Manchester fights tooth and nail to keep Arsenal at bay

Wayne Rooney reacts after scoring on a penalty kick during the 58th minute of a contest between Arsenal and Manchester United Saturday.

Match of the week: Manchester united 2, Arsenal 1

The highly anticipated battle provided a little bit of everything; goals, a plethora of yellow cards and a gasping finish that almost ended in a late equalizer.

Even though both teams were missing key players — Arsenal was without captain and young superstar Cesc Fábregas while Manchester United missed their stalwart middle defender Rio Ferdinand — the sides were close to even and the play was first class throughout.

The match began with Arsenal dominating the first half in both possession and shots on goal. In the 40th minute, the Gunners capitalized as midfielder Andrei Arshavin blasted a right-footed shot from well outside into the top right of goal. It was a superb strike from the Russian, yet Manchester goalkeeper Ben Foster should have done better, as he narrowly tipped the ball into the top of his own net.

Ironically, just a minute before the goal, Arshavin should have been awarded a penalty kick after being cut down in the box by Darren Fletcher, but instead, the referee opted to let play go on.

Arsenal had a chance to double their lead early in the second half, but Robin van Persie’s close-range shot was blocked magnificently by the outstretched leg of Foster. Arsenal would later rue this missed golden opportunity.

In the 58th minute, Wayne Rooney found himself one-on-one with Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia. Rooney went down after a slight clip from the goalie, yet unlike the instance with Arshavin, this time the referee awarded a controversial penalty to United. Rooney calmly sunk the kick and the match was all square at one.

Four minutes later, Arsenal almost regained the lead as Van Persie’s left-footed free kick came crashing off the crossbar. But once again, Manchester United took advantage of an Arsenal missed chance.

This time, though, it came with a bit of luck, since Arsenal’s Abou Diaby headed a harmless free kick taken by United captain Ryan Giggs into his own goal while trying to clear the ball out of bounds. Manchester United was in full control of the match from that point until the dying seconds of stoppage time, where the Gunners managed one last ditch effort.

After a long ball played into the United box, Arsenal defender William Gallas headed it down into the path of van Persie, who took a few nifty dribbles and promptly scored.

Arsenal players and Coach Arsène Wenger were jubilant as they thought they had found a late equalizer, but it was not the Gunners’ day, Gallas was adjudged a fraction offside.

After the thrilling finish, United can breathe easier as their 2-1 win puts them in third place in the English Premier League. Arsenal is still in fine position since they have collected six points from three games, enough to claim the fifth spot on the EPL table.

Other matches:

Liverpool may have salvaged their season after Steven Gerrard scored a late winner against Bolton to pull the Reds to victory from behind, 3-2. The top two of the league remained unchanged as Chelsea destroyed Burnley 3-0, while Tottenham continued their surprising start to the season by beating Birmingham 2-1.

In Spain, gigantic spenders Real Madrid began their 2009 campaign with a win, beating Deportivo de La Coruña 3-2. $100 million signee Cristiano Ronaldo scored on a penalty kick in his La Liga debut for Madrid.

Meanwhile, in Italian Serie A, the hyped Milan derby between two powerhouses turned into a blowout as Inter decimated AC Milan, 4-0.

Tequila first !!!!!

With Panda’s 18th birthday today and some drinkies planned for this afternoon I unfortunately don’t have time to do up a full preview of the Celtic second-leg game. Instead, here is a quick summary of my thoughts on the match:

• Only a monumental cock-up will see us lose this tie. I’m not taking it for granted but I honestly think the manager could rotate a few more players and we still wouldn’t have a problem getting through.
• With Celtic needing to score at least twice they will be hugely vulnerable to the counter-attack and I think that’s where we’ll get them. And if we score again it’s curtains.
• In terms of player availability Cesc Fabregas will be out (although he may be back for United) while everybody else who was fit is available. The manager has hinted that Aaron Ramsey will come in for the captain and I certainly like that idea.
• Up front I think Robin van Persie will get a rest and Nicklas Bendtner will play as the centre-forward with support from Eduardo and Andrey Arshavin. Down back it should be full strength with Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna set to return to the starting team.
• This game will - like the Portsmouth one - be as much about preparing for Manchester United as it is about getting through to the Champions League. A solid defensive performance will see us through and I think the manager would be smart to give a few more key players a rest if we happen to go a goal further in front.

