Premier League goal.
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Hazard (22)-Pen
Newcastle Corner
The first notable set piece of the match see's Newcastle gaining a corner, but it goes to waste.
Very little to report from the first 15 minutes at Stamford Bridge as the Midfield battle has so far dominated the match. Chelsea have looked the better team but have yet to create a clear cut goal scoring opportunity instead needing to take long range shots. So far it's been under-whelming but it does feel like the match could see a goal is one of the attacking players springs into life.
BREAKING NEWS
Wayne Rooney will be out for 4 weeks following his nasty gash suffered late in the match against Fulham
And we're off at The Bridge!
So with the 6 fixtures done and one postponed we just have one match left to go today with the late kick off and that will see European Champions Chelsea facing Newcastle in what promises to be a real 6 point battle. A full preview of that game can be read here. As with the early kick off this will be more in depth than our 3PM kick offs.
Full time
Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Full time
Southampton 0-2 Wigan
Full time
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton
Full time
Tottenham 1-1West Brom
Goal!
West Brom leave it late but they steal a point thanks to a very late goal by James Morrison.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Brom
Assou-Ekotto (74)
Morrison (90)
OUCH!
Wayne Rooney is left with a nasty gash on his leg following an accident as he attempts to block a shot. It looks deep and painful and Manchester United will be hoping that it looks worse than it is.
Full time
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Goal!
With just minutes left Wigan secure the points against The Saints as they double their lead thanks to Arouna Kone.
Southampton 0-2 Wigan
De Santo (51)
Kone (89)
Yellow Card
Steven Reid becomes the 3rd player to be booked at White Heart Lane where West Brom are looking for an equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur
Yellow Card
Anton Ferdinand gets his name taken into the referees book joining team-mate Clinton Hill in the Norwich v QPR match
Yellow Card
It's a mixed bag now for Karim El Ahmadi who adds a yellow card to his goal, getting booked just minutes after giving Aston Villa a life line.
Goal!
Is the most unlikely of comebacks on at Villa Park? I'll admit that it's unlikely but Karim El Ahmadi's goal will give the Aston Villa fans some hope with about 15 minutes left to play.
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton
Piernaar (3)
Fellaini (31)
Jelavic (44)
Ahmadi (75)
Goal!
Finally the deadlock is broken at White Heart Lane with Benoît Assou-Ekotto putting Tottenham Hotspur in the lead.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Brom
Assou-Ekotto (74)
Goal!
The points aren't in the bag for Manchester United after all as Nemanja Vidic scores an embarrassing own goal and now we appear to have a game on our hands at Old Trafford.
Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Kagawa (36)
Rafael (41)
Vidic (64)-O.G.
Red Card!
Things go from bad to worse for Aston Villa. If it wasn't bad enough being 3-0 to Everton they are now also a man down thanks to a straight red being shown to Ciaran Clark.
Goal!
The deadlock is broken at St Mary's with Southampton conceding against Wigan thanks to a thunderbolt by Franco Di Santo.
Southampton 0-1 Wigan
De Santo (51)
Yellow Card
The first yellow card of the second half is shown in London as Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen is booked against West Brom.
HALF TIME
It's now half time in all of the 3PM kicks offs so here are the scores at the breaks:
Manchester United 3-1 Fulham
Aston Villa 0-3 Everton
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Southampton 0-0 Wigan
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 West Brom
Goal!
With just minutes to go until half time Everton effectively finish the game off thanks to Nikica Jelavić who makes it 3-0 against Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-3 Everton
Piernaar (3)
Fellaini (31)
Jelavic (44)
Goal!
...and now it is 3-1 to Manchester United as Rafael does manage to get one that does count.
Manchester United 3-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Kagawa (36)
Rafael (41)
Goal! No
Manchester United think they have a third when Rafael pops the ball in but it's ruled out due to an offside...
Goal!
Normal service has resumed at Old Trafford thanks to Shinji Kagawa who scores his first for Manchester United after tidying up the pieces following a Tom Cleverly.
Manchester United 2-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Kagawa (36)
Yellow Card
Brede Hangeland gets shown the first card at Old Trafford.
Goal!
Everton's Belgian star Marouane Fellaini just can't help but steal the headlines and manages to double the lead for the Toffees against Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-2 Everton
Piernaar (3)
Fellaini (31)
Yellow Card
West Brom's Youssouf Mulumbu receives the first yellow card in the Tottenham Hotpsur v West Brom game.
After 4 goals in the opening 15 minutes of the 3PM kick off's we've only seen 1 goal in the following 15 minutes as things have calmed down a little across the league.
Yellow Card
The first yellow card of the 3PM kicks off's is shown to QPR defender Clint Hill.
Penalty and Goal!
QPR get a questionable penalty after Djibril Cissé is brought down in the penalty area. The Frenchman takes the spot kick but Norwich keeper John Ruddy saves it. Sadly for Ruddy his effort isn't enough and Bobby Zamora bangs in the rebound.
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Jackson (11)
Zamora (19)
Goal!
In a game between last weekends whooping boy's Norwich take the lead thanks to Simeon Jackson. QPR really have had a nightmare start to the season.
Norwich 1-0 QPR
Jackson (11)
Goal!
Manchester United score their first goal of the season as they equalise against Fulham thanks to an excellent goal by Robin Van Persie who opens his Manchester United account with a beauty.
Manchester United 1-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Goal!
Everton surprised us all on Monday night when they beat Manchester United 1-0 it hasn't take them long to take the lead again this time over Everton thanks to Steven Pienaar.
Aston Villa 0-1 Everton
Pienaar (3)
Goal!
Things go from bad to worse for Manchster United who have already conceded against Fulham who, like Swansea have gotten off to an excellent start to the season
Manchester United 0-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
15:00
We now have kick off in our 3PM kick offs however we have one casualty with the Sunderland v Reading game postponed due to a water logged pitch. Again due to the number of games on at once I will merely be updating goals and cards for these games.
Full-Time
Swansea City 3-0 West Ham This will not be the result that West Ham fans were expecting on their way to way to Wales this morning though they have no one to blame but their own players who were poor. Despite a bright start, especially by new signing Matt Jarvis, they simply couldn't live with Swansea for much of the game who bossed it from the middle. Despite Swansea playing well with Michu being a threat throughout the game West Ham's woes were all self inflicted with some awful defending, especially by James Collins who was genuinely awful. As well Collins having a bad game veteran keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen also failed to cover himself in any glory. It was a well deserved win for the Swans who will be the top of the League until the 15:00 kick offs finish.
Full Match report can be read here
West Ham Corner
With about 5 minutes left West Ham get a corner but it leads to nothing and Swansea start a break.
