Carroll nicks late winner for Liverpool

Sports - Football - Premier League - Blackburn 2:3 Liverpool

Liverpool kept Blackburn in the relegation zone thanks to Andy Carroll's injury-time winner after a dramatic encounter which saw the visitors letting a two-goal lead slip away after seeing their replacement goalkeeper Alexander Doni sent off, one penalty saved by sub-keeper Brad Jones and another spot-kick conceded and put past the Australian keeper.

This fixture was Roy Hodgson's last match last season after the Reds lost 3-1 to the Rovers. Steve Kean's men could not have come into the match more confident having secured more points, scored more goals and won more league matches than the Reds in 2012.

Blackburn's home record looked encouraging with ten points accumulated from their last six matches played, while Liverpool arrived at Ewood Park off the back of four away defeats in a row, having lost six in the last eight Premier League games, and without main keeper Pepe Reina after he saw red against Newcastle for headbutting James Perch.

Last but definitely not least, Kenny Dalglish's men have the Merseyside FA Cup semi-final showdown next on the card. The only encouragement Liverpool could take before the match was that they have won more games away from home this season than they have at Anfield.

So the visitors took command of the game early on when 12 minutes into the game when Craig Bellamy picked up Martin Skrtel's extraordinarily placed clearance. The Welshamn then produced a fine cross himself from the right which was netted by Maxi Rodriguez in the box, just outside the goal line. It was a great counter attack after Blackburn's free kick was eventually cleared from the Liverpool box.

Hardly 90 seconds laters and another great counter attack saw Jonjo Shelvey's shot saved by Paul Robinson, the rebound shot by Carroll blocked by Scott Dann, before Maxi was on the right spot at the right time again to net that rebound which made it two goals in three minutes for the Argentine.

The Reds could not have wished for a better start, but the twist soon followed.

Doni was distraught when halfway through the first half, he saw a straight red card after brining down David Hoilett which will see the Brasilian goalkeeper miss the FA Cup semi-final against local rivals Everton. He went for the ball but caught the Blackburn forward a fraction late, so the referee had no other choice. Cruel but that is the rule.

Ayegbeni Yakubu took a soft penalty kick, a poor take and easy stop for the third-choice-sub-keeper Jones. But the Nigerian striker soon made up for that miss. Ten minutes later, no one picked him up in the box when he headed in David Dunn's free-kick to get one back to make it 2-1, Jones helpess.

The game continued at high pace, end-to-end stuff, the fans and players only able to gasp a couple of breaths at half time.

On the hour mark, Jones looked all over the place and took too much time with the ball when Yakubu approached him and was pushed down, winning a second penalty for the home sides.

The Reds could utter a sigh of relief when the goalkeeper was only cautioned with a yellow, the referee believing the ball was out of Yakubu's reach, so it was not a goalscoring opportunity.

The striker netted this spot-kick though to make it all level at 2-2 and heat up the last 30 minutes - as if the game was not feisty enough already!
Both sides fought on, missed opportunities to grab a winner and it looked like the game was going to end in a stalemate - before injury time.

Liverpool saw their corner cleared, Sebastian Coates followed with a long hoof forward which found Daniel Agger, whose header found Carroll in the box, who made no mistake this time and headed the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors an injury-time lead and winner.

The celebrations showed how much this meant to the under-fire striker, his team mates and fans, especially before their FA Cup clash against the blue side of Liverpool at Wembley on Saturday!

Blackburn: Robinson; Orr (booked 29), Grant Hanley (booked 90), Dann, Martin Olsson; Formica (booked 65) (Rochina 73), Nzonzi, Dunn (Lowe 75), Marcus Olsson; Hoilett (booked 62), Yakubu (scored 35:53 & 60:53).
Subs not used: Kean, Givet, Goodwillie, Petrovic, Pedersen.

Liverpool: Doni (sent off 25); Flanagan (booked 12) (Jones 26) (booked 61), Coates, Skrtel, Johnson (Agger 53); Maxi (scored 12:38 & 15:10) (booked 46) (Jose Enrique 78), Henderson (booked 86), Spearing, Bellamy (booked 71); Shelvey, Carroll (scored 90:41).
Subs not used: Aurelio, Suarez, Kuyt, Carragher.