It sounds like I’m taking the game for granted a bit and maybe I am, but I just don’t foresee any problems at home to Celtic. With a strong defensive unit and Alex Song back in the side we have the strength required to nullify their threat and with opportunities set to come on the break I wouldn’t be surprised to see us win 2-0 or even 3-0.

Anyway, that’s it. I’m off to have some beers and possibly some tequila with the Panda and Co.

Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa - Davies, Young & Lucas O.G Seal Win For Villans

Aston Villa have beaten Liverpool 3-1 in their Premier League match at Anfield on Monday evening, with an own-goal from Lucas Leiva giving the visitors the lead, before Curtis Davies doubled the scoreline before half-time.

Fernando Torres pulled a goal back late in the game, but minutes later Steven Gerrard conceded a penalty, which Ashley Young tucked away to give Martin O'Neill's side a valuable away win.

The game started at a fairly decent pace, with both sides showing intent, but it was the home side who were first to settle and Liverpool had an early chance in the match.

Yossi Benayoun was latched onto a chip from Fernando Torres, with the Israeli beating Villa keeper Brad Friedel, but his header went wide of the Villa goal.

Liverpool continued to press and were unlucky not to score after Steven Gerrard, then Fernando Torres, then Yossi Benayoun all managed to have shots blocked by the Villa defence.

Villa began to get into the game and Liverpool were caught-out by a set-piece which was tipped in by one of their own men.

It was an own-goal that gave Aston Villa the lead, with Lucas Leiva unwittingly deflecting the ball into the net with his head from a free-kick by James Milner in the 33rd minute, which beat the diving Pepe Reina in the Liverpool goal.

Liverpool attempted to draw level before the break, but Friedel did well to palm away a shot from Torres, before Villa began to gain momentum.

Aston Villa scored their second goal of the half which came from a header from Curtis Davis from a corner from Nicky Shorey, deep into stoppage time, much to the consternation of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez, who believed that the referee should have blown for half-time a minute beforehand.

Steven Gerrard almost drew a goal back early in the second-half, with Friedel again saving well to deny the Liverpool skipper and the home side continued to press in the early stages of the second period.

Friedel made some impressive saves to deny Steven Gerrard’s free-kick and a header from Dirk Kuyt, while Nicky Shorey blocked another Kuyt header from the goal-line to keep Villa’s two-goal advantage alive.

Aston Villa came close to making it 3-0 after Gabriel Agbonlahor played a perfect cross to the onrushing Nigel Reo-Coker, but the Villa midfielder failed to connect with the ball.

Liverpool had a penalty appeal waved away by the referee for a foul on Torres before the Spaniard pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute, much to the delight of the home fans.

Emilano Insua was the provider, breaking down the left-wing and playing the ball into the path of Torres, who knocked the ball past Friedel from close-range to make it 2-1.

Less than two minutes later Steven Gerrard conceded a penalty to Villa after a rash tackle on Nigel Reo-Coker, with Ashley Young slotting home the spot-kick to make it 3-1 to the visitors with 15 minutes of normal play left.

Babel replaced Benayoun as Liverpool looked to pull a goal back, but the Villa defence and the immense frame of Brad Friedel denied the Liverpool attack from pulling a goal back.

Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey replaced Ashley Young, who seemed to have picked up a knock, in the 80th minute, while the home-side began to get irritated, meanwhile the travelling Villa fans were relishing their lead.

Javier Mascherano forced a corner with just over a minute of normal time to play, but yet again Torres was denied by Friedel, with Glen Johnson’s shot seconds later parried away well by the American keeper.

The match finished 3-1 to Aston Villa, with Brad Friedel excellent between the sticks and the Villa defence showing extraordinary resolve in fighting off the Liverpool attacks, while Liverpool will be rueing their missed chances and Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva will be wondering what happened to them.

Liverpool 1-3 Aston Villa:

Goals:

Liverpool:
Fernando Torres 72.

Aston Villa:
Lucas Leiva (O.G) 34,
Curtis Davis 45+2,
Ashley Young (pen) 75.

Liverpool Team: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas Leiva (Voronin, 66), Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun (Babel, 76), Torres.

Liverpool Substitutes Not Used: Cavalieri, Riera, Kelly, Dossena, Ayala.

Aston Villa Team: Friedel, Beye, Davies, Cuellar, Shorey, Milner, Sidwell, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor.

Aston Villa Substitutes Not Used: Guzan, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Delph, Heskey, Gardner, Lowry.

