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'Top of the league? You’re having a laugh!' sang the away support. How right they were. 
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Man City 4 - ARSENAL 2
Awful weekend, in fairness. Two hangovers, sore tummy, headache and still-ringing ears from the Club I went to for a mate’s 30th Birthday on Saturday, we lose 4-2 after dominating the game again, our former Centre Forward kicks our current Centre Forward in the face, and then said ex scores against us before running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Away Fans. I’ve had better weekends, in fairness.
The match itself was almost typical Arsenal in all honesty. We ultimately dominate the game but somehow contrive to lose. The difference this season is that the quality of opposition at the top of the table is better than it was last year (with City and Tottenham starting the season in auspicious form and Chelsea looking stronger despite not buying anyone and Liverpool and United still very much there) and Arsenal cannot afford to do this anymore. We are still playing well, but the facts are the facts – we have lost 2 of the 4 games we have played so far this season.
Saturday’s game was a wonderful game of football with plenty of action in front of both goals, superlative individual performances and skill, great saves, unbelievable misses, the return of Tomas Rosicky after over 18 months out, but the game will be remembered for one person and one person only – Emmanuel Adebayor.
The man set his stall out early – Friday, to be exact, when he gave an interview saying it was we, the Arsenal fans, that forced him out of the Club and NOT the offer of £170,000 a week and the Manager’s desire to get rid of a clearly unsettling presence from his dressing room. Saturday’s Telegraph then contained revelations that Adebayor’s gripe with Nicklas Bendtner started over a pair of trainers. Footballers, eh?
The overwhelming image from the weekend though is the sight of the lanky Togolese running 90 yards to celebrate his goal (and City’s third) in front of the travelling Arsenal support and him being greeted with the language of the snooker hall and a selection of gifts from the Arsenal fans, including lighters, matchday programmes and some spare change. And he thinks we hate him? Tut. Joking aside though, that incident in should have never come to fruition, as he should have been off the pitch long before that. An over-the-ball challenge on Cesc Fabregas in the first 10 minutes failed to bring a caution, let alone the red card it could well have earned (thanks to Match of the Day for editing that out, by the way), and then about 15 minutes into the second half, he was again lucky not to see red for a deliberate stamp and rake down the face of Robin van Persie (albeit after a stupid and reckless challenge from our Dutch maverick) which defined ‘Horror Show’.
Anyway, the match itself: City go one up when Manuel Almunia AGAIN reacted too slowly to a chance on goal – this time a looping Micah Richards header. This kick-starts Arsenal into action, however, and we then proceed to play them off the park for the best part of 40 minutes either side of half-time with chances galore going fractionally past the woodwork, or being kept out by the ever-brilliant Shay Given, culminating in a delicious turn and shot giving RvP11 his first goal of the season. Yet we somehow fail to get what seemed like an inevitable second and City, out of nowhere, score 3 goals in 10 minutes thanks to a combination of decidedly ropey defending and decent attacking play. We pull one back in injury time through Tomas Rosicky and that was that.
Star man: Nobody really covered themselves in glory although Nicklas Bendtner continues to impress despite being shoved out on the right wing, and Robin van Persie is slowly showing hints of form.
Worst performer: Credit to Man City for taking their chances when they presented themselves and winning the battle of the midfield over the course of 90 minutes, but it does help when you have Mark Clattenburg refereeing the game. Aside from failing to caution or dismiss Adebayor for either of his shocking challenges (the stamp on van Persie wasn’t even given as a foul), he and his linesmen failed to spot a clearly offside Micah Richards scoring the opening goal. Black marks also for the ever-declining Manuel Almunia, whose recent silence over his chances of playing for England in the World Cup next year has become deafening.
Best moment: Amidst all of the attention being bandied about and thrown at Adebayor, nobody has seemed to notice that after a painstaking 20 months during which many feared he would never play the game again, Saturday saw the competitive return in an Arsenal shirt of Tomas Rosicky. The man came on 10 minutes into the second half and immediately made a difference by providing some nice little touches, killer balls, and even the odd tackle. By topping it off with a goal, albeit a consolation, he got what he personally deserved and it’s great to have him back.
