With British winter-time in full swing, the dominance of the ‘Big Four’ was further eroded as Portsmouth and Fulham upset the apple-cart, assuring an unhappy Christmas for Manchester United and Liverpool.
The excuses are running out for Rafa Benitez as Portsmouth condemned his insipid Liverpool side to a 2-0 defeat, their seventh of the season.
Much like the second half of last week’s defeat to Arsenal, the Anfield side looked short on inspiration and endeavour as a pumped up Portsmouth side took the game to the visitors.
After a well-balanced opening half hour, Nadir Belhadj’s hammered volley from a tight angle opened the scoring after Liverpool failed to clear. Liverpool had fashioned some half-chances of their own prior to the goal, but they were of little substance.
The game swung heavily in Pompey’s favour just before the interval when Javier Mascherano was sent off for a stamping challenge on Tal Ben-Haim. The moment took on further significance for Benitez as Mascherano injured himself in the process.
Avram Grant may have been expecting Liverpool to rally in the second half, but a riposte never came. Liverpool had neither the imagination nor determination to find a recovery, and Frederic Piquionne replicated Belhadj’s effort with an acute finish of his own eight minutes from time.
Benitez sarcastically claimed the referee’s performance was ‘perfect’ following the game, but those sentiments will do little to hide the fact that his side – who now appear to be reaching full strength – were well beaten again. Portsmouth thoroughly deserved their win, a long overdue result suggesting that their league position misrepresents their quality.
FULHAM EXPOSE UNITED’S SOFT CENTRE
Alex Ferguson can have a little more cause for bemoaning bad luck than Rafa Benitez this week as Roy Hodgson’s Fulham struck at the heart of a defence crippled by seven injuries.
The claustrophobic Craven Cottage has become a tricky prospect for visiting sides in recent years and Fulham ruthlessly targeted the central defensive partnership of Michael Carrick and Ritchie De Laet to ensure that Manchester United were made to feel no more welcome in a 3-0 defeat.
On 22 minutes, Paul Scholes was hustled by Danny Murphy who was given ample time to pick out Thomas Kuszczak’s bottom right corner. It was a bad moment for Scholes that is likely to add to his worries over his recent form.
As he had done to Jamie Carragher earlier in the season, Bobby Zamora tormented the makeshift United back-line and he scored just seconds into the second half to give Fulham a strong advantage. His chest down to Damien Duff led to the third goal 15 minutes from time and Ferguson was left ruing his injury-ravaged defence – as well as an attacking performance bereft of cohesion.
Indeed, after his recent Champions League hat-trick, Michael Owen did little to impress England manager Fabio Capello in an anonymous display.
TIME UP FOR HUGHES DESPITE CITY WIN
Manchester City may have beaten Sunderland 4-3 in a thrilling encounter, but the result was overshadowed by the post-match news that manager Mark Hughes had been sacked to be replaced by former Inter boss Roberto Mancini.
The game represented the best and worst of Hughes’ reign as his side were potent in attack, yet frail in defence. Finding a balance to those disparate areas will be Mancini’s biggest task.
Some comical defending meant the score was 3-2 to City at half-time after goals from Roque Santa Cruz and Carlos Tevez were pegged back by John Mensah and Jordan Henderson’s strikes – only for Craig Bellamy to put City back in front.
On 62 minutes Henderson’s cross was put in by Kenwyne Jones to level matters until Santa Cruz gave Hughes a win in his final game as manager. Michael Turner was harshly dismissed late on for an elbow on Gareth Barry.
WOLVES DEVOUR WEAK BURNLEY
Mick McCarthy’s plethora of changes for the mid-week visit to Old Trafford was vindicated by a comfortable 2-0 win against fellow promoted side Burnley.
Goals from Nenad Milijas and Kevin Doyle won it for an energised Wolves, as Burnley threatened little until late on, and even then to no avail.
LAMPARD ON THE SPOT FOR A POINT AT WEST HAM
Chelsea went four points clear and West Ham stayed off the bottom with this 1-1 draw at Upton Park.
It was a tale of two penalties – or four penalties if you count Frank Lampard’s two disallowed efforts – as Allesandro Diamanti’s spot kick just before half-time was cancelled out by Lampard’s on the hour. To add to the drama, Lampard was given the chance to score after Mike Dean had decided that Matthew Upson had brought down Daniel Sturridge, despite replays showing that he had made contact with the ball.
Chelsea looked narrow and unimaginative against a determined West Ham and either side could have won it in a frenetic final half hour.
BIRMINGHAM’S WINNING RUN ENDS AT EVERTON
A sub-par Birmingham failed to extend their winning run to seven games but are now undefeated in nine after this 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park.
The home side dominated the early exchanges and took the lead through Diniyar Bilyaletdinov’s fifth minute strike. Further chances fell to Tim Cahill, Leon Osman and Louis Saha but neither could capitalise and Sebastian Larsson levelled the score in the 22nd minute against the run of play.
The second half saw more Everton pressure but they could not find a winner. They rise to 15th and Birmingham sit in 7th.
ARSENAL BRUSH HULL ASIDE
An imperious Arsenal performance secured three points at the Emirates – with a little help from a missed Geovanni penalty.
A rare Denilson free kick gave the Gunners the lead before Manuel Almunia saved Geovanni’s spot-kick. Eduardo tapped in from a yard after good work from Abou Diaby and the Frenchman scored himself after Andrei Arshavin’s incisive pass put him in on goal.
SPURS PARTY AT BLACKBURN
Spurs broke Blackburn’s run of nine home games unbeaten after a brace from Peter Crouch gave them a 2-0 win.
With away wins in short supply for the North London side this season, Crouch’s first half header and driven finish in the second period will have given Harry Redknapp a happy end to a turbulent week.
Blackburn had chances, but Benni McCarthy conspired to miss their best chance as his strike from 6-yards kissed the post.
VILLA EDGE OUT STOKE
Aston Villa made sure that they will be in the top 4 this Christmas with a 1-0 win over Stoke. In a game typical of their recent victories, Martin O’Neill’s side were forced to dig deep to get all three points.
A John Carew bullet header gave them the points in a tight encounter that saw Mamady Sidibe have a goal harshly disallowed for Stoke.
GOAL OF THE WEEK
Nadir Belhadj’s lashed opener for Portsmouth against Liverpool left Pepe Reina statuesque as it flashed passed him. And that was with his weaker foot…
HERO OF THE WEEK
After all the fuss over his selection policy, Mick McCarthy got his three points and silenced the critics.
VILLAIN OF THE WEEK
Brave enough to give West Ham a penalty against the league leaders, Mike Dean couldn’t quite help himself and bailed out Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a very soft decision in the second half. The fact he made Frank Lampard take the kick three times suggested that he wasn’t 100% sure if TV replays would show him to be wrong. They did.
Tags: Premier League