Thursday 26 September 2013

Moyes' revenge as United kick LFC out of Cup

Sports - Football - League Cup - Man United 1-0 Liverpool 

Manchester United put Sunday's league thrashing by Manchester City behind them by beating rivals Liverpool 1-0 at Old Trafford to eliminate them from the League Cup. 

Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez

New boss David Moyes will be happy to have avenged the defeat Brendan Rodgers' men inflicted on his side when the two teams met at Anfield earlier this month. 

The visitors were unlucky not to find themselves on the scoresheet after dominating most of play and seeing the return of Luis Suarez after his 10-match bite ban. 

The controversial Uruguayan partnered well with Daniel Sturridge, both forwards working well together and creating plenty of opportunities, the latter hitting the bar in the second half. 

Moyes wanted a reaction from United after their derby defeat and made eight changes to the side thrashed at the Etihad. 

The former Everton boss certainly saw an improvement after the restart - skipper Wayne Rooney's corner fired home by an unmarked Javier Hernandez to give United the lead 40 seconds into the second half after they were pinned back and played around for most of the match up until then. 

But the rustiness showed in Suarez and Sturridge after they missed some sitters although United keeper David De Gea did have his say in that too with some splendid saves. 

What a difference a game makes, the victory for Moyes making it the best start for a new United boss since legend Matt Busby in 1945 and extended his side's run to six successive home wins against the Reds, whilst Rodgers' side are now without a win in three games. 

Manchester United Goals: 1.: 45:40min Javier Hernandez (14). 

Manchester United Team: 1 De Gea; 28 Buttner, 6 Evans, 12 Smalling, 2 Rafael; 11 Giggs (booked 41), 4 Jones (booked 71); 26 Kagawa (44 Januzaj - 73.), 10 Rooney, 17 Nani (19 Welbeck - 90.); 14 Hernandez (16 Carrick - 74.). 4-2-3-1 
Subs not used: 8 Anderson, 22 Fabio, 29 Zaha, 40 Amos. 

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 17 Sakho, 37 Skrtel, 4 Toure (booked 51.); 3 Jose Enrique, 21 Lucas (booked 39.) (34 Kelly - 67.), 12 Moses (31 Sterling - 82.), 8 Gerrard, 14 Henderson (booked 75.); 7 Suarez, 15 Sturridge. 3-5-2 
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 6 Luis Alberto, 9 Aspas, 33 Ibe, 47 Wisdom. 

BBC Match Stats: Manchester United-Liverpool 
Possession: 47%-53% 
Shots: 18-17 
On target: 4-3 
Corners: 7-11 
Fouls: 12-9 

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Week 5: Premier League Action Summary

Sports - Football - Premier League - Action Summary - Week 5

The fifth week of action saw 10 games, 29 goals, 12 in the first half, 17 in the second half, 3 in injury time; 253 attempts, 83 on target and 119 corners; 202 fouls, 23 bookings, 1 red card, 1 penalty scored, 1 penalty saved.

Most scored: Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium with 4 goals.

Top creators: Tottenham at the Cardiff City Stadium with 21 attempts, 12 on target, 12 corners and 63.7% possession.

Main offenders: West Ham at Upton Park with 17 fouls, 2 yellow cards and 1 sending off.

Norwich 0-1 Aston Villa:

Libor KozakAston Villa recorded their first clean sheet in 27 league games as they beat Norwich 0-1 at Carrow Road. An action-packed first half started off with the home side on top winning a penalty after just six minutes when Cieran Clark handled the ball. But Brad Guzan made a fine save diving to his left and denying Robert Snodgrass from the spot. The Canaries saw Andreas Weimann's shot for Villa come off he post before sub Libor Kozak who replaced injured Christian Benteke scored 90 seconds after coming on just before the half-hour mark. Having missed a one-on-one chance against Norwich keeper John Ruddy, the ball came back to Gabriel Agbonlahor who was unselfish enough to cut it back to Kozak who netted it gratefully. After an entertaining end-to-end encounter, Paul Lambert can thank Guzan for some fine saves and helping his side to victory against his former employers. Norwich have only lost two of their last 12 league games at Carrow Road - both against Aston Villa.

Liverpool 0-1 Southampton:

Dejan LovrenLiverpool were denied their best ever start to a Premier League season by a defiant Southampton after losing 0-1 at Anfield despite a heroic performance by Simon Mignolet. The Belgian goalkeeper made save after save including a breath-taking triple-save denying Steven Davis. Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren were also denied by the stopper before the latter held off Daniel Agger to head in the winner for Mauricio Pochettino's men. Saints keeper Artur Boruc denied Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge with some impressive saves of his own but all in all the home side struggled to create chances and break through a stubborn back line. This was the second home defeat of 2013 for Brendan Rodgers men, both against Southampton.