1st & 2nd half stats:
Blackburn-Liverpool:
Attempts: 5-4 & 7-5
On target: 3-3 & 4-2
Offsides: 0-2 & 2-1
Corners: 0-0 & 4-4
Free kicks: 7-5 & 6-8
Possession: 53%-47% (35), 52%-48% (BBC HT), 53%-47% (Sky HT), 51.2%-48.8% (Sky 2nd half), 52%-48% (BBC FT), 52.1%-47.9% (Sky FT), 50%-50% (Sky FT)

Sky Stats:
Blackburn-Liverpool:
Passing Success: 76.5%-77.1%
Tackles/Success: 14/78.6%-15/60%
Territorial Advantage: 56.3%-43.7%
Action Areas: Blackburn 27%-45%-28% Liverpool

Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Man of the match: Ayegbeni Yakubu

Week 10: Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Week

Top game: With 38 goals in total, all 10 games had their spoils of action and entertainment, but my vote goes to the big London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal. Stamford Bridge saw eight goals, five bookings, a lucky goalkeeper in Wojciech Szczesny and loads of missed chances including some good saves at both ends. It could have been 10 goals each!

Top team: Newcastle continued their high ride with their win at Stoke, taking them up to third, just one point behind Manchester United! They are definitely in the top four race with more than a shout, joining an impressive Tottenham (with a game in hand!), adamant Arsenal and persistent Liverpool. Chelsea have to watch out!

Top player: Robin van Persie pinned down his mark on the game and team with his hat-trick at Stamford Bridge, if it needed any further consolidation. It just shows what he is for Arsenal, that he IS Arsenal, the question is whether he will stay put or go and condemn his team to doom. With his second hat-trick of the season, Demba Ba needs a shout out too again, riding high like his side, the sky is the limit.

Top goal: Juan Mata's equaliser to make it 3-3 was breathtaking. The 25-yard swerver looked to grab Chelsea a point with only 10 minutes left on the clock, but van Persie and Arsenal had another idea. Both sides' first goals at Carrow Road were stunners. Junior Hoilett put Rovers ahead with a sweet 20-yard finish before Steve Morison's smashing strike drew Norwich level. And that just got the game started!

Top news: Plenty of Champions League action this week, the week which marks Sir Alex Fergusons 25th anniversary at Old Trafford!


Flop game: Both Chelsea's and Arsenal's defence had a nightmare of a day, the prior letting in five, the latter "only" three. The back line rarely got it right, leaving too big gaps, giving away too easy chances, hence the scoreline. As mentioned above it could have been 10-10 the way the defenders were going!

Flop team: Chelsea have to be careful they do not slip and end up too far away of grabbing a top four spot after two consecutive defeats. It is not just the fact they have lost two games in a row that is all too worrying, but the way and it what fashion they lost them. The were taken to pieces by Arsenal this week and crumbled to bits against QPR last week with two players seeing red! They will not want to see a repeat of either!

Flop player: As mentioned above, Szczesny was a lucky man not to see red for his tackle on Ashley Cole outside the box (as he confessed himself on twitter), but John Terry added to his shame after the whole racism debacle when he slipped and missed Florent Malouda's pass for van Persie to slot in his second and Arsenal fourth, condemning the Blues to another defeat.

Flop goal: As mentioned above, Terry's slip up was a cringer but the last-minute handball penalty given against Steven N'Zonzi was just outright cruel! The Blackburn defender was squeezed between two Norwich players and put his hands up to appeal for a free kick. He did not see the ball and could not help it bounce of his arm, HARSH penalty and harsh result on a Blackburn side that finally made manager Steve Kean more proud and able to hold his head up high with an impressive performance. Just the wrong result.

Flop news: Whilst a police investigation has been launched against Terry in the racism row and the Tevez malarkey is bubbling on, Harry Redknapp has undergone heart surgery without making a drama of it! It puts things into perspective doesn't it? I hope it wakes up certain whiners and idiots to reality and what really counts.