Tactics: The manager set us up to win, in fairness, with Bendtner and Diaby flanking van Persie up top. However, nobody has ever questioned Arsenal’s ability with the ball going forward. We’re the best team in the League when it comes to that. Our problem is when we haven’t got it and the sheer lack of shape we have. If you look at Arsenal whenever they are defending, there is the semblance of a back four in place, but not much else apart from that. The midfield is all over the shop and the failure to purchase a 27 year old defensive midfielder in the window will come back to bite Wenger on the arse throughout the season.
Chant of the game: Another person criminally ignored in favour of City’s new centre forward was ex-Arsenal legend Kolo Toure who got a resounding “Do, do, do, we’ve got Kolo Toure” and took the trouble to applaud the Arsenal fans at the start of the second half, as well as pleading with them for calm in the aftermath of the Adebayor incident. The time to sell him was right, but he will always be remembered as a Gooner Great.
Oppo fans: I couldn’t make the game as I had a mate’s 30th Birthday do in Bristol, but I revert to MK Gould on the OnlineGooner.com Forum:
“Just back... Apologies that, for once, left before the end but my 14-year-old was hit with a plastic bottle and at that stage I decided enough was enough.
It was an experience for the kids as we were seated on the right with their scum next to us. It was a bit like being back in the 70s at times and I have to say that the support from the travelling Gooners was outstanding. A bit of the Dunkirk/Blitz spirit - and we did give it some when RVP equalised.
I was disappointed with how quiet the Middleeastlands stadium is - and they have the cheek to say that Highbury was a library! But those wankers on the right...! Better that than having to provide a barricade for my kids when the coins came. Guy behind me took one right next to eye.
And their stewards spent more time cozying up to the freaks than actually doing their jobs.”
Football in the 21st Century, kids. Brilliant, eh?
David Oudot, http://www.onlinegooner.com & http://taxloser.blogpot.com
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Birmingham City 0 - ASTON VILLA 1
Well, it wasn't a pretty local derby, they seldom are, and it certainly wasn't a humiliation for the Blues today who for 75 minutes were more than a match for the Villa. In the forum thread the disappointment was in the style of play and the fact that the Villa boys weren't shooting ... AT ALL. The pressure wasn't really on either end in fairness, I can't think of many saves required by Friedel and certainly not by Hart either, not until the 76th minute when James Milner, who'd been off form all game really, clicked with a great cross straight to Sidwell for his header to be well parried away from the on-loan Man City keeper.
That seemed to wake our lads up a little and then Martin O'Neill AT LAST had the guts to make a change - and what an important change it turned out to be. Villa started with the 4-5-1, which was fine, the Blues were coming forward strong and fast and I thought that was going to play into our hands as we are - especially away from home - far better on the break. However, as the game progressed it was obvious that this time it wasn't working and all it was going to bring about was a draw. That might have proved to be enough for O'Neill BUT NO, what is this? A tactical change! Off came Nigel Reo-Coker, it could just as easily have been an off key Petrov or Sidwell in fairness, and on came big John Carew and we reverted to 4-4-2. It didn't take long for Carew to get a header I think from an Ashley Young ball (?) which was directed to Gabby who headed the ball in. 1-0 up and that was that I thought!
We had a couple of other gilt-edged chances later on with Gabby missing in a one-on-one situation with Joe Hart and John Carew choosing to pass to James Milner in a 2 v the keeper situation when you've have expected him to slot it in himself. But as the full-time whistle blew, that didn't matter one bit!
Star man... well, you know me, I'm greedy, I'll go for two. James Collins and Richard Dunne, both making debuts (along with Stephen Warnock) were both totally solid.
Worst performer... our midfield weren't exactly on fire today, bit of an off day and Ashley Young has yet to hit his stride this season.
Best moment? Ha, the goal, of course! It was a local derby, that is all that matters!
Tactics: Well, a win is a win, especially in a local derby. It doesn't have to be pretty football as long as you come away with those 3 points. Which we did, so job done. MON made the crucial change (he so often won't or won't until late on) with plenty of time to go and it paid off. He gets slated when he doesn't do that sort of thing, but he needs the plaudits today for bringing on Carew when he did.
