Sunday 18 January 2009

West Brom 3-0 Middlesbrough


West Brom 3-0
(HT 1-0)
Middlesbrough
Brunt 4
Koren 54
Koren 67




Bookings:
Shawky 29
Huth 63





Sent off:
Digard 62


Robert Koren scored twice as West Brom eased past Middlesbrough to climb off the foot of the Premier League table.

Chris Brunt set the Baggies on their way with a deflected strike as Boro appealed in vain for offside.

Afonso Alves missed a series of chances for the visitors but a Koren strike that sliced off debutant Marc-Antoine Fortune made it 2-0 after the break.

Boro's Didier Digard was then sent off for a late lunge and Koren added a third from Brunt's fabulous pass.

Tony Mowbray's side fully deserved their win but the first half was as even as it was open.

West Brom: Carson, Hoefkens, Barnett (Pele 39), Donk, Robinson, Borja Valero, Greening, Brunt, Koren, Simpson (Moore 77), Fortune (Beattie 69).
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Cech, Kim, Filipe Teixeira.

Goals: Brunt 4, Koren 54, 67.

Middlesbrough: Turnbull, McMahon (Bates 70), Wheater, Riggott (Huth 36), Taylor, O'Neil (Mido 57), Digard, Shawky, Downing, Sanli, Alves.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Adam Johnson, Bennett.

Sent Off: Digard (62).

Booked: Shawky, Huth.

Att: 25,557

Ref: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)

Sunderland 1-2 Aston Villa


Sunderland 1-2
(HT 1-0)
Aston Villa
Collins 11

Milner 60
Barry (pen) 80
Bookings:
Nosworthy 44
Cisse 53
Fulop 80
Tainio 85

Bookings:
Young 18
Agbonlahor 72


Sent off:
Young 72

Aston Villa came from behind to grab a dramatic late win in a pulsating match which saw Ashley Young sent off.

Sunderland had the better of the first half and led through a Danny Collins header from a Carlos Edwards free-kick.

But Young surged down the right to cross for James Milner to bundle in the equaliser, with Sunderland claiming the ball had gone in off his arm.

Young was sent off for a diving tackle but Gareth Barry slammed in a penalty after Gabriel Agbonlahor was felled.

The victory extended Villa's unbeaten run to 10 matches but Sunderland will feel disappointed not to get a point from the match.

They pressed with purpose from the outset, but it was Villa who had an excellent opening opportunity.

Milner broke down the left and curled a delightful ball in with the outside of his right boot, but the on-rushing Young just failed to connect.


Sunderland: Fulop, Chimbonda, Nosworthy (McShane 62), Ferdinand, Collins (Bardsley 62), Edwards, Tainio, Whitehead, Diouf (Reid 81), Cisse, Jones.
Subs Not Used: Colgan, Chopra, Leadbitter, Healy.

Booked: Nosworthy, Cisse, Fulop, Tainio.

Goal: Collins 11.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Reo-Coker, Davies, Cuellar, Luke Young, Milner, Sidwell (Gardner 73), Petrov, Barry, Ashley Young, Agbonlahor.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Knight, Salifou, Shorey.

Sent Off: Ashley Young (72).

Booked: Luke Young, Agbonlahor.

Goals: Milner 60, Barry 80 pen.



Man City 1-0 Wigan

Man City 1-0
(HT 0-0)
Wigan
Zabaleta 53


Bookings:
Robinho 70

Bookings:
Cattermole 34
Bramble 41
Palacios 86
Kirkland 90+5
Sent off:
Dunne 54



Pablo Zabaleta's strike gave 10-man Manchester City a battling victory over Wigan after Richard Dunne was sent off.

City dominated early on with Robinho missing when clean through and having another shot cleared off the line.

Zabaleta did find the net on 53 minutes with a powerful effort but straight from the restart City captain Dunne was sent off for kicking out at Amir Zaki.

Wigan poured forward but Zaki missed an open goal when he headed over and they could not make their pressure count.

