Premiership Roundup - 20/09

SUNDERLAND 2 - 0 MIDDLESBROUGH
Chopra 81'
Chopra 90'

Michael Chopra started off his season in fabulous fashion after troubled personal life over the past few months.He got on the score-sheet twice.First on the 81st minute and then again he confirmed the 3points for The Black Cats.The two goals were the first home goals for Sunderland this season.

The game would have held a different outcome had Stewart Downing converted the second half penalty.As like his previous penalty miss against Stoke,the English player hit the ball over the bar.

Boro started the game without Mido who injured himself during the warm up.His place was taken by Alfonso Alves.

Chopra got the first with a nicely put through ball by Richardson which he put on the keepers left with a defender sliding in.

The second goal arrived on the tip of full time when Malbranque slipped the pass for Chopra to tap in the open goal after it took a wicked deflection.

Liverpool 0 - 0 Stoke City

Liverpool welcomed Stoke City on the back of a fabulous 2-1 win over Manchester United last week and then a 2-1 win away to Marseille in the Champions league.

Liverpool and Steven Gerrard thought they were up to a great start within two minutes when a Gerrard freekick bounced inside the box without taking a touch on the way although their celebration were cut short by the offside flag where probably Kuyt was ruled offside.I don't understand the offside rule! The player is supposed to touch the ball to be flagged offside,right?

Liverpool piled on the pressure throughout the 90minutes but the scoreline read 0-0 when the referee blew the full time whistle.

Despite the 24 shots and 19 corners,Liverpool weren't able to make Sorensen do much with the defense holding Torres and Kuyt back very well. These would be two points dropped for Liverpool and the first clean sheet for Stoke City.

Blackburn Rovers 1 - 0 Fulham
Derbyshire 84'

Blackburn Rovers were riding on a drubbing last week against Arsenal and had conceded 8goals in the past two games.

Paul Ince gave the most impressive display of his managerial career at Blackburn with an extraordinary attacking game against Fulham.

There were plenty moments of brilliance for Rovers who created chance after chance and showed signs of the play that was there when Mark Hughes was the manager.

The goal came in the 84th minute when Santa Cruz's cushion header lay in the path of Derbyshire who volleyed it home with his left foot.

West Ham United 3 - 1 Newcastle United
D.Michele 8' Owen 67'
D.Michele 37'
Ethrington 53'

Newcastle United continued their bad run and slumped to a third consecutive defeat at West Ham.

This was the first game for new boss Zola and the first start for Italian D.Michele. Both got off to a celebratory beginning with Zola and his Hammers grabbing three points and D.Michele getting on the sheet twice.

D.Michele started the scoring with a deflected shot off Taylor which flew over Shay Given's head and into the back of the net.

The second was a reflection of Newcastle's woeful defending and to some extent the skill of D.Michele.After a super save from Given the ball still found D.Michele who after a touch past the defender put the ball in the back of the net,on the near post of Given.

The third arrived in the second half when Newcastle were left exposed as Michele beat the offside trap and made the run towards the box and despite being on the verge of a hattrick he passed the ball towards the running Ethrington who put the ball past the keeper with ease.

Newcastle however managed a consolation goal when Michael Owen continued his impressive form against West Ham by putting a curler round the keeper to get his 4th goal against the Londoners in 2 games.

Certainly warning signs for the Magpies.

Bolton Wanderers 1 - 3 Arsenal
K.Davies 13' Eboue 26'
Bendtner 27'
Denilson 87'

Arsenal went top of the table with Chelsea due to play Manchester United tomorrow and as Liverpool slipped up against Stoke City.

Arsenal haven't had easy time at the Reebok in their previous visits.They have always been their bogey team but today's win was by far the most comfortable wins as compared to their win last season when they had a man sent off and recovered three points in the dying stages.

Bolton showed their set pieces prowess when they took the lead courtesy Kevin Davies who climbed over an Arsenal player to give the home side the lead.

This spurred the Gunners who put on many attacks thereafter.It paid dividends when Arsenal got two goals in a minute.

Arsenal equaled the scoreline when Eboue stroked the ball into the back of the net with suspicion of offside.

The next goal came from Bendtner who slid in from 6 yards out after a neat cross and an opening down the left from Denilson.

Theo Walcott was instrumental for the third goal when he made a lung bursting run from the halfway line to create open space for Adebayor who crossed the ball on the far side of the goal for Denilson to tap into open goal.

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