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 | Everton 0 - 3 Portsmouth
English Premier League
31/08/2008 View : 153
Jermain Defoe was the stand-out player at Goodison Park as Pompey secured their first points of the season. Defoe received a Crouch flick on before turning Lescott to score the first, he then teed up Glen Johnson with a fine backheel for the second and in the second half after David James had saved a Yakubu penalty, Defoe scored a sumptuous third. |
|  | West Ham 4 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
English Premier League
31/08/2008 View : 120
Paul Ince’s return to Upton Park saw a feverish opening half, Callum Davenport and Dean Ashton put Westh Ham two-up, before Jason Roberts kept Blackburn in the match with a great turn and finish. (First-half highlights here.) Late on, Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole completed a miserable afternoon for Paul Ince and boosted Alan Curbishley’s chances of holding on to his job. |
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 | Hull City 0 - 5 Wigan Athlatic
English Premier League
31/08/2008 View : 120
Wigan raced into a two-goal lead within fourteen minutes at Hull thanks to an og from Samuel Ricketts and a fine run and finish from Antonio Valencia. Amr Zaki scored the third, turning in a Valencia cross and Emile Heskey grabbed the fourth. And Amr Zaki completed the rout with a great effort that cannoned in off the bar. |
|  | Arsenal 3 - 0 Newcastle
English Premier League
31/08/2008 View : 364
In the third minute at the Emirates, Gallas missed a great chance at the back post to put Arsenal ahead and as Arsenal dominated the early exchanges Toure saw his stinging shot go just wide. Robin van Persie gave Arsenal the lead from the penalty spot after N’Zogbia had handled an Adebayor cross. On the half-hour Given saved well from a van Persie free-kick. Four minutes before the break Robin van Persie grabbed his and Arsenal’s second, finishing off a fine move led by Eboue who backheeled to the Dutchman. Although Newcastle got into the game a little after the break (Butt hit the bar with a header), Denilson killed the game off with the third just before the hour - finishing off a fine move. Seconds after the third goal, van Persie smacked a shot against the bar. |
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 | Sunderland 0 - 3 Manchester City
English Premier League
31/08/2008 View : 253
Stephen Ireland gave City the lead right on half time, latching on to Michael Johnson’s deflected cross and sliding the ball past Craig Gordon, the Sunderland goalkeeper. (First half highlights here.) But it was Shaun Wright-Phillips who stole the show after the break, making it 2-0 by tapping home Jo’s pin-point cross at the back post before collecting Michael Ball’s long-range pass to flick the ball beyond Gordon and inside the far post. |
|  | Chelsea 1 - 1 Tottenham Hotspurs
English Premier League
31/08/2008 View : 235
The London derby, played under the greys wet skies befitting an English summer, got off to a super start when Gomes showed his massive reach to tip over Frank Lampard’s chip after just 4 minutes. Spurs then took a foothold in the game, only for Chelsea to turn the screw when Anelka fired over, Essien struck the bar and eventually scoring when Belletti turned home a corner kick. But on the stroke of half-time Spurs drew level, the ball broke to Darren Bent and the forward proved he can score in the league as well as pre-season. The second half was a far more stale affair. The best chance fell to Kalou but the striker dragged his shot wide. The point was a welcome result for Spurs, who finally get on the scoreboard this season. |
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 | Portsmouth 0 - 1 Manchester United
English Premier League
25/08/2008 View : 962
Paul Scholes tested David James just before the twenty minute mark at Fratton Park. Darren Fletcher broke the deadlock just after the half-hour, bagging his second goal in two games, after great work by Evra who was fed by a fine through ball from Tevez. Four minutes before the break, Wayne Rooney went close to doubling United’s lead. United continued to dominate in the second half but failed to turn their possession into a second goal and the best Pompey could manage was a long range effort from Papa Bouba Diop saved by Van der Sar. |
|  | Manchester City 3 - 0 West Ham United
English Premier League
24/08/2008 View : 426
City were unlucky to go into the break deadlocked, after they had pressed West Ham throughout the first half. The Hammers were reduced to 10-men after Mark Noble was sent off for a second yellow card. (First half highlights here.) Early in the second half the match was held up for ten minutes as Micah Richards was stretchered off in a clash with Tal Ben Haim. Eventually City took the lead, Daniel Sturridge firing in the opener after Upson’s poor clearance. Elano bagged the second after a cut back from Ireland, and the same two players combined again as Elano made it three. |
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 | Wigan Athlatic 0 - 1 Chelsea
English Premier League
24/08/2008 View : 538
