West Ham United - Page 3

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:14 AM

West Ham United v Manchester City

Ex-England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson makes his Premier League managerial debut.

West Ham United will be without newly-appointed captain Lucas Neill and summer signing Scott Parker for this clash against Manchester City. Manager Alan Curbishley confirmed both players had "tweaked" their knee ligaments during pre-season but should be available for the Hammers' trip to Birmingham City next weekend. New arrivals Craig Bellamy and Freddie Ljungberg are in line to make their league debuts for West Ham - and both are in the running to take over as captain in Neill's absence. Curbishley is without French midfielder Julien Faubert, a £6.1million signing, until the new year after he ruptured an Achilles tendon, while Nigel Quashie (ankle) and Calum Davenport (hernia) are also sidelined.

likely to feature

Two of City's summer arrivals Vedran Corluka and Valeri Bojinov were granted work permits on Friday. But Bojinov is the only one likely to feature in manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans as Corluka was forced to return home to Croatia on Thursday night to ensure he got an official stamp in his passport. England Under-21 international Joe Hart will probably be handed his Barclays Premier League debut in a side likely to contain five of Eriksson's eight new signings. Emile Mpenza (hamstring) and Andreas Isaksson (fractured finger) are both out.

teams:

West Ham (from): Green, Wright, Spector, Pantsil, Ferdinand, Upson, Collins, Gabbidon, McCartney, Ljungberg, Bowyer, Noble, Boa Morte, Etherington, Mullins, Ashton, Bellamy, Zamora, Cole.

Manchester City (from): Hart, Schmeichel, Onuoha, Sun, Richards, Dunne, Corluka, Garrido, Ball, Hamann, Geovanni, Fernandes, Elano, Ireland, Johnson, Petrov, Bianchi, Vassell, Samaras, Bojinov, Corradi.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:14 AM

West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2

Two of Manchester City's new signings gave Sven-Goran Eriksson's side a 2-0 win over West Ham United.
Rolando Bianchi's close-range effort before the break and Geovanni's angled drive near the end sealed a satisfying victory for Eriksson on his Barclays Premier League debut. The high point of an otherwise miserable day for the Hammers was Dean Ashton's return.
Despite dominating possession for long periods in the opening period, Alan Curbishley's side failed to put any pressure on rookie keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Eriksson must have feared for the 20-year-old, son of great Dane Peter, when he named him in a starting line-up featuring six Barclays Premier League debutants.

protected superbly Yet Schmeichel was a virtual spectator as City's defence, protected superbly by Dietmar Hamann and Michael Johnson, kept them at arm's length. All the threat came from the visitors, with Martin Petrov often impressive. The Bulgarian saw a number of efforts saved by Robert Green.
Elano was another key performer. Deployed just behind lone striker Bianchi, Elano found space intelligently, never lost his composure and always threatened to cause problems. The 26-year-old had already fired over when he collected Stephen Ireland's short pass after Luis Boa Morte had lost possession inside the City half. Quickly sensing Matthew Upson might lack half a yard of pace, Elano ran straight at the England defender, then skipped round him. The low cross invited a far post finish and Bianchi - fourth highest scorer in Serie A last term - was on hand to tap home.
Curbishley gave a clear indication of what he thought about West Ham's attempts to level by hauling off both Boa Morte and Lee Bowyer during the interval.

more threat For the moment Ashton, the man most Hammers fans really wanted to see, remained on the bench. But the introduction of Matthew Etherington instantly brought the home side more threat.
Micah Richards needed all his impressive strength to prevent Craig Bellamy getting his head to Freddie Ljungberg's cross. Ljungberg was an inch away from turning home Etherington's cross but, with just under half an hour remaining Curbishley called on Ashton, who had not played a game since breaking an ankle on England duty 12 months ago.
Yet, with Richards matching Ashton stride for stride and jump for jump, the move actually stopped West Ham's flow, allowing City to force themselves back into the contest.
Robert Green was unconvincing as he fumbled Petrov's shot and only Ireland's slack pass prevented the midfielder being offered another sight of the Hammers goal.
But the golden moment Ashton had been waiting for arrived 11 minutes from time as Etherington picked him out with a deep cross. The striker took aim from 10 yards, only to see his first-time volley skim the crossbar. It was the nearest West Ham came to spoiling Eriksson's day before substitute Geovanni fired home number two four minutes from time.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:14 AM

