|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
Brief reports of the weekend's English premier league matches:
Played on Sunday:
MIDDLESBROUGH 1 CHELSEA 2
ADVERTISEMENT
Chelsea, smarting from their Champions League humiliation by Besiktas in midweek,
led at the interval with Eidur Gudjohnsen's 17th-minute strike from a through
ball by Damien Duff. Ticketmaster
Boro, unbeaten in three games without conceding goal, showed their improved form only in the second half after a 46th-minute equaliser by Slovakia's Szilard Nemeth and were to rue a string of missed chances.
Chelsea substitute Hernan Crespo had the final word, heading home a Duff cross from a tight angle two minutes from time.
- - - -
ASTON VILLA 1 BOLTON WANDERERS 1
Both sides went into the match with finishing problems and only partially resolved them, Colombian Juan Pablo Angel having a potentially match-winning penalty saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen four minutes from time. Ticketmaster
Bolton scored their first away goal of the season through midfielder Kevin Nolan 53 seconds into the second half.
Angel, who missed at least two good chances at Chelsea last weekend when Villa lost 1-0, equalised in the 58th minute with a shot from the edge of the box into the top right corner.
- - - -
Played on Saturday:
FULHAM 2 LEICESTER CITY 0
Fulham maintained their impressive start to the season with their first victory over Leicester since 1979 thanks to Luis Boa Morte's double.
Boa Morte gave the Londoners the lead in the 36th minute after Steed Malbranque's shot hit the woodwork. Ticketmaster
He grabbed his second, and his fifth of the season, in the 73rd minute after a superb pass from Malbranque. Defeat left Leicester in the relegation zone.
- - - -
LEEDS UNITED 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
Leeds manager Peter Reid's traumatic week ended on a high as his side ended a run of three consecutive defeats to move out of the relegation zone.
Reid, who received a much-publicised vote of confidence on Thursday, watched his side take the lead in the 11th minute with a close-range Seth Johnson finish.
Midfielder Johnson then rewarded a rejuvenated Leeds with a second goal after 26 minutes. Dino Baggio scored his first goal for Blackburn after 86 minutes but it could not deny Leeds their first home win of the season.
- - - -
LIVERPOOL 1 ARSENAL 1
A stunning Robert Pires strike kept Arsenal top of the table as they came from behind to claim all three points at Anfield.
Liverpool dominated early on and Harry Kewell gave them a deserved lead after 14 minutes with an emphatic low finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Arsenal, without the injured Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljungberg, levelled on the half hour when Edu's header from a Pires free kick deflected in off Sami Hyypia's foot.
Arsenal, still unbeaten in the league this season, improved in the second half and sealed the points in the 68th minute when Pires drifted in from the left to curl a delightful shot past Jerzy Dudek. Ticketmaster
- - - -
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 BIRMINGHAM CITY 0
Birmingham arrived at Old Trafford having conceded just two goals in the league this season and the champions found Steve Bruce's side hard to play against at Old Trafford.
The breakthrough came in the 36th minute when Ruud van Nistelrooy converted from the penalty spot after City goalkeeper Maik Taylor was sent off for bringing down Paul Scholes. Ticketmaster
Scholes made the points safe after 57 minutes with a drilled shot past substitute keeper Ian Bennett before Ryan Giggs added a late third to condemn Birmingham to their first defeat of the season.
- - - -
NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 SOUTHAMPTON 0
Alan Shearer's 250th career league goal put struggling Newcastle on the way to their first premier league victory of the season.
The former England striker pounced just before halftime, drilling in a low shot against his former club.
Craig Bellamy wasted several good chances to increase Newcastle's lead and they had to endure a tense final few minutes as Southampton looked to snatch a point.
- - - -
PORTSMOUTH 1 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 2
Portsmouth slipped to their third straight league defeat as the early-season optimism evaporated at Fratton Park. Ticketmaster
Teddy Sheringham headed his sixth goal of the season from Tim Sherwood's corner to put the home side ahead in the 34th minute.
Charlton deservedly equalised after 77 minutes through Jon Fortune's close-range effort and the London club stole the points in the dying seconds when South African striker Shaun Bartlett rose to head in substitute Paolo di Canio's corner.
- - - -
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 EVERTON 0
Tottenham caretaker manager David Pleat made it three games unbeaten since Glenn Hoddle was sacked.
Everton, without a win over Spurs since 1997, rarely looked like ending that jinx, and the home side took the lead through Frederic Kanoute's superb dipping shot from 30 metres.
Gustavo Poyet doubled the advantage with a header straight after the interval before Robbie Keane added a third three minutes later.
Everton manager David Moyes sent on substitute Wayne Rooney, but the teenage England striker's main contribution was to receive a yellow card.
- - - -
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1 MANCHESTER CITY 0
The long wait is over for Wolves fans after they finally chalked up a victory on their return to the big time.
Colin Cameron proved the hero, heading the winner after 75 minutes from a cross by Henri Camara and scoring Wolves's first home goal in the top flight since 1984.
City's Sun Jihai almost ruined the party in the final minute, but his goalbound header was brilliantly saved by Wolves keeper Michael Oakes.