Newcastle 2-3 Hull City:

Sone Aluko and David MeylerA Loic Remy double was not enough for Newcastle as they fell to a stunning Sone Aluko strike losing 2-3 against Hull City at St James Park. Remy had given the hosts the lead heading in Papiss Cisse's miscued shot. Robbie Brady equalised with a low volley before Remy netted his second off Yohan Cabaye's attempt. Ahmed Elmohamady glanced in Brady's free kick to make it 2-2 after the break before Aluko smacked in the winner from 18 yards. Alan Pardew's men came into the match on the back of two wins on the trot over Fulham and Aston Villa. After an entertaining encounter Steve Bruce was delighted with his side's display, the Tigers putting an end to the home side's run picking up seven points from their opening five games in their first season back in the Premier League after three years in the Championship.

West Brom 3-0 Sunderland:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24089796West Brom condemned Sunderland to their fourth Premier League defeat of the season thrashing them 3-0 at the Hawthorns. Debutant Stephane Sessegnon scored against his former side netting an easy rebound after Keiren Westwood initially denied Scott Sinclair. Liam Ridgewell doubled the score with a one-touch bang of a shot before the Black Cats were forced to play the last 15 minutes reduced to 10 men after manager Paulo Di Canio had already made all three available substitutions and then lost Steven Fletcher to injury. Morgan Amalfitano completed the Italian's miserable afternoon and run by making it 3-0 with an angled shot in injury time and making it three defeats on the trot with just one point out of five games for the visitors. The traveling fans showed their frustration at the bottom club's manager when he went to applaud them which turned out to be a peculiar encounter in front of the cameras. The bigger the worry and despair got for Di Canio, the greater the relief and celebration was for Steve Clarke after his side finally recorded their first win to see them climb out of the relegation zone and up to 15th.

West Ham 2-3 Everton:

Leighton Baines scores for Everton against SunderlandEverton produced a perfect turnaround as they twice came from behind to beat 10-man West Ham at Upton Park. Roberto Martinez's men thereby remain the last unbeaten side in the Premier League this season in sixth place on nine points out of five games. Ravel Morrison's deflected shot from the edge of the box got the scoreboard rolling and the hosts ahead before Leighton Baines levelled the score with a spectacular free kick bending and swerving the ball across and past a helpless Jussi Jaaskelainen. The Hammers restored their lead against the run of play thanks to Mark Noble's penalty conversion after skipper Kevin Nolan drew a foul from James McCarthy after a fine build-up in the box. But the game took a decisive twist when Noble was given a second booking for a tackle from behind on Toffee midfielder Ross Barkley. Baines struck again netting another stunning free-kick in the opposite corner. Substitute Romelu Lukaku completed the perfect turnaround heading in the winner for the visitors and condemning Sam Allardyce's men to their second defeat of the season and down to 14th.

Chelsea 2-0 Fulham:

John Mikel ObiChelsea put their worst start to a league season in 10 years behind them after beating Fulham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge going top of the table for 24 hours at least. Jose Mourinho laughed off all fears and critics in the post-match interview after watching Oscar and John Mikel Obi score two second-half goals to settle the bout and bag three points for the Blues. After a less entertaining, more hard-working first half where Darren Bent's shot at home keeper Petr Cech was the closest either team got, Oscar settled Chelsea's nerves with a fine finish from close range. Mikel doubled the score with his first league goal in 185 games to end a four-game winless run for Roman Abramovich's men. The result took Chelsea above Liverpool at the top of the table before Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester City leapfrogged them with their wins on Sunday (see summaries below).

Arsenal 3-1 Stoke City:

Per MertesackerArsenal recorded their seventh win on the trot after beating Stoke convincingly 3-1 at the Emirates to send them top of the table ahead of bitter London rivals Tottenham on goal difference. Aaron Ramsey opened the scoring after just five minutes netting his seventh goal in eight games for the Gunners by tapping in the rebound after Asmir Begovic had pushed Mesut Ozil's free kick straight at him. The Potters were level 20 minutes later after Geoff Cameron netted Marko Arnautovic's shot that came off the post. But Per Mertesacker put the home side back ahead and in command before the break heading in Ozil's corner with keeper Begovic all over the place again. Bacary Sagna made it three goals and three points for Arsene Wenger's men later on in the second half, heading in Ozil's free kick with a nice leap into the left corner leaving the keeper stranded yet again. Ozil had a hand in all three Arsenal goals on his home debut for the club, showing how pivotal the German has already become for the club, especially with the long injury list they still have.

Crystal Palace 0-2 Swansea:

MichuSwansea bossed the game from start to finish brushing aside a poor Crystal Palace side 2-0 at Selhurst Park. Striker Miguel Michu fired the ball under Palace keeper Julian Speroni to open the scoring after just 80 seconds, producing a banging start for the Swans. Nathan Dyer doubled the home side's lead soon after the break hammering a rebound high into the net after some great work by Michu in the build-up again setting up Alvaro Vazquez whose shot was saved by Speroni. Michu had the ball in the back of the net again before the final whistle, connecting to Jonathan de Guzman's long through-ball, but the goal was disallowed for offside. It was almost like a training match for Michael Laudrup's men, dominating in possession, territory and chances, Ian Holloway admitting post-match how awful his side were.