West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2

Two of Manchester City's new signings gave Sven-Goran Eriksson's side a 2-0 win over West Ham United.
Rolando Bianchi's close-range effort before the break and Geovanni's angled drive near the end sealed a satisfying victory for Eriksson on his Barclays Premier League debut. The high point of an otherwise miserable day for the Hammers was Dean Ashton's return.
Despite dominating possession for long periods in the opening period, Alan Curbishley's side failed to put any pressure on rookie keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Eriksson must have feared for the 20-year-old, son of great Dane Peter, when he named him in a starting line-up featuring six Barclays Premier League debutants.

protected superbly Yet Schmeichel was a virtual spectator as City's defence, protected superbly by Dietmar Hamann and Michael Johnson, kept them at arm's length. All the threat came from the visitors, with Martin Petrov often impressive. The Bulgarian saw a number of efforts saved by Robert Green.
Elano was another key performer. Deployed just behind lone striker Bianchi, Elano found space intelligently, never lost his composure and always threatened to cause problems. The 26-year-old had already fired over when he collected Stephen Ireland's short pass after Luis Boa Morte had lost possession inside the City half. Quickly sensing Matthew Upson might lack half a yard of pace, Elano ran straight at the England defender, then skipped round him. The low cross invited a far post finish and Bianchi - fourth highest scorer in Serie A last term - was on hand to tap home.
Curbishley gave a clear indication of what he thought about West Ham's attempts to level by hauling off both Boa Morte and Lee Bowyer during the interval.

more threat For the moment Ashton, the man most Hammers fans really wanted to see, remained on the bench. But the introduction of Matthew Etherington instantly brought the home side more threat.
Micah Richards needed all his impressive strength to prevent Craig Bellamy getting his head to Freddie Ljungberg's cross. Ljungberg was an inch away from turning home Etherington's cross but, with just under half an hour remaining Curbishley called on Ashton, who had not played a game since breaking an ankle on England duty 12 months ago.
Yet, with Richards matching Ashton stride for stride and jump for jump, the move actually stopped West Ham's flow, allowing City to force themselves back into the contest.
Robert Green was unconvincing as he fumbled Petrov's shot and only Ireland's slack pass prevented the midfielder being offered another sight of the Hammers goal.
But the golden moment Ashton had been waiting for arrived 11 minutes from time as Etherington picked him out with a deep cross. The striker took aim from 10 yards, only to see his first-time volley skim the crossbar. It was the nearest West Ham came to spoiling Eriksson's day before substitute Geovanni fired home number two four minutes from time.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:14 AM

Late drama in opening weekend games

Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season.

Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country.
Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute.
After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again."

spectacular own goal
Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor.
Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners.
But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card.

long range strike
Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game.
Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop."
Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch.

unstoppable header
Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute.

In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:14 AM

Late drama in opening weekend games

Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season.

Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country.
Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute.
After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again."

spectacular own goal
Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor.
Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners.
But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card.

long range strike
Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game.
Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop."
Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch.

unstoppable header
Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute.

In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:15 AM

Pos	Team	Pts
1	Everton	6
2	Newcastle	3
3	Man City	3
4	Chelsea	3
5	Arsenal	3
6	Blackburn	3
7	Liverpool	3
8	Sunderland	3
9	Derby County	1
10	Portsmouth	1
11	Man Utd	1
12	Reading	1
13	Birmingham	0
14	Aston Villa	0
15	Fulham	0
16	Middlesbrough	0
17	Wigan Athletic	0
18	Bolton	0
19	West Ham	0
20	Tottenham	0

Pos	Team	Pts
1	Everton	6
2	Newcastle	3
3	Man City	3
4	Chelsea	3
5	Arsenal	3
6	Blackburn	3
7	Liverpool	3
8	Sunderland	3
9	Derby County	1
10	Portsmouth	1
11	Man Utd	1
12	Reading	1
13	Birmingham	0
14	Aston Villa	0
15	Fulham	0
16	Middlesbrough	0
17	Wigan Athletic	0
18	Bolton	0
19	West Ham	0
20	Tottenham	0

Full Table

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:16 AM

Late drama in opening weekend games

Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season.

Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country.
Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute.
After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again."

spectacular own goal
Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor.
Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners.
But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card.

long range strike
Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game.
Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop."
Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch.

unstoppable header
Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute.

In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:16 AM

Rams: We won't be "soft touch"

Derby County have warned off other Barclays Premier League clubs eyeing up their talented young players.