Unsurprisingly, the build-up to this match had been dominated by the potential arrival of AC Milan superstar Kaka at City for a fee that could top the £100m mark.

Man City: Hart, Zabaleta, Onuoha, Dunne, Richards, Bridge, Wright-Phillips, Kompany, Elano, Robinho, Sturridge (Garrido 62).
Subs Not Used: Schmeichel, Vassell, Jo, Fernandes, Caicedo, Weiss.

Sent Off: Dunne (54).

Booked: Robinho.

Goals: Zabaleta 53.

Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Bramble (Camara 87), Scharner, Figueroa (Kapo 74), Valencia, Palacios, Cattermole, Taylor (De Ridder 58), Heskey, Zaki.
Subs Not Used: Kingson, Edman, Brown, Boyce.

Booked: Cattermole, Bramble, Palacios, Kirkland.

Att: 41,262

Ref: Lee Mason (Lancashire).

Hull 1-3 Arsenal

Hull 1-3
(HT 0-1)
Arsenal
Cousin 65

Adebayor 30
Nasri 82
Bendtner 86
Bookings:
Ashbee 81

Bookings:
Clichy 71

Arsenal had to overcome a spirited fightback from Hull to keep up the pressure on the Premier League's top four with victory at the KC Stadium.

An Emmanuel Adebayor header opened the scoring from a corner seconds after a Robin van Persie free-kick hit the bar.

But Hull roared back with Daniel Cousin nodding in Bernard Mendy's cross.

The Gunners grabbed all three points as Samir Nasri coolly slotted in Van Persie's pass and Nicklas Bendtner poked in from close range at the end.

With Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa all winning earlier in the day, Arsenal would have been desperate to keep the heat on the Premier League front-runners and they named an unchanged side after beating Bolton last week.

Hull: Myhill, Doyle, Turner, Ricketts, Kilbane, Mendy, France (Fagan 83), Ashbee, Halmosi (Manucho 53), Geovanni (Garcia 87), Cousin.

Subs Not Used: Duke, Dawson, Folan, Giannakopoulos.

Booked: Ashbee.

Goals: Cousin 65.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Clichy, Eboue (Bendtner 69), Diaby, Denilson, Nasri, Adebayor (Song Billong 87), Van Persie.

Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Vela, Ramsey, Gibbs, Merida.

Booked: Clichy.

Goals: Adebayor 30, Nasri 82, Bendtner 86.

Att: 24,924

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire

Chelsea 2-1 Stoke

Chelsea 2-1
(HT 0-0)
Stoke
Belletti 88
Lampard 90+4

Delap 60


Bookings:
Am Faye 15
Kitson 89
Whelan 90

Late goals from substitute Juliano Belletti and Frank Lampard spared Chelsea's blushes as they came from behind to beat a belligerent Stoke.

Rory Delap had earlier given City the lead, latching on to a James Beattie pass and chipping over Petr Cech.

But with three minutes to go Belletti popped up at the far post to head home a Franco Di Santo cross.

And deep into injury time Lampard lashed in a fierce drive from the edge of the area to earn Chelsea the win.

The ecstasy that greeted Lampard's winner, particularly the mobbing of manager Luis Felipe Scolari, was a clear expression of the spirit and unity that the Chelsea boss had called for from his players.


Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa (Belletti 78), Carvalho, Alex, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Mikel (Stoch 82), Ballack, Malouda (Di Santo 60), Anelka, Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Ivanovic, Mancienne, Kakuta.

Goals: Belletti 88, Lampard 90.

Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham (Griffin 34), Delap, Whelan, Amdy Faye (Pugh 28), Etherington (Kitson 83), Beattie, Cresswell.
Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Olofinjana, Lawrence, Sonko.

Booked: Amdy Faye, Kitson, Whelan.

Goals: Delap 60.

Att: 41,788

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).