Swansea Substitution
Swansea make their final substitution bringing on Ben Davies for Neil Taylor. This is the senior debut for Davies.
Yellow Card
A clear hand ball by Winston Reid is punished with a yellow card.
Swansea Substitution
Wayne Routledge is replaced with 10 minutes left by Luke Moore as Swansea look to run down the clock
Chant
The Swansea fans have started the always popular "You're shit and you know you are" chant towards West Ham who are doing little to prove otherwise at the moment.
Swansea Substitution
Swansea make their first substitution of the day as Kemy Agustien replaces Jonathan de Guzmán.
West Ham Substitution
West Ham make their 3rd and final substitution of the the day as Mohamed Diamé is replaced by Alou Diarra.
Yellow Card
Chico Flores becomes the second Swansea player into the referees book after he pushes his luck once too often. The resulting free kick is on target but Michael Vorm makes a very comfortable save.
Freekick
Swansea get a free kick in a nice position following a foul on Nathan Dyer though the drifted ball drifts too far and it leads to nothing. It appears as if Swansea want another one.
GOAL!
Swansea appear to have secured the game and the 3 points as Danny Graham takes advantage of some poor defending and nets past Jääskeläinen who has looked unexpectedly poor today. Yet another defensive mistake has cost West Ham.
Swansea 2-0 West Ham
Jääskeläinen (20)-O.G.
Michu (29)
Graham (64)
West Ham Substitution
Sam Allardyce takes off the rather poor looking Carlton Cole and replaces him Modibo Maïga
Swansea Chance and Corner
Swansea again go close to a 3rd before the ball is turned behind for another corner. Like the previous Swansea corners they don't really cause much panic in the West Ham area.
Yellow Card The day keeps getting worse for James Collins who not only gifted Swansea their second but has been booed every time he touches the ball by Swansea fans who remember he used to be at Cardiff. He's now picked up West Ham's third booking of the day.
Swansea Chance
Danny Graham beats the offside trap and looks to have a great chance against Jääskeläinen tough his shot falls just wide of the post as Swansea go close to increasing their lead.
Yellow Card
West Ham pick up the first booking of the second half with Kevin Nolan joining team mate Carlton Cole in the book. Swansea hoof the resulting free kick up the other end but the flag goes up against them.
West Ham Chance
The ball bounces around the Swansea penalty area and Carlton Cole goes for the spectacular bicycle kick though completely misses the ball which is easily collected by Michael Vorm.
Swansea Corner
The Swans get the first corner of the second half as Jääskeläinen is forced into action turning the ball behind from a sided footed effort by Swansea.
West Ham Substitution
West Ham make a half time substitution bringing on Ricardo Vaz Te to replace James Tomkins. A very positive change by Sam Allardyce.
...and we're off for the second half!
Half Time
Swansea 2-0 West Ham
Swansea may have started and ended the half on the back foot though it's what they did in a 10 minute spell in the middle of the half that separates the 2 teams at the break. Although both goals will go down as defensive mistakes with Jääskeläinen turning the ball into his own and James Collins making a blunder to let Michu in for the second, Swansea certainly do deserve their lead.
Michael Laudrup will be be very happy at his team leading and that Michu has netted his 3rd goal in 2 games, however he will be worried about the threat West Ham showed just prior to have time when they had a series of very threatening corners.
Whilst Sam Allardyce will feel annoyed at the defensive mistakes which have cost West Ham he will certainly feel encouraged by the promise his men showed just prior to the end of the half. He will also feel very happy about Matt Jarvis who has looked very bright on the ball and could have have had a goal and an assist himself.
This game maybe 2-0 but it's certainly not over yet.
West Ham Corner
A third West Ham corner inside about a minute, this time it's cleared off the line as Swansea hold on to their 2 goal advantage.
West Ham Corner
West Ham's previous corner gives the Swansea defense nightmares and it gets turned around for another.
West Ham Corner
A poor pass by Chico lets West Ham in with a chance before it's knocked behind for their first corner.
Yellow Card
West Ham now pick up their first booking as hitman Carlton Cole catches Swansea's Chico with his arm in an area challenger.
Swansea Corner
Swansea come close to a 3rd before Jääskeläinen makes a save and turns it over for a corner. The corner leads to nothing.
West Ham Chance
A free kick from the middle of the pitch provides Matt Jarvis with half a chance, the ball then sits loose in the Swansea penalty area before it's hoofed away. The second goal seems to have awoken West Ham.
Yellow Card
Just seconds after doubling their lead Swansea pick up the first booking of the match courtesy of Angel Rangel who gives away a free kick. The Swans clear the trouble.
GOAL!
Swansea double their lead as Spaniard Michu scores his 3rd goal in 2 games. The attacking midfielder could have been booked a few minutes earlier for a rash challenge and seems to have rattled West Ham's Kevin Nolan now he's rattled the whole West Ham team.
Swansea 2-0 West Ham
Jääskeläinen (20)-O.G.
Michu (29)
GOAL!
The home team open the scoring as Angel Rangel's shot deflects in from veteran keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen and this will likely go down as an Own Goal, the first of the season. Whilst West Ham started very brightly Swansea have played well and taken a deserved lead.
Swansea 1-0 West Ham
Jääskeläinen (20)-O.G.
Swansea Corner
Swansea get their second corner of the match, this time from their left, though like the previous one it leads to nothing.
West Ham Injury
West Ham's Winston Reid takes a knock after clashing with a team mate. He appears shaken but all right and after going through the formality of leaving the pitch soon returns.
Swansea Corner
Swansea get the first corner of the match though it leads to nothing an West Ham clear it.
West Ham Chance
Matt Jarvis makes an early impact as his cross is almost inch perfect for Kevin Nolan sadly for the Hammers their captain can't convert. Bright start for the visitors.
Swansea v West Ham
And we have Kick Off in the early Premier League game and the first game of "Week 2".
A week ago we were all excited about the Premier League kick and who would have expected what we saw last weekend. On just the opening day we had an amazing 19 goals in the Premier League, with 2 matches featuring 5 goals and since then we've had a further14 goals including another 5 goals match and a 6 goal game. Lets be honest honest, goals have been flying in in fact we've had an average of 3 a match!
As well as the goals we've seen a lot of penalties (a surprising 7 penalties already) 2 red cards, several notable upsets and of course the late season signings, of which their has been a spate of in recent days. It's one of those signings that the eyes of the Premier League will be on in the early kick off with West Ham new boy Matt Jarvis now expected to start against Swansea. Jarvis, West Ham's record signing will be hoping to make an immediate impact for his new team and I wouldn't put it beyond him. Though lets see as we get ready for kick off!
An early preview of the early match, written last night can be read here.
