Saturday Wrap Up January 12, 2008

Gunners gutted at Emirates. How Arsenal didn’t get full points in this match is the mystery. Birmingham City had two shots in the game to Arsenal’s sixteen. Usually if there is that much of a discrepancy you would expect the more active team to win. Emmanuel Adebayor’s  penalty in the 21st minute seemed to be a harbinger of things to come, but, the Blues had a stifling defense that had an answer for every flashy move that the Premiership leaders tried. A Gary O’Connor header from a Sebastian Larsson corner in the 48th minute leveled the score and the Arsenal rush was on. At the end of the game the London side spent as much time in  the City box as Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor. They just couldn’t find the twine and in the end they had to settle for the draw. Arsenal 1-1 Birmingham City

            

Ronaldo adds to Toon Woes.  Like him or not, that boy can score. The Red Devils opened the match with plenty of shots at Shay Given. Wayne Rooney had enough chances in the first half hour to match most people for an entire game. The England international kept the Newcastle keeper limber he just couldn’t get the ball in the net. Alan Smith welcomed himself back to Old Trafford with a foul on Ryan Giggs that should have resulted in a penalty to open scoring in a scrappy first half, but referee Rob Styles set the tone by ignoring one of a string of fouls on both sides.

The second half opened up when Styles finally joined the game mentally and gave a free kick to Ronaldo after Smith fouled him just outside the box. The Portuguese winger drove the shot from 20 yards out under the jumping wall and past Given to open his account. When all was said and done the little diver finished with a hat-trick while Carlos Tevez tallied two and Rio Ferdinand (not to be outdone by his brother’s earlier game winner) drove in a header from a Rooney cross. Steven Taylor was amazing at the beginning of the second half as he kept Man U off of the scorecard with an amazing display of defense on his own goal line. In the end the Red Devils went back on top of the table on goal difference. Manchester United 6-0 Newcastle United.

         

No Derby day at Pride Park. Four new players went from signing a few days ago to starting for the Rams today. Robbie Savage, Emanuel Villa, Laurent Robert and Hossam Ghaly all made their debut for Derby County, but none were able to bring a victory to the beleaguered cellar dwellers. Savage and Ghaly were able to give some backbone to the midfield, which was comforting, and they were able to give the defense some much needed help.

The Latics had the lion’s share of shots (13-3) but just could not break through until Steve Bruce sent in Antoine Sibierski in the 81st minute. Forty-three seconds on the pitch and the Frenchman broke Derby’s heart by slotting home the winner. Wigan earned their first away win of the season while pushing the Rams ever closer to the precipice. Derby County 0-1 Wigan.

         

Missing African players, same result at Stamford Bridge. Avram Grant got his man when he brought in Nicolas Anelka this week for 15 million pounds. But he really didn’t need him for this one. Tottenham Hotspur played hard but Juliano Belletti put them behind early with a brilliant shot from thirty yards out. Dimitar Berbatov had a chance to tie with a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 69th minute. The visitors had to watch as his shot went just wide. Shaun Wright-Phillips sunk the dagger in the 80th with a low drive. The final score really isn’t a good snapshot of this match, they both played well.

Anelka came on mid-way through the second half. He failed to score, but Chelsea are going to have to bend the crossbar back into shape after it stopped a rocket from the Frenchman. His second attempt was palmed away by the keeper. If Grant can convince him to play with Didier Drogba this will be a duo to be reckoned with.

Paul Robinson had to watch this one from the bench as Radek Cerny got another start ahead of him. Cerny said earlier this week that he felt Juande Ramos was going to bring in a new keeper which doesn’t bode well for either of the two he already has. Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur.

                 

                                       

Aston Villa 3-1 Reading; Everton 1-0 Manchester City; Middlesbrough 1-1 Liverpool; West Ham 2-1 Fulham