Giles Barnes has repeatedly been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United but Rams chairman Peter Gadsby insisted Derby are not a selling club.
The exciting young midfielder is currently out with a foot injury but that has not stopped speculation that another top-flight club could move for the 19-year-old before the transfer window closes. Derby have already dismissed one bid from West Ham and Gadsby made it clear they would be watching the situation closely.

take advantage
"The situation with Giles Barnes is that he is a very important part of this club," Gadsby said. "My advice to him would be to stay here and get his head down and take advantage of playing under a manager in Billy Davies who has an excellent track record of bringing on young players.
"We had an approach that we didn't want and the offer was unacceptable. We will be monitoring the Giles Barnes situation closely.
"This club has a history of being pillaged but interested clubs would be mistaken to think that Derby County is a soft touch. We are not a club that needs to sell, we are interested in progressing."

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:17 AM

1	Everton	2	2	6
2	Man City	2	2	6
3	Chelsea	2	2	6
4	Sunderland	2	2	4
5	Newcastle	1	1	3
6	Arsenal	1	1	3
7	Blackburn	1	1	3
8	Liverpool	1	1	3
9	Fulham	2	2	3
10	Wigan Athletic	2	2	3
11	Portsmouth	2	2	2
12	Man Utd	2	2	2
13	Birmingham	2	2	1
14	Derby County	2	2	1
15	Reading	2	2	1
16	Aston Villa	1	1	0
17	Middlesbrough	2	2	0
18	West Ham	1	1	0
19	Bolton	2	2	0
20	Tottenham	2	2	0

Full Table

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:17 AM

Late drama in opening weekend games

Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season.

Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country.
Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute.
After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again."

spectacular own goal
Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor.
Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners.
But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card.

long range strike
Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game.
Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop."
Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch.

unstoppable header
Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute.

In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:19 AM

Pos	Team	Pts
1	Everton	6
2	Newcastle	3
3	Man City	3
4	Chelsea	3
5	Arsenal	3
6	Blackburn	3
7	Liverpool	3
8	Sunderland	3
9	Derby County	1
10	Portsmouth	1
11	Man Utd	1
12	Reading	1
13	Birmingham	0
14	Aston Villa	0
15	Fulham	0
16	Middlesbrough	0
17	Wigan Athletic	0
18	Bolton	0
19	West Ham	0
20	Tottenham	0

Pos	Team	Pts
1	Everton	6
2	Newcastle	3
3	Man City	3
4	Chelsea	3
5	Arsenal	3
6	Blackburn	3
7	Liverpool	3
8	Sunderland	3
9	Derby County	1
10	Portsmouth	1
11	Man Utd	1
12	Reading	1
13	Birmingham	0
14	Aston Villa	0
15	Fulham	0
16	Middlesbrough	0
17	Wigan Athletic	0
18	Bolton	0
19	West Ham	0
20	Tottenham	0

Full Table

Freddy Adu · 08-16-2007, 02:21 AM

Late drama in opening weekend games

Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season.

Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country.
Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game.
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute.
After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again."

spectacular own goal
Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor.
Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners.
But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card.

long range strike
Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game.
Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop."
Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch.

unstoppable header
Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute.

In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

08-16-2007, 02:14 AM	#62 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2 West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2 Two of Manchester City's new signings gave Sven-Goran Eriksson's side a 2-0 win over West Ham United. Rolando Bianchi's close-range effort before the break and Geovanni's angled drive near the end sealed a satisfying victory for Eriksson on his Barclays Premier League debut. The high point of an otherwise miserable day for the Hammers was Dean Ashton's return. Despite dominating possession for long periods in the opening period, Alan Curbishley's side failed to put any pressure on rookie keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Eriksson must have feared for the 20-year-old, son of great Dane Peter, when he named him in a starting line-up featuring six Barclays Premier League debutants. protected superbly Yet Schmeichel was a virtual spectator as City's defence, protected superbly by Dietmar Hamann and Michael Johnson, kept them at arm's length. All the threat came from the visitors, with Martin Petrov often impressive. The Bulgarian saw a number of efforts saved by Robert Green. Elano was another key performer. Deployed just behind lone striker Bianchi, Elano found space intelligently, never lost his composure and always threatened to cause problems. The 26-year-old had already fired over when he collected Stephen Ireland's short pass after Luis Boa Morte had lost possession inside the City half. Quickly sensing Matthew Upson might lack half a yard of pace, Elano ran straight at the England defender, then skipped round him. The low cross invited a far post finish and Bianchi - fourth highest scorer in Serie A last term - was on hand to tap home. Curbishley gave a clear indication of what he thought about West Ham's attempts to level by hauling off both Boa Morte and Lee Bowyer during the interval. more threat For the moment Ashton, the man most Hammers fans really wanted to see, remained on the bench. But the introduction of Matthew Etherington instantly brought the home side more threat. Micah Richards needed all his impressive strength to prevent Craig Bellamy getting his head to Freddie Ljungberg's cross. Ljungberg was an inch away from turning home Etherington's cross but, with just under half an hour remaining Curbishley called on Ashton, who had not played a game since breaking an ankle on England duty 12 months ago. Yet, with Richards matching Ashton stride for stride and jump for jump, the move actually stopped West Ham's flow, allowing City to force themselves back into the contest. Robert Green was unconvincing as he fumbled Petrov's shot and only Ireland's slack pass prevented the midfielder being offered another sight of the Hammers goal. But the golden moment Ashton had been waiting for arrived 11 minutes from time as Etherington picked him out with a deep cross. The striker took aim from 10 yards, only to see his first-time volley skim the crossbar. It was the nearest West Ham came to spoiling Eriksson's day before substitute Geovanni fired home number two four minutes from time.

