PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY TWO

If the opening day of the season went pretty much to form, the book was ripped up and thrown out of the window in the season’s second weekend. Having habitually failed to get their due reward on trips to Fratton Park, Manchester United took three deserved points from Portsmouth with Darren Fletcher’s thirty-second minute strike. Chelsea continued their winning start with Deco scoring after just four minutes, enough to ensure Wigan Athletic joined Pompey in propping up the table.

Joining Chelsea at the top of the table with maximum points were Liverpool who had to come from behind to beat Middlesbrough. Mido grabbed his second goal of the campaign, scoring after seventy minutes had passed. It seemed as though that would be enough for the visitors to provide the shock of the day until Emmanuel Pogatetz put through his own net with four minutes remaining on the clock. A point would have been well-earned by the visitors but with four minutes of injury time played, Steven Gerrard popped up to score the winner in a 2-1 victory in which Robbie Keane failed to score but he did manage to get himself booked so there is something to remember his home debut by.

His presence is not missed at White Hart Lane where Tottenham worked hard to lose 1 – 2 to Sunderland and sink into the relegation places. Kieran Richardson gave the visitors the lead on fifty-five minutes, the second coming from the only aristocrat playing in the Premier League, the Lord of Frodsham Manor, Djibril Cisse scoring on eighty-three minutes. A Tottenham player found the net ten minutes earlier, Jermaine Jenas grabbing that honour.

The shock result of the day came at Craven Cottage came as Fulham scored the only goal of the game to defeat Arsenal, some poor marking at a corner midway through the first half allowed Hangeland to head home. Despite some good opportunities, Arsenal’s woeful form against struggling teams on their travels is an ill for which Arsene Wenger has to find a cure if his side are to live up to their pre-season tag as one of the favourites for the title although Paddy Power’s odds of 12-1 seemed a generous at the time.

Hull City proved that their opening day win over Fulham was no flash in the pan as Phil Brown’s side shared the spoils at Ewood Park. Blackburn Rovers took the lead through Jason Roberts seven minutes before half-time only to be pegged back within two minutes by Garcia. No sign of Dean Windass making his Premier League debut for Hull but he did at least manage to look totally disinterested on the bench. Fellow promotees Stoke City managed to overcome Aston Villa for their first win of the season. A Liam Lawrence penalty gave them a first half lead but John Carew equalised for Villa just past the hour mark, parity lasting until the eightieth minute when Fuller gave the hosts the lead once more. Barely had the bottoms returned to the seats in the stadium when Martin Laursen equalised for the visitors but with barely time to restart the game before full-time, Sidibe scored to set The Potteries rocking. For a week at least.

Not that the same could be said for The Hawthorns as West Bromwich Albion slumped to their second defeat of the season. Everton took the lead on sixty-five minutes through Leon Osman and doubled it when Yakubu scored with fourteen minutes to go. A Roman Bednar penalty in the last minute might have reduced the deficit but it cannot disguise the fact that it is beginning to look like a long, hard season in the West Midlands.

Which is precisely what Newcastle United supporters may have been expecting as stories of ructions at St James Park began to surface, Kevin Keegan apparently taking umbrage at not being in control of player signings and departures. Bolton Wanderers might have hoped to take advantage of this turmoil but found out that contrary to the popular belief in the media, Michael Owen can hit the backside of a cow with banjo, scoring with nineteen minutes to go. It would not be enough to get him into Fabio Capello’s squad for the England internationals against Andorra and Croatia but at least it ensured that he would not be forgotten when the time for the October squad to be announced.

Finally at Eastlands, Mark Hughes first home Premier League match in charge of Manchester City ended with a comprehensive 3 – 0 victory over West Ham United. Daniel Sturridge opened the scoring with twenty-five minutes remaining and not for the last time this season, the samba rhythms rang across the city as Elano grabbed a brace in six second half minutes for The Citizens. It would not be the last time that the City fans enjoyed a Brazilian’s work in the box this season.

PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY ONE

The 2008/09 campaign kicked off with the top three from last season all at home, all avoiding defeat. Arsenal set the ball rolling with the lunchtime kick-off against last season’s Championship title winners, West Bromwich Albion. Having been relatively inactive during the summer transfer window, The Gunner’s major signing, Samir Nasri, took just four minutes to introduce himself to The Emirates crowd. A signature flowing move down the left took the ball to the touchline where Denilson cut the ball back to the Frenchman to sweep the ball home. It was to be the only goal of the game but not for lack of Arsenal effort with Albion rarely threatening their host’s.

The defending Champions, Manchester United, found Newcastle United to be unusually obdurate. Missing last season’s golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo, the home side lacked a cutting edge and were taken by surprise when Obefami Martins opened the scoring for the visitors midway through the first half. Such joy was shortlived as United equalised through Darren Fletcher but despite Vidic hitting the bar late on, the Toon Army travelling back to Tyneside with a well-deserved point.

Chelsea on the other hand made light work of Luis Felipe Scolari’s first match in charge, FA Cup winners Portsmouth proving to be lambs to the slaughter. Joe Cole set the ball rolling in their 4 – 0 drubbing of Portsmouth with the opener on twelve minutes, a lead doubled on twenty six when Nicolas Anelka broke his Premier League duck for the season. The end to a contest long viewed as over was confirmed in the final minute of the first half when Frank Lampard converted a penalty. Deco made his debut and scored with two minutes of the match remaining, giving the Chelsea board the style they craved in Scolari’s first match in charge.

New boys Hull City, making their debut in the top flight of English football, entertained Fulham at the KC Stadium. They proved to be the Sunshine Band as they overcame Ki-Hyeon’s eighth minute opener for the visitors through Geovanni midway through the first half and Folan with nine minutes remaining to give The Tigers a 2 – 1 opening day victory.

Performance of the weekend though surely belonged to Blackburn Rovers who scraped a victory at Goodison Park. David Moyes had found it difficult to strengthen his squad during the summer and the lethargy seemed to severely impact Everton as they fell behind to a cracker from David Dunn midway through the first half. Spaniard Mikel Arteta spared blushes by equalising two minutes before the interval and Evertonians believed in a bright new future when Yakubu put them ahead midway through the second half. It was a short-lived joy as Roque Santa Cruz equalised two minutes later with The Toffees coming unstuck as the visitors took three deserved points when Andre Oojer scored with almost the last kick of the ball.

Sunderland entertained Liverpool at the Stadium of Light and despite holding out for eighty-three minutes, they succumbed to Fernando Torres’ first strike of the season. It was a rare bright spot for the Merseysider’s following the summer’s aborted and terminally dull courtship of Gareth Barry, mixed with the interminable in-fighting between their owners, eventually agreeing a truce that will last all of about five minutes. Oh, and Robbie Keane did not score for the first time this season.

Tottenham Hotspur were once again tipped to be the team to break into the cosy cartel of teams in the top four and once again failed abysmally to live up to that expectation, fading almost invisibly to a 1 – 2 defeat at The Riverside. Hosts Middlesbrough took the lead with twenty minutes to go when David Wheater scored, Spurs old boy Mido doubling the advantage with four minutes to go. Indeed, a Tottenham player failed to find the back of the net all afternoon as their goal was down to Robert Huth putting through his own net three minutes into injury time.

Stoke City were many people’s tip to go straight back down to The Championship and set about proving the pundits right with a poor performance at The Reebok. Bolton Wanderers took the lead on thirty-four minutes through Steinsson, Kevin Davies adding a second before the interval. The points were wrapped up in first half injury time when another summer addition to The Trotters squad, Jonas Elmander scored his first goal for the club. Scant consolation was gained when Fuller opened The Potters account for the season with barely a minute of the match remaining.

At Upton Park, Dean Ashton scored twice in the opening ten minutes to give West Ham United an unassailable lead against Wigan Athletic. Zaki pulled one back for the visitors two minutes into the second half as they looked set to struggle during the coming campaign.

Aston Villa met fellow UEFA Cup competitors Manchester City in a pulsating clash at Villa Park, emerging victorious with a 4 – 2 win. Surprisingly it took forty-seven minutes for the opening goal, John Carew for Villa beginning the glut. Elano equalised from the spot just past the hour before Gabi Agbonlahor took over the show, scoring a hat-trick in seven minutes. Corluka’s final goal for City before his protracted move to Tottenham served only as a goodbye gift for the stunned visitors.