West Ham 1 - 2 Tottenham

Lennon (left) and Defoe grabbed the goals for Spurs

By Mandeep Sanghera

Aaron Lennon kept up Tottenham's 100% start to the season as he grabbed his side's winner at West Ham.

Lennon cut inside defender Jonathan Spector and angled a powerful left-footed strike into the far corner.

West Ham had taken the lead when Carlton Cole scored with a spectacular 22-yard strike on the turn.

But Jermain Defoe levelled when he smashed in after latching on to Cole's horrendous backpass, and Lennon's late goal sealed three points for Spurs.

It is the first time in 49 years that Tottenham have won their first three league games of the season - and during that 1960/61 campaign the Londoners took victory in their first 11 games on their way to claiming the old First Division title.

606: DEBATE What are your thoughts on the game?

The win also gave extra credence to belief in some quarters that they are good enough to break into the top four and challenge for a Champions League place, particularly as they had to come from a goal down at Upton Park to earn three points from a testing encounter.

Spurs certainly had an air of confidence and authority about them as they stroked the ball around trying to unlock the Hammers defence but found their London rivals in resolute mood.

West Ham may be a work in progress and not as established as the Spurs side but they have a similar style.

Both teams like to pass the ball around and complement some of their more cultured stars with a midfield enforcer - Scott Parker biting into tackles for the Hammers and Wilson Palacios doing the same for Tottenham.

Redknapp delighted with third League win

Cole should have put the hosts ahead a lot sooner than he did but he had a tame shot saved after being put through on goal - although there was a suspicion he was offside.

Sebastien Bassong poked a shot wide at the other end, and Ledley King looped a header against the crossbar from a Luka Modric free-kick as Spurs tried to gain the upper hand.

King had to be at his defensive best to block a Jack Collison shot after Cole had held the ball up and laid it into the path of his team-mate.

England striker Cole was producing a mixed performance and he left Hammers fans shaking their heads when he failed to react quickly enough to tap in a Junior Stanislas' low cross.

But Cole struck a spectacular opener to atone for that miss as he flicked the ball up and smashed in a shot on the turn.

Mistakes cost us - Zola

The West Ham striker's effort would have impressed watching England manager Fabio Capello, but he then ruined his performance with a shocking mistake.

Cole's misplaced pass put rival forward Defoe clean through on goal and the in-form Spurs man powered in a shot for his fourth Premier League goal of the season.

Jimenez had a header scrambled away by Spurs keeper Carlo Cudicini as the game opened up but it was the visitors who looked the more accomplished.

A feature of Spurs' play this season has been the way they have applied pressure high up the pitch.

And their pressure told when Lennon, who had drifted in and out of the match, arrowed in a shot to put Spurs top of the table on goal difference.

---

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola:
"When you play well and lose like we did you are disappointed.

"You can't afford to make any mistakes, especially against teams like Spurs.

"The first goal was a creation from Carlton Cole. He made a mistake but he is an intelligent guy and I think it will make him better in the future."

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp:
"To come back from 1-0 down, it was a big win for us.

"It's early doors and a great start but that's all. We just have to keep going and see where that takes us.

"We have Birmingham, Manchester United and Chelsea coming up so we have got some hard games. It will be interesting to see how we shape up."

Sunderland 2 - 1 Blackburn

Jones earned his side a win with his ruthlessness in front of goal

Striker Kenwyne Jones scored twice as Sunderland came from a goal down to beat Blackburn in a hard-fought game.

Jason Roberts had a header disallowed for Blackburn before Gael Givet drove in an 18-yard shot to put Rovers ahead.

But Jones rounded keeper Paul Robinson and slotted in and then powered in a header to put Sunderland in front.

Benni McCarthy should have equalised with a close range header but his effort hit the crossbar, while Nikola Kalinic put a late shot horribly wide.

Rovers will feel they deserved more from a determined performance and they will also feel hard done by because of some refereeing decisions, especially against Roberts and Steven Nzonzi.

606: DEBATE What are your thoughts on the game?

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce will be frustrated at a second successive defeat but he can find encouragement in his side's battling qualities.

Allardyce's sides are always well drilled when it comes to set pieces and the visitors caused havoc in the Sunderland area with their aerial threat.

Black Cats keeper Marton Fulop and his defence were unconvincing in dealing with the bombardment of corners, free-kicks and long throws being launched into the home side's box.

Fulop was given a let off when the referee generously awarded a foul against him after he had missed a corner from El-Hadji Diouf and Roberts had nodded the ball in after it bounced back off the post.