Bolton 0-1 Man Utd 17th Jan 2009

Bolton 0-1
(HT 0-0)
Man Utd


Berbatov 90
Bookings:
Makukula 22

Bookings:
O'Shea 74

Dimitar Berbatov's late winner sent champions Manchester United to the top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.

Berbatov headed home from close range after a fine cross from Carlos Tevez on the right in the 90th minute just as the game was heading towards a draw.

For the preceding 89 minutes United had been thwarted by Jussi Jaaskelainen.

The Bolton keeper saved superbly from two Cristiano Ronaldo free-kicks and also a header from the United winger.

United's win saw them equal Chelsea's record, set in 2004-05, of 10 consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League, as they bid for a third consecutive title.

Long-time leaders Liverpool will now have to beat Everton in Monday's Merseyside derby to return to the top, though Sir Alex Ferguson's side will then have a game in hand.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Andrew O'Brien, Samuel, Davies, Basham, Muamba, Gardner (Puygrenier 83), Taylor, Makukula (Obadeyi 64).
Subs Not Used: Bogdan, Smolarek, Riga, Shittu, Sinclair.

Booked: Makukula.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Vidic, Evans, O'Shea, Fletcher (Giggs 69), Carrick, Anderson (Scholes 69), Ronaldo, Tevez, Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Park, Nani, Welbeck, Chester.

Booked: O'Shea.

Goals: Berbatov 90.

Att: 26,021

Ref: Andre Marriner (England).

Premier League results for 17th Jan 2009


Blackburn 3-0
(HT 0-0)
Newcastle
McCarthy (pen) 61
Roberts 66
Roberts 86


Bookings:
Grella 82
Roberts 84

Bookings:
Edgar 60
Butt 73
Barton 89


Sent off:
Butt 83

Second-half goals from strikers Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts handed Blackburn a victory over Newcastle that moved them out of the bottom three.

McCarthy opened the scoring from the spot after David Edgar was adjudged to have fouled the South African.

Roberts doubled the lead when he slammed in from 10 yards before tapping in a more simple effort from Morten Gamst Pedersen's square ball.

Newcastle were reduced to 10 men when Nicky Butt was shown a second yellow.

Sam Allardyce's wish of getting "one over" his former employers came true in emphatic fashion but for 60 minutes Newcastle looked the better team.


Blackburn: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba (Dunn 45), Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Andrews, Kerimoglu (Grella 59), Pedersen, Roberts, McCarthy (Roque Santa Cruz 70).
Subs Not Used: Bunn, Mokoena, Treacy, Derbyshire.

Booked: Grella, Roberts.

Goals: McCarthy 61 pen, Roberts 66, 86.

Newcastle: Given, Edgar, Bassong, Coloccini, Jose Enrique, Duff (Gutierrez 79), Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia (Barton 74), Carroll, Owen.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Taylor, Kadar, LuaLua.

Sent Off: Butt (83).

Booked: Edgar, Butt, Barton.

Att: 25,583

Ref: Rob Styles (Hampshire).

___________________________________________________________________

Sunday 11 January 2009

Premier League January transfers

All transfers to and from Premier league clubs



16 January

David Button [Tottenham - Bournemouth] Loan
Manucho [Man Utd - Hull] Loan
Ryan Shotton [Stoke - Tranmere] Loan
Javan Vidal [Man City - Aberdeen] Loan

15 January

Carl Dickinson [Stoke - Leeds] Loan
Gael Givet [Marseille - Blackburn] Loan
Kevin Kilbane [Wigan - Hull] Undisclosed
Liam Miller [Sunderland - QPR] Loan
Kyel Reid [West Ham - Wolves] Loan
Tom Soares [Stoke - Charlton] Loan

14 January

Luke Ashworth [Wigan - Leyton Orient] Free
Seol Ki-Hyeon [Fulham - Al-Hilal] Loan

12 January 2009

James Beattie [Sheffield United - Stoke] Undisclosed
Sherjill MacDonald [West Brom - Roeselare] Loan