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
Chelsea have returned to the top of the Premier League having secured a maximum 9 points from their 3 games so far.
Stoppage time
David Luiz is in the wars again down in his own penalty area as the 4th official's board shows a minimum of 4 minutes stoppage time.
Chelsea Substitution
Frank Lampard comes on to replace Raul Meireles with less than 3 minutes of normal time remaining.
Newcastle Chance
Demba Ba has the best chance for Newcastle but he can't beat Petr Cech from close range.
Chelsea Corner
Ryan Bertrand's powerful shot is judged as having touched Tim Krul before going behind giving Chelsea a corner. It comes to nothing.
Newcastle Substitution
Yohan Cabaye comes off as Newcastle make their final change bringing on James Perch.
Free kick
Chelsea get another promising free kick and after a short discussion betweem Raul Meireles and David Luiz over who's going to take it, Raul Meireles blasts it over the bar.
Newcastle Substitution
Davide Santon has been replaced by Sylvain Marveaux with around 15 minutes left.
Free kick
Chelsea get a free kick in a nice position but David Luiz hits it over the bar.
Free kick
Ryan Taylor delivers an excellent free kick that seemed to almost be perfect bu no Newcastle attacker could get the touch it needed.
Chelsea Substitution
Juan Mata is replaced with 25 minutes left by Ramires
Newcastle Corner and Subsitution
Ryan Taylor comes on to replace Danny Simpson prior to Newcastle taking a corner that incidentally taken by Taylor. Much better than the previous one but Chelsea cut it out without too many worries.
LOVELY!
Fernando Torres is having a bit of fun now as he starts to abuse the Newcastle defense with his skill. His cross to Eden Hazard gets intercepted but idea was wonderful. This, football fans, is Torres getting back to his best.
Newcastle Corner
Newcastle get a corner...but it's awful and very easy for Chelsea to clear. It's positive however that they managed to make something happen up front.
After starting the second half well Chelsea have slowed and appear to be letting Newcastle get back into the game somewhat.
Second Half
We're off for the second half now at Stamford Bridge as Newcastle try to fight back from 2 down.
Half Time
Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle
Despite a very slow start to the match which so very few chances being created the game warmed up nicely midway through the half. Whilst Eden Hazard will likely grab the headlines once again for me, it seems like Fernando Torres has started to look his old self. It was Torres who was fouled leading to the penalty (that Hazard put away) and it was Torres who was terrifying the Newcastle defense. The link up play between Hazard and Torres has been the difference and I wouldn't be surprised to see either of them adding a 3rd Chelsea goal in the second half.
Roberto Di Matteo may have been concerned when Raul Meireles and David Luiz went down one after the other though they both soldiered on and finished off the half looking perfectly fine. If anything Di Matteo will have to be happy at the performance of both Hazard and Torres who have been so influential in the half. The Chelsea defense hasn't really been tested as their Midfield has generally neutralised all the Newcastle attacks and as a result Chelsea are bossing the game.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has a lot to do in the half time team talk, he will really struggle to turn this around especially considering how good Chelsea are looking. He has got some positives to take from the match so far as Hatem Ben Arfa looks threatening when he has managed to get the ball though generally he's struggled to get much of it due to Chelsea's Midfield which have controlled much of the match. Pardew will need to hope that Chelsea drop the pace for his team to have a chance.
Goal!
Since being booked Fernando Torres has looked like a man posessed and some excellent interplay with Eden Hzard results in an excellent finish for Torres who is showing glimpses of being back to his best.
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Hazard (22)-Pen
Torres (45)
Corner
Chelsea may feel like they deserve another penalty but instead they receive a corner, the corner however goes to waste.
Stoppage time
We will have 4 minutes of stoppage time at Stamford Bridge due to lengthy stoppages following incidents involving Raul Meireles and David Luiz.
Newcastle Chance
Newcastle get their first chance but it's hit straight at Petr Cech who makes an easy save.
Yellow Card
The referee shows the first yellow card of the game as he books Fernando Torres for diving. Whilst the Spaniard was caught he went down very extravagantly from just a minimal touch by Fabricio Coloccini.
Chelsea Chance
Eden Hazard looks to slide in Fernando Torres but the ball gets cut out. The Chelsea attack are starting to open the Newcastle defense up almost at will now.
Ouch!
Raul Meireles looks to be in some pain and Frank Lampard warms up. After being off for a minute or two Raul Meireles returns to the pitch.
Penalty and Goal!
We finally have life in this game as Chelsea go from defending the corner to attack and Fernando Torres goes down in the penalty area. With no Frank Lampard on the pitch the honour is given to Eden Hazard who slots home his first Premier League goal.
Chelsea 1-0 Newcastle
Hazard (22)-Pen
Newcastle Corner
The first notable set piece of the match see's Newcastle gaining a corner, but it goes to waste.
Very little to report from the first 15 minutes at Stamford Bridge as the Midfield battle has so far dominated the match. Chelsea have looked the better team but have yet to create a clear cut goal scoring opportunity instead needing to take long range shots. So far it's been under-whelming but it does feel like the match could see a goal is one of the attacking players springs into life.
BREAKING NEWS
Wayne Rooney will be out for 4 weeks following his nasty gash suffered late in the match against Fulham
And we're off at The Bridge!
So with the 6 fixtures done and one postponed we just have one match left to go today with the late kick off and that will see European Champions Chelsea facing Newcastle in what promises to be a real 6 point battle. A full preview of that game can be read here. As with the early kick off this will be more in depth than our 3PM kick offs.
Full time
Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Full time
Southampton 0-2 Wigan
Full time
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton
Full time
Tottenham 1-1West Brom
Goal!
West Brom leave it late but they steal a point thanks to a very late goal by James Morrison.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 West Brom
Assou-Ekotto (74)
Morrison (90)
OUCH!
Wayne Rooney is left with a nasty gash on his leg following an accident as he attempts to block a shot. It looks deep and painful and Manchester United will be hoping that it looks worse than it is.
Full time
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Goal!
With just minutes left Wigan secure the points against The Saints as they double their lead thanks to Arouna Kone.
Southampton 0-2 Wigan
De Santo (51)
Kone (89)
Yellow Card
Steven Reid becomes the 3rd player to be booked at White Heart Lane where West Brom are looking for an equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur
Yellow Card
Anton Ferdinand gets his name taken into the referees book joining team-mate Clinton Hill in the Norwich v QPR match
Yellow Card
It's a mixed bag now for Karim El Ahmadi who adds a yellow card to his goal, getting booked just minutes after giving Aston Villa a life line.
Goal!
Is the most unlikely of comebacks on at Villa Park? I'll admit that it's unlikely but Karim El Ahmadi's goal will give the Aston Villa fans some hope with about 15 minutes left to play.