Cardiff 0-1 Tottenham:

Spurs players celebrate winning in CardiffWelsh hearts were broken in stoppage time as Paulinho scored a stoppage-time winner for Tottenham in a tense encounter at the Cardiff City stadium. Malky Mackay's men were out to frustrate and stun Spurs as they did in their 3-2 home win against Manchester City with keeper David Marshall starring, producing one brilliant save after another. The London side dominated possession and produced plenty of chances keeping Marshall more than busy. But Cardiff's defence was finally breached in the dying seconds when Brazilian Paulinho connected onto Erik Lamela's cross with a cheeky back-heeler netting three crucial points for Andre Villas-Boas men putting them level on points with rivals Arsenal at the top of the table before their big derby clash against Chelsea next weekend.

Manchester City 4-1 Manchester United:

Yaya ToureManchester City thrashed bitter rivals Manchester United 4-1 in a gob-smacking derby at the Etihad Stadium. It was the first derby for both David Moyes and Manuel Pellegrini, the first time two new managers took over the derby since 1947. The energy levels were high from kick-off with end-to-end stuff before Sergio Aguero opened the scoring for the home side with a marvellous finish off a fine link between Samir Nasri and Aleksandar Kolerov. Yaya Toure doubled the lead just before the interval tapping in a deflected corner finding himself in plenty of space with the United defence totally zoned out. Whatever Moyes' team talk was at half time, it did not show much effect as seconds after the break, United were carved open again, Alvaro Negredo's clip-in finding Aguero free, completing the move with a simple left-footed finish to make it 3-0. And five minutes later City tore United apart again, Vincent Kompany running in on the right finding Nasri whose right-footed smacker made it 4-0. It was a wonderful carve-finish, from one end to the other and stunned United, leaving everyone wonder how much worse the thrash score line could get. In the end, it stayed four for City but Wayne Rooney did pull one back for United, curling a free kick into the top right corner past Joe Hart's glove, a superb jump beaten by a superb goal. It was merely a consolation goal though, as City recorded an emphatic win against the Red Devils, leaving Moyes wondering whether he can ever win a derby as he was unable to beat Liverpool in his 11 years as Everton boss.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Saints shock Liverpool to their first league defeat

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 0-1 Southampton 

Liverpool were denied their best ever start to a Premier League season by a defiant Southampton after losing 0-1 at Anfield despite a heroic performance by Simon Mignolet

Dejan Lovren

The Belgian goalkeeper made save after save including a breathtaking triple-save denying Steven Davis

Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren were also denied by the stopper before the latter held off Daniel Agger to head in the winner for Mauricio Pochettino's men. 

Saints keeper Artur Boruc denied Steven Gerrard and Daniel Sturridge with some impressive saves of his own but all in all the home side struggled to create chances and break through a stubborn back line. 

This was the second home defeat of 2013 for Brendan Rodgers' men, both against Southampton. 

Southampton Goals: 1.: 52:56min Dejan Lovren (5).

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 17 Sakho, 5 Agger (3 Jose Enrique - 57.), 37 Skrtel (6 Luis Alberto - 72.), 4 Toure; 12 Moses, 21 Lucas, 8 Gerrard, 14 Henderson; 9 Aspas (31 Sterling - 45.), 15 Sturridge. 4-4-2
Subs not used: 47 Wisdom, 34 Kelly, 1 Jones, 33 Ibe. 

Southampton Team: 31 Boruc; 23 Shaw, 5 Lovren, 6 Fonte, 2 Clyne (booked 81.); 4 Schneiderlin, 12 Wanyama, 20 Lallana (16 Ward-Prowse - 76.); 9 Rodriguez (18 Cork - 89.), 17 Osvaldo, 7 Lambert (8 Davies - 66.). 4-3-3 
Subs not used: 10 Ramirez, 26 Hooiveld, 22 Chambers, 1 Davis. 

Opta Match Stats: Liverpool-Southampton 

(Attack) 
Shots: 10-12 
On target: 5-7 
Blocked: 1-2 
From outside the box: 6-4 
From inside the box: 4-8 
Shot accuracy: 55.6%-70% 

(General Play) 
Possession: 55.2%-44.8% 
Duels won: 51.5-48.5% 
Aerial duels won: 54.8%-45.2% 
Interceptions: 17-11 Offsides: 3-5 
Corners: 6-6 

(Distribution) 
Total passes: 465-373 
Long passes: 13.5%-13.4% 
Passing accuracy: 77.4%-71.8% 
Passing accuracy opp. half: 63.7%-61.7% 
Total crosses: 18-19 
Successful crosses: 11.1%-15.8% 

(Defence & Discipline) 
Tackles: 20-38 
Tackles won: 70%-84.2% 
Clearances: 27-29 
Fouls conceded: 6-9 
Yellow cards: 0-1 
Red cards: 0-0 

Referee: Neil Swarbrick 
Attendance: 44,755 
Man of the match: Simon Mignolet

Wednesday 18 September 2013

Week 4: Premier League Action Summary

Sports - Football - Premier League - Action Summary - Week 4

The fourth week of action saw 10 games, 20 goals, 10 in the first half, 10 in the second half, 3 in injury time; 256 attempts, 80 on target and 98 corners; 197 fouls, 34 bookings, 1 red card, 1 penalty scored.