08-16-2007, 02:14 AM	#63 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2 West Ham United 0 Manchester City 2 Two of Manchester City's new signings gave Sven-Goran Eriksson's side a 2-0 win over West Ham United. Rolando Bianchi's close-range effort before the break and Geovanni's angled drive near the end sealed a satisfying victory for Eriksson on his Barclays Premier League debut. The high point of an otherwise miserable day for the Hammers was Dean Ashton's return. Despite dominating possession for long periods in the opening period, Alan Curbishley's side failed to put any pressure on rookie keeper Kasper Schmeichel. Eriksson must have feared for the 20-year-old, son of great Dane Peter, when he named him in a starting line-up featuring six Barclays Premier League debutants. protected superbly Yet Schmeichel was a virtual spectator as City's defence, protected superbly by Dietmar Hamann and Michael Johnson, kept them at arm's length. All the threat came from the visitors, with Martin Petrov often impressive. The Bulgarian saw a number of efforts saved by Robert Green. Elano was another key performer. Deployed just behind lone striker Bianchi, Elano found space intelligently, never lost his composure and always threatened to cause problems. The 26-year-old had already fired over when he collected Stephen Ireland's short pass after Luis Boa Morte had lost possession inside the City half. Quickly sensing Matthew Upson might lack half a yard of pace, Elano ran straight at the England defender, then skipped round him. The low cross invited a far post finish and Bianchi - fourth highest scorer in Serie A last term - was on hand to tap home. Curbishley gave a clear indication of what he thought about West Ham's attempts to level by hauling off both Boa Morte and Lee Bowyer during the interval. more threat For the moment Ashton, the man most Hammers fans really wanted to see, remained on the bench. But the introduction of Matthew Etherington instantly brought the home side more threat. Micah Richards needed all his impressive strength to prevent Craig Bellamy getting his head to Freddie Ljungberg's cross. Ljungberg was an inch away from turning home Etherington's cross but, with just under half an hour remaining Curbishley called on Ashton, who had not played a game since breaking an ankle on England duty 12 months ago. Yet, with Richards matching Ashton stride for stride and jump for jump, the move actually stopped West Ham's flow, allowing City to force themselves back into the contest. Robert Green was unconvincing as he fumbled Petrov's shot and only Ireland's slack pass prevented the midfielder being offered another sight of the Hammers goal. But the golden moment Ashton had been waiting for arrived 11 minutes from time as Etherington picked him out with a deep cross. The striker took aim from 10 yards, only to see his first-time volley skim the crossbar. It was the nearest West Ham came to spoiling Eriksson's day before substitute Geovanni fired home number two four minutes from time.

08-16-2007, 02:14 AM	#64 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	Late drama in opening weekend games Late drama in opening weekend games Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season. Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country. Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game. Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute. After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again." spectacular own goal Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor. Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners. But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card. long range strike Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game. Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop." Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch. unstoppable header Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute. In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

08-16-2007, 02:14 AM	#65 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	Late drama in opening weekend games Late drama in opening weekend games Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season. Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country. Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game. Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute. After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again." spectacular own goal Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor. Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners. But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card. long range strike Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game. Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop." Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch. unstoppable header Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute. In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

08-16-2007, 02:16 AM	#67 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	Late drama in opening weekend games Late drama in opening weekend games Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season. Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country. Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game. Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute. After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again." spectacular own goal Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor. Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners. But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card. long range strike Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game. Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop." Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch. unstoppable header Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute. In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

08-16-2007, 02:16 AM	#68 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	Rams: We won't be "soft touch" Rams: We won't be "soft touch" Derby County have warned off other Barclays Premier League clubs eyeing up their talented young players. Giles Barnes has repeatedly been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United but Rams chairman Peter Gadsby insisted Derby are not a selling club. The exciting young midfielder is currently out with a foot injury but that has not stopped speculation that another top-flight club could move for the 19-year-old before the transfer window closes. Derby have already dismissed one bid from West Ham and Gadsby made it clear they would be watching the situation closely. take advantage "The situation with Giles Barnes is that he is a very important part of this club," Gadsby said. "My advice to him would be to stay here and get his head down and take advantage of playing under a manager in Billy Davies who has an excellent track record of bringing on young players. "We had an approach that we didn't want and the offer was unacceptable. We will be monitoring the Giles Barnes situation closely. "This club has a history of being pillaged but interested clubs would be mistaken to think that Derby County is a soft touch. We are not a club that needs to sell, we are interested in progressing."