Aston Villa 1-3 Everton
Piernaar (3)
Fellaini (31)
Jelavic (44)
Ahmadi (75)
Goal!
Finally the deadlock is broken at White Heart Lane with Benoît Assou-Ekotto putting Tottenham Hotspur in the lead.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Brom
Assou-Ekotto (74)
Goal!
The points aren't in the bag for Manchester United after all as Nemanja Vidic scores an embarrassing own goal and now we appear to have a game on our hands at Old Trafford.
Manchester United 3-2 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Kagawa (36)
Rafael (41)
Vidic (64)-O.G.
Red Card!
Things go from bad to worse for Aston Villa. If it wasn't bad enough being 3-0 to Everton they are now also a man down thanks to a straight red being shown to Ciaran Clark.
Goal!
The deadlock is broken at St Mary's with Southampton conceding against Wigan thanks to a thunderbolt by Franco Di Santo.
Southampton 0-1 Wigan
De Santo (51)
Yellow Card
The first yellow card of the second half is shown in London as Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen is booked against West Brom.
HALF TIME
It's now half time in all of the 3PM kicks offs so here are the scores at the breaks:
Manchester United 3-1 Fulham
Aston Villa 0-3 Everton
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Southampton 0-0 Wigan
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 West Brom
Goal!
With just minutes to go until half time Everton effectively finish the game off thanks to Nikica Jelavić who makes it 3-0 against Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-3 Everton
Piernaar (3)
Fellaini (31)
Jelavic (44)
Goal!
...and now it is 3-1 to Manchester United as Rafael does manage to get one that does count.
Manchester United 3-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Kagawa (36)
Rafael (41)
Goal! No
Manchester United think they have a third when Rafael pops the ball in but it's ruled out due to an offside...
Goal!
Normal service has resumed at Old Trafford thanks to Shinji Kagawa who scores his first for Manchester United after tidying up the pieces following a Tom Cleverly.
Manchester United 2-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Kagawa (36)
Yellow Card
Brede Hangeland gets shown the first card at Old Trafford.
Goal!
Everton's Belgian star Marouane Fellaini just can't help but steal the headlines and manages to double the lead for the Toffees against Aston Villa
Aston Villa 0-2 Everton
Piernaar (3)
Fellaini (31)
Yellow Card
West Brom's Youssouf Mulumbu receives the first yellow card in the Tottenham Hotpsur v West Brom game.
After 4 goals in the opening 15 minutes of the 3PM kick off's we've only seen 1 goal in the following 15 minutes as things have calmed down a little across the league.
Yellow Card
The first yellow card of the 3PM kicks off's is shown to QPR defender Clint Hill.
Penalty and Goal!
QPR get a questionable penalty after Djibril Cissé is brought down in the penalty area. The Frenchman takes the spot kick but Norwich keeper John Ruddy saves it. Sadly for Ruddy his effort isn't enough and Bobby Zamora bangs in the rebound.
Norwich 1-1 QPR
Jackson (11)
Zamora (19)
Goal!
In a game between last weekends whooping boy's Norwich take the lead thanks to Simeon Jackson. QPR really have had a nightmare start to the season.
Norwich 1-0 QPR
Jackson (11)
Goal!
Manchester United score their first goal of the season as they equalise against Fulham thanks to an excellent goal by Robin Van Persie who opens his Manchester United account with a beauty.
Manchester United 1-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
Van Persie (10)
Goal!
Everton surprised us all on Monday night when they beat Manchester United 1-0 it hasn't take them long to take the lead again this time over Everton thanks to Steven Pienaar.
Aston Villa 0-1 Everton
Pienaar (3)
Goal!
Things go from bad to worse for Manchster United who have already conceded against Fulham who, like Swansea have gotten off to an excellent start to the season
Manchester United 0-1 Fulham
Duff (3)
15:00
We now have kick off in our 3PM kick offs however we have one casualty with the Sunderland v Reading game postponed due to a water logged pitch. Again due to the number of games on at once I will merely be updating goals and cards for these games.
Full-Time
Swansea City 3-0 West Ham This will not be the result that West Ham fans were expecting on their way to way to Wales this morning though they have no one to blame but their own players who were poor. Despite a bright start, especially by new signing Matt Jarvis, they simply couldn't live with Swansea for much of the game who bossed it from the middle. Despite Swansea playing well with Michu being a threat throughout the game West Ham's woes were all self inflicted with some awful defending, especially by James Collins who was genuinely awful. As well Collins having a bad game veteran keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen also failed to cover himself in any glory. It was a well deserved win for the Swans who will be the top of the League until the 15:00 kick offs finish.
Full Match report can be read here
West Ham Corner
With about 5 minutes left West Ham get a corner but it leads to nothing and Swansea start a break.
Swansea Substitution
Swansea make their final substitution bringing on Ben Davies for Neil Taylor. This is the senior debut for Davies.
Yellow Card
A clear hand ball by Winston Reid is punished with a yellow card.
Swansea Substitution
Wayne Routledge is replaced with 10 minutes left by Luke Moore as Swansea look to run down the clock
Chant
The Swansea fans have started the always popular "You're shit and you know you are" chant towards West Ham who are doing little to prove otherwise at the moment.
Swansea Substitution
Swansea make their first substitution of the day as Kemy Agustien replaces Jonathan de Guzmán.
West Ham Substitution
West Ham make their 3rd and final substitution of the the day as Mohamed Diamé is replaced by Alou Diarra.
Yellow Card
Chico Flores becomes the second Swansea player into the referees book after he pushes his luck once too often. The resulting free kick is on target but Michael Vorm makes a very comfortable save.
Freekick
Swansea get a free kick in a nice position following a foul on Nathan Dyer though the drifted ball drifts too far and it leads to nothing. It appears as if Swansea want another one.
GOAL!
Swansea appear to have secured the game and the 3 points as Danny Graham takes advantage of some poor defending and nets past Jääskeläinen who has looked unexpectedly poor today. Yet another defensive mistake has cost West Ham.
Swansea 2-0 West Ham
Jääskeläinen (20)-O.G.
Michu (29)
Graham (64)
West Ham Substitution
Sam Allardyce takes off the rather poor looking Carlton Cole and replaces him Modibo Maïga
Swansea Chance and Corner
Swansea again go close to a 3rd before the ball is turned behind for another corner. Like the previous Swansea corners they don't really cause much panic in the West Ham area.
Yellow Card The day keeps getting worse for James Collins who not only gifted Swansea their second but has been booed every time he touches the ball by Swansea fans who remember he used to be at Cardiff. He's now picked up West Ham's third booking of the day.
