Manchester United started brightly, Rooney improvising to sent a looped shot just wide, but Chelsea also had an early chance when Joe Cole sent a shot just past van der Sar’s post. After 15 minutes Rooney teed up Rio Ferdinand, but the defender’s shot was saved by Cech. However the champions soon made their early pressure count, Evra burst down the left before slipping a pass through to Berbatov, whose shot from the was parried by Cech and Park Ji-Sung slotted in the rebound. Alex, who came on to replace Carvalho, saw his swerving saved by Kuszczak, who had replaced an injured van der Sar. (First half highlights here.)
After the break the Blues should have equalised, Ballack freed Joe Cole through on goal, but Cole could only find Kuszczak between the sticks. Chelsea, who were defending a four-and-a-half year unbeaten home record, drew level with 12 minutes to go - Mikel’s free-kick drifted into the heart of the goal and sub-Solomon Kalou escaped a static Berbatov to head in the equaliser (where was Kuszczak?). At the death, sub-Cristiano Ronaldo attempted a bicycle-kick which was more for show than a real effort on target.
First Half Highlights
Second Half Highlights
Monday, September 22, 2008
Chelsea 1-1 Manchester United Highlights - Goals
Racing Santander 0-2 Real Madrid Goals - Highlights
After a cagey first-half, Ruben de la Red put Real in front on 54 minutes after a blistering run down the right from Higuain. Ruud van Nistelrooy doubled the lead by beating the keeper at the near post.
Manchester City 6-0 Portsmouth
Manchester City’s new Brazilian connection combined for the opener against Portsmouth, Robhino cut in from the left to feed Jo’s superbly timed-run, and the striker beat David James to the ball to roll his shot into the empty net. Pompey’s defense then conceded a soft second, David James (without a player marking the near post) struggled to deal with a near-post corner and Dunne was on hand to knock in the second. After the break Eastlands witnessed a beautiful goal, Steven Ireland’s raking pass picked out Jo through the middle, Jo played in Robinho and the number 10 struck his second goal in as many games to make it three-nil. From then on City went into overdrive, Shaun Wright-Phillips smashed home the fourth before a brilliant move start by Robinho and continued by SWP was finished by sub-Ched Evans. In the final moments Gelson Fernandez added a sixth to humiliate Redknapp’s Pompey.
Valencia 1-0 Osasuna
Cesar Azpilicueta was sent off for the visitors on 63 minutes before Juan Mata grabbed the only goal seven minutes from time.
West Brom Albion 1-2 Aston Villa Highlights - Goals
In the Midlands derby, John Carew headed home Ashley Young’s free-kick after 27 minutes, and Gabi Agbonlahor doubled the advantage a minute later after Leon Barnett made a hash of a clearance. James Morrison pulled a goal back for West Brom, capitalising on Friedel’s mistake from Koren’s 25-yard shot.
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Hull City 2-2 Everton Highlights - Goals
Hull took a first-half lead through defender Michael Turner’s fine back post header from a corner, and the Tigers extended their advantage, again from a corner, with Phil Neville putting through his own net. But Everton fought back, Tim Cahill latched onto a loose free-kick to score a controversial goal which was questionably over the line. And the equaliser was pure class, a fabulous team move resulted with Leon Osman hitting the leveller.
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Roma 3-0 Reggina Goals - Highlights
Roma secured a much-needed first victory in the league this season. Christian Panucci opened the scoring for Luciano Spalletti’s team on the stroke of half-time and Alberto Aquilani doubled the advantage six minutes after the interval. Substitute Simone Perrotta put the icing on the cake for Roma in the last minute.
Del Piero VS Gerrard
Alessandro Del Piero marked Juventus' return to the Champions League with this brilliant swerving free kick against Zenit St Petersburg.
Juventus hadn't appeared in Europe for two years following the Italian match-fixing scandal and coach Claudio Ranieri awarded the pre-scandal players by including all of them in his lineup, led by Del Piero.
Goal.com has an online poll going to vote between that goal and this one from Steven Gerrard against Marseille...
Gerrard was leading when reports last came in.So there's something to do over the weekend.
Man Utd players are agents of the US government
Not as far fetched as it seems. The AIG shirts that they wear, the most overt symbol of the club, are now owned by the US government to the tune of 80%. Paradoxically, in the most capitalistic sports market, the Man U players are now the poster boys of the socialization of risk.
Video: Rory Delap - the human launch pad
Everton manager David Moyes called Delap "The human sling" after his team went down twice to the Stoke midfielder's long throw-ins.They won that game 3 -2 eventually.
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill looked bewildered last month as he tried to explain how you defend against a missile like throw that led to Stoke's last-minute winner. So far Rory's deadly weapon has contributed to three of Stoke's seven Premier League goals and he admits that it is all people are talking about.
He said that his Mum and dad always said he "was throwing stones through windows from the age of two or three" Stoke can be seen scoring two goals in the video below off the famous throw ins.
And if you want to read about the science behind Rory's long range bombshells check this out..
However its Dave Challinor - known as exocet - who holds the world record for the longest throw in - 46 metres.
And Risto Kallaste of Estonia must hold some kind of record for this acrobatic flip throw in....
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Bolton 1 - 3 Arsenal Highlights - Goals
Arsenal climb at the top of the Premier League after a great 3-1 away win with Bolton. The home side opened the score as Davies headed the ball into the net, but couldn’t maintain their advantage and resist to Arsenal’s pressure.
Eboue, Bendtner and Denilson scored for the Gunners. You can watch all goals in the embedded videos.
First Half Highlights
Second Half Goal
Espanyol 1 - 1 Getafe Highlights - Goals
Sunderland 2 - 0 Middlesbrough Highlights - Goals
Michael Chopra was the hero for Sunderland as he came off the bench to secure the win. Sunderland’s first came when Chopra finished well after a through-ball from Richardson and on his first appearance of the season Chopra completed the win in injury-time after a square-ball from Malbranque. Minutes before Chopra’s first, Stewart Downing blasted a penalty over the bar.
Blackburn Rovers 1 - 0 Fulham Highlights - Goals
Both teams had good chances but it was Matt Derbyshire who got the only goal seven minutes from the end after a fine knock-down from Santa Cruz.
Bayern Munich 2-5 Werder Bremen Highlights - Goals
Bremen took the lead at Munich when Markus Rosenberg got behind the Bayern defence and finished with aplomb. Naldo doubled the lead, heading in from close range on the stroke of half-time. Bremen confirmed the win and turned it into a rout early in the second period, Ozil got the third with a blistering strike before Pizarro scored against his old club for the fourth and Rosenberg claimed the fifth. Borowski pulled one back for Bayern on 71 and then scored another with five minutes to go.