The defence was risky to start with an all new set-up (Cuellar back to right back, but for this season it was a new place as he's been central so far) and Dunne with Collins in the centre and Warnock at left back. Not one of them let us down. In fact, I'm quite excited at how solid they looked, if that continues we could be VERY difficult to beat. Now the strikers and midfield need to take the pressure off the defence and bang in a few more goals. That is four wins on the trot with Pompey and Blackburn coming up, another six points 'should' be taken from them and we'll have turned a woeful starting day game into a great start to the season.
Chant of the game: Nah, it is all 'shit on the City' and 'shit on the Villa', I find it all quite boring to be honest!
Oppo fans: Oh come on, what do you expect me to say about our local and fierce rivals? My nan used to say, if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing... I'll follow that advice!
Jonathan Fear, www.astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk
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BIRMINGHAM CITY 0 - Aston Villa 1
Gutted, simply gutted. It was a great atmosphere for an early kick-off and a good crowd despite being on Sky and the ridiculously overpriced tickets. Blues played very well and dominated the first half although Villa had some good chances on the break. I was glad too see that bringing James Milner into my fantasy football team had the desired jinxing effect as he missed a couple of chances.
Unfortunately, it didn't last and our inability to create enough in the
final third as Villa delivered the sucker punch with five minutes to
go. The Premiership is harsh, it's going to be a tough season. They ran out of pies as well...
Star man: Roger Johnson - solid in defence and even joined the attack at times.
Worst performer: Not a player. That award goes to the manager who from half time had clearly settled for 0-0.
Best moment: Roger Johnson's run down the right that started in his own box and nearly led to a goal.
Tactics: Good in the first half but the sign of a good manager
is the ability to change things when they are not working. McLeish left
the change until too late.
Chant of the game: The mocking cries of "Veeela, Veeela" in a high pitched girls' voice when ever the away fans piped up.
Referee: Howard Webb is a good ref. I didn't really notice him much which is a good sign.
Oppo fans: Were pretty quiet until they scored and then they
went on as if they had won the World Cup. A couple of them got taken
away by the police which is 2998 too few for my liking. Surely just
supporting the Villa should be considered a criminal offence?
Mike, www.joysandsorrows.co.uk
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BLACKBURN ROVERS 3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1
Rovers’ fans had gone five hours and 21 minutes without seeing their team hit the net at Ewood before El-Hadji Diouf broke clear to score after 18 minutes. Early second-half goals by Jason Roberts and David Dunn wrapped it up.
A well-earned and much-needed first win of the season for Rovers, although they have played better than this and lost.
Wolves were terrible and look favourites for the drop on this evidence. However, it could have been so different if Christophe Berra hadn’t missed the simplest of chances in the fifth minute after Paul Robinson spilled a Greg Halford cross.
A let off for Rovers, but they took full advantage.
Star man: David Dunn – back to his injury-free best and ran the show.
Worst performer: None. Everyone performed well and knew what their role was – even Keith Andrews!
Best moment: Diouf’s goal – it was like lancing a boil. Pure relief after over five hours of pain!
Tactics: David Dunn played in the ‘hole’ behind Jason Roberts with El-Hadji Diouf replacing the injured Steven N’Zonzi in a 4-2-3-1 line-up. This worked well against a poor Wolves side, but I think Rovers it'll struggle against the better teams.
Chant of the game: “Are you Tugay in disguise?” Rovers’ fans to Michel Salgado when he came on for the last five minutes.
Oppo fans: Started well, but faded as the game went on – a bit like their team really.
Pete Anslow, www.4000holes.co.uk
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Portsmouth 2 BOLTON WANDERERS 3
This was the first game I've not been to this season and, typical of Bolton, they went and won it! I enjoyed the game from the comfort of a Greek bar, with the beer flowing just as easily as the goals were at Fratton Park.