Bruce delighted Sunderland 'dug in'

That effort might have been disallowed but the creaking Sunderland backline finally snapped under the pressure when a swinging Morten Gamst Pedersen corner was only cleared to Givet, who drove in a low shot to put Blackburn ahead.

Allardyce had stressed the importance of his side getting of the mark points wise and his side had clearly taken his words on board as their desire was vastly superior to Sunderland's.

The home side looked to be feeling the effects of having played on Tuesday in a defeat by Chelsea before they were given a way back into the game through a lapse in Blackburn's concentration.

Centre-back Christopher Samba failed to intercept Steed Malbranque's through ball and Jones capitalised by running on to the pass, rounding the on-rushing Robinson and coolly slotting in.

We've got to be more ruthless - Allardyce

The goal provided fresh impetus to Sunderland, although they were given a scare when Fulop failed to catch a Diouf cross at the far post and debutant Zalinic stabbed the loose ball high from close range.

The miss proved crucial as Sunderland went up the other end and showed the ruthlessness Blackburn lacked as Jones headed in Lee Cattermole's cross.

Blackburn were not helped by captain Ryan Nelsen and striker Franco Di Santo having to go off injured during the game.

The away camp were also unhappy when they were denied an equaliser after Nzonzi looped in a header only for Samba to be penalised for offside as he was deemed to be interfering with play.

Kalinic's shot wide late on summed up Rovers' problems as they were shown the importance of having a striker of Jones's calibre.

---

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce:
"We struggled in the first half after putting in a big 60 minutes against Chelsea.

"We could not cope with Blackburn's physical threat in the first 45 minutes and we could not deal with them.

"It has been a gruelling week for us and Blackburn were fresh for this match.

"I am pleased we have dug in and got the win because we got off the hook a bit."

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce:
"I'm really quite sick as our performances are not achieving the results we perhaps deserve.

"We have to be more ruthless in front of goal and have to concentrate for 90 minutes, particularly defensively.

"We feel a bit hard done by on the goals disallowed, certainly the first one. If that's an infringement, then there would be 20 free-kicks and penalties given in every game."

Hot Rod shines as Everton stroll

Hot Rod shines as Everton stroll (©PAphotos)

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Rookie midfielder Jack Rodwell became Everton's youngest goalscorer in European competition with two spectacular long-range goals in their emphatic Europa League play-off first-leg victory over Sigma Olomouc at Goodison Park.

Louis Saha also weighed in with a brace, as manager David Moyes got the response he was looking for after the 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal last Sunday.

Moyes recalled both scorers, dropping Joleon Lescott for a poor attitude, while skipper Phil Neville was drafted into defence with Saha replacing Jo against the Czechs, who had defeated Aberdeen 8-1 on aggregate in the previous round.

After a nervous start when goalkeeper Tim Howard parried a shot from Michal Ordos, Everton flexed their muscles and the return leg next week will surely be a formality.

The Toffees almost took the lead in the 23rd minute when Leon Osman rattled in a shot only for Petr Drobisz to turn it over the bar.

Everton's pressure paid off in the 34th minute when Saha got ahead of the goalkeeper to turn Marouane Fellaini's cross into the corner of the net.

The home side added a second six minutes later with a thunderous 20 yard effort from Rodwell after a free-kick by Leighton Baines had come back off the wall.

Moyes' went 3-0 in the 54th minute thanks to another thunderbolt from Rodwell. Baines' free-kick was only partially cleared and Steven Pienaar slid it back into the path of the teenager, who showed little hesitation to rifle a shot from 25 yards beyond a despairing Drobisz.

It was becoming a stroll for Everton with the visitors tiring and Saha added a fourth in the 74th minute with a sweet finish after he was set up by Osman.

Three minutes later Rodwell was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by another bright youngster Dan Gosling, as Everton surely secured their passage into the group stages.

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Celtic now face an Arsenal mountain

Mowbray and Celtic will pick themselves up for the second leg with Arsenal. (©PAphotos)

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Tony Mowbray

It is a big ask for us now but I think the secret is to go down there and try to score the first goal

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Celtic boss Tony Mowbray says the first goal in the Champions League qualifier, second-leg against Arsenal is crucial following his side’s 2-0 defeat at Celtic Park last night.

A deflected shot that went in off the back of William Gallas and a Gary Caldwell own goal means the Bhoys must now overturn a two-goal deficit when they travel south to the Emirates Stadium.