Swansea Chance
Danny Graham beats the offside trap and looks to have a great chance against Jääskeläinen tough his shot falls just wide of the post as Swansea go close to increasing their lead.
Yellow Card
West Ham pick up the first booking of the second half with Kevin Nolan joining team mate Carlton Cole in the book. Swansea hoof the resulting free kick up the other end but the flag goes up against them.
West Ham Chance
The ball bounces around the Swansea penalty area and Carlton Cole goes for the spectacular bicycle kick though completely misses the ball which is easily collected by Michael Vorm.
Swansea Corner
The Swans get the first corner of the second half as Jääskeläinen is forced into action turning the ball behind from a sided footed effort by Swansea.
West Ham Substitution
West Ham make a half time substitution bringing on Ricardo Vaz Te to replace James Tomkins. A very positive change by Sam Allardyce.
...and we're off for the second half!
Half Time
Swansea 2-0 West Ham
Swansea may have started and ended the half on the back foot though it's what they did in a 10 minute spell in the middle of the half that separates the 2 teams at the break. Although both goals will go down as defensive mistakes with Jääskeläinen turning the ball into his own and James Collins making a blunder to let Michu in for the second, Swansea certainly do deserve their lead.
Michael Laudrup will be be very happy at his team leading and that Michu has netted his 3rd goal in 2 games, however he will be worried about the threat West Ham showed just prior to have time when they had a series of very threatening corners.
Whilst Sam Allardyce will feel annoyed at the defensive mistakes which have cost West Ham he will certainly feel encouraged by the promise his men showed just prior to the end of the half. He will also feel very happy about Matt Jarvis who has looked very bright on the ball and could have have had a goal and an assist himself.
This game maybe 2-0 but it's certainly not over yet.
West Ham Corner
A third West Ham corner inside about a minute, this time it's cleared off the line as Swansea hold on to their 2 goal advantage.
West Ham Corner
West Ham's previous corner gives the Swansea defense nightmares and it gets turned around for another.
West Ham Corner
A poor pass by Chico lets West Ham in with a chance before it's knocked behind for their first corner.
Yellow Card
West Ham now pick up their first booking as hitman Carlton Cole catches Swansea's Chico with his arm in an area challenger.
Swansea Corner
Swansea come close to a 3rd before Jääskeläinen makes a save and turns it over for a corner. The corner leads to nothing.
West Ham Chance
A free kick from the middle of the pitch provides Matt Jarvis with half a chance, the ball then sits loose in the Swansea penalty area before it's hoofed away. The second goal seems to have awoken West Ham.
Yellow Card
Just seconds after doubling their lead Swansea pick up the first booking of the match courtesy of Angel Rangel who gives away a free kick. The Swans clear the trouble.
GOAL!
Swansea double their lead as Spaniard Michu scores his 3rd goal in 2 games. The attacking midfielder could have been booked a few minutes earlier for a rash challenge and seems to have rattled West Ham's Kevin Nolan now he's rattled the whole West Ham team.
Swansea 2-0 West Ham
Jääskeläinen (20)-O.G.
Michu (29)
GOAL!
The home team open the scoring as Angel Rangel's shot deflects in from veteran keeper Jussi Jääskeläinen and this will likely go down as an Own Goal, the first of the season. Whilst West Ham started very brightly Swansea have played well and taken a deserved lead.
Swansea 1-0 West Ham
Jääskeläinen (20)-O.G.
Swansea Corner
Swansea get their second corner of the match, this time from their left, though like the previous one it leads to nothing.
West Ham Injury
West Ham's Winston Reid takes a knock after clashing with a team mate. He appears shaken but all right and after going through the formality of leaving the pitch soon returns.
Swansea Corner
Swansea get the first corner of the match though it leads to nothing an West Ham clear it.
West Ham Chance
Matt Jarvis makes an early impact as his cross is almost inch perfect for Kevin Nolan sadly for the Hammers their captain can't convert. Bright start for the visitors.
Swansea v West Ham
And we have Kick Off in the early Premier League game and the first game of "Week 2".
A week ago we were all excited about the Premier League kick and who would have expected what we saw last weekend. On just the opening day we had an amazing 19 goals in the Premier League, with 2 matches featuring 5 goals and since then we've had a further14 goals including another 5 goals match and a 6 goal game. Lets be honest honest, goals have been flying in in fact we've had an average of 3 a match!
As well as the goals we've seen a lot of penalties (a surprising 7 penalties already) 2 red cards, several notable upsets and of course the late season signings, of which their has been a spate of in recent days. It's one of those signings that the eyes of the Premier League will be on in the early kick off with West Ham new boy Matt Jarvis now expected to start against Swansea. Jarvis, West Ham's record signing will be hoping to make an immediate impact for his new team and I wouldn't put it beyond him. Though lets see as we get ready for kick off!
An early preview of the early match, written last night can be read here.
Monday, 20 August 2012
Week 1-Monday Night Football As It Happened (Everton Manchester United)
Full Time
Everton 1-0 Manchester United
Fellaini (57)
Corner
With only seconds left Manchester United have got themselves one more corner. Like the rest of them Everton deal with it with complete ease.
Substitution
Everton make the final substitution of the match as goal scorer Fellaini goes off and is replaced by Johnny Heitinga who will provide extra cover at the back for extra time (4 minutes)
Freekick and Substition
Everton break after a sustained attack by Manchester United and Coleman gets fould by Vidic to earn a free kick. Before it's taken Steven Naismith comes on to replace Jelavic for Everton. Nothing comes of the freekick though Everton have shwon they still pose a threat on the counter.
Substitution
Manchester United make their 3rd and final substitution bringing on Anderson for Tom Cleverly who has been rather disappointing today.
Substitution
Everton make their first change of the match taking off Leon Osman and replacing him with Sheamus Coleman as they look to add some fresh legs.
Save
Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa link up to force a save from Tim Howard as United continue to push for an equaliser.
Corner and Substitution
Manchester United get yet other corner but before taking this one Luis Nani is replaced by Ashley Young. Like all the others the corner comes to nothing as the Everton defense stand tall.
Corner
Manchester United keep the pressure on by getting a 4th straight corner though like the previous 3 they do nothing with it.
Corner
United get their 3rd successive corner which is again cleared with out any real problems by the home side.
Corner and Substituion
United are looking for an equaliser and just moments after Tom Cleverly's shot is cleared off the line by Phil Jagielka they get a corner. Before the corner is taken Robin Van Persie replaces Danny Wellbeck.
Corner
United get their first corner of the second half as they seek an equaliser but it doesn't beat the first man as Everton clear.
Corner and GOAL!