9 January 2009

Lee Bowyer [West Ham - Birmingham] Loan
Jermain Defoe [Portsmouth - Tottenham] £15m
Graham Kavanagh [Sunderland - Carlisle] Free
Roy O'Donovan [Sunderland - Blackpool] Loan
Sebastien Puygrenier [Zenit St Petersburg - Bolton] Loan
Nathaniel Wedderburn [Stoke - Notts County] Loan
Dean Windass [Hull - Oldham] Loan

8 January 2009

Lee Baker [West Brom - Kidderminster] Loan
Hameur Bouazza [Fulham-Birmingham] Loan
Lee Cook [Fulham-QPR] Undisclosed
Ritchie De Laet [Stoke - Man Utd] Undisclosed
Matthew Etherington [West Ham - Stoke] £2m
Graeme Owens [Middlesbrough - Blackpool] Loan

7 January 2009

Jonathan Grounds [Middlesbrough - Norwich] Loan

6 January 2009

Charlie Daniels [Tottenham - Leyton Orient] Free
Rob Duffy [Newport County - Mansfield] Undisclosed
Frank Fielding [Blackburn - Rochdale] Loan
Alan Marriott [Rushden - Mansfield] Undisclosed
Graeme Murty [Reading - Charlton] Loan
Scott Sinclair [Chelsea - Birmingham] Loan
Luke Sharry [Bradford - Barrow] Loan
Jon Shaw [Rochdale - Crawley] Loan
John Thompson [Oldham - Notts County]

5 January 2009

Sam Hewson [Man Utd - Hereford] Loan
Seb Hines [Middlesbrough - Derby] Loan
Lewis Montrose [Wigan - Cheltenham] Loan

3 January 2009

Wayne Bridge [Chelsea - Manchester City] Undisclosed

2 January 2009

Heidar Helguson [Bolton - QPR] Undisclosed
Adem Ljajic [Partizan Belgrade - Man Utd] Undisclosed
Adem Ljajic [Man Utd - Partizan Belgrade] Season-long loan
Lee Molyneux [Everton - Southampton] Free
T J Moncur [Fulham - Wycombe] Free
Eddie Nolan [Blackburn - Preston] Undisclosed
Wayne Routledge [Aston Villa - QPR] Undisclosed
Zoran Tosic [Partizan Belgrade - Man Utd] Undisclosed
Joe Widdowson [West Ham - Grimsby] Loan
Sam Williamson [Man City - Wrexham] Free

1 January 2009

Jack Cork [Chelsea - Watford] Loan
Lassana Diarra [Portsmouth - Real Madrid] £20m
David Gray [Man Utd - Plymouth] Loan
Joss Labadie [West Brom - Shrewsbury] Loan

Premier League results for 11th Jan 2009

Man Utd

Vidic 45+2
Rooney 63
Berbatov 87

3-0
(HT 1-0)
Chelsea


Bookings:

Ronaldo 28 yellow card
Rooney 66 yellow card
Park 68 yellow card


Bookings:

Lampard 4 yellow card
Bosingwa 27 yellow card
Carvalho 28 yellow card
Terry 81 yellow card
Belletti 87 yellow card

Manchester United turned up the heat on Premier League leaders Liverpool and manager Rafael Benitez as they closed the gap at the top of the table with a convincing win against Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic headed United in front in first half injury-time after Dimitar Berbatov flicked on Ryan Giggs' corner.

Wayne Rooney then turned in Patrice Evra's cross after 63 minutes to set United on the path to a deserved three points - leaving them five points behind Liverpool with two games in hand.

Berbatov rounded off the win by grabbing the third from close range four minutes from time, turning in Cristiano Ronaldo's free-kick as United's fans finally sensed their title charge was hitting top gear.

Sir Alex Ferguson will regard the victory as the perfect response to public taunts from Liverpool counterpart Benitez that United may be "a little bit scared" at the sight of their great rivals at the Premier League summit.


Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Vidic, Evans, Evra (O'Shea 66), Ronaldo, Fletcher, Giggs (Carrick 79), Park, Berbatov, Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Anderson, Scholes, Welbeck, Tevez.