Mowbray said, “It is a big ask for us now but I think the secret is to go down there and try to score the first goal.

“That would make them very nervous and edgy, but if they score first we aren’t going to score four at the Emirates.

“Both goals were difficult to take. Arsenal are one of the best teams in the world but yet I can’t remember them having a shot on goal in the first half.

“Then they get a free-kick 30-yards out, it hits Gallas on the back as he’s trying to get out of the way and it goes in the bottom corner.

“If they have a 15-pass move and score you go “wow”. They never did that and didn’t look like doing it to be fair. But then again, we didn’t either.”

Despite the manner of the two goals his team conceded, Mowbray had mixed feelings about Celtic’s performance.

“The bottom line is that on the night we weren’t good enough with the ball,” he added.

“I think they worked really hard to deny Arsenal opportunities – and I think we did that really well.

“Ultimately, our passing to the forwards was not good enough from the back or the midfield.”

Lady Luck Kicks One Right in the Baws

Celtic did there best to keep the firepower of Arsenal under control, but William Gallas’ lucky arse and Gary Caldwell’s too long stud put a near impossible task for Celtic. Celtic seemed to be able to keep Cesc Fabregas, Andrei Arshavin and company from getting one past Celtic, but it was still not to be for the Bhoys. While the Gunners held a majority of the possession in the first half, Celtic were able to create some counter opportunities, yet neither squad was able to net a goal in the first 43 minutes. A Cesc Fabregas free kick bounced off William Gallas, who seemed to be trying to avoid the kick, and past a helpless Artur Boruc. In the second half, Arsenal had more room with Celtic trying to push for a goal, but a Arsenal cross bounced off Gary Caldwell’s boot and into the net for Arsenal’s 2nd goal and a near impossible task for Celtic to move on in the Champions League. After starting with a new line-up of Georgios Samaras instead of Marc Antoine Fortune and Scott McDonald, the usual striking pair was inserted in the 2nd half to try and get one back, but it was not to be. Join me after the jump for my thoughts.

-So far, everything Tony Mowbray has done has turned gold with Celtic. However, this will mark the first disagreement and hindsight dispute I will make. From the kickoff, I did not like the move to a 4-5-1, with Samaras alone. It seemed to contain Arsenal, but Celtic needed to do more than contain the Gunners in this fixture. They needed to get a result, which a 0-0 draw would not have been, yet Celtic did not even get that, with Lady Luck sending two low blows our way. Why mess around with something when it was working?
-Gary Caldwell had a howler of a game. The goal was not his fault, as he had to play the ball. However, he was playing terrible long pass after terrible long pass and gave the ball away at will.
-Danny Fox’s weakness is the defending aspect of playing fullback? Could have fooled me! Another week of solid defending, while his final ball still needs work. He seemed to make some great runs with the ball though, so hopefully the final ball improves.
-Andreas Hinkel for 4 million quid? Where do I sign? Hinkel was another player who seemed to be giving the ball away for sport and his defending has never been the best. Might it be time for the Paul Caddis era?
-Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney showed that they are EPL quality last night. They were able to dance around the Arsenal defenders and put a lot of balls into the box. One must wonder what would have more targets in the box besides Samaras.

St. Johnstone this weekend, hopefully all the goals that weren’t used on Tuesday are busted out at Celtic Park this weekend. As always, Keep the Faith!

United and Chelsea on track as Gunners go top

Premier League opening weekend review

Aston Villa 0–2 Wigan Athletic
Anyone doubting the capabilities of Wigan’s new manager Robert Martinez will have been left impressed on Saturday as his team marched to a comfortable victory. A wonder-goal from new signing Hugo Rodallega set Wigan on their way as Villa failed to come to terms with the opposition. Indeed Martin O’Neill’s side looked a shadow of their former selves. Of course one must remember Villa have lost key figures this summer, Gareth Barry leaving for Manchester City and captain Martin Laursen retiring from football. Villa looked extremely vulnerable in defence, only for Brad Friedel keeping the Lactics out, it could have been a much a larger deficit. As it was, Jason Koumas added a second before the end to give Martinez a perfect start to his debut in the Premiership.

