The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Second straight win puts Wolves top of the table Posted: 21 Aug 2011 08:49 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 21 — Wolverhampton Wanderers moved to the top of the Premier League table, at least until later today, when they beat Fulham 2-0 at Molineux, the first time they have won their opening two games in the top flight since 1979. Wolves went ahead when Kevin Doyle finished clinically after riding two challenges after 42 minutes and they doubled their lead through Matt Jarvis just before halftime when he cracked the ball in as it came back off a post. It was Fulham's first defeat in nine matches since Martin Jol took over at Craven Cottage, following seven unbeaten games in the preliminary rounds of the Europa League and an opening 0-0 draw in the league against Aston Villa last week. Wolves have six points from their two games. Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City who both have three points from their opening games, were meeting later on Sunday (1500 GMT). In the day's other match, 10-man Norwich City were denied their first win of the season when Stoke City's Kenwyne Jones headed in a stoppage-time equaliser at Carrow Road to secure Stoke a 1-1 draw. Ritchie de Laet had scored against his old club to put the Canaries in front after 37 minutes. Stoke missed a chance to equalise when Norwich's Leon Barnett was sent off for a foul on Jon Walters who took the resulting penalty which was saved by Norwich keeper John Ruddy. — Reuters |
| Arsenal woes grow, Chelsea win Posted: 21 Aug 2011 03:06 AM PDT LONDON, Aug 21 — Arsenal's woes deepened with a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in the Premier League yesterday, while substitute Florent Malouda spared Chelsea's blushes with a late winner in a 2-1 comeback win over visitors West Bromwich Albion. A 78th-minute Aaron Ramsey own goal and a late Luis Suarez strike gave Liverpool a win that piled on misery in a bad week for Arsenal, who ended with 10 men for a second league game in a row after Emmanuel Frimpong was sent off 20 minutes from time.  Arsenal's Emmanuel Frimpong (bottom) is sent off after this challenge on Liverpool's Daniel Agger. — Reuters pic "It's very difficult to take on the chin that defeat, because with the effort we put in I don't think we deserved to lose the game," Wenger told the BBC after his team left the pitch to boos after Liverpool's first ever win at the Emirates. "We cannot say at the moment we are very lucky." Fortune was, however, with Chelsea in manager Andre Villas-Boas's first league match at Stamford Bridge. The hosts trailed from the fourth minute, when Alex lost the ball to West Brom striker Shane Long, who scampered through and wrongfooted stand-in keeper Hilario to claim his second goal in two games since joining the club this month. Chelsea pulled level when Nicolas Anelka's low shot took a deflection off defender Jonas Olsson in the 53rd minute, and Malouda completed the rescue mission when he arrived at the back post to sidefoot home a Jose Bosingwa cross on 83 minutes. They had been lucky that an organised West Brom team had squandered a golden chance to go two goals up midway through the first half. Long, whose early goal followed last week's effort against Manchester United, overhit his cross after an inch-perfect pass from Chris Brunt to let Chelsea off the hook. Mental block Villas-Boas had recognised early on that his sluggish side lacked spark, bringing on Malouda after just half an hour in place of the ineffective Salomon Kalou. "We just felt it was necessary maybe to surprise our opponent in that way," the Portuguese told ESPN of his decision to make the early change. "Most of all, our first half was a mental block rather than anything else, and the players were able to free themselves from that to perform to the best qualities and the best talent." Chelsea were a different side after the break, with West Brom keeper Ben Foster parrying an Anelka shot before defender Steven Reid blocked Malouda's follow-up. "Our focus now is to get this performance in 90 minutes," Villas Boas added after a second successive game where Chelsea only came to life in the second half following last week's 0-0 at Stoke City. Elsewhere, the first Premier League match in Wales ended 0-0, as lively Swansea City held firm in the face of a late Wigan Athletic onslaught, while Aston Villa marked manager Alex McLeish's first home game with a 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers. Newcastle United won the northeast derby, with Ryan Taylor's 62nd-minute free kick securing a 1-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, where the hosts finished with 10 men after Phil Bardsley was sent off. Newcomers Queens Park Rangers seemed to have learned their lessons from last week's 4-0 drubbing by Bolton Wanderers as they beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park, thanks to Tommy Smith's first-half winner. Chelsea's fellow title hopefuls Manchester City travel to Bolton Wanderers today and champions Manchester United entertain Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow. — Reuters |
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