EPL Round 10 recap
by Paul O'Donnell
Arsenal 2-0 Bolton
Despite losing Van Persie (injured on international duty with the Netherlands) the Gunners finally broke down a resilient Bolton in the 68th minute on a long range bomb from defender Kolo Toure. Rosicky added his classy deflection off a perfectly placed cross from teenager Theo Wolcott in the 89th for the final score keeping Arsenal on top of the table. The match was the first for Bolton’s interim manager Archie Knox after dismissing Sammy Lee on Wednesday.
Aston Villa 1-4 Man Utd
Wayne Rooney has hit his stride now that he’s finally scored again while wearing the England shirt and added a brace in United’s thumping win over 9 man Villa for their 7th straight victory. Rooney was denied his hat trick from the spot in the 67th. Rooney has now scored at least once in his last 5 games in all competitions. Villa went on top in the 12th minute on a class header by Agbonlahor off a corner before Rooney’s brace in the 36th and then the match winner in the 44th before Ferdinand made it 3-1 off a rebound in first half injury time. Villa had GK Scott Carson sent off in the 66th for taking down Tevez after Nigel Reo Coker saw red in the 60th for his second yellow. Giggs added the 4th for United in the 75th minute. Another dominant performance by SAF’s guys.
Everton 1-2 Liverpool
The Reds were visiting Goodison Park in the big Merseyside Derby (the 177th edition) looking to make amends for last year’s 3-0 defeat by the Toffees and they got it via the whistle and two penalty kick goals by Dirk Kuyt. Everton’s pressure resulted in an OG by Hyppia in the 38th for their deserved 1-0 lead at the break before Hibbert saw red for taking down Gerrard in the 53rd which resulted in Kuyt’s first from the spot. The 2nd came in stoppage time when Neville, on the line, stopped a Leiva shot with his hand. In what will become the most talked about substitution, Leiva, the young Brazilian, had been subbed on for Steven Gerrard in the 71st minute. You would think Rafa had learned his lesson last year that Gerrard is simply not very effective when forced to play on the wing and his best spot on the pitch is as a withdrawn striker in the middle of the park.
However it is Rafa and his love of tinkering with the lineup that will be the downfall of this Liverpool team. I’m no manager but doesn’t it seem a bit foolish to recruit someone that forces you to play Gerrard anywhere but in his best position on the pitch? Signing a player with a promising future might be a positive down the road, but it’s also a negative for the current season when you have to detract from the team to get that player on the pitch. Doesn’t that become a net loss? We’re seeing the answer play out right now with Liverpool’s poor performance over the last month and a half. This team is good enough, and lucky too, to not be in the same situation as Tottenham let’s say, thanks to some favorable whistles here and there including in this derby with Everton. Without those beneficial calls from the officials Liverpool could easily have 7 points fewer than they do at this stage and Rafa would be hearing the howls along with Jol. As it is he is getting pounded in the press about his rotation policy and he’s likely to be roasted in the media for his replacing Gerrard with the scoreline level in this one and nearly 20 minutes on the clock. With Gerrard’s history of winning games for Liverpool with thunderous strikes from distance playing him anywhere on the pitch but the middle of the park, or taking him off completely with the result on the line is certainly a questionable decision. Neville’s handball in stoppage time saved Rafa’s bacon this time.
In the end it was a whistle not blown that really saved him according to Moyes and the Everton faithful; a penalty not given at the death that might have seen the score knotted at 2 for Carragher’s takedown of Lescot just seconds before the final whistle. When you see the action you too will wonder how the penalty was not given. Liverpool has benefited time-and-time again this season with such favorable treatment by the on field officials and Moyes has a valid gripe about this one.
Blackburn 4-2 Reading
Mark Hughes Rovers added to the pain for the Royals watching their team come apart in the early stages of their 2nd Premier League season. First half goals from Benni McCarthy, Rocque Santa Cruz and Tugay put the Rovers on cruise control after only 32 minutes which permitted Reading to at least make it look good on a brace of their own from Doyle. McCarthy added his 2nd from the spot in the 82nd before Doyle notched his 2nd headed goal in stoppage time for the final score.
Fulham 0-0 Derby
Antti Niemi produced a man of the match performance in this one making the start for an injured Casey Keller saving 10 man Fulham from a loss at home to bottom side Derby County. Fulham had defender Paul Konchesky sent off for an elbow just before the interval in a first half that saw the Cottager’s on the back foot and if it were not for Niemi’s fine efforts on the day it would have been far worse.
Man City 1-0 Birmingham
Brazilian Elano notched his 4th goal in his last three for City in the 37th minute as they continue to do just enough to stay on the good side of the ledger for Sven. Steve Bruce must be having nightmares with his team producing good efforts and nothing to show for it.
Middlesbrough 0-2 Chelsea
Didier Drogba made amends for his outburst published in the midweek in a French soccer magazine with a fine performance and the winning goal after only 8 minutes at the Riverside in front of another half empty stadium. Brazilian defender Alex got Chelsea’s second on a thunderous strike in the 57th just as Boro seemed to be getting a grip on the contest. Has the loss of Yakubu and Viduka made Boro an imposter as an EPL team?
Wigan 0-2 Portsmouth
Wigan drops their 2nd in a row at the JJB and headed in the wrong direction with the loss of Heskey making their offense nearly toothless and extending their scoreless streak to beyond 300 minutes. Redknapp’s Pompey got goals from Benjani and Glen Johnson in the last ten minutes for their 4th straight win in a truly forgettable match. For 80 minutes this was one of those games that was nearly unwatchable and a testimony that even in the EPL a soccer match can seem like it will never end. Thankfully for fans of soccer’s best professional league this sort of match is the exception, not the rule. The goal for EPL fans here in the United States must be that a match such as this is never seen on American TV.
West Ham 3-1 Sunderland
Roy Keane’s Black Cats hung tough for all but the final 20 minutes of this one keeping the score at 1-0 after Carrolton Cole’s 8th minute opener. The Cats leveled the score in the 51st from Jones but the winner came on an OG (Gordon) in the 77th before Craig Bellamy added his deep into stoppage time for the final scoreline.
Newcastle 3-1 Tottenham
Martin Jol’s headache got more intense Monday after watching his talented side lose another on the road with goals from Obafemi Martins (44) and Claudio Capaca (50) before his team got a grip. Robbie Keane pulled one back for Spurs (56) off the rebound from a headed ball by Bent struck the bar as Tottenham appeared to gain control of the contest but it would come to nothing more. Joey Barton came on and injected some life into the game for the Tynesiders and two minutes later Milner tallied the final goal of the day (72) as Spurs again failed to win their first on the road of the campaign. Instead of challenging to break into the Big Four at the top of the table Tottenham are stuck in the relegation zone. Will this one be the end of the line for Jol? Something has to change at White Hart Lane and soon before the hole they’ve dug for themselves becomes a bottomless pit.