An injury to Johan Elmander gave us the chance to reshuffle, with Gretar Steinsson coming in for the first time this season and causing Pompey endless problems from midfield. Tamir Cohen scored a brilliant goal, Matt Taylor scored one of the coollest penalties you are likely to see and Gary Cahill showed the England boss what he can do. All in all, a good attacking performance, but there are still big problems at the back.
Star man: Gary Cahill.
Worst performer: Zat Knight. Expectations on Knight are high, but his partnership with Gary Cahill is bringing mixed results. Cahill seems to improve every week, while Knight continues to make basis mistakes.
Best moment: For once, it was great to see Bolton SCORE in the last minute. We've lost so many points over the years in the last few minutes, it was great to see us finally claw some back and grab our first away win since last November.
Tactics: With Elmander out injured, Steinsson was the surprise choice but it turned out to be a masterstoke as he was involved in many of the Bolton attacks. It was good to see Kevin Davies back in the middle as his talents are wasted when he is out on the wing.
Chant of the game: Chanting Matty Taylor's name after he scored against his old club is something to smile about. Although the Pompey fans won't agree with that!
Opposition fans: You know what you are going to get at Portsmouth. The fans are loyal and back the team until the end. But there was an air of uncertainty at Fratton Park on Saturday as both sets of fans watched their sides fail to get the basics of defending right.
Chris Mann, www.burndenaces.co.uk
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Liverpool 4 - BURNLEY 0
We were beaten two
weeks earlier by Chelsea brilliance, this time we more than contributed to our
own downfall by allowing Liverpool far too much of the ball in the midfield. We
need to retain the ball better and move it quicker if we are to succeed at this
level.
We can sit in hope
that with these two games gone things might get slightly easier for us.
Star man: Probably one
of the two full-backs. Both Tyrone Mears and Stephen Jordan had good games but
I’ll go for Mears of the two for "Star man" billing.
Worst performer: Take
your pick of three for me of Graham Alexander, Wade Elliott and Steven
Fletcher. My choice is Fletcher. We’ve paid £3 million for a striker and
playing him out on the right wing in a position he clearly isn’t comfortable
playing.
Best moment: I’m not
sure there was one to be honest, and it was too damned hot to be sat watching
football.
Tactics: I’m not sure
he’d want to change his tactics but the way we were playing wasn’t working and
a change or two might just have made a difference.
Chant of the game: Has
to be “Where’s your famous atmosphere?”
Oppo fans: When we
used to go to Anfield every year back in the 1970s, the home crowd was as
passionate as any. Now it is a joke, and if someone lost the lyrics to ‘You’ll
Never Walk Alone’ I don’t think we would have heard them. This wasn’t a
football crowd, it was more like a theatre audience.
Tony
Scholes, www.claretsmad.co.uk
Stoke City 1 CHELSEA 2
You never remember just how high you can jump until your team scores a last-minute winner. It was never in doubt, was it? We pushed and pushed and in the end Florent Malouda came up trumps for us after a powerful Didier Drogba effort equalised Abdoulaye Faye’s opener. Stoke’s tactics have been criticised in the past… So why stop now?
They bullied and harassed us, led by Andy ‘GBH’ Wilkinson and, of course, scored from a high ball into the box. But we appear to have our own Rory Delap in Juliano Belletti, whose long throw set up the winner. It’s always tough following an international week, and travelling to Stoke City is never nice, much like the place itself, so to get a win is – dare I say it – the stuff of champions.
Star man: Ashley Cole edges Drogba’s efforts with a stamina-tastic display of non-stop running.
Worst performer: Petr Cech’s positioning for the opening goal was poor to say the least, but it’s hard to criticise him too much, or any of our players today. In fact, how can I pick a weak link in what is clearly such a strong chain?
Best moment: As if you need to ask. Malouda, second-half injury-time, and myself and the millions of Chelsea fans worldwide almost make it into orbit.
Tactics: It’s always difficult to break down a side like Stoke, so to have to leave it until the last minute is understandable. Our tired legs following the mid-week games coupled with an almost immovable Stoke backline was always going to be hard work,
Chant of the game: Not quite a chant - not a chant at all really but forgive me - but the Stoke fan who rang in to a popular post-match phone-in purely to whinge was priceless. Sour grapes, anyone?
