Premier League Wrap (Week Five)
By Staff
Not exactly a lot of sexy match-ups in England this weekend, but a few surprises as always. A full recap is available after the jump.
Saturday, September 18 – Stoke City 1, West Ham United 1
West Ham may have had one of the more surprising results of the weekend, actually picking up a point on the road at Stoke. The Hammers took the lead in the 32nd minute on the foot of Scott Parker, and Kenwyne Jones would net the equalizer in the 48th. West Ham dominated possession for much of the match, but keeper Thomas Sorensen tallied five saves to keep the score level.
Saturday, September 18 – Aston Villa 1, Bolton Wanderers 1
In Kevin MacDonald’s final match at the helm of Aston Villa, he saw flashes of greatness, but only managed one goal. Ashley Young opened up the scoring in the 13th minute, but Kevin Davies would provide the equalizer for Bolton in the 35th. Following the match, Gerard Houllier was handed over the managerial reigns for Villa for good.
Saturday, September 18 – Blackburn Rovers 1, Fulham 1
A 56th minute Dempsey goal provided the equalizer to keep the Cottagers unbeaten in Premier League play. Christopher Samba scored in the 30th minute to give Blackburn a much deserved first half lead, but the tides changed in the second half as Fulham took hold of the second half, ultimately leading to Dempsey’s score.
Saturday, September 18 – Everton 0, Newcastle United 1
Another Saturday, another depressing Everton loss. While admitting the absence of Tim Cahill was not helpful to the Toffee offense, Everton once again managed to come up empty against a less than impressive side. Hatem Ben Arfa provided the lone goal of the match with a spectacular 45th minute strike to give the Magpies a deserved first half lead.
Saturday, September 18 – Tottenham Hotspur 3, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Stephen Fletcher and Wolves grabbed a lead late in the first half, but a ferocious late furry from Spurs proved to be the difference. Rafael Van der Vaart even the match with a 76th minute penalty kick, and substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko took the lead 11 minutes later. Alan Hutton, who also entered as a second half sub, notched their third in added time. Tottenham seemed to dominate the match offensively, outshooting Wolves 25-6 and putting eight on target.
Saturday, September 18 – West Bromwich Albion 3, Birmingham City 1
Despite a strong first half performance by Birmingham, West Brom proved to be overwhelming in the second half. Cameron Jerome gave the Blues a 15th minute lead, but a Scott Dann own goal in the 51st equalized for the Baggies. Peter Odemwingle gave Albion the lead in the 59th minute, and Jonas Olsson put the match out of reach 10 minutes later.
Saturday, September 18 – Sunderland 1, Arsenal 1
Darren Bent broke the hearts of Arsenal with a 95th minute equalizer to send the Gunners home with a draw. Cesc Fabregas scored the games first goal in the 13th off a deflection, and Tomas Rosicky missed a penalty in the 74th. It would have been an impressive short-handed victory for Arsenal, who saw mid Alex Song sent off in the 55th.
Sunday, September 19 – Manchester United 3, Liverpool 2
Dimitar Berbatov had a coming out party at the expense of the Reds on Sunday, scoring a hat trick to propel the Red Devils to a victory. Berbatov handed Man U a lead in the 42nd, but his 59th minute tally will undoubtedly become one of the goals of the season. The Bulgarian sent in a fantastic bicycle kick to go up 2-0, but Steven Gerrard would key a dramatic comeback for Liverpool. The English international scored off a PK in the 64th and then off a free kick in the 70th to tie. However, Berbatov continued his heroics in the 84th for the win.
Sunday, September 19 – Wigan Athletic 0, Manchester City 2
Carlos Tevez keyed a Man City win at Wigan on Sunday. The Argentine took advantage of a pair of mistakes by Latics defenders. In the 43rd, Tevez seized on a mishit ball for the opening score, and in the 73rd, he gathered the loose ball to set up Yaya Toure for the final score.
Sunday, September 19 – Chelsea 4, Blackpool 0
The final score of the week was easily the most predictable as Chelsea’s run of less-than-spectacular opponents came to an end. Florent Malouda scored a brace for the London side, and both Saloumon Kalou and Didier Drogba also found the back of the net for Chelsea. All four goals were scored to in the first half.