Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Arsenal missed the opportunity to top the table as they could only manage a draw against Sunderland. With Arsenal losing 1-0 last year and drawing 1-1 the year before that at the Stadium of Light, on paper the odds were against them. An early lead when the ball ricocheted off Fabregas from 30 yards looked to put them in the driving seat. However, Arsenal were reduced to ten men, wasted opportunities and missed a penalty (Rosicky’s first and probably last). England hopeful Darren Bent equalised for Sunderland in the dying moments of stoppage time and no amount of hopping up and down on the touchline by Wenger could get back the two points they threw away.
Three other matches finished 1-1, as Aston Villa, Bolton, Blackburn, Fulham, Stoke and West Ham all failed to outwit their opponents. Frustrating for both viewers and players, only West Ham could really be pleased with their draw as they notched up their first point of the season.
Tottenham left it late to come back from a goal down against Wolves, but they eventually won 3-1, scoring three goals in 15 minutes. Newcastle’s fantastic start to the season after promotion continued as they took three points away from home against a dismal Everton side. Rooted firmly in the relegation zone with only two points, David Moyes needs to rethink the Toffees’ tactics, and quickly.
Manchester City strolled to an easy 2-0 win against Wigan, with Joe Hart keeping another clean sheet and continuing to prove to Capello who should be England #1 goalie. West Brom also won despite going a goal down to Birmingham as three goals in the second half gave them a surprise victory.
The biggest game of the weekend was unarguably Manchester United against Liverpool. Just as big, if not bigger, than the Manchester derby, pride and bragging rights go hand-in-hand with the three points. Manchester United looked to be easing to victory as Liverpool lacked creativity in the first half and United gained a 2-0 advantage, courtesy of Dimitar Berbatov. Hodgson worked some magic in the dressing-room at half-time and Liverpool came out a changed team. A penalty and a wonderful free kick, both scored by Captain Steven Gerrard, put Liverpool back in contention. However Berbatov crept up once more in the penalty area to head home the winner. A hit-trick for the Bulgarian, who is in terrific form this season, and deserved glory at Old Trafford – Ferige must be a happy man for once.
The weekend finished with Blackpool taking on Chelsea. Some might have hoped Blackpool, whose victories over Wigan and Newcastle announced their arrival in the top flight, could halt the Chelsea rampage. However, their hopes were short lived as Chelsea secured the three points with four goals in the first 45 minutes. A solid Blackpool side showed determination in the second half and the score-line didn’t alter. Chelsea sit pretty four points clear at the top of the league but let’s see if their good form continues when they face tougher opposition.
You must log in to submit a comment.