Blackburn Rovers 0–2 Manchester City
The game at Ewood Park began and ended with a flurry. A sweeping Manchester City move was started and finished by Emmanuel Adebayor. After that City failed to take the game by the scruff of the neck as Blackburn Rover slowly found a foot hold in the game. Blackburn midfielder David Dunn had issued a rousing battle call during the week insisting that Rover’s would kick their cash rich opposition all over the pitch. This simply never happened but Rovers did threaten continuously from set pieces as the new central pairing of Dunne and Toure was put under the microscope. City were content to hit Sam Allardyce’s side on the break with Robinho and Bellamy looking in fine form with the ball at their feet and running at defenders. The introduction of Carlos Tevez added an extra dash of spice to the City attacking line-up and Stephen Ireland, City’s best player last season, made it 2-0 on 90 minutes.

Bolton Wanderers 0–1 Sunderland
Steve Bruce will have been encouraged by the performance of new signing Darren Bent who scored the only goal of the game as the Black Cats left the Reebok Stadium with all three points. Another positive for Bruce will be the gelling of the Bent-Jones partnership up front as the pair ran Bolton’s defence ragged. Gary Megson has been relatively quiet in the transfer market and the signs point to another average season for his team with a comfortable lower mid-table spot. Megson will be disappointed with Bolton’s tendency to wastefully lose possession giving the initiative to Bruce’s men. Albeit in the second half after some brash words at half time delivered by Megson, Bolton started to match Sunderland’s efforts but it came too late and Bruce’s side held on to an opening day victory.

Chelsea 2–1 Hull City
Didier Drogba rescued all three points for Chelsea as he sealed his brace with a bizarre winner in the second minute of added time much to the dismay of Phil Brown. Carlo Ancelotti has borrowed the diamond system he used to great effect with AC Milan but in the first half it proved largely ineffective. Hull City were content to cram their own half with 10 men only leaving Caleb Folan to make the odd foray into Chelsea’s half. The one attack of any notice Hull had in the first half resulted in a goal as Chelsea villain Stephen Hunt capitalised on a kind ricochet to bag a goal on his City debut. Chelsea hit back before half time with a stunning free kick by Drogba which rocketed into the top of the net. The introduction of Deco and Ballack saw a more threatening Chelsea outfit in the second half and they produced a couple of good chances to take the lead. Hull surrendered the opportunity to snatch an unlikely victory before Drogba’s misdirected cross found the back of the net to land Ancelotti with maximum points on his baptism to the Premier League.

Everton 1–6 Arsenal
This match was effectively over before half time, but the final hammer blow came just minutes into the second half as Cesc Fabregas effectively ended the any chance of an Everton revival to extend Arsenal’s lead to four goals. All the off-pitch drama clearly affected Everton’s composure in defence. They looked vulnerable from the start. A Denilson wonder strike set Arsenal on their way as the Everton collapse began. The next to Arsenal goals came from free headers in the box for first Vermaelen and then Gallas making it 0-3 at half time. After some tidy passing by Arsenal, Fabregas finished the move with a shot that went through the legs of the on-rushing Tim Howard. Less than 15 minutes later Fabregas was allowed the freedom of Goodison as he ran from inside his own half to fire a second goal in from outside the box. Eduardo made it six before the end with a simple tap in after a shot from Russian Arshavin rebounded off the post into the Croatian’s path. Louis Saha poached the most meaningless of consolation goals to wrap up proceedings in Merseyside with Goodison Park already like a ghost town. Arsene Wenger’s men produced a classy display but they were unquestionably helped by Everton’s woeful efforts. The Lescott soap opera needs to be settled.

Manchester United 1–0 Birmingham City
It was by no means vintage Manchester United. The first half was a tale of United dominance with no cutting edge with the exception of Wayne Rooney’s goal on 39 minutes. Birmingham were content to put all their men behind the ball with Cameron Jerome providing the only outlet for City. They struggled to cope with United’s movement in the early stages of the match but as the half progressed they grew in confidence. Hart looked in good form between the sticks. The only other chance of note was presented to Darren Fletcher who blazed his shot wide of the post. During the second half Ferguson’s men became slightly complacent as the Scottish duo of Ferguson and McFadden started to dictate proceedings. Indeed McFadden gracefully floated in United’s half threatening to cut open the United defence. New Birmingham signing Christian Benitez was presented with the best chance for the visitors but he failed to beat Ben Foster in goal who palmed the ball wide of the post after Benitez has been clean through. United are perennial slow starters so this will be a welcome start for the Old Trafford side. Birmingham proved that they won’t be the whipping boys of the league if they can reproduce performances like this.