After scoring on his debut, Deco showed he is the real deal with a stunning free-kick after just 4 minutes at the JJB, arching the ball from right to left and giving Pollitt (who came in for Kirkland minutes before kick-off) no chance. Wigan responded in a spirited fashion, and dominated the half with Petr Cech the far busier of the keepers. For their part, Chelsea looked off the boil for the majority of the first half (highlights here). The second half was largely a dull affair, Chelsea nullifying Wigan who lacked the same penetration which they displayed in the opening 45. Kapo forced Cech into a smart save in the final minutes but in the end Chelsea, without playing well, made it two wins from two. |
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 | Stoke City 3 - 2 Aston Villa
English Premier League
23/08/2008 View : 708
Liam Lawrence gave Stoke the lead over Villa just after the half hour, dispatching a penalty after a debatable penalty had been awarded for a foul on Rory Delap. John Carew equalised before Ricardo Fuller put the Potters in front again. Martin Laursen was the next to equalise with just four minutes remaining, but four minutes into injury-time Mamady Sidibie grabbed the dramatic winner for the Premier League new-boys. |
|  | Tottenham Hotspurs 1 - 2 Sunderland
English Premier League
23/08/2008 View : 1186
After a dull first-half, Sunderland took the lead through Keiran Richardson with a fine right-footed strike. Spurs hit back through Jermaine Jenas but late on substitute and debutant Djibril Cisse headed in the winner from a Murphy cross to give Roy Keane’s side their first three points of the season. |
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 | Liverpool 2 - 1 Middlesbrough
English Premier League
23/08/2008 View : 2921
Boro put up stern resistance against Liverpool, having the best chance in the opening exchanges when Reina was forced to tip over Taylor’s snap-shot. For Liverpool, Gerrard came close with a right footer and Fernando Torres should have done better when teed up by Robbie Keane. Downing then showed excellent control to cut inside from the left, but he skewed his right-foot shot badly. In the second half Boro continued to impress, and Tuncay almost scored a spectacular goal but his shot went straight at Reina. Back came the Reds with a long shot from Torres, but the deadlock was eventually broken with a fabulous strike from Mido who hit a left footed rocket into the bottom corner. To their credit, Liverpool kept belief even though they were being outplayed, and Jamie Carragher equalised with a deflected shot (accredited to Pogatetz) that flew into the goal. Incredibly captain Steven Gerrard stole the points in the 94th minute, blasting home a winner which the Reds barely deserved. |
|  | Fulham 1 - 0 Arsenal
English Premier League
23/08/2008 View : 1129
After Adebayor and van Persie had gone close, Brede Hangerland poked Fulham into the lead on twenty minutes. Two minutes later Adebayor was unlucky to see his header come back off the post. Although Arsenal continued to dominate possession, Bobby Zamora went close on the hour mark. With twenty minutes remaining van Persie flashed a stinging shot wide. |
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 | Aston Villa 4 - 2 Manchester City
English Premier League
17/08/2008 View : 388
After a goalless first half, John Carew was in the right place to head home Gareth Barry’s cross. But City hit back, Luke Young tripped Michael Johnson in the box, and Elano rolled home the penalty. Star of the show was than Gabriel Agbonlahor who netted a magnificent seven minute hat-trick with goals in the 69th, 74th and 76th minutes. Vedran Corluka netted a late consolation for City. |
|  | Manchester United 1 - 1 Newcastle United
English Premier League
17/08/2008 View : 379
Manchester United came out the traps quickly against Newcastle, but they found Shay Given in inspired early form to deny them a goal. The Irish goalkeeper first saved Frazier Campbell’s header off the line with his head, before making a smart double save from Rooney and Scholes. Incredibly, it was the Toon who then took the lead, Obafemi Martins scoring a sweet header from Milner’s corner (what happened to Fletcher?). But the champions responded quickly, Giggs fired in a left wing cross which was turned home by Darren Fletcher. In the second half Frazier Campbell came close when he turned smartly and forced Shay Given into a save. But Newcastle proved themselves to be a hard nut to crack, and they also rode their luck when Vidic’s header came back off the bar. Keegan’s side saw out the final stages without too much bother, with United’s season starting on the back-foot. |
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 | Chelsea 4 - 0 Portsmouth
English Premier League
17/08/2008 View : 757
Scolari starts in style! Chelsea dominated the early exchanges, Frank Lampard set about finding his range before the Blues moved ahead in the 12th minute when Ballack freed Joe Cole who beat David James on the angle. Chelsea doubled their lead soon after, Boswinga raced down the right, his cross was fed back in by Deco at the back post, and Nicolas Anelka had the simple job of nodding home. Anelka steered a shot just wide of post moments later. On the stroke of half-time Chelsea won a penalty after Joe Cole’s immaculate control brought down a ball which Distin then handballed, and Frank Lampard rolled in the third from the spot. After the break Anelka continued to look sharp, with Joe Cole also looking to bag his second. Deco opened his account with a fourth at the death, David James should have done better with the strike from distance. |
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