Most scored: At the Stadium of Light (4 goals), by Arsenal (3 goals).

Top creators: Tottenham at White Hart Lane (23 attempts, 7 on target).

Main offenders: Chelsea at Goodison Park and Newcastle at Villa Park (4 bookings each); Crystal Palace with the only sending off of the weekend at Old Trafford (Kagisho Dikgacoi).

Manchester United 2-0 Crystal Palace:

Manchester United striker Wayne RooneyDavid Moyes recorded his first win as Manchester United manager thanks to a controversial penalty and sending off against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. Ian Holloway was left fuming after Kagisho Dikgacoi was adjudged by referee Jon Moss to have fouled Ashley Young in the box and was sent off. The Eagles were unhappy with the decision arguing the offence had taken place outside the area, but Robin van Persie made no mistake and slotted in the spot-kick to make it 1-0 just before the break. Wayne Rooney doubled the score from a free kick later on in the second half after his former Evertonian team mate Marouane Fellaini was brought on to make his debut for United. All in all though, despite the score line, the Red Devils were struggling to break down their stubborn visitors, even after they were reduced to ten men. Moyes will be relieved and should feel lucky to have recorded his first three pointer from his opening three games and seen Rooney making a scoring return, especially with former boss Sir Alex Ferguson amongst the crowd and Bayer Leverkusen next on the fixture list in the Champions League.

Aston Villa 1-2 Newcastle:

Hatem Ben Arfa celebrates opening the scoring at Villa ParkFrance midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa was scorer and provider for Newcastle to seal their second win of season by beating Aston Villa 1-2 at Villa Park. The win comes just days after manager Alan Pardew criticised the club about the lack of signings and failure to add to their squad in the summer transfer window. The only new signing Loic Remy, on a season-long loan from QPR, made an immediate impact on his debut for the visitors with some excellent work setting up Ben Arfa to open the scoring. The home side equalised after the break, Christian Benteke netting an Ashley Westwood corner. But the Magpies came back, Ben Arfa pulling a save out of Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan with a long-range effort before Yoan Gouffran was the quickest to react to net the rebound and defy Paul Lambert's men as well as their own boss.

Fulham 1-1 West Brom:

Gareth McAuleyGareth McAuley's injury time equaliser secured a point against the run of play for West Brom at Craven Cottage. Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell had given the home side the lead in the first half with a fine half-volley from a corner. The Cottagers were dominant and in control with the Baggies rarely threatening, their new £6m-striker Victor Anichebe making no real impact for the visitors. But Steve Clarke's men salvaged a point in the dying minutes when McAuley climbed highest and headed in Chris Brunt's corner, scoring his club's first Premier League goal of the season.

Hull City 1-1 Cardiff:

Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham (second right) celebrates scoring against HullPremier League newcomers Hull City and Cardiff City left the KC Stadium sharing just a goal and point each in a game dominated by misses and what-ifs. Curtis Davies gave the Tigers the lead heading in Tom Huddlestone's cross after Danny Graham had missed a sitter for the home side. The Bluebirds rallied after the break and were level soon after thanks to Peter Whittingham's low-shot volley off Don Cowie's cross. Both teams went close but missed out on nicking a winner, Aron Gunnarsson heading wide for the visitors and Graham shooting wide. In the dying minutes, Graham sent a header straight into Cardiff goalkeeper Joe Lewis' gloves, epitomising his struggling form having not scored since January.

Stoke City 0-0 Manchester City:

Manchester City's James Milner thwarts Stoke City's Matthew EtheringtonBelow-par Manchester City were lucky to escape the Britannia Stadium with a point after Stoke City missed several chances to break the deadlock and secure a third consecutive Premier League victory. Mark Hughes' men posed much more of a threat compared to a passive City side who did not make much of their possession apart from a couple of long-range shots. Jonathan Walters wasted two glorious chances for the Potters whilst Kenwyne Jones was denied by a fine Joe Hart block. The England goalkeeper was kept the busier of the two keepers and did well to deny the home side any glory, but Mauricio Pellegrini should be worried his side did not pose more of a threat. Stoke have never lost a Premier League game at home against Manchester City, recording one win and five draws in their six meetings.