Booked: Ronaldo, Rooney, Park.

Goals: Vidic 45, Rooney 63, Berbatov 87.

Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa (Belletti 64), Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Mikel, Joe Cole (Di Santo 85), Lampard, Ballack, Deco (Anelka 46), Drogba.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Ivanovic, Ferreira, Kalou.

Booked: Lampard, Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry, Belletti.

Att: 75,455

Ref: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)

____________________________________________________________________

Wigan

Figueroa 90+1

1-0
(HT 0-0)
Tottenham


Bookings:

Valencia 66 yellow card
Palacios 69 yellow card
Scharner 81 yellow card


Bookings:

Bale 33 yellow card
Zokora 72 yellow card
Woodgate 75 yellow card

Maynor Figueroa scored in injury time to hand Wigan victory over Tottenham in a match of few chances.

The left-back headed in Ryan Taylor's corner on 90 minutes to notch his first goal for Wigan and ensure Spurs stay in the bottom three in the table.

Earlier, Jamie O'Hara and Didier Zokora dragged shots wide for Spurs, while Emile Heskey was denied by Heurelho Gomes and Amr Zaki headed just wide.

Zaki nodded wide twice more before Figueroa finally made the breakthrough.

It gave Wigan their fourth consecutive league victory - and they did it after making seven changes from the shadow side beaten 3-1 by Spurs in the FA Cup nine days ago.

Tottenham, too, had a different look about them, as they lined up in a 3-5-2 formation.


Wigan: Kirkland, Melchiot, Scharner, Bramble, Figueroa, Valencia, Palacios, Cattermole, Taylor, Heskey, Zaki. Subs Not Used: Pollitt, Edman, Kilbane, Brown, Boyce, De Ridder, Camara.

Booked: Valencia, Palacios, Scharner.

Goals: Figueroa 90.

Tottenham: Gomes, Corluka, Dawson (Jenas 79), Woodgate, King, Bale, Zokora, Modric (Lennon 57), O'Hara, Pavlyuchenko (Bent 53), Defoe. Subs Not Used: Cesar, Bentley, Huddlestone, Campbell.

Booked: Bale, Zokora, Woodgate.

Att: 17,500

Ref: Andre Marriner (W Midlands).

Saturday 10 January 2009

Premier League Results for 10th Jan 2009

Arsenal

Bendtner 84

1-0
(HT 0-0)
Bolton


Bookings:

Djourou 80 yellow card
Ramsey 90+2 yellow card




Bookings:

Riga 54 yellow card
McCann 74 yellow card

Nicklas Bendtner came off the bench to snatch victory for Arsenal when he slid in to score with six minutes left.

Until then Arsenal had been frustrated as Robin van Persie fired a volley just over the bar and Emmanuel Adebayor hesitated and his shot was blocked.

Van Persie's toe-poked effort hit the post before the Dutchman's flick was saved by Jussi Jaaskelainen, who then saved Bendtner's close-range header.

But the Dane converted Van Persie's cross to finally end Bolton's resolve.

It had seemed Arsenal would be foiled by a dogged display from the visitors, who showed virtually nothing coming forward but proved very difficult to break down at the back.


Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Clichy, Eboue (Bendtner 74), Diaby (Vela 64), Denilson, Nasri, Adebayor (Ramsey 88), Van Persie.
Subs Not Used: Fabianski, Wilshere, Bischoff, Gibbs.

Booked: Djourou, Ramsey.

Goals: Bendtner 84.

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Basham, Shittu, Andrew O'Brien, Samuel, Taylor, Muamba, McCann, Gardner, Elmander (Riga 39), Davies, Riga (Obadeyi 77).
Subs Not Used: Bogdan, Fojut.

Booked: Riga, McCann.

Att: 60,068

Ref: Chris Foy (Merseyside).

