Premier League Wrap (Rounds 11 and 12)
By Staff
Real life caught up with me a bit this week, so please excuse me for the tardiness… A complete, albeit relatively brief wrap of the week is available after the jump.
Saturday, November 6 – Bolton Wanderers 4, Tottenham Hotspur 2
Kevin Davies was in fine form, netting a brace in an upset of visiting Tottenham. The Trotters opened up an impressive 3-0 lead, but weathered a late Spurs comeback bid. A 90th minute Martin Petrov tally put the nail in the coffin.
Saturday, November 6 – Birmingham City 2, West Ham United 2
After a 0-0 opening half, Frederic Piquionne and Valon Behrami both scored in the first 13 minutes to go up 2-0 on host Birmingham. However, the Blues would respond with a 64th minute Cameron Jerome goal. Liam Ridgewell notched the equalizer in the 73rd to save a point.
Saturday, November 6 – Blackburn Rovers 2, Wigan Athletic 1
Morten Gamst Pederson opened up the scoring for host Blackburn in the 58th minute, and a Jason Roberts goal doubled up the lead. Despite dominating possession and shots, Wigan could only grab a Charles N’Zogbia tally in the 74th.
Saturday, November 6 – Blackpool 2, Everton 2
Blackpool twice grabbed a lead only for Everton to equalize just moments later at Bloomfield Road. Neil Erdly grabbed a 10th minute lead for the Seasiders, but Tim Cahill saved the Toffees three minutes later. David Vaughan would also score just three minutes after the half, but Seamus Coleman provided the answer just two minutes later.
Saturday, November 6 – Fulham 1, Aston Villa 1
Brede Hangeland headed home the equalizing goal for Fulham at the death to save the draw against visiting Aston Villa. Marc Albrighton scored for the Villans in the 41st minute.
Saturday, November 6 – Manchester United 2, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Park Ji-Sung twice scored to give the Red Devils a deserved win over visiting Wolverhampton. Park netted his first tally just moments from the half to give Man U a slim lead, and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake would equalize in the 66th. However, Park notched the final score with an absolutely brilliant individual effort in the box two minutes into added time. The match also marked the return of Owen Hargreaves, but the veteran came up injured just five minutes into the match and left.
Saturday, November 6 – Sunderland 2, Stoke City 0
In a bit of a change of pace for the Darren Bent-less Black Cats, Asamoah Gyan grabbed an early and a late goal to give Sunderland a solid win over visiting Stoke City. Gyan opened up with a ninth minute score, and put it out of reach in the 86th after Ryan Shawcross picked up his second yellow.
Sunday, November 7 – Arsenal 0, Newcastle United 1
Andy Carroll grabbed a shock lead at Emirates Stadium in the 45th minute, and an out of form Arsenal struggled to find the equalizer despite dominating time of possession.
Sunday, November 7 – West Bromwich Albion 0, Manchester City 2
Mario Bolotelli and Man City welcomed the Baggies back to earth a bit at the The Hawthorns. The 20-year old Italy international scored in the 20th and 26th minute, but would get ejected after picking up his second yellow in the 62nd.
Sunday, November 7 – Liverpool 2, Chelsea 0
Fernando Torres reintroduced himself to the Premier League, scoring a pair of first half goals to provide one of the more shocking upsets of the week over visiting Chelsea, who could not find the back of the net despite controlling possession for nearly two thirds of the match.
Tuesday, November 9 – Stoke City 3, Birmingham City 2
Robert Huth opened up the scoring for the Potters with a tally a minute before the half. Ricardo Fuller would double the lead in the 71st, but Keith Fahey and Cameron Jerome both netted Blues scores in the ensuing five minutes to even it up. Dean Whitehead would grab the winner for Stoke just five minutes from time.
Tuesday, November 9 – Tottenham Hotspur 1, Sunderland 1
Rafael Van der Vaart kept up his fine form for Spurs, but they couldn’t stave off the play of Asamoah Gyan, settling for a draw. Van der Vaart found the net in the 64th, but Gyan, taking on the role of an absent Darren Bent notched his third goal in four days just three minutes later, evening things up with a dominant Tottenham side.
Wednesday, November 10 – Aston Villa 3, Blackpool 2
It was another heartbreaking loss for the Seasiders, falling to host Aston Villa on the feet of James Collins in the 89th minute. Stewart Downing scored for Villa in the 28th, and Marlon Harewood evened it up for Blackpool moments from the half. Nathan Delfouneso retook the lead in the 60th, but DJ Campbell equalized in the 87th before the Collins winner.
Wednesday, November 10 – Chelsea 1, Fulham 0
Chelsea dominated play against a visiting Fulham side, winning on the feet of Michael Essien in the 30th minute.
Wednesday, November 10 – Newcastle United 1, Blackburn Rovers 2
Morten Gamst Pederson grabbed a third minute lead against the hosting Magpies, who started off the week with a win at Emirates over Arsenal. Andy Carroll put in the equalizer in the 47th, but Jason Roberts played the role of spoiler with an 82nd minute score.
Wednesday, November 10 – West Ham United 2, West Bromwich Albion 2
Peter Odemwingie used a 38th minute penalty to give the Baggies an early lead, and Scott Parker would equalize in the 43rd. Frederic Piquionne grabbed a lead for the Hammers with a penalty of his own in the 50th, and Pablo Ibanez salvaged the draw for West Brom in the 71st.
Wednesday, November 10 – Wigan Athletic 1, Liverpool 1
Fernando Torres kept his fine form up with a 7th minute score for the visiting Reds, but Hugo Rodallega tied things up in the 52nd, and the scoreline would hold.
Wednesday, November 10 – Wolverhampton Wanderers 0, Arsenal 2
Perhaps with a bad taste in their mouth from earlier in the week, Arsenal grabbed three points at Wolves thanks to the play of Chamakh, who scored in the first and 90th minute.
Wednesday, November 10 – Everton 1, Bolton Wanderers 1
Ivan Klasnic grabbed a 79th minute lead completely against the run of play, taking advantage of a colossal mistake by English international Phil Jagielka. Jermaine Beckford accounted for the draw-saving score in the 90th minute after the sending off of Maroane Fellaini. Everton put up 27 shots in the match and dominated possession for much of the match.
Wednesday, November 10 – Manchester City 0, Manchester United 0
Nobody scored and nobody was sent off in the first Manchester derby of the season, ending in an always-interesting nil-nil draw.