08-16-2007, 02:17 AM	#70 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	Late drama in opening weekend games Late drama in opening weekend games Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season. Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country. Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game. Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute. After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again." spectacular own goal Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor. Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners. But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card. long range strike Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game. Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop." Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch. unstoppable header Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute. In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

08-16-2007, 02:21 AM	#72 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,709 vCash: 20158194 Rep Points: 916	Late drama in opening weekend games Late drama in opening weekend games Late goals and significant contributions by newcomers to the Barclays Premier League mark the new season. Spectators were richly entertained in the opening round of matches as spectacular goals and late twists of fate meant no one could take their eyes off any of the games until the final whistles blew up and down the country. Newly promoted Sunderland scored the first goal of the season - pulling off a shock result against big-spending Tottenham. New £5million signing Michael Chopra came off the substitutes bench to hit the decisive strike with practically the last kick of the game. Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson made his Barclays Premier League debut as Manchester City manager at Upton Park where his expensively assembled, multi-national side got off to the perfect start with an impressive win against West Ham United. Both City's goals came from new signings - Rolando Bianchi in the first half after impressive work by Elano, before Geovanni put the result beyond doubt in the 87th minute. After the game Eriksson commented: "We played some really good football - not for 90 minutes because we suffered as well but we started well and the last 15 minutes we did very well again." spectacular own goal Liverpool's talismanic captain Steven Gerrard was another late scorer as his superb 87th minute free kick proved the winner against Aston Villa. Liverpool had gone ahead in the 31st minute when the luckless Martin Laursen hit a spectacular own goal, deflecting Dirk Kuyt's cross past keeper Stuart Taylor. Elsewhere other teams widely expected to be challenging for the top of the table did not have it all their own way. Chelsea were made to work hard for three points in a five-goal thriller against Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge. And Arsenal were given a fright after just 52 seconds when a horrendous mistake from goalkeeper Jens Lehman gifted Fulham debutant David Healy an easy goal. The Cottagers' keeper Tony Warner, on as a late substitute for Anti Niemi who was injured in the warm-up, pulled off a string of fine saves before a Robin van Persie penalty in the 94th minute brought matters level ahead of a dramatic last minute winner from Alexander Hleb - securing the points for the Gunners. But perhaps the biggest shock came at Old Trafford where last season's champions Manchester United were held in the weekend's only goalless draw by Reading who made the Red Devil's work hard against resolute man-for-man marking. Reading's Dave Kitson earned himself the unwanted statistic of being the season's first sending-off - lasting just 37 seconds after coming on as a substitute - a high tackle on Patrice Evra bringing out referee Rob Styles' red card. long range strike Newcastle United manager - Sam Allardyce - went back to former club Bolton Wanderers and looked on proudly as his new charges raced into a 3-0 half time lead. Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins led the way with two goals, the first a stunning overhead kick followed by a deflected long range strike. Bolton rallied in the second half with a goal from Nicolas Anelka but the Newcastle defence held firm for the rest of the game. Afterwards Allardyce was full of praise for his players: "The application by the players was terrific and I think that the quality of the finishing was the difference between the two teams. I'm not sure what level these players are at yet but they are starting to hit a standard I don't want them to drop." Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at the Riverside. New signing Roque Santa Cruz scored within minutes of coming off the bench to equalise before another substitute - England Under-21 star Matt Derbyshire - scored a spectacular goal with just his third touch. unstoppable header Barclays Premier League newcomers Derby County shared the points in a four-goal thriller with Portsmouth at Pride Park as they got their campaign off to a creditable start. Pompey had countered the Rams early goal with two of their own before another debut man Andy Todd - son of former Derby player and manager Colin - powered an unstoppable header into the top of the net in the 84th minute. In the remaining match of the weekend Everton built up a two-nil lead over Wigan Athletic before an 80th minute goal from yet another debutant - Antoine Sibierski - made it a nervous last ten minutes for the Toffees.

08-16-2007, 02:22 AM	#73 (permalink)
Freddy Adu Fredua Koranteng Adu Offline Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Estados Unidos Posts: 256,