My predictions - Actual results

Everton 1:1 Man Utd - 0:1

Chelsea 2:1 Arsenal - 3:5

Man City 4:0 Wolves - 3:1

Norwich 1:1 Blackburn - 3:3

Sunderland 1:1 Aston Villa - 2:2

Swansea 3:1 Bolton - 3:1

Wigan 0:0 Fulham - 0:2

West Brom 1:2 Liverpool - 0:2

Tottenham 5:1 QPR - 3:1

Stoke 2:0 Newcastle - 1:3

Week 5: Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Week

It has been a disastrous weekend for some, a glorious for others. All games had it in them this weekend, like an action-packed book full of juicy chapters all with two sides to them, some ending shocking, some less shocking but just more and more impressive, intriguing and adding to the thrill of anticipation looking forward to the next weekend!

Top game: Manchester United's win against Chelsea at Old Trafford had a little bit of everything and was by far the most entertaining match of the weekend, I am sure Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres will agree after they saw both sides of the game, the good (goals) and the evil (missed penalty/opportunity respectively). Although, don't get me wrong, all matches had it in them this weekend, brilliant competitions all the way.

Top team: The three promoted teams Norwich, QPR and Swansea all registered wins and three crucial points in the bag against Bolton, Wolves and West Brom respectively and convincingly. Tottenham made a brilliant comeback at home thrashing Liverpool after their crashing defeat against Manchester City only a couple of weeks back.

Top player: Emmanuel Adebayor was man of the match at White Hart Lane with his two goals, but his team mates and co-scorers Luka Modric and Jermain Defoe had just as much of a quality and classy performance, blending well together, with brilliant one-twos, goals, chances and contributions. It could have been five or six.

Top goal: Modric's smacker of a strike and opener for Tottenham against Liverpool was a stunner. The Croatian striker smashed the ball into the top right-hand corner from the edge of the box giving Pepe Reina no chance, not even a smell of it. This gave a good hint of what was to come

Top news: Carling Cup action this week

Flop game: None I can think of this week, all action everywhere... Although the draw at Villa Park was entertaining, it was maybe not the most exciting, but looking at the games it was against, no wonder... And it kept both Aston Villa's and Newcastle's unbeaten run going, so, not bad at all!

Flop team: Arsene Wenger's nightmare continues with an away defeat at Blackburn, against a team and manager that have been under fire themselves this season. The Gunners looked distraught, all over the place, the two own goals showing they are just not themselves at the moment, their heads are somewhere else, not focusing or just unable to focus. Steve Kean will know too well what shoes Wenger's in...

Flop player: Luis Suarez keeps on walking on thin ice with his attitude. When his side is on top and ahead we may laugh about it but on days like Sunday when his side is being crushed, Liverpool need a man who can back them up and inspire them like Steven Gerrard and not have a go at the officials and fans, diving, whining and causing more trouble than anything else like he did again this past weekend. It was bad enough being down to nine men!!!

Flop goal: Fernando Torres finally scored, got his first for Chelsea this season, second in total, a beauty he flicked past David de Gea only seconds into the second half giving Chelsea hope of a comeback from him and the London side. And then he misses a smacker! With only eight miutes left on the clock, his side 3-1 down, he has an open goal in front of him, from six yards out, on his left, and he puts it wide! How the hell he missed that one I cannot fathom!!! He could have walked that one in!

Flop news: Former Aston Villa and Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier has been forced to call it a day due to his ill health and then has to listen to crap like Gabriel Agbonlahor... That just proves he doesn't have any respect nor a clue about life and its challenges! As if he is Mr Perfect!