Portsmouth 0–1 Fulham
Affairs at Fratton Park are in complete disarray with owner elect Sulaimann Al Fahed still to finalise his takeover of the south coast club. A staggering £60 million has been raised from the sale of players, yet none has been reinvested into the club. The squad is becoming a little stagnant, so investment is needed. Paul Hart has arguably the most unglamorous job in the league right now with the future of the club uncertain. Fulham on the other hand are a club with a settled future under Roy Hodgson. Their defensive record last season was simply awesome and they continued on the right note at Fratton Park securing another clean sheet. A Bobby Zamora goal was the difference between the two teams. An away win so early in the season will please Hodgson whose side took over eight months last season to record a victory away from home. The closest Pompey went to an equaliser was a shot from Papa Bouba Diop but Fulham were good value for their win.

Stoke City 2–0 Burnley
Burnley didn’t enjoy their Premier League debut after being taught a lesson or two by Tony Pulis’ men after Stoke enjoyed a comfortable victory at home. The combative Stoke picked up from where they left off last season as they played some unattractive but effective football. A free kick from Liam Lawrence was headed home by centre back Ryan Shawcross to give the home side the advantage after 19 minutes. The infamous Rory Delap long throw worked it’s magic once again on 33 minutes as Stoke doubled their advantage thanks to Burnley’s captain Stephen Jordan. Stoke revelled in their title as favourites to win a game for the first time since their arrival in the top flight, and they bossed the new boys around the pitch and looked comfortable throughout the entire 90 minutes. Burnley fans have reason to be worried already.

Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Liverpool
The late kick off Sunday meant Liverpool needed three points to keep pace with title rivals Chelsea and United. In truth it was a dour Liverpool side who desperately missed Xabi Alonso as Gerrard and Torres found themselves isolated from the midfield. Spurs have improved steadily under Harry Redknapp and have a strong squad. They out fought Liverpool yesterday with a shaken Jamie Carragher and a battered and bruised Martin Srktel conceding fouls at regular intervals. A Tom Huddlestone free kick ploughed into the Liverpool wall only to fall at the feet of Assou Ekotto who unleashed a fierce shot which soared into roof of Reina’s next. Liverpool lacked spark and any invention in midfield. However a Glen Johnson marauding run earned the away side after he was brought down by Spurs keeper Gomes in the box. Captain Steven Gerrard expertly scored from the spot to give Liverpool an undeserved equaliser. Less than five minutes later Bassong headed home the eventual winner after Carragher failed to match the Cameroonian’s leap. The arrival of Yossi Benayoun who should have started the game added some urgency and genius to Liverpool’s play but Spurs escaped with three points despite an obvious shove on Voornin in the box by Ekotto and then Ekotto was at the centre of controversy after he handled the ball in the penalty area. However a Liverpool equaliser would have been an undeserved result and Benitez’s men rightly succumbed to an opening day defeat.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–2 West Ham United
Mick McCarthy made his welcome return to the Premiership but despite spending heavily in the summer it didn’t help Wolves avoid defeat at Moulineux. England under 21 captain Mark Noble opened the scoring on 22 minutes as he blasted a shot from outside the box past Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessy. McCarthy was missing his new £6 million signing Kevin Doyle and the normally lethal Ebanks Blake failed to finish the chances fashioned for him by the industrious Wolves midfield. Indeed Serbian playmaker Nenad Milijas enjoyed a promising debut looking dangerous throughout the match. Matthew Upson sealed victory for Gianfranco Zola as he nodded home from a corner to leave Wolves facing defeat on 69 minutes. In truth it was a fair result and McCartthy will be looking for a notable improvement in their next game away to Wigan Athletic.

Tottenham 2-1 Liverpool

Liverpool kicked off their start to the season with a defeat at White Hart Lane today. It was a game that had its fair share of talking points but also a game that the Liverpool players will look back on and know that they have to do better when they take on Stoke at Anfield this coming Wednesday.

Rafa Benitez had to wait on the fitness of his captain Steven Gerrard, before the kick off. He was passed fit to play hours before the game and it was Steven Gerrard who got Liverpools only goal of this fixture.

The game kicked off and at first it seemed like a cagey affair where both teams struggled to cause any real danger. But as the time passed, it was Spurs who started to test Pepe Reina’s resolve.

Former Liverpool forward Robbie Keane had three very good chances to open the scoring for the home side, but Pepe Reina was determined to deny any joy for the irishman and made some excellent stops.