Sunderland 1-3 Arsenal:

Aaron Ramsey Bottom club Sunderland crumbled to yet another defeat falling 1-3 against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light. Arsenal debutant Mesut Ozil set up Olivier Giroud to give the Gunners an early lead before Craig Gardner levelled from the spot after the interval following Laurent Koscielny's fowl on Adam Johnson. Aaron Ramsey's double sealed the Gunners' comeback and win sending them to the top of the Premier League. Theo Walcott could have had a hat-trick in a game that could have ended so much worse for the hosts despite all controversy and protests. Black Cats manager Paulo Di Canio was in his typical temperamental rage after Jozy Altidore was denied an equaliser after referee Martin Atkinson did not play an advantage and was later sent off for his continuous protests. The American striker had wrestled himself past Bacary Sagna and squeezed a shot past Wojciech Szczesny and over the line before it was cleared, but Atkinson brought play back for a Sunderland free kick outside the box. But the controversial Italian boss cannot deny his side were dire, out-thought and out-played and are at the bottom of the Premier League for a reason.

Tottenham 2-0 Norwich:

Gylfi Sigurdsson gives Tottenham the lead against NorwichTottenham started life without Gareth Bale with a comfortable 2-0 home win against Norwich, Gylfi Sigurdsson scoring a goal in each half. New signing Christian Eriksen rewarded manager Andre Villas-Boas for handing him his debut creating the opening goal for Sigurdsson to turn the chance in. The Iceland international doubled the score off Paulinho and was denied a hat-trick by Canaries goalkeeper John Ruddy. The 26-year old stopper also kept Andros Townsend off the scoreboard. AVB will be more than happy with the style and comfort of the win, showing and convincing that life and football can continue for Tottenham and the club have moved on, even without their starman Bale.

Everton 1-0 Chelsea:

Steven NaismithRoberto Martinez recorded his first Premier League win as Everton manager beating Chelsea 1-0 at Goodison Park and inflicting Jose Mourinho's first domestic defeat since his return to Roman Abramovich's club. Steven Naismith header in first-half injury time was enough to seal the deal after both Samuel Eto'o and Andre Schurrle wasted good opportunities for the visitors. Chelsea's new striker Eto'o looked goal bound when Gareth Barry intervened with a brilliant goal-saving tackle. The loan signing from Manchester City who joined the Toffees on deadline day, starred with a man-of-the-match performance sparing goalkeeper Tim Howard from embarrassment. Defiant defending and stubborn blocking, concentration and strength to the final whistle frustrated and in the end beat Mourinho's men and had Goodison Park rocking at Howard Webb's final whistle.

Southampton 0-0 West Ham:

West Ham United goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen makes a save West Ham were lucky to escape from Southampton with a point after their goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen produced one brilliant save after another. The 38-year-old kept out Dani Osvaldo, Morgan Schneiderlin, Victor Wanyama and Rickie Lambert with some splendid saves in a spectacular display in a match that was dominated by the Saints. Mauricio Pochettino's men would have been pleased with their overall performance but were left frustrated and disappointed with the result, two points dropped and failure to score. Sam Allerdyce's men meanwhile, who have now only produced six shots on target in the league and have yet to score this season, will be more than relieved and happy with the point won.

Swansea 2-2 Liverpool:

Jonjo Shelvey Liverpool moved back to the top of the Premier League table after an entertaining 2-2 draw against Swansea which saw former Red midfielder Jonjo Shelvey contributed to all four goals at the Liberty Stadium. The summer signing put the hosts in the lead after just 87 seconds with a nice curl into the bottom corner. But his clumsy backpass allowed Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge to fire home his fourth goal in four for the visitors four minutes later. Shelvey then made another spill to hand Victor Moses his debut goal before heading the ball on to Miguel Michu who levelled the score again. The draw put an end to Brendan Rodgers' men's 100% record as they dropped their first points against his former side but the result was still enough for them to leapfrog Arsenal and Tottenham back to the top of the Premier League. Swansea meanwhile, are 13th after recording four points from their opening four matches.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Liverpool stay top despite draw at Swansea

Sports - Football - Premier League - Swansea 2-2 Liverpool 

Liverpool moved back to the top of the Premier League table after an entertaining 2-2 draw against Swansea which saw former Red midfielder Jonjo Shelvey contribute to all four goals at the Liberty Stadium.

Jonjo Shelvey

The summer signing put the hosts in the lead after just 87 seconds with a nice curl into the bottom corner. 

But his clumsy backpass allowed Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge to fire home his fourth goal in four for the visitors four minutes later. 

Shelvey then made another spill to hand Victor Moses his debut goal before heading the ball on to Michu who levelled the score again. 

The draw put an end to Brendan Rodgers' men's 100% record as they dropped their first points against his former side but the result was still enough for them to leapfrog Arsenal and Tottenham back to the top of the Premier League. 

Swansea meanwhile, are 13th after recording four points from their opening four matches. 

Swansea Goals: 1.: 1:27min Jonjo Shelvey (8), 2.: 63:20min Michu (9). 