____________________________________________________________________

Aston Villa

Davies 19
Carson o.g. 41

2-1
(HT 2-0)
West Brom

Morrison 49


Bookings:

Laursen 74


Bookings:

Bednar 90+1

Curtis Davies' header and a Scott Carson own goal sent Aston Villa third in the Premier League with victory in the Midlands derby against West Brom.

Davies returned to haunt his old club by stooping to nod Villa in front from Gareth Barry's right-wing cross against the run of play.

Villa doubled their lead when Carson let a low cross from Gabriel Agbonlahor squirm under his body and into the net.

James Morrison pulled one back but West Brom rarely looked like equalising.

Villa went into the first Premier League game of 2009 knowing that victory would take them back into the top three until at least after Manchester United's clash with Chelsea on Sunday.

But despite their lowly league position it was West Brom who started the brighter only to fail to make the most of their early possession.

Borja Valero wasted the game's first opening, curling a shot high and wide from 15 yards following a Jonathan Greening corner.

Aston Villa: Friedel, Reo-Coker, Davies, Laursen, Luke Young, Sidwell (Cuellar 86), Petrov, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor, Ashley Young.
Subs Not Used: Guzan, Harewood, Delfouneso, Knight, Shorey, Gardner.

Goals: Davies 19, Carson og 41

Booked: Laursen

West Brom: Carson, Hoefkens, Barnett, Olsson, Robinson, Morrison (Morrison 65), Koren, Greening, Borja Valero (Kim 77), Simpson, Moore (Bednar HT).
Subs Not Used: Kiely, Cech, Beattie, Donk.

Goal: Morrison 49

Booked: Bednar

Att: 41,757

Ref: Steve Bennett (Kent)

____________________________________________________________________

Everton

Fellaini 18
Arteta 45+1

2-0
(HT 2-0)
Hull


Bookings:

Fellaini 47 yellow card
Cahill 58 yellow card


Bookings:

Mendy 38 yellow card
Zayatte 55 yellow card
Ricketts 63 yellow card
Cousin 79 yellow card
Fagan 90+4 yellow card

Everton cemented their place in the top six as goals from Marouane Fellaini and Mikel Arteta condemned Hull City to their fourth successive league defeat.

The hosts dominated from the outset but Fellaini's opener, a close-range header from Leighton Baines' cross, should have been ruled out for offside.

Arteta troubled Hull throughout and he made it two with a spectacular free-kick on the stroke of half-time.

Hull never threatened a fightback as Everton easily held their lead.

The win moves David Moyes' side seven points clear of seventh-place Wigan, who play on Sunday, and they remain three points behind Arsenal, who are fifth.

Everton have kept clean sheets in their last six games in all competitions, taking 13 points from the last 15 available.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines, Osman, Arteta (Rodwell 90), Neville, Pienaar, Fellaini, Cahill (Anichebe 73).
Subs Not Used: Nash, Van der Meyde, Castillo, Jutkiewicz, Gosling.

Booked: Fellaini, Cahill.

Goals: Fellaini 18, Arteta 45.

Hull: Myhill, McShane (Halmosi 79), Zayatte, Turner, Ricketts, Mendy, Ashbee, Marney (Fagan 54), Geovanni (Cousin 66), Barmby, King.
Subs Not Used: Duke, Doyle, France, Boateng.

Booked: Mendy, Zayatte, Ricketts, Cousin, Fagan.

Att: 37,527

Ref: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire).

____________________________________________________________________

Middlesbrough

Alves 45

1-1
(HT 1-0)
Sunderland

Jones 82




Bookings:

Malbranque 8 yellow card
Richardson 56 yellow card
Nosworthy 58 yellow card
Jones 83 yellow card

Kenwyne Jones struck his seventh goal of the season late on to rescue a point for Sunderland and make it nine matches without a victory for Middlesbrough.

Afonso Alves' first league goal since October looked to have earned Boro the win, the Brazilian linking up well with Stewart Downing before rifling in.

But Jones slid in to score from David Healy's superb cross to snatch a draw.