Everton get the first corner of the second half and they continue to seek the opening goal of the game...and they find it! Fellaini manages to break the deadlock with a solid header giving De Gea no chance.
Everton 1-0 Manchester United
Fellaini (57)
Woodwork
Everton rock the frame work of the United goal once more as Leon Osman rattles the undersize of the cross bar from close range.
Half Time Everton 0-0 Manchester United
Everton go into half time feeling like they were the better of the two teams though will be annoyed they aren't in the lead given the amount of times they've forced De Gea. Fellaini was outstanding for Everton through out the half and was the key to everything they did offensively whilst Sylvain Distin was a rock at the back for the Toffees.
United's make shift defense have looked very lucky so far as De Gea has been United's best player by a margin and the only reason they aren't 2 or 3 down. United's biggest problem is that, despite having solid posession they've done little with it and they've often moved the ball too slowly to really catch Everton's defends out.
David Moyes will be spending his team talk telling his players to just continue doing what they've been doing, though they will need to finish off one of their chances if they wish to claim 3 points. Alex Ferguson will likely be irate at his team who, despite having a really promising attacking line up have been pinned in their own half for much of the match as Fellaini has run them ragged. The scores may be level but Everton do deserve to be in the lead.
Half Time Stats
Shots
Everton 11 United 7
On Target
Everton 4 United 5
Corners
Everton 5 United 2
Corner
Manchester United get their second corner of the match just seconds before the end of the half but Everton clear it with out any bother.
Freekick
Nemenja Vidic fouls Jelavic giving Everton a freekick in strking distance. Leighton Baines strikes the set piece and again forces De Gea to pull out a fabulous save to keep the scores level.
Save
Everton come close once again as De Gea is forced to make an excellent save from Leon Osnman's shot. The Toffees are banging on the door as half time approaches.
Penalty Appeal
Shinji Kagawa plays in Danny Wellbeck with an excellent pass and Wellbeck goes down just outside the penalty area, United appeal but nothing is given.
Corner
Everton get yet another corner though this time United manage to clear without too much trouble.
Save
Everton come incredibly close as Steven Pienaar's shot forces De Gea to make a crucial save.
Corner
Manchester United get their first corner following the freekick, it's taken short and amounts to nothing.
Freekick
Manchester United get their first freekick in a promising position as Paul Scholes is taken down just outside the D. Wayne Rooney takes it and Tim Howard is forced to turn it behind.
Corner
Everton have a fantastic move that is finished with De Gea forced into action by Nikica Jelavic. The corner forces De Gea into action as he tips it over the bar for a second corner. The pressure is
eventually ended as Fellaini shoots wide.
Freekick
Everton get a very promising free kick which forces David De Gea into action. So far Everton are looking the much more threatening team having come close twice in the past few minutes.
Woodwork
Everton's Marouane Fellaini hits the woodwork as Everton come close to breaking the deadlock.
Yellow Card
Paul Scholes joins fellow Man United player Nani in the referees book as he goes through Darren Gibson just outside the Everton penalty area.
Corner
Everton get the first corner of the game inside the 5th minute it comes to nothing despite being a very solid corner.
Yellow Card
Manchester United's winger Nani receives the first yellow card of the game inside the 3rd minute as Andre Marriner goes to his book a little bit rashly for what looked to be a foul but nothing more.
Freekick
Everton get their first free kick after just 14 seconds. Baines floats it in but the headed effort is off target.
And we're off!
With just a single match tonight I've decided to do a more detailed "As it Happened" than usual, with a full array of stats, figures and squads.
Everton-
Starting XI- Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Osman, Pienaar, Gibson, Neville, Fellaini, Jelavic
Subs-Mucha, Heitinga, Naismith, Gueye, Barkley, Coleman, Anichebe
Manchester United-
Startin XI- De Gea, Evra, Vidic, Carrick, Valencia, Nani, Scholes, Cleverley, Welbeck, Kagawa, Rooney,
Subs- Lindegaard, Rafael, Wootton, Anderson, Berbatov, Young, Van Persie
Referee-Andre Mariner
Kick Off-20:00
TV-Sky Sports 1
Pre Match Odds
Match Odds
Everton 3/1
Draw 13/5
Man Utd Evens
Over/Under 2.5 Goals
Over 10/11
Under 10/11
Bookings (note a yellow card is 10 points, a red card is 25 points)
Under 25 2/1
25-45 7/4
Over 45 13/8
Everton 1-0 Manchester United
Fellaini (57)
Corner
With only seconds left Manchester United have got themselves one more corner. Like the rest of them Everton deal with it with complete ease.
Substitution
Everton make the final substitution of the match as goal scorer Fellaini goes off and is replaced by Johnny Heitinga who will provide extra cover at the back for extra time (4 minutes)
Freekick and Substition
Everton break after a sustained attack by Manchester United and Coleman gets fould by Vidic to earn a free kick. Before it's taken Steven Naismith comes on to replace Jelavic for Everton. Nothing comes of the freekick though Everton have shwon they still pose a threat on the counter.
Substitution
Manchester United make their 3rd and final substitution bringing on Anderson for Tom Cleverly who has been rather disappointing today.
Substitution
Everton make their first change of the match taking off Leon Osman and replacing him with Sheamus Coleman as they look to add some fresh legs.
Save
Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa link up to force a save from Tim Howard as United continue to push for an equaliser.
Corner and Substitution
Manchester United get yet other corner but before taking this one Luis Nani is replaced by Ashley Young. Like all the others the corner comes to nothing as the Everton defense stand tall.
Corner
Manchester United keep the pressure on by getting a 4th straight corner though like the previous 3 they do nothing with it.
Corner
United get their 3rd successive corner which is again cleared with out any real problems by the home side.
Corner and Substituion
United are looking for an equaliser and just moments after Tom Cleverly's shot is cleared off the line by Phil Jagielka they get a corner. Before the corner is taken Robin Van Persie replaces Danny Wellbeck.
Corner
United get their first corner of the second half as they seek an equaliser but it doesn't beat the first man as Everton clear.
Corner and GOAL!
Everton get the first corner of the second half and they continue to seek the opening goal of the game...and they find it! Fellaini manages to break the deadlock with a solid header giving De Gea no chance.
Everton 1-0 Manchester United
Fellaini (57)
Woodwork
Everton rock the frame work of the United goal once more as Leon Osman rattles the undersize of the cross bar from close range.
Half Time Everton 0-0 Manchester United
Everton go into half time feeling like they were the better of the two teams though will be annoyed they aren't in the lead given the amount of times they've forced De Gea. Fellaini was outstanding for Everton through out the half and was the key to everything they did offensively whilst Sylvain Distin was a rock at the back for the Toffees.