My predictions - Actual results:
Blackburn 2:1 Arsenal - 4:3
Aston Villa 2:1 Newcastle - 1:1
Bolton 2:1 Norwich - 1:2
Everton 2:1 Wigan - 3:1
Swansea 2:1 West Brom - 3:0
Wolves 2:1 QPR - 0:3
Sunderland 0:0 Stoke - 4:0
Tottenham 0:2 Liverpool - 4:0
Fulham 1:4 Man City - 2:2
Man Utd 3:0 Chelsea - 3:1

Week 4: Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Week

This week saw enough Manchester goals again, plenty of penalty controversy, missed and given, with the referees being accused of being the main offenders (as always, nothing new there):

Top game: Manchester will be in a very good mood once again after this weekend, both teams having a bash, the games going and ending in obvious fashion, the results not suprising. Liverpool's draw against Stoke was very competitive, entertaining and had all the controversy and temperaments a good game needs (Luis Suarez by name).

Top team: The two teams from Manchester ruled the show yet again. With (only) eight goals between them this time round (it could have been 10, 11, 12,...), they top the Premier League with plenty of points (100% record of 12 points each, two ahead of Chelsea in third place), goals (33 between them, United three ahead of City, lightyears ahead of everyone else, Chelsea and Bolton come closest with 14 goals between them), stars (Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero leading the way with their hat-tricks) and flare. Can anyone or anything stop them?!

Top player: With successive hat-tricks and equaling Bobby Charlton's record for Manchester United, nothing and no one can get in the way of Rooney at the moment. He is just riding and smiling on top of everyone, the emphatic finish on the fifth goal against Bolton, the way he thumped it in from the edge of the box just shows how much he is enjoying it.

Top goal: The strike that put Blackburn ahead out of nowhere against Fulham on Sunday was a nice one. Ruben Rochina powered an unstoppable brive into the roof of the net from the edge of the box, goal, thank you, full stop. Stiliyan Petrov's equaliser for Aston Villa against Everton was a fantastic shot too, from outside the box, giving the goalkeeper no chance whatsoever. Sweet.

Top news: Champions League group stage kicking off with all four English teams still in the battle.

Flop game: Tottenham's 2-0 win at Wolves was nothing too riveting, so too the 0-0 draw between QPR and Newcastle. Liverpool will be wondering how the hell they got nothing out of their game at Stoke. Stoke showed great resilience under attack constantly and consistenty, keeping bodies everyhwere. But the referee Mark Clattenburg helped them with his controversial decisions, giving them a penalty (Jamie Carragher did have his left arm wrapped around Jonathan Walters), whilst denying Liverpool any such thing (two hand balls not given), leaving King Kenny not amused.

Flop team: Blackburn manager Steve Kean is under a lot of pressure, many fans calling for his head, his side at the bottom of the table and still waiting for their first win this season. They did get a point against Fulham but were lucky, Paul Robinson pulling off some great saves. The match ended in unsavoury fashion after Mark Schwarzer and David Hoilett clashed heads in stoppage time, with the latter forced off the field on a stretcher wearing a neck brace, a picture which summarises his manager's and team's state at the moment too well.

Flop player: Gabriel Tamas was a very lucky man after his late swinging arm which gave James Vaughan a bloody face was not spotted and penalised by referee Mark Halsey. Norwich were understandably furious. West Brom won't complain after they got away with all three points and their second clean sheet under Roy Hodgson after Peter Odemwingie had scored the quickest goal in the Premier League season so far (3. minute).

Flop goal: The way Andrey Arshavin was presented with a goal by Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm is one of those bloopers you will find on your best and worst of football DVD. The Dutch keeper took the ball to prevent a corner, threw it onto one of his players who didn't have a clue what was going on as he had his back to him, for it to deflect off him, Arshavin to swoop in and net it, thank you and goodbye.

Flop news: It's because of men like Hodgson why football was, is still and will stay years behind every other sport not accepting new technology into the game, sad! Are you telling me Tamas didn't deserve any punishment?

My predictions - Actual results

Arsenal 3:0 Swansea - 1:0

Everton 2:2 Aston Villa - 2:2

Man City 4:0 Wigan - 3:0

Stoke 1:2 Liverpool - 1:0

Sunderland 1:3 Chelsea - 1:2

Wolves 1:0 Tottenham . 0:2

Bolton 1:4 Man Utd - 0:5

Norwich 1:1 West Brom - 0:1

Fulham 2:1 Blackburn - 1:1

QPR 0:2 Newcastle - 0:0