Liverpool Goals: 1.: 3:06min Daniel Sturridge (15), 2.: 35:55min Victor Moses (12) 

Swansea Team: 1 Vorm; 33 Davies, 6 Williams (booked 50.), 4 Chico, 22 Rangel; 15 Routledge, 8 Shelvey (booked 56.), 7 Britton; 10 Bony (24 Pozuelo - 66.), 9 Michu, 12 Dyer (20 De Guzman - 45.). 4-3-3 
Subs not used: 2 Amat, 19 Tiendalli, 25 Tremmel, 26 Alvaro, 21 Canas. 

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 3 Jose Enrique, 17 Sakho, 37 Skrtel, 47 Wisdom (booked 66.) (4 Toure - 69.); 12 Moses (31 Sterling - 81.), 21 Lucas (booked 56.), 8 Gerrard, 14 Henderson (booked 61.); 10 Coutinho (9 Iago Aspas 55.), 15 Sturridge. 4-4-2 
Subs not used: 6 Luis Alberto, 1 Jones, 34 Kelly, 33 Ibe. 

Opta Match Stats: Swansea-Liverpool 

(Attack) 
Shots: 18-12 
On target: 9-5 
Blocked: 2-2 
From outside the box: 10-5 
From inside the box: 8-7 
Shot accuracy: 50%-50% 

(General Play) 
Possession: 58.9%-41.1% 
Duels won: 56.6%-43.4% 
Aerial duels won: 60.6%-39.4% 
Interceptions: 21-3 
Offsides: 1-2 
Corners: 3-7 

(Distribution) 
Total Passes: 628-432 
Long Passes: 9.6%-11.8% 
Passing accuracy: 87.6%-83.1% 
Passing accuracy in opp. half: 76.8%-70.7% 
Total crosses: 26-18 
Successful crosses: 77%-22.2% 

(Defence & Distribution) 
Tackles: 18-16 
Tackles won: 66.7%-68.8% 
Clearances: 35-43 
Fouls conceded: 8-10 
Yellow cards: 2-3 
Red cards: 0-0 

Referee: Michael Oliver 
Attendance: 20,752 
Man of the match: Jonjo Shelvey

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Week 3: Premier League Action Summary

Sports - Football - Premier League - Action Summary - Week 3

The third week of action saw 9 games, only 13 goals, 4 in the first half, 9 in the second half, 1 in injury time; 208 attempts, 91 on target and 87 corners; 188 fouls, 32 bookings, 1 red card, 1 penalty scored.

Most scored: At Selhurst Park (4 goals), by Crystal Palace (3 goals).

Top creators: Newcastle at St James Park (24 attempts, 9 on target, 13 corners).

Main offenders: Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield with 30 fouls and 6 bookings between them; Sunderland with the only sending off of the weekend at Selhurst Park (John O'Shea).

Manchester City 2-0 Hull City:

Alvaro Negredo scoresAn Alvaro Negredo header and quality Yaya Toure free kick in the last half hour meant heartbreak for Hull City losing 2-0 to Manchester City after a competitive encounter at the Etihad Stadium. The Tigers were on fire leaving the home side behind and trying to catch up. Joe Hart was beaten by Robert Koren's diagonal smacker before it went just wide. Sone Aluko put a golden chance wide before Danny Graham had a goal correctly ruled out for offside for the visitors. It was painful to watch for Manuel Pellegrini seeing his side creating more misses and conceding more chances to the visitors with David Silva's free kick going just wide before Joleon Lescott pulled a flying save out of Allan McGregor. The deadlock was finally broken against the run of play when Pablo Zabaleta's replacement Negredo planted a header into the back of the net, heartbreak for Steve Bruce's men. And to add salt to the wound, Toure doubled the score with a smacking free kick from about 18 yards out, off the bar and in, sealing a less-than convincing win for the former champions against the promoted side.

Cardiff 0-0 Everton:

Everton’s Ross Barkley shoots past Cardiff’s Ben Turner and Steven CaulkerEverton had to settle for a point in a goalless draw at the Cardiff City Stadium, very much contrasting to the win against Manchester City last week. In a flat and tough encounter, Roberto Martinez's men were held back and frustrated by a defiant and dominant home side. The Bluebirds definitely created more chances and pressure but were lucky not to concede a penalty when Gary Medel brought down Leighton Baines in the box, referee Phil Dowd waving play on. To cap the frustrating afternoon for the Toffees, Kevin Mirallas missed two golden chances, including one easy tap-in late on and Cardiff keeper David Marshall kept out a deflected Nikica Jelavic header. The result means Martinez remains unbeaten in the Premier League since taking over at Goodison Park, but the Spaniard will not be happy after seeing his side leave Wales with their third-successive draw of the season.