United's make shift defense have looked very lucky so far as De Gea has been United's best player by a margin and the only reason they aren't 2 or 3 down. United's biggest problem is that, despite having solid posession they've done little with it and they've often moved the ball too slowly to really catch Everton's defends out.
David Moyes will be spending his team talk telling his players to just continue doing what they've been doing, though they will need to finish off one of their chances if they wish to claim 3 points. Alex Ferguson will likely be irate at his team who, despite having a really promising attacking line up have been pinned in their own half for much of the match as Fellaini has run them ragged. The scores may be level but Everton do deserve to be in the lead.
Half Time Stats
Shots
Everton 11 United 7
On Target
Everton 4 United 5
Corners
Everton 5 United 2
Corner
Manchester United get their second corner of the match just seconds before the end of the half but Everton clear it with out any bother.
Freekick
Nemenja Vidic fouls Jelavic giving Everton a freekick in strking distance. Leighton Baines strikes the set piece and again forces De Gea to pull out a fabulous save to keep the scores level.
Save
Everton come close once again as De Gea is forced to make an excellent save from Leon Osnman's shot. The Toffees are banging on the door as half time approaches.
Penalty Appeal
Shinji Kagawa plays in Danny Wellbeck with an excellent pass and Wellbeck goes down just outside the penalty area, United appeal but nothing is given.
Corner
Everton get yet another corner though this time United manage to clear without too much trouble.
Save
Everton come incredibly close as Steven Pienaar's shot forces De Gea to make a crucial save.
Corner
Manchester United get their first corner following the freekick, it's taken short and amounts to nothing.
Freekick
Manchester United get their first freekick in a promising position as Paul Scholes is taken down just outside the D. Wayne Rooney takes it and Tim Howard is forced to turn it behind.
Corner
Everton have a fantastic move that is finished with De Gea forced into action by Nikica Jelavic. The corner forces De Gea into action as he tips it over the bar for a second corner. The pressure is
eventually ended as Fellaini shoots wide.
Freekick
Everton get a very promising free kick which forces David De Gea into action. So far Everton are looking the much more threatening team having come close twice in the past few minutes.
Woodwork
Everton's Marouane Fellaini hits the woodwork as Everton come close to breaking the deadlock.
Yellow Card
Paul Scholes joins fellow Man United player Nani in the referees book as he goes through Darren Gibson just outside the Everton penalty area.
Corner
Everton get the first corner of the game inside the 5th minute it comes to nothing despite being a very solid corner.
Yellow Card
Manchester United's winger Nani receives the first yellow card of the game inside the 3rd minute as Andre Marriner goes to his book a little bit rashly for what looked to be a foul but nothing more.
Freekick
Everton get their first free kick after just 14 seconds. Baines floats it in but the headed effort is off target.
And we're off!
With just a single match tonight I've decided to do a more detailed "As it Happened" than usual, with a full array of stats, figures and squads.
Everton-
Starting XI- Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Osman, Pienaar, Gibson, Neville, Fellaini, Jelavic
Subs-Mucha, Heitinga, Naismith, Gueye, Barkley, Coleman, Anichebe
Manchester United-
Startin XI- De Gea, Evra, Vidic, Carrick, Valencia, Nani, Scholes, Cleverley, Welbeck, Kagawa, Rooney,
Subs- Lindegaard, Rafael, Wootton, Anderson, Berbatov, Young, Van Persie
Referee-Andre Mariner
Kick Off-20:00
TV-Sky Sports 1
Pre Match Odds
Match Odds
Everton 3/1
Draw 13/5
Man Utd Evens
Over/Under 2.5 Goals
Over 10/11
Under 10/11
Bookings (note a yellow card is 10 points, a red card is 25 points)
Under 25 2/1
25-45 7/4
Over 45 13/8
Friday, 17 August 2012
The Pre-Season Part 1-The Euro's
So we are finally here, the Premier League 2012-2013 season is upon us and with less than 15 hours to kick off it's time to look at what has happened over the very, very busy Summer. Of course as we all know Summer was not only the time for transfers (which I will get on to a little bit later) but also the summer of the European Championships (Euro 2012), so lets start this by looking at those.
The Euro's which was hosted in Poland and Ukraine kicked off on June 8th and finished with the final on July 1st with Spain successfully defending the title they won 4 years ago in Austria and Switzerland. As a result of their triumph Spain became the first nation to not only defend the European Championships but also the first nation to win 3 successive major international titles.
The Euro's started with Group A and co-host Poland scoring a 1-1 draw with former champions Greece (who infamously won the tournament in 2004) with Russia later destroying the Czech Republic 4-1 in a truly impressive performance. Sadly despite Russia's fantastic performance on the opening day they flattered to deceive and they went out at the group stage after drawing with Poland and losing to Greece in a huge upset. Despite the Czech Republic and Greece qualifying from the Group it was young Russian striker Alan Dzagoev that really made his name scoring 3 goals in his teams 3 group matches.
The second set of matches were in the dreaded "Group of Death", Group B. This Group really was an amazingly tough Group on paper with Germany, Portugal, Netherlands and Denmark and it seemed like any of the teams had the pedigree to qualify. Sadly, despite the class of the Dutch team, which included a number of household names such as Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin Van Persie they failed to click and suffered an embarrassing loss to Denmark in their opening fixture, this was then followed by losses to both Germany and Portugal as they ended up being one of only 2 teams not to score a point. Whilst the Netherlands were the laughing stock of the group the Germans were the class act winning all 3 of their games as they lived up to their reputation. Joining Germany were Portugal who's win over Denmark in their second game was effectively the deciding match.
In Group C we saw Spain managing to qualify top despite not looking at their best. In their opening game they drew 1-1 with Italy before walloping the Republic of Ireland 4-0 (though they really should have had 8 or 9) and then scraping past Croatia. Italy, who had drawn with Spain in their own opening game also only managed a draw with Croatia before beating the groups poor whipping boys the Republic of Ireland. The poor Republic of Ireland finished not only pointless but also with the worst record ever seen in a European Championship, conceding an impressive 9 goals whilst scoring just 1 (a Sean St Ledger header against Croatia). Despite Croatia falling at the first hurdle they did show some impressive ability (as is expected of the Croatians) with Bayern Munich's Mario Mandžukić being arguably the pick of the bunch.
In the final Group, Group D, England and France both qualified despite neither team really looking at their best. In the opening round of matches England and France both drew (1-1) with each other whilst co-host Ukraine managed to eek out a 2-1, come from behind victory over the Swede's thanks to a brace by Andriy Shevchenko. Sadly losses to both England and France ended Ukraine's hopes for qualification, though they did run England close losing 3-2 in one of the tournaments most exciting matches. Whilst England qualified with out a loss, France were much less fortunate and lost 2-0 to Sweden in their final group game, in part due to an excellent goal of the competition contender by the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimović.
