Moyes’ boys stronger than Man (United), Pompey death chimes ring again, and the fourth-place play-off nobody would want to watch. It’s been another action-packed weekend in the Premier League.
Having already proved they were superior to title-chasing Chelsea last week, Everton again proved the scourge of the big boys with a confident 3-1 win over Manchester United.
All the talk before the game was of Wayne Rooney’s return ‘home’, to a ground where 99% of its occupants detest the sight of him, but post-match chatter was of another Merseyside youngster, as Southport-born Jack Rodwell put the gloss on what was another impressive win for the Toffees.
They were on the back-foot after just 16 minutes though, when the Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov strolled into space in the box and lashed home from just yards out. Typically, the laissez-faire forward didn’t break a sweat with the finish or the subsequent ‘celebration’.
It didn’t take long for Everton to prove they were United’s equals though, with an equaliser just three minutes later courtesy of a sensational swerving strike by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.
United fans would have expected their side to push on and regain the lead, but in truth it never looked likely.
Instead, it was Everton who forced a breakthrough in the second-half. Substitute Dan Gosling – scorer of the famous ‘unseen’ goal in the FA Cup against Liverpool – prodded past Edwin Van Der Sar after some great work from the ever-lively Steven Pienaar down the left.
Fellow sub Rodwell capped a fine Everton performance with a late third, escaping the not-so-desperate attentions of Michael Carrick, breezing past Jonny Evans, and slotting home his first Premier League goal.
For Everton, the win continues their good run in the League, with fourth place now in sight. However, it marked United’s fifth Premier League defeat of the season, the same number as Stoke City and one more than the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal.
BLUES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BELOW-PAR UNITED
With the early-afternoon result filtering through to Molineux, Chelsea were buoyed to a 2-0 win over Wolves.
Mick McCarthy’s side were handed a suspended fine in the week for fielding a weakened side earlier in the season, and Carlo Ancelotti would have feared a similar rebuke, with a whole host of first-teamers out of action, had it not been for the quality of their replacements.
In truth though, it was two Chelsea regulars that were particularly troublesome to Wolves. The free-scoring Didier Drogba bagged two more goals while Petr Cech in goal ably prevented Wolves from adding any of their own.
It certainly wasn’t a classic, but it was a hard-fought win for Chelsea, and more often than not, it is those that create Champions.
DIAO HAMMERS FINAL NAIL IN COFFIN FOR POMPEY
The away side are down to ten men, you have a vociferous home crowd behind you and the game’s there for the taking. Just Pompey’s luck to concede a last minute goal then.
With well-documented off-pitch troubles, Pompey were able to distract themselves with 90 minutes of football, and they almost made the perfect start when Frederic Piquionne ‘scored’. However, his perfectly legitimate goal was disallowed for offside.
Piquionne’s next effort was allowed after great work from Quincy Owusu-Abeyie in the build-up carved open the Stoke defence. Piquionne was left with a tap-in from a tight angle.
But it all went downhill for Pompey afterwards, a continual theme this season for the club. Robert Huth was allowed plenty of space from a corner to head home, then, despite Andy Wilkinson being sent off for two bookings, Pompey couldn’t capitalise and were made to pay late on.
Ex-Pompey forward Ricardo Fuller foraged down the right and cut the ball back into the box, with the inexplicably unmarked Salif Diao thundering home. The final whistle followed closed the curtains on what may have been the game which saw all Pompey’s hopes of survival extinguished for good.
BURNLEY SCORE TWO AWAY…BUT CONCEDE FIVE
After Pompey’s defeat, Burnley went to Villa Park with plenty of incentive to come away with their first away win of the season against Aston Villa.
Steven Fletcher’s goal after 10 minutes gave Burnley the perfect start, but if they were expecting an easy ride to the final whistle, they were sorely mistaken.
Ashley Young fortuitously equalised just after the half-hour mark, his cross evading everyone in the box and nestling in the back of the net, and Villa came out all guns blazing after the break. Stewart Downing added two while Emile Heskey and Gabby Agbonlahor made it four English goal-scorers for the home side as they raced into a 5-1 lead before the 70th minute.