Opposition fans: Vociferous, as always.
Rowan Farnham-Long, www.cfcnet.co.uk
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Fulham 2 - EVERTON 1
Most Evertonians saw this game as a chance to kickstart our season, writing off the results against Arsenal and Burnley, this was a winnable fixture that would've pushed us up the table. But it didn't quite work out the way we'd hoped.
Everton were marginally the better side in the first half and deserved their lead going into the break. The goal came on 33 minutes when Tim Cahill got between two Fulham defenders to head Leighton Baines' free-kick past David Stockdale in the Fulham goal.
And that, apart from a mad goalmouth scramble that saw Everton have three shots blocked in quick succession, was about as good as the first half got. But there was enough there to suggest that Everton would come out after the break and push on to seal the win... they didn't!
Roy Hodgson must've taken his rollers out and shrugged off his housecoat for the half time team talk - is there a Premier League manager that looks more like an old lady than the Fulham boss? - as Fulham came out and attacked the Blues in the second period.
This paid dividends as the Cottagers equalised twelve minutes after the break thanks to a wicked deflection from a Paul Konchesky shot.
The former West Ham man was quickest to react after Danny Murphy's free kick was blocked by the Everton wall and he did well to keep his first time shot down but it was the deflection off Sylvain Distin's heels that saw it fly past a wrong-footed Tim Howard.
Fulham continued to press Everton and eventually took the lead on 79 minutes when Damien Duff was given too much time on the edge of the Everton area and curled a shot into the back of the Everton net.
Despite Fulham playing out the rest of the game comfortably, Everton could've equalised when John Heitinga - a 65th minute sub after Phil Neville was crocked by Dickson Etuhu - flicked on a corner to Marouane Fellaini but the Belgian's header was stopped on the line.
Yakubu also got on for the last 10 minutes for his first Premier League action in 10 months but there was no appearance from Diniyar Bilyaletdinov.
Moyes started the match with £43 million pound's worth of talent on the bench but, after this showing, he may be well advised to get them into the team as soon as possible.
Star Man: Jack Rodwell - the teenager weighed in with yet another assured display in the heart of the Everton midfield.
Worst performer: Jo - the Brazillian just doesn't look good enough!
Tactics: Moyes stuck with a winning side and kept faith with the team that scraped a win against Wigan, it backfired and changes must be made for the Blackburn game next week!
Chant of the game: The toe-curling 'Feed the Yak' was about the only chant of the afternoon!
Opposition fans: Fulham away is possibly my favourite away day, half-time beers overlooking the Thames and the Cottagers have to be the friendliest fans in the country... amazing considering they have to put up with Chelsea as their neighbours!
Les Roberts, www.everton-mad.co.uk
FULHAM 2 Everton 1
For forty-five minutes I thought lightning would strike thrice!
After two awful performances, against Chelsea and Villa, we gave the sort of first-half display, against Everton, that would have the pundits all tipping us for relegation. Lacklustre would be the most suitable word to describe it and it came as no surprise when Tim Cahill nodded home a free kick to put the visitors ahead.
But cometh half time, cometh the man in the shape of Roy Hodgson. Roy must have told a few home truths in the dressing room because it was a totally different side that emerged for the second half.
Pushing forward we looked like the team that had come seventh last season and the mounting pressure finally told when Paul Konchesky crashed home a blocked free kick. So what if it got a deflection, it changed the whole mood inside our quaint old ground.
And when Damien Duff crashed home an awesome second we were in heaven even if the nerves got a little frayed late on with a pinball scene right in front of our goal. The added bonus being that the three points gained doubled our tally for the season and lifted us clear of the relegation zone, what a bonus.
Star man: Clint Demspey – The American, making his 100th Fulham appearance, dragged us through that turgid first half on his own with a series of shots and headers that made us believe we might get something from this game.
Worst performer: Is there such a thing when you win?
Best moment: Seeing Damien Duff wheel away in triumph after crashing home that winner!
Tactics: Appalling first half display but Roy got the midfield to play to the front men in the second half and it worked a treat!