The quarter finals began with Portugal narrowly beating the Czech Republic thanks to a second half goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. The following day Germany defeated Greece 4-2 in a match that was closer in scoreline than it appeared on the pitch (due in part to a Greek penalty in the 89th minute). Portugal were joined the following day by their semi final opponents Spain who inflicted the second successive 2-0 loss on France whilst England were sadly disposed of, on penalties to the Italians (4-2) after both Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missed their penalties.
In the first Semi Final Portugal held Spain to a 0-0 draw in a match that seemed to really push Spain to the brink. Despite holding on 0-0 for 120 minutes Portugal failed to hold their own at penalties with João Moutinho and the seemingly petrified Bruno Alves both failing to score and like England they fell by the wayside 4-2 on penalties. In the other Semi Final Italian Mario Balotelli stole the show scoring twice in the first half (including an absolute blinder) to see off the German's 2-1, and book a rematch with Spain in the final.
Sadly for Italy the final was a nightmare as Spain took advantage of a weary looking Italian team and played them off the pitch in an embarrassingly 1 sided match that saw Spain dominate much of the match and score 4 unanswered goals. Whilst the victory left Spain in a state of jubilation it left the Italians heartbroken, and not for the first time in recent competitions, having also been losing finalists in Euro 2000 and the 1994 World Cup.
For the stat lovers out there:
The competition had 6 players tied on 3 goals-
Fernando Torres (who won the Golden Boot due to playing less time than Mario Gomez, with the two players tied on assists)
Mario Gomez
Mario Balotelli
Cristiano Ronaldo
Alan Dzagoev
and Mario Mandžukić
For Premier League fans the list above should be very exciting as it shows not only that Balotelli (Man City) can perform at the highest level but also that Fernando Torres is getting back into the swing of scoring goals.
Also over Summer we had the Summer Olympics, which again featured some football...but more about that in the next entry.
The video below is thanks to CR10Productions
The Euro's which was hosted in Poland and Ukraine kicked off on June 8th and finished with the final on July 1st with Spain successfully defending the title they won 4 years ago in Austria and Switzerland. As a result of their triumph Spain became the first nation to not only defend the European Championships but also the first nation to win 3 successive major international titles.
The Euro's started with Group A and co-host Poland scoring a 1-1 draw with former champions Greece (who infamously won the tournament in 2004) with Russia later destroying the Czech Republic 4-1 in a truly impressive performance. Sadly despite Russia's fantastic performance on the opening day they flattered to deceive and they went out at the group stage after drawing with Poland and losing to Greece in a huge upset. Despite the Czech Republic and Greece qualifying from the Group it was young Russian striker Alan Dzagoev that really made his name scoring 3 goals in his teams 3 group matches.
The second set of matches were in the dreaded "Group of Death", Group B. This Group really was an amazingly tough Group on paper with Germany, Portugal, Netherlands and Denmark and it seemed like any of the teams had the pedigree to qualify. Sadly, despite the class of the Dutch team, which included a number of household names such as Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Arjen Robben, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin Van Persie they failed to click and suffered an embarrassing loss to Denmark in their opening fixture, this was then followed by losses to both Germany and Portugal as they ended up being one of only 2 teams not to score a point. Whilst the Netherlands were the laughing stock of the group the Germans were the class act winning all 3 of their games as they lived up to their reputation. Joining Germany were Portugal who's win over Denmark in their second game was effectively the deciding match.
In Group C we saw Spain managing to qualify top despite not looking at their best. In their opening game they drew 1-1 with Italy before walloping the Republic of Ireland 4-0 (though they really should have had 8 or 9) and then scraping past Croatia. Italy, who had drawn with Spain in their own opening game also only managed a draw with Croatia before beating the groups poor whipping boys the Republic of Ireland. The poor Republic of Ireland finished not only pointless but also with the worst record ever seen in a European Championship, conceding an impressive 9 goals whilst scoring just 1 (a Sean St Ledger header against Croatia). Despite Croatia falling at the first hurdle they did show some impressive ability (as is expected of the Croatians) with Bayern Munich's Mario Mandžukić being arguably the pick of the bunch.
In the final Group, Group D, England and France both qualified despite neither team really looking at their best. In the opening round of matches England and France both drew (1-1) with each other whilst co-host Ukraine managed to eek out a 2-1, come from behind victory over the Swede's thanks to a brace by Andriy Shevchenko. Sadly losses to both England and France ended Ukraine's hopes for qualification, though they did run England close losing 3-2 in one of the tournaments most exciting matches. Whilst England qualified with out a loss, France were much less fortunate and lost 2-0 to Sweden in their final group game, in part due to an excellent goal of the competition contender by the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimović.
The quarter finals began with Portugal narrowly beating the Czech Republic thanks to a second half goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. The following day Germany defeated Greece 4-2 in a match that was closer in scoreline than it appeared on the pitch (due in part to a Greek penalty in the 89th minute). Portugal were joined the following day by their semi final opponents Spain who inflicted the second successive 2-0 loss on France whilst England were sadly disposed of, on penalties to the Italians (4-2) after both Ashley Young and Ashley Cole missed their penalties.
In the first Semi Final Portugal held Spain to a 0-0 draw in a match that seemed to really push Spain to the brink. Despite holding on 0-0 for 120 minutes Portugal failed to hold their own at penalties with João Moutinho and the seemingly petrified Bruno Alves both failing to score and like England they fell by the wayside 4-2 on penalties. In the other Semi Final Italian Mario Balotelli stole the show scoring twice in the first half (including an absolute blinder) to see off the German's 2-1, and book a rematch with Spain in the final.
Sadly for Italy the final was a nightmare as Spain took advantage of a weary looking Italian team and played them off the pitch in an embarrassingly 1 sided match that saw Spain dominate much of the match and score 4 unanswered goals. Whilst the victory left Spain in a state of jubilation it left the Italians heartbroken, and not for the first time in recent competitions, having also been losing finalists in Euro 2000 and the 1994 World Cup.
For the stat lovers out there:
The competition had 6 players tied on 3 goals-
Fernando Torres (who won the Golden Boot due to playing less time than Mario Gomez, with the two players tied on assists)
Mario Gomez
Mario Balotelli
Cristiano Ronaldo
Alan Dzagoev
and Mario Mandžukić
For Premier League fans the list above should be very exciting as it shows not only that Balotelli (Man City) can perform at the highest level but also that Fernando Torres is getting back into the swing of scoring goals.
Also over Summer we had the Summer Olympics, which again featured some football...but more about that in the next entry.
The video below is thanks to CR10Productions
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