Newcastle 1-0 Fulham:

Hatem Ben ArfaHatem Ben Arfa's powerful left-footed strike ended Newcastle's wait for their first Premier League home goal of the season beating Fulham 1-0 at St James' Park and securing their first league win of the campaign. The home side saw chances deflected and pressure blocked out well by the visitors. Adel Taarabt pulled a great save out of Tim Krul and Papiss Cisse headed against the cross bar for the Cottagers. Yoan Gouffran and Yohan Cabaye missed most chances for the Toons, not lastly thanks to Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale who was kept busy till the end and produced some top-draw saves. But in the end, it was all for nothing as Ben Arfa's smacker from the edge of the box four minutes from time sealed a home win, to the relief of boss Alan Pardew.

Norwich 1-0 Southampton:

Nathan RedmondThe Canaries recorded their first Premier League win of the season against Southampton at Carrow Road thanks to teenager Nathan Redmond's first goal of the season. The 19-year-old scored a low shot from outside the box past Saints goalkeeper Artur Boruc into the near corner after a fine run from the halfway line and cheeky step-overs cutting in from the left. Mauricio Pochettino felt aggrieved and rightly so after seeing his side fail to score including captain Adam Lallana's hit against the post and a penalty not given for Bradley Johnson's handball in the first half. However, the visitors were lucky to survive an onslaught including a wide hit by Redmond, a Robert Snodgrass free kick flicked on by Ricky van Wolfswinkel causing ping-pong havoc in the box and keeping both Calum Chambers and Boruc busy. The prior was involved in a couple of incidents where the home side appealed for handball, but all penalty appeals were ignored. Norwich keeper John Ruddy was scared a couple of times but denied both Rickie Lambert and Dani Osvaldo before Redmond's strike put the hosts ahead in the 69th minute. The Saints are used to keeping their goals late this season but were unable to force an equaliser as Chris Hughton's men secured all three points.

West Ham 0-1 Stoke City:

Jermaine PennantJermaine Pennant ended his 864-day wait to find his name on the scoreboard for the first time since 2011 after a superb curled free kick gave Stoke the lead and win against a lacklustre West Ham side at Upton Park. The substitute's curled effort was enough to hand Mark Hughes' s men their second Premier League win on the trot. Hammers goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen had produced a fine double-save in the first half to keep his side in the contest, but the Potters stayed in control for most of the game in a disappointing encounter. Sam Allardyce's side rarely threatened and will be counting down the days until they can welcome injured striker Andy Carroll back onto the pitch. The defeat was the Hammers' first at home since February and Pennant's effort was their first league goal conceded this season.

Crystal Palace 3-1 Sunderland:

Dwight Gayle scoresTwo late goals by Dwight Gayle and substitute Stuart O'Keefe sealed victory for Crystal Palace as they beat Sunderland 3-1 at Selhurst Park. The Black Cats poor start to the campaign continued as they saw their side crumble to pieces after John O'Shea saw red for his tackle on Gayle who converted the resulting penalty sending the ball underneath the body of Sunderland goalkeeper Keiren Westwood. Danny Gabbidon had given Ian Holloway's men the lead from close range off a corner early on in the match, recording his first goal in 116 Premier League appearances, before Steven Fletcher equalised for the visitors with an unmarked diagonal header into the left corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper Julian Speroni stranded just past the hour mark. But it all went downhill from there for Paulo Di Canio's side, losing one man and two goals in the final 12 minutes.

Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United:

Daniel SturridgeLiverpool continued their 100% start to the season with their third 1-0 win on the trot, this time against arch rivals Manchester United at Anfield adding to the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of Bill Shankly's birth. Birthday boy Daniel Sturridge turned in Daniel Agger's header off a corner after just over three minutes, his third consecutive match winner for the Merseysiders, to give the home side a blistering start against David Moyes' men. United were disjointed without injured Wayne Rooney, controlled and dominated by the home side for most of the first half. The Red Devils came back stronger after the interval, keeping Reds keeper Simon Mignolet busier, Robin van Persie and Ashley Young creating and producing most pressure and pulling save after save from the 25-year-old Belgian keeper. The £9m summer signing from Sunderland has yet to concede a Premier League goal this season and together with man-of-the-match Agger frustrated the hell out of RVP and co. This result ended United's unbeaten run of 13 Premier League away games, a record Brendan Rodgers' men were more than happy to put a stop to, handing them their best league start for 19 years.

West Brom 0-2 Swansea:

Michu; Claudio JacobSwansea recorded their first Premier League win of the season against West Brom at the Hawthorns thanks to a goal in each half from Ben Davies and Pablo Hernandez. Both teams came into the game in poor form, the Baggies having won only one of their last 11 Premier League matches and yet to find the target this season whilst Swansea had just won two of their previous 13. The returning Nicolas Anelka went closest for Steve Clarke's men before the break, but a smacker from Davies gave the visitors the lead and him his only second-ever goal for the club. Michael Laudrup's men took over the game from there dominating the second half and sealing the win and three points thanks to Hernandez's first goal for the club from close range leaving West Brom rock bottom of the Premier League table.

Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham:

Olivier GiroudOlivier Giroud's fourth goal of the season handed Arsenal their fourth consecutive win since their opening day defeat to Aston Villa and sealed Tottenham's first defeat of the season at the Emirates. This absorbing encounter between the North London rivals was not exactly action-and-goal-packed as the last two 5-2 thrashes the Gunners enjoyed for the last couple of seasons. But Arsene Wenger will be more than chuffed to have beaten the (£105m) big spenders after all the criticism and taunts on his lack of activity on the player market. Andre Villas-Boas men created several good chances, Wojciech Szczesny stopping Jermain Defoe's deflected shot, but the home side were more dominant with more clear-cut attempts, Santi Cazorla coming close twice with clever free kicks whilst Giroud and Theo Walcott were both denied by Hugo Lloris. Both worked well together for the goal, the prior tucking in the latter's low cross at the near post to send Arsenal up to fourth in the Premier League. Tottenham have only won once at Arsenal since 1993 and this defeat showed what they might miss and have to expect without Gareth Bale, who sealed the deal and has joined Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £85.3m.

Monday 2 September 2013

Sturridge sends Liverpool top of the league

Sports - Football - Premier League - Liverpool 1-0 Man United 

Liverpool continue their 100% start to the season with their third 1-0 win on the trot, this time against arch rivals Manchester United at Anfield. 

Daniel Sturridge

Birthday boy Daniel Sturridge turned in Daniel Agger's header off a corner after just over three minutes, his third consecutive match winner for the Merseysiders, to give the home side a blistering start against David Moyes' men. 

The former Everton manager has never beaten the Reds at home in 12 visits and failed to break that record this afternoon too, handing Brendan Rodgers' men their best league start for 19 years. 

The visitors were without Wayne Rooney after the striker suffered a head wound in training and lost Phil Jones due to injury before the break. United were disjointed, controlled and dominated by the home side for most of the first half. 
The Red Devils came back stronger after the interval, keeping Reds keeper Simon Mignolet busier, Robin van Persie and Ashley Young creating and producing most pressure and pulling save after save from the 25-year-old Beligian keeper. 

The £9m summer signing from Sunderland had yet to concede a Premier League goal this season and together with man-of-the-match Agger frustrated the hell out of RVP and co. 

The only worry for the home side was Glen Johnson limping off with 13 minutes left after some superb defending including blocking Young's goal-bound shot. 

This result ended United's unbeaten run of 13 Premier League away games, a record the Reds were more than happy to put an stop to. 

It was a fitting victory for Liverpool as Anfield celebrated the 100th anniversary of legend Bill Shankly's birth, Sturridge adding his part to the party and another reason to celebrate his 24th birthday. 

Liverpool Goal: 1.: 3:05 min Daniel Sturridge (15). 

Liverpool Team: 22 Mignolet; 3 Enrique, 5 Agger, 37 Skrtel, 2 Johnson (47 Wisdom - 79th min); 21 Lucas (booked 90th min), 8 Gerrard; 10 Coutinho (6 Alberto - 84th min), 9 Aspas (booked 35th min; 31 Sterling - 60th min), 14 Henderson; 15 Sturridge. 4-2-3-1 
Subs not used: 1 Jones, 33 Ibe, 34 Kelly, 38 Flanagan. 

Manchester United Team: 1 De Gea; 3 Evra, 15 Bidic, 5 Ferdinand, 4 Jones (25 Valencia - 37th min); 23 Cleverly (booked 35th min), 16 Carrick (booked 31st min); 19 Welbeck, 11 Giggs (14 Hernandez - 73rd min), 18 Young (booked 59th min) (17 Nani - 63rd min); 20 van Persie (booked 39th min). 4-2-3-1 
Subs not used: 8 Anderson, 12 Smalling, 13 Lindegaard, 28 Buttner. 

Opta Match Stats: Liverpool-Manchester United 

(Attack) 
Shots: 11-10 
On target: 5-4 
Blocked: 3-4 
From outside the box: 7-6 
From inside the box: 4-4 
Shot accuracy: 62.5%-66/7% 

(General Play) 
Possession: 43%-57% 
Duels won: 54.8%-45.2% 
Aerial duels won: 38.7%-61.3% 
Interceptions: 18-20 
Offsides: 1-0 
Corners: 2-7 

(Distribution) 
Total passes: 379-478 
Long passes: 14.5%-15.3% 
Passing accuracy: 76.3%-82% 
Passing accuracy opp. half: 69%-68.7% 
Total crosses: 5-32 
Successful crosses: 40%-18.8% 

(Defence & Discipline) 
Tackles: 31-17 
Tackles won: 77.4%-76.5% 
Clearances: 40-39 
Fouls conceded: 15-15 
Yellow cards: 2-4 
Red cards: 0-0 

Referee: Andre Marriner 
Man of the match: Daniel Agger