Chant of the game: “Feed the Yak and he will score!” – It proves that Scouse humour isn’t all it’s rated as! I heard Manchester City singing a very, very similar chant years ago when a certain Mr Goater played for them!
Oppo fans: Probably can’t believe there’s only Portsmouth below them in the Premier League. As another Scouse legend might say – “Top six, my arse!”
Andrew Joyce, www.vitalfulham.co.uk
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Sunderland 4 - HULL CITY 1
(Awaiting report)
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LIVERPOOL 4 - Burnley 0
Cracking first day back after the dull, dull international break. Rafa was forced into changing the tactics around a bit, with Mascherano out injured. The great play between Albert Riera and hat-trick hero Yossi Benayoun made our attacks look unstoppable. (Until Voronin came on, of course!)
Star man: Yossi Benayoun, three goals and a great game - he's been one of our best players this season.
Worst performer: Martin Skrtel had an uncomfortable game, maybe still suffering from his jaw injury.
Best moment: Benayoun getting his third of the game, Liverpool's fourth, job nicely done.
Tactics: Great to see a slight twist in tactics, though it didn't seem to utilise Torres very much. Can't complain though!
Chant of the game: Great atmosphere and brilliant to see Michael Shields back in the stands.
Oppo fans: Enjoying life in the Premier League, good turnup, you might be on your way back down though I'm afraid.
Max Munton, www.thisisanfield.com
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Our first real test of the season, and we rose to the challenge admirably. For a spell it looked like either team could go on to win, but City proved to be more clinical on the counter attack and deservedly took all three points.
In typical City fashion, however, we couldn’t even relax at 4-1 up – Arsenal could conceivably have scored three times in the last five minutes. Whisper it quietly, but the "big four" has just become the "big five". Roll on United next weekend...
Star man: Craig Bellamy worked hard all afternoon, and thoroughly deserved his goal.
Worst performer: Stephen Ireland looked a shadow of the player he was last season, and was deservedly substituted.
Best moment: Adebayor’s celebration. With hindsight it was a little foolish, as he will surely face further punishment from the FA, but he had been on the receiving end of some pretty strong abuse from the Arsenal fans, and his goal was the perfect riposte. Probably the furthest I’ve seen him run at City.
Tactics: Replacing Stephen Ireland with Martin Petrov after 73 minutes turned out to be an inspired move, and City scored three in the space of ten minutes. Arsenal dominated possession at times, but that’s inevitable against a team of their calibre.
Chant of the game: “Arsenal’s our feeder club...”
Oppo fans: It was a surreal afternoon, with Arsenal fans (normally the most placid supporters in the division) rioting inside the stadium after Adebayor’s antagonistic goal celebration. With most other spectators, you’d have expected coins to be the missile of choice, but Arsenal being the bourgeois lot that they are, seemed to be throwing discarded fruit.
Ric Turner, www.bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk
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Tottenham Hotspur 1 MANCHESTER UNITED 3
Manchester United beat a poor Spurs side at a canter on Saturday in what was a hugely satisfying result for the fans travelling to White Hart Lane.
Sir Alex Ferguson's troops left England for Wednesday's opening Champions League fixture against Besiktas, fresh from their best performance of the season. Harshly reduced to ten men and a goal down within a minute, United circled the wagons to win with both grit and style. This is what champions are made of. Following victory over Arsenal last time out, United’s machine is now moving smoothly through the gears.
Sir Alex out-thought his opposite number and his team out-passed White Hart Lane’s pretenders to the top four. It was a victory borne not only in the excellence of United’s players at White Hart Lane, but a system that was as right for the opponents as the toothless 4-5-1 was wrong against Arsenal. Deploying Rooney on the shoulders of the Spurs central defence and Berbatov ‘in-the-hole’, United were able to gain both possession and territorial advantage. There was far too much movement for Tottenham to cope with. Such is the gap that Spurs must bridge.
Berbatov’s excellence for 60 minutes made his substitution seem particularly unfair. Rooney meanwhile was truly magnificent. Darren Fletcher dogged and Anderson close to his best once again.
