EPL Round 25 recap
by Paul O'Donnell
Turmoil continues in Liverpool as the team slides farther into mediocrity and the fans blame their American owners instead of their highly paid under-performing team and coaching staff. With the attitude as it is right now in Liverpool they'd blame Hicks if the sun didn't come up tomorrow. If I were part of the ownership I'd say forget this, we'll invest elsewhere but Hicks & Co. are not likely to pitch in the towel just yet. Bad timing as they say with the team not up to par and the ink not yet dry on a new refinance deal.
A lot of water over the damn since just a few days ago and here we are at yet another round of EPL action. The tumultuous end of the transfer window with Benjani's move not completed before the bell probably will end up in the courts. What does that mean for Redknapp and Pompey considering they moved quickly and snatched DeFoe from Tottenham to replace Benjani on the final day? Shearer says he won't take a spot on Newcastle's staff and Man City go out and buy a strike force, something the team was sorely lacking. For what was supposed to be a staid and laid back transfer window this one ended with a bang. It may actually not be over in a way as protests have been shouted out from several quarters around the league. Standby as the pundits say, it isn't really over until the fat lady sings.
Reading, on a string of 5 straight defeats despite playing well enough to earn points in all of them, entertains the Wanderers. Another side with a less than stellar record on their home ground this year, Blackburn, faces a stiff test of their resolve and claim on a higher position in the table in Everton. Are the Toffees the heir to Liverpool's failure to hold a Champions League place, or are Rovers? We might get an answer to that in this one.
Does Defoe ride the wood at Pompey as he has for so long while at Spurs? What does Redknapp do with the 'want away' Benjani? Here we have Defoe making a move in search of first team football and since Benjani's deal fell through at the bell he's right back where he was at Tottenham. Or is he? At any rate Redknapp's challenge on the day is even bigger as they confront Chelsea at Fratton Park.
Can City escape with their unbeaten home record intact as they entertain an in top form Arsenal?
Man City 1:3 Arsenal
Sanga made a terrific run pulling the ball back across the face of goal and Adebayor was there to stuff it in marking the 8th consecutive match in which he has scored a goal (9'). City's young defender Micah Richards found himself flat on his face as he tried to cut off the centering ball leaving Adebayor essentially unmarked in front of goal. Richards would be victimized again in the 26th minute as Eduardo took Adebayor's headed centering ball off his chest and with a whirling near overhead strike made in 2-0 to the Arsenal. City hit back less than two minutes later from Fernandez thanks to an error by Clichy to stay in touch with the high flyers from North London at the half. In the end the overwhelming quality and pressure on the defense created another Adebayor goal in the 88th and City had lost for the first time this season on their home ground as Arsenal go back to the top.
Birmingham 1:1 Derby
Birmingham City were well on their way to a victory on the back of a 69th minute Larsson goal until the stoppage time leveler from Derby's Emanuel Villa stopped the cheers. The dropped points and Wigan's win puts City in the zone.
Blackburn 0:0 Everton
The goal drought continues at Ewood Park as a bruising battle ends scoreless.
Portsmouth 1:1 Chelsea
Defoe scored to level for Pompey (65') in his first appearance after his last minute move from Spurs but frankly he could have won the match had his late strike been more accurate. Nicolas Anelka had opened the scoring for the Blues in the 56th.
Tottenham 1:1 Man United
A strong run by Jenas ended with his dive looking for a penalty instead of making a quality play. The attack was completed by a hustling Aaron Lennon with Jenas laying on his back pleading for a whistle. Lennon scooped up the ball in full stride, continued his run to the endline crossing the ball sharply which was deflected by Van der Sar right into the path of Berbatov as Spurs took the lead in the 20th minute. United was in poor form in the opening half and looked to be suffering from hangovers from Friday night in Piccadilly. The headache for United lasted until the last kick of the match when Tevez knocked down his marker (O'Hara) on the last ditch corner then banged the ball in for the leveler. Earlier in the half Robbie Keane wasted a golden opportunity and in the end Spurs were truly hard done by the last ditch goal. Ten players were booked in this affair (7 of them United) where Spurs were the better side throughout and at least two of those shown yellow for United should really have been dismissed (red). Typical of his biting attacks on the officials SAF is screaming that something was surely amiss with Mark Clattenberg because there is no way United's players could ever commit bookable offenses at twice the rate of their opposition. They are after all Manchester United don't you know, and they are coached by SIR Alex Ferguson.
Sure, but we all know his game; it’s how he gets an undue advantage over his opponents and he does it well. The snarling, harshly critical attacks allow him to get away with gutter snipe like physical gestures to the opposing coaching staff and he walks away unscathed. That experience tells this viper he can get away with almost anything. So he keeps right on doing it.