Martin Paterson scored a late consolation for Burnley after poking home a Jack Cork assist. The manner in which Brian Laws’ men crumbled will worry the Burnley fans, but Vila’s supporters are looking onwards and upwards.
BOLTON CAUGHT IN GOAL FLURRY IN THE EWOOD SNOW
Bolton also find themselves looking nervously over their shoulder at the Championship looming below them and won’t have been reassured after losing 3-0 to former gaffer Sam Allardyce’s Blackburn Rovers.
Despite pre-match expectations of a dour game, Blackburn delighted with some of their attacking play, not least during their opening goal. Morten Gamst Pedersen carefully guided a header into the path of Nikola Kalinic, with the striker lashing home past Jussi Jaaskelainen.
The Finn could do nothing about the powerful effort, but he should have done better with Rovers’ second. With snow falling, Bolton’s defenders seemed to be distracted by the flakes, taking their eyes of Jason Roberts long enough for the Grenadian striker to volley straight at Jaaskelainen from just yards out. A Gael Givet goal late on rubbed further salt into Bolton’s wounds, who complete the bottom three with Pompey and Burnley.
HAMMER BLOW TO HULL’S HOPES AS ZOLA’S CLARETS FIND FORM
West Ham climb to 13th after an emphatic win over Hull City at Upton Park. Having struggled virtually all season, the Hammers faced a Hull side lacking a win on their travels all season.
Pacy winger Valon Behrami gave the home side the perfect start with a third minute goal, while Carlton Cole doubled the lead just before the hour mark. Julian Faubert rifled home from close-range late on to put West Ham 3-0 up and send Hull home without them adding to their measly seven goals scored away from home.
SUNDERLAND STILL SEARCHING FOR A WIN, ARSENAL RE-ENTER TITLE RACE, PART 2,894…
With Steve Bruce’s side lacking a Premier League win since 21 November 2009 – when they beat Arsenal – a trip to the Emirates was unlikely to bring a change in fortunes for the plummeting North-East side.
Manchester United’s defeat earlier in the day gave Arsenal yet another chance to stake their claim for the title, and they didn’t disappoint. Nicklas Bendtner – so often the boo boy of the Emirates’ crowd – was set up for a simple finish after an Emmanuel Eboue run, while Cesc Fabregas converted a last minute penalty for 2-0.
Sunderland recorded more bookings (five) than shots on target (four) on another fruitless day.
RUSSIAN SUB DOWNS WIGAN
Want-away Russian striker Roman Pavlyuchenko came off the bench to add two goals to Jermain Defoe’s dubious opener to earn Spurs a 3-0 away win at Wigan.
Having been dispatched 9-1 at White Hart Lane earlier this season, Chris Kirkland will be thankful he only had to pick the ball out of his net three times, but Latics fans will be worried about their involvement in this year’s relegation scrap.
INTERNATIONAL HOPEFULS ON SHOW IN BATTLE OF THE ‘COULD-BES’
With Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni and England manager Fabio Capello watching from the stands, Damien Duff and Bobby Zamora did their international prospects no harm in front of their nation’s bosses, both lashing in sensational goals in a 2-1 win.
They both pale in comparison to Chris Baird’s opener though, the defender powering home a header past Mark Schwarzer to put Birmingham ahead. Baird, of course, is a Fulham player.
Fulham are now 9th, with Birmingham a place below in 10th.
DRAB DRAW IN ‘FOURTH-PLACE PLAY-OFF’
With both sides chasing the final Champions League place, you’d think Man City and Liverpool would have gone all out for the win on Sunday afternoon in their meeting at Eastlands.
They didn’t, and a lacklustre game finished 0-0 with few chances either way.
GOAL OF THE WEEK
Plenty of contenders in a goal-filled week, with Kalinic, Zamora, Duff and of course, Baird, picking up honourable mentions. But it has to be Bilyaletdinov for kick-starting Everton’s eventual win in some style.
HERO OF THE WEEK
David Moyes for daring to dream and proving his Everton side have what it takes to compete with the big boys.
VILLAIN OF THE WEEK
Every player who set foot on the Eastlands pitch and ensured the watching fans were subjected to a turgid game.