Tottenham on the other hand were a tactical mess, with Robbie Keane pushed wide left and the celebrated attacking football of Harry Redknapp’s teams reduced to aimless balls pumped long at Peter Crounch. Meat and drink for Nemanja Vidic and the returning Rio Ferdinand. "Top of the league? You’re having a laugh!" sang the away support. How right they were.
Star man: Dimitar Berbatov was absolutely magic for an hour, drifting into spaces that befuddled Spurs' central defenders. Paul Scholes' red-card was harsh on the Bulgarian who was having one of his finest games in a United shirt.
Worst performer: Frankly, United were magnificent to a man. Aaron Lennon failed to live up to his billing. He's was rumning up blind alleys that all led to Patrice Evra's pocket.
Best moment: Rooney's run, cut inside and megs on Carlo Cudicini for the third goal. Best. In. The. World.
Tactics: Four-four-two. Spot on. Some fans were worried when Darren Fletcher lined up as a right winger. He has rarely played well from the touchline. But the Scot snuffed out Robbie Keane and the Berbatov-Rooney partnership worked as well as it ever has.
Chant of the game: "Top of the league? You're having a laugh."
Oppo fans: Spurs fans have been whinging and moaning about the referee at Old Trafford since last April's match as if he'd scored United's five goals. Perhaps they have more in common with Arsene Wenger than they realise? Well they came into this fixture believing four wins gave them a place in the elite of the English game. Reality check people.
Ed Barker, www.unitedrant.co.uk
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PORTSMOUTH 2 Bolton 3
(Awaiting report)
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STOKE CITY 1 Chelsea 2
Absolutely gutting. To go so close (again) to beating Chelsea. I think the numerous corners given away late on were a way of getting Lampard away from the edge of the box, but that didn't stop Florent bloody Malouda cracking one in the bottom corner. They are the moments that win Championships and I can't see past them this season, but this does bode well for us.
After being in front and conceding two goals in thirteen minutes of injury time is just devastating. TP was right after the game: is it suprising that the added time, a record amount for a Premier League game, came with one of the 'Big 4' desperate for a goal?
To lose two key players early on in Beattie and Sorenson and still be in front with moments of the first half left was great, and really I should be happy and joyous that we took Chelsea to the very limit, but I can't move this gutted feeling yet. To sign off, I'll just have to thank every one of the lads for a fantastic committed performance and you made us all proud to be Potters.
Star man: So many bravehearts to choose from but Abdoulaye Faye scored led the defence fantastically. Drogba's turn for the equaliser would have beaten every defender in the world.
Worst performer: Really cannot pick one, not in a Stoke shirt. The man in black didn't exactly cover himself in glory though.
Best moment: Faye's goal. Going one up after a period of sustained pressure and not looking out of place either. Shame everything thereafter went against us
Tactics: Played five at the back and I thought t the time we should go at them , not change our style to suit theirs, and say 'This is us! Deal with it!' That was before the game but yet again TP got it spot-on and we controlled them and stopped any clear-cut chances barring Drogba's fantastic goal, whilst also getting our fair share of forward play.
Chant of the game: To Chelsea fans 'Your not signing anyone!' and to Ashley Cole 'Your not sh@&&ing anymore!'. Bot funny, both very true.
Oppo fans: Well the 95th minute chant of 'You only sing when your winning' just about sums up for how long they were singing for.
Dan Buxton, www.stokecity-mad.co.uk
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SUNDERLAND 4- Hull City 1
Fan-bloody-tastic! The Sun was shining, the lager was flowing, the ladies had next to nothing on and my team give a 4-1 drumming to Hull at home. What more can a fella ask for.
Sunderland dominated the game pretty much from start to finish. I have to admit I was a bit nervous this week because of our mounting defensive and keeper issues, but my team proved that I was worrying for nothing.
The whole team played really well: Bent and Campbell linked up really well (big Kenwyne Jones being rested having just coming back from international duties). Young Campbell took some stick off the Hull supporters, and although he didn’t score he played a big part in the victory, out-pacing many of Hull’s players often throughout the match.