Look, the truth is if any other manager (except for perhaps Arsene Wenger of Arsenal) pulled the ugly stunts we see often from Ferguson they would at the very least be shown a written reprimand and a multi-match touchline ban. Not Alex Ferguson. Having 'Sir' before his name is essentially a license to be an idiot, and he is, and often an ugly one at that.
At any rate with 3 minutes of added time the last ditch leveler actually didn't come until after the 4th minute had ticked off the clock. To make the ending even more disappointing for Spurs, O'Hara who was marking Tevez, had been subbed on just a minute before for Robbie Keane which undoubtedly was why the official added enough time to allow that decisive corner kick. On that substitution Keane did his part to waste as much of the remaining stoppage time as he could (as he was expected to do) by walking calmly to the touchline. Clattenberg then added another minute (or more) that allowed that final decisive sequence to unfold. In the end Spurs were burned by their attempt to consume as much of the remaining stoppage time as they could with no action on the pitch. A ploy that they all use at times. This time it worked against them, simple as that.
United fall to 2nd two points behind Arsenal with the draw but those two dropped points on that final desperate corner kick was a painful way for the match to end for Spurs who were the better team on the day.
Wigan 1:0 West Ham
Wigan's match winner came from a Kevin Kilbane header in the 46th stopping an in form Hammers and winning a much needed 3 points for Wigan who go to 15th in the table.
Reading 0:2 Bolton
Wanderers got goals from Kevin Nolan (34') and Helguson (59') as the Royals woes at home continue as Bolton claims their first road win. Reading has now lost their last six and are now just a single point above the relegation zone.
Liverpool 3:0 Sunderland
The first half was played as if both sides started in a sleepwalk and never did quite wake up. Despite a distinct possession advantage the Reds were unable to create a decent chance on goal thanks to the gritty and hard working Black Cats defense. That changed early in the 2nd half with a nice move and terrific header from Crouch (58') and from there on it was a different Liverpool. Torres added another off a classy flick from Crouch in the 70th and Gerrard's penalty in stoppage time for the final scoreline as Liverpool dominated proceedings in the 2nd half and took advantage of it this time. The Reds go to 5th with the win, their first in the league since Boxing Day.
Newcastle 1:1 M'Boro
Will the Magpies manage their first goal under Keegan in this, a neighborhood war? They did manage to put one in the net early on but it was ruled out which must have seemed terribly cruel to the Toon Army and Keegan too, not to mention Owen who is truly becoming desperate to score one that counts. He finally did just that off a quality cross from Emre when he headed home for the first goal of Keegan's second term at St James' Park in the 60th minute. Robert Huth ruined the day for the Magpies with the leveler for Boro in the 87th with a header off a Julio Arca cross. The Magpies earn their first point under Keegan but conceding late in the game ended the day in a draw and the 2 points lost making it a less than satisfying result in the end.
Fulham 2:1 Aston Villa
The truth is Fulham may not have enough games remaining from their habit of scoring first and not holding on to recover and win another season in the top flight. The first half was one both managers will want to forget and you would have thought there was little at stake for either side. The 2nd half changed that and the game soon became an entertaining affair with a fightback worthy of any side facing relegation. This time it would be the opposition scoring first, or actually Fulham scored for them to be more accurate. Aaron Hughes poked a poorly executed corner into his own goal and Villa had the lead (70').
So Fulham's backs were really against the wall now having to fightback to just get even which is something they hadn't done all season. Brian McBride then came on for his first appearance since August (71') and there was a change in the attitude and energy to Fulham's game. Two minutes later they were level on a Simon Davies classy narrow angle shot off the feed from Bullard. The match winner came on a Jimmy Bullard free kick in the 87th and Fulham had what they desperately needed, a victory on a fightback no less and well deserved. Is it possible for them to survive?
Possible yes, but likely? Not so much. The odds say they won't make it as they'd have to win 21pts from the 39 possible in the remaining games to reach 40 for the season; the point total considered the mark needed to survive. While they are only 3pts at present from pulling themselves out of the zone they still must depend on continued failure of those around them such as Birmingham City for instance. At the same time a streak of wins, even a short one could make all the difference.
Can they do that? Yes, with the return of Kamara (three goals in the ANC for Senegal), McBride getting himself back to fitness and any positive contribution from newly signed Eddie Johnson this team just might have what they need to do it. With veteran performers such as Danny Murphy, Bullard, Simon Davies and others to provide the steady hand and leadership by example they could really be too good to go down.
The final third of the season gives them ample opportunity and it will be very interesting to see how it turns out.