It was apparent that there wasn’t much communication between the Liverpool players as Spurs continued to press and this resulted in one incident where Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher collided after going for the same ball. Skrtel was eventually subbed with a jaw injury and Carragher soldiered on with 12 staples in his forehead, thanks to this collision.

Liverpool just couldn’t get any real attacking move going as the first half progressed and this inevitably invited pressure around the Liverpool box.

One minute before the break, Skrtel brought Wilson Palacios down outside the Liverpool box and Spurs were awarded a free kick. The resulting free kick was a poor one that rebounded off the Liverpool wall. But Benoit Assuo-Ekotto was waiting to get possession of the ball and he made certain of his shot which flew into the top left corner of the goal past the helpless Reina. 1-0 to Spurs.

Liverpool came out in the second half with a bit more determination, but unfortunately not the crisp passing we all know the Liverpool players can display. The game was certainly taking on a more open approach as both sides increased the tempo.

Gerrard had an attempt which just fizzed wide left of the post. But in the 56th minute, Glen Johnson, making his league debut for the reds, made an excellent determined run with the ball into the Spurs box and was brought down by Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes. It was a decision not even ‘I don’t award pens to Liverpool’ referee Phil Dowd could deny and the reds were awarded a penalty. Steven Gerrard stepped up and placed the ball dead centre into the net. 1-1.

The excellent traveling reds fans’ joy was short lived though as three minutes later, Liverpool were hit with a sucker punch.

Jermaine Defoe got the advantage of Jamie Carragher but the Liverpool defender blocked off the run of the Spurs forward, just outside the right of the Liverpool box. A free kick was awarded and Luca Modric floated in the cross. Spurs debutant Sebastien Bassong was on hand to outjump the Liverpool defenders and head the ball home past Pepe Reina. 2-1 to Spurs.

Liverpool were clearly lacking the inventiveness in the final third, no matter how much they tried to put pressure on the Spurs defence. In the 67th minute Yossi Benayoun was introduced from the bench at the expense of a disappointing Ryan Babel. Suddenly, Liverpool looked a lot more dangerous with the help of the tricky Israeli.

But it was too little too late. Glen Johnson, not for the first time in the match, crossed in an excellent ball from the right wing to Fernando Torres, but the Liverpool striker could only head wide.

In the 79th minute Andriy Voronin replaced Dirk Kuyt and not long after Voronin was denied an obvious foul in the Spurs box. But referee Phil Dowd waved away the claims from the Liverpool players – something he seemingly likes to do when he referees a game involving the reds.

Minutes later there was another call for a Liverpool penalty when Assou-Ekotto seemed to handle the ball in the box.

Rafa Benitez and his staff were understandably angered and frustrated by these decisions. And moments later, it resulted in Liverpool assistant manager Sammy Lee being sent off from the bench.

Maybe the pens should have been justified, but the influence on the result they would have had if they had been converted into goals, possibly wouldn’t have been justified. Some will argue that Liverpool didn’t deserve anything from this game. But then some will say that decisions can go against you unfairly at times.

Certainly a bad day at the office for the reds. Thankfully it was the first day of the season rather than the last. There’s still a lot of time left to put things right. But we’ve got to improve our football if we want to win trophies this season.

Post Match Comments

Rafa Benitez:

I think everybody could see, especially the challenge on Voronin. It was so clear. You could maybe say the second incident was ball to hand, but the first one was clear. We didn’t play well, especially the first half, but we were much better in the second half.

We pushed harder and had more options in the final third, but clearly we have to improve if we want to win these kind of games.

We have to improve in the middle and keep the ball more and pass it better. The understanding has to be better. As a team we were not comfortable in possession in the first half.

We were playing against a good team so we knew we needed to play well. We didn’t but we have another game on Wednesday against Stoke and we have to improve.

Team News

Liverpool: Reina, Insua, Carragher, Skrtel (Ayala 75), Johnson, Babel (Benayoun 67), Mascherano, Leiva, Kuyt (Voronin 79), Gerrard (captain), Torres.

Subs not used: Cavalieri, Spearing, Kelly, Dossena

Goals: Gerrard 56

Tottenham: Gomes, Assou-Ekotto, King, Bassong, Corluka, Modric (O’Hara 83), Huddlestone, Palacios, Lennon, Defoe (Pavlyuchenko 92), Keane (captain)(Crouch 67).

Subs not used: Gudicini, Bentley, Naughton, Hutton

Goals: Assou-Ekotto 44, Bassong 59

Ref: Phil Dowd