Premiership round up - Week 28

Chelsea v Man City - 2:4 - Not a happy day for Terry’s 300th Premiership appearance. To begin with Bridge would not shake his hand (at the Bridge!). Your Ear, who has not been reading the gutter press lately, wonders why. Chelsea pressed City hard throughout the first half and were rewarded by a goal in the forty-second minute when Joe Cole’s weighted through ball let in Lampard, who shot across the keeper, putting the ball in-off the post. Three minutes later Chelsea conceded the softest of goals after Tevez got hold of a long punt up-field that Mikel failed to control. Tevez almost tripped in the 18 yard area but managed to trickle the ball gently past an amazed Hilario (Cech would have been too tall). From then on Chelsea looked edgy and City exposed Hilario’s frailties with a typical Bellamy run on the wing from which he scored from a difficult angle and from some distance (51). Things got worse for Chelsea when Belletti ran through the back of Barry in the box to get himself sent off and give away a penalty which Tevez duly buried (76). Ballack must also have wanted an early shower. He got one by charging needlessly through Tevez for a second yellow with a few minutes to go. With only nine men in defence Wright-Phillips made a simple cross to Bellamy to tap in for his second of the day (87). Barry, having won the penalty at the Chelsea end, fouled Anelka in extra time and Lampard converted (90+1). So, after a decade of failing to score at Stamford Bridge, City walked away with four, resulting in Chelsea’s first home defeat in 15 months.

Stoke v Arsenal - 1:3 - Stoke started the game having put together a run of 11 games without loss, including eliminating Arsenal and Manchester City from the FA Cup. Prior to this game Arsenal had not won at the Potteries since 1982 and to begin with they seemed unlikely to overcome a typically physical Stoke performance, especially after Pugh put Stoke ahead when Arsenal failed to defend Delap’s long throw-in (8). However, Arsenal persevered and got the equalizer when Bendtner placed a perfect header past Sorensen from a pinpoint cross by Fabregas (32). Ramsey was denied an obvious penalty (no offence ref, but you need a bit of laser treatment) before Shawcross was sent off for a very clumsy tackle that unfortunately broke Ramsey’s leg in two places. In the final minute Bendtner made a pass into the area and the ball struck Pugh on the hand. Fabregas passed the kick confidently into the right hand bottom corner of the net (90+1). Shortly after Vermaelen bundled the ball into the net (90+4). Wenger - ‘That tackle is not acceptable.’ Pulis - ‘He doesn’t know my player.’ Arsenal are back in the title hunt.

Burnley v Portsmouth - 1:2 - James was sporting a new hair-do. It was difficult to describe, but for those of you with long memories it brought back memories of Jason Lee; ♬he’s got a pineapple on his head♬. Perhaps James wore it to protest about Portsmouth being docked 9 points, or maybe it was to put off the opposition. If so, it worked. Piquionne scored Portsmouth’s first post ‘oh dear, we’re in administration’ goal (25). Shortly after Piquionne was fouled in the box, only for Jensen to save from O’Hara’s spot-kick. Burnley levelled the match with a fine lob by Paterson who beat James all ends up (31). But Pompey did not miss their second penalty, handed to them on a plate by Countdown specialist, Carlisle (Yebda, 76). Grant - ‘I’m very proud of the players, they showed character, is important.’ Burnley have now achieved only one win in 16 matches. Laws - ‘We have shot ourselves in the foot today. We gave two really poor penalties away and the second one in particular was inexplicable.’

Bolton v Wolves - 1:0 - Bolton started quickly and had several chances from good build-ups, but could not put any of them away whilst Wolves clung on grimly. Finally the pressure paid off when, from close range off Lee’s cross, Knight scored Bolton’s first goal from 550 mins of play (45+1). In the second half Wolves twice hit the post as they pushed forward, once from a free kick, then again from open play. On the other hand Bolton should have had a handball penalty decision. In the end Bolton held on for a vital win to move above their opponents. Coyle - ‘It was terrific to get the three points. Our performance was of a high standard as well. There were moments in the second half when we rode our luck. But we should have put the game to bed by that time.’ McCarthy - ‘Playing well doesn’t always get you points, does it? We switched off just before half-time. We made mistakes and it cost us the game. The goal we conceded wasn’t bad luck it was bad defending. It still remains the same. We need a certain amount of points with 11 games left to stay in this league. Can we get those points? That remains to be seen.’