Our first goal was a penalty after a blatant hand ball in the box from Andy Reid’s left-sided cross, converted by Sunderland top man Darren Bent. Hull equalised against the run of play from a corner kick, minutes before half time, which was gutting considering the way we played and we where only 1-0 up at the time.
The second half started scrappy a few hard tackles went flying about, but our lads in the middle, Cana and Cattlemole, live for that sort of thing, Cattemole being a lad who broke Joey Barton’s leg, (frankly couldn’t have happened to a nicer person in my eyes). Our second goal came from Andy Reid who walloped a stray ball straight through a load of Hull players into the back of the net. Then it was Bent's turn again, running down the right wing with Campbell in tow. Hull’s keeper Myhill was clueless in what to do against the two strikers, he came out to Bent only for him to stick the ball through his legs and into the goal.
Then new lad Michael Turner finished his old club off, he caught the ball from a corner kick with a powerful header, the ball was always going in, one of Hull’s defenders try his best to keep it out but the power behind it he just ended up putting it into his own net. I hope Capello was watching this one, Bent has to be a better choice than Heskey!
Star man: Darren Bent, the lads was on fire.
Worst performer: One of two: Anton Ferdinand wasn’t at his best, and Craig Gordon flapped in the build-up to Hull’s goal. But, to be fair, he wasn’t 100% fit.
Best moment: Turner's goal, although it was given as an own goal. I would also like to add that it was sweet to see Hull’s keeper having to pick the ball out the net four times after his slagging off of our strikers in the press midweek.
Tactics: Again being caught out by set pieces, free kicks and corners: we MUST MUST MUST have more practise defending them!
Chant of the game: Nothing to mention, just the usual songs and chants going around.
Oppo fans: They started off in really fine voice and behind their team, but that quickly died off, as the result explains.
Daryl Baker, www.Sunderland-Mad.co.uk
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TOTTENHAM 1 Man Utd 3
(Awaiting report)
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Blackburn 1 WOLVERHAMPTON 3
Star man: Stefan Maierhofer
- came on at half time for Milijas and looked the only one in an old gold shirt
likely to score which he did in the 85th minute, every one else should hang
their heads in shame
BOO Boy: Michael Mancienne.
Supposed to be the next big thing for England but Neill Collins and Jody Craddock
are better than him on this showing...and this isin't the first time he's been
found wanting
Best moment: Maierhofer's
goal gave the Wolves fans something to cheer about, one of the few times on the
day
Tactics: McCarthy
continued to play his Favourite Andy Keogh despite Maierhofer being available.
Doyle still looks not match fit. Will be interesting to see if the tactics change
when Kightly and Ebanks-Blake are back.
Chant of the game: The
usual Wolves stuff, Jason Roberts got some stick for being an ex-Baggie, but he
rammed that down our throats when he scored.
wolf306, www.wolves-mad.co.uk
Wigan 1 WEST HAM 3
Well, that was bloody awful. We simply failed to turn up and referee Alan Wiley did his best impression of Clive Thomas by blowing for half time just as Carlton Cole headed home what should have been the game’s opening goal (not to mention missing a blatant foul on debutant Zavon Hines, who wears 41 but should obviously wear 57).
Star man: Julien Faubert continues the impressive run of form that saw him named KUMB.com’s Player of the Month for August – although there were no other really outstanding candidates.
Worst performer: Radoslav Kovac. Yet to impress over 90 minutes, which makes the decision to convert his loan deal into a permanent contract during the summer even more unfathomable. On the bright side WHU’s wag count has increased as a result.
Best moment: Fans of Wigan – whose owner, the repugnant Dave Whelan, was convicted of price-fixing – informing us that we’re ‘only here cos we cheated.’
Tactics: Sadly, Frankie got it all wrong – although he wasn’t helped by a late injury to Jack Collison. A midfield of Parker, Kovac and Noble was Curbishley-esque to the extreme and new boy Diamanti should have started.
Chant of the game: ‘One Carlos Tevez’ (predictable, perhaps, but always effective)
Oppo fans: A bloke with a drum and six pals. That was about it.
Up The Junction, www.kumb.com
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WIGAN 1 West Ham 0
(Awaiting report)
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