The Black Cats could even have gone on to win it from Carlos Edwards' header, but Adam Johnson cleared off the line.

Defeat would have been harsh on Boro, though, despite a grandstand finish from Sunderland that was in marked contrast to the 80 minutes of football that had preceded it.

A draw was just about the right result, although Downing more than most could feel aggrieved he was not on the winning side after an all-action display that underlined his commitment to the Boro cause despite having a transfer request denied by the club only this week.

Middlesbrough: Turnbull, McMahon, Riggott, Wheater, Pogatetz, Sanli, Digard (Bates 65), Walker (Johnson 47), Arca, Downing, Alves (Mido 86).
Subs Not Used: Jones, Taylor, Emnes, Huth.

Goals: Alves 45.

Sunderland: Fulop, Chimbonda, Nosworthy, Ferdinand, Collins, Malbranque (Edwards 54), Whitehead, Richardson (Healy 80), Diouf (Reid 67), Cisse, Jones.
Subs Not Used: Colgan, Tainio, Murphy, Yorke.

Booked: Malbranque, Richardson, Nosworthy, Jones.

Goals: Jones 82.

Att: 29,310

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

____________________________________________________________________

Newcastle

Owen 19
Carroll 78

2-2
(HT 1-1)
West Ham

Bellamy 29
Cole 55


Bookings:

Guthrie 23 yellow card




Andy Carroll scored his first Premier League goal to equalise for Newcastle and prevent his team from slipping to a third straight league defeat.

Michael Owen struck the post before his 20-yard strike put the Magpies ahead.

Craig Bellamy equalised with a composed finish from 10 yards, while Shay Given made an unbelievable save from Jack Collison after the break.

Carlton Cole put West Ham in front with a vicious close-range strike before Carroll headed his team level.

The Hammers and Newcastle are the subject of intense speculation, with several key players at both clubs strongly linked with moves during the transfer window.


Newcastle: Given, Taylor, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Geremi (N'Zogbia 62), Duff, Owen, Carroll.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Xisco, Kadar, Edgar, LuaLua, Donaldson.

Booked: Guthrie.

Goals: Owen 19, Carroll 78.

West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Behrami, Parker, Noble (Mullins 86), Collison (Boa Morte 76), Cole, Bellamy (Di Michele 81).
Subs Not Used: Stech, Faubert, Tristan, Tomkins.

Goals: Bellamy 29, Cole 55.

Att: 47,571

Ref: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

____________________________________________________________________

Stoke

0-0
(HT 0-0)
Liverpool


Bookings:

Etherington 67 yellow card
Wilkinson 83 yellow card


Bookings:

Gerrard 64 yellow card
Lucas 77 yellow card

Stoke City earned a deserved point against Liverpool as the Premier League leaders produced a lifeless performance at the Britannia Stadium.

Rory Delap came closest to breaking the deadlock for Stoke early on when he rattled the bar from close range - and Liverpool could have had no complaints if Tony Pulis' side had claimed all three points.

But captain Steven Gerrard almost snatched the win Liverpool's display barely merited when he angled a free-kick against the bar with six minutes left, then struck a post in stoppage time.

Liverpool never exerted any serious dominance over Stoke, failing to increase the pressure on Manchester United and Chelsea ahead of their meeting at Old Trafford on Sunday.


Stoke: Sorensen, Wilkinson, Abdoulaye Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham, Delap, Amdy Faye, Whelan, Etherington (Lawrence 78), Kitson (Pugh 89), Cresswell.
Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Griffin, Olofinjana, Tonge, Sonko.

Booked: Etherington, Wilkinson.

Liverpool: Reina, Carragher, Hyypia, Skrtel, Aurelio, Benayoun (Babel 76), Leiva Lucas, Mascherano, Riera (Torres 60), Gerrard, Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Cavalieri, Dossena, Keane, Plessis, El Zhar.

Booked: Gerrard, Leiva Lucas.

Att: 27,500

Ref: Lee Mason (Lancashire).