SERVICES

Tuesday August 24, 2010

A Goal Bonanza In Week Two

Arsenal 6 Blackpool 0

England forward Theo Walcott netted a hat-trick as new boys Blackpool were brought back down to earth with a 6-0 thrashing at Arsenal.
The 21-year-old was a controversial omission from Fabio Capello's ill-fated World Cup squad, only to be welcomed back into the England fold following the dismal display in South Africa.
It may just have proved to be a decision which brings the best out of Walcott this season as the former Southampton trainee tore the Seasiders apart from kick-off, sweeping the Gunners into an 11th-minute lead.
Andrey Arshavin made it 2-0 from the penalty spot after defender Ian Evatt had been sent off for a foul on Chamakh.
Walcott added a third before the break, with Abou Diaby slotting home number four at the start of the second half and the England man - whose only international goals came with a famous hat-trick in Croatia during September 2008 - then securing the match ball with another well-taken finish.
World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas and runner-up Robin van Persie came off the bench for the last half-hour as the Gunners, who snatched a late 1-1 draw at Liverpool last weekend, moved to the top of the table, if only for a few hours, with Chamakh heading in a sixth goal in the 83rd minute.

Birmingam City 2 Blackburn Rovers 1

Craig Gardner struck twice and Ben Foster boosted his England credentials with a brilliant display of goalkeeping as Birmingham City came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers at St Andrew's.
After a poor first half, Morten Gamst Pedersen was given a golden chance to open the scoring in the 50th minute when Nikola Zigic fouled Christopher Samba in the box but Foster pulled off a superb save.
Four minutes later the visitors were ahead as Steven Nzonzi headed in a corner but Gardner turned the match around, converting a brilliant James McFadden pass in the 57th minute and then beating Paul Robinson from 30 yards for the winner with 19 minutes left.

Everton 1 Wolves 1

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake struck in the 75th minute to salvage an unlikely point for Wolves and leave David Moyes' Everton still searching for their first win of the season.
Tim Cahill's 43rd-minute strike seemed set to get the home side's campaign up and running, but with the visitors' first shot on target Ebanks-Blake coolly slotted home a cross from Kevin Doyle.
With Moyes' men desperate to claim the three points they poured forward, with both Cahill and substitute Louis Saha coming close, but the visitors' smash-and-grab point was secure.

Stoke City 1 Tottenham Hotspur 2

Gareth Bale scored both of Tottenham Hotspur's goals as they beat Stoke City 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium.
The Wales full-back made the breakthrough with a header following an attempted clearance by Ryan Shawcross.
In between his efforts Stoke equalised through Ricardo Fuller and thought they had drawn level for the second time in the dying embers of the match. However, referee Chris Foy allowed play to continue even though a shot from Jon Walters, on his debut, appeared to go over the line.

West Bromwich Albion 1 Sunderland 0

Peter Odemwingie scored a late goal on his debut to give West Bromwich Albion all three points against Sunderland at the Hawthorns.
Odemwingie, whose transfer from Lokomotiv Moscow had only been confirmed 24 hours earlier, wasted little time in making a name for himself at his new club, taking on James Morrison's pass and slotting home the winner with nine minutes to go.
The victory marked a spirited response from the Baggies, who had started the day bottom of the table after they were thrashed 6-0 at Chelsea last week.

West Ham United 1 Bolton Wanderers 3

Johan Elmander scored twice at Upton Park as Bolton Wanderers extended their winning run against West Ham United to seven matches.
Bolton weathered a first-half hammering - including a missed penalty from Carlton Cole - before snatching the lead with a Matthew Upson own goal four minutes after the restart.
Elmander planted a near-post header past Robert Green before West Ham secured a lifeline, when Scott Parker won a second penalty and Mark Noble converted.
But Elmander, who last scored twice in a match in November 2008, wrapped up the points with a low shot past Green after some more slack defending.
Bolton are unbeaten following their opening day draw at Fulham - but West Ham head into daunting matches against Manchester United and Chelsea without a point on the board.

Wigan Athletic 0 Chelsea 6

Wigan Athletic had no answer to Chelsea's goalscoring machine as manager Carlo Ancelotti's side have already now hit double figures for the season after two matches in defence of their Premier League crown.
For the second successive Saturday Chelsea rattled home six, with Nicolas Anelka and substitute Salomon Kalou each bagging a brace, sandwiching one apiece from Florent Malouda and Yossi Benayoun.
It leaves Chelsea sitting pretty at the top of the table and the Latics propping it up.
The Blues have now scored a phenomenal 29 goals in just five league fixtures, 14 of those against Wigan as they thumped eight past them on the final day of last season.
As for Roberto Martinez's side, they have conceded 25 goals in six league matches, with 10 this season after starting out with a 4-0 home defeat to Blackpool last weekend.

Newcastle United 6 Aston Villa 0

Andy Carroll plundered a hat-trick as Newcastle United eased past Aston Villa.
John Carew let the home side off the hook when he skied a 10th-minute penalty high over the bar, but Newcastle were far more clinical when they got the opportunity.
Carroll, watched by Alan Shearer - the man who wore the number nine shirt he has now inherited, stole the show with a fine treble after Joey Barton had opened the scoring with a 12th-minute piledriver and Kevin Nolan had made it 2-0 with 32 minutes gone.
Nolan struck again at the death before Carroll claimed the match ball in injury time to round off an impressive display in front of a delighted crowd of 43,546.

Fulham 2 Manchester United 2

Brede Hangeland headed a last-minute equaliser to deny Manchester United victory in a gripping match at Craven Cottage.
United appeared to be heading for victory when Hangeland scored an unfortunate own goal with seven minutes go - the first act of a breathless climax.
Nani missed a penalty moments later that would have put Sir Alex Ferguson's side 3-1 up after Damien Duff handled in the area.
And United were punished for Nani's wastefulness in the final twist as Hangeland atoned for his earlier blunder by powering a header past Edwin van der Sar.