Birmingham v Wigan - 1:0 - Wigan turned out in their orange away strip looking suspiciously like the Dutch national side. Unfortunately they could not play like the low-landers and Birmingham showed them the way home after McFadden scored a dubious penalty at the end of the first half (45+2). Rodallega missed one or two opportunities but the most interesting part of the game was the referee’s assistant being stretchered off with a head injury having been injured by the corner flag. He has since made a full recovery but cannot remember a thing about this unmemorable match. A tale of two cities (well, one city and a town, Birmingham and Wigan); McLeish - ‘The penalty was a bit fortunate because Fahey was running away from goal, but it was a careless tackle. Melchiot put his foot in and when you don’t get the ball you are always risking it as a defender. Keith Fahey is not a guy who goes down easily, so he’s been hit. He must have been hit.’ Martinez - ‘I don’t think there was any contact and, if there was, it was not enough for it to be a penalty. The referee was only five yards away but at the moment we are not getting the luck with decisions. Our player is trying to clear the ball and I would say their player should have been given a yellow card.’ Total unanimity, as usual.

Spurs v Everton - 2:1 - Palyuvchenko got Spurs off to a quick start (11), sliding in after some great ball control and a fine cross by Defoe. Modric went on to make it two, with an accurately placed lob shot (28). By the end of the first half there was only one team in it and Spurs were cruising. Moyes must have shouted at his team quite hard in the dressing room because the second half was a reversal of the first, with Spurs on the back foot and Everton looking aggressive. Yakubu got Everton back into the race with an untidy, scrambled goal, but they all count (55). Everton had many more chances, particularly through Pienaar and Donovan who put it wide, the miss of the season. In the end Spurs were lucky. Redknapp - ‘Overall I thought we played well and we were terrific at times in the first half. David (Moyes) obviously got into Everton at half time and they raised their game. At 2:1 we got edgy and we were defending for our lives at times.’ Moyes - ‘It was a game of two halves. Tottenham were better in the first and we were much better in the second. At half time we were dead and buried but I have to give the players credit for making a game of it.’

Liverpool v Blackburn - 2:1 - Torres stepped onto the field for the first time in 2010. The game was slow to begin with but Liverpool scored in their first real move on Blackburn (a Gerrard chip, 20). Carragher handled the ball to concede a penalty and a goal (Andrews, 40) the first goal conceded by Liverpool in five matches. Four minutes later Liverpool were back in front following a Torres effort in which he competently swept in the ball from a cross (44). This was a fractious games with six or seven bookings. Blackburn pressed Liverpool hard throughout, but Liverpool came away with the points, possibly thanks to Reina’s keeping. Rafa - ‘We need the points and we won.’ Allardyce - ‘Our problem is that we haven’t had a goal-scorer here today.’

Sunderland v Fulham - 0:0 - Zamora nearly got an early goal with a cheeky header, but missed. Sunderland, however, had the better opportunities in both halves, possibly Fulham were tired from their successful European efforts, but the game ended with no score. Bruce - ‘”We huffed and puffed and I couldn’t fault the players’ effort, but some are trying too hard to make it happen. At the death Campbell looked like he was sliding in a goal to win a horrible game 1:0, but it didn’t happen and the longer it goes the harder it becomes.’ Hodgson - ‘It has been a month to remember for the club, but this was our eighth game in a short month and so I had my fears. But I was proud of my players for limiting them to long range shots. I’m sure Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Rafa Benitez would laugh at me, because they have been doing it year after year, but coping with that amount of games is a difficult situation for Fulham. Our European campaign started early and we have a limited squad, but while January was a bad month February has been fantastic. We are back on track and this an important point.’