Premiership Saturday Round-Up

[bad_meetz_evil]

Manchester United have closed the gap to leaders Chelsea to just seven points at the top of The Premiership after victory at Bolton.

Chelsea could only claim a 0-0 draw with Birmingham at St Andrews in the early kick-off, which gave United the chance to further close the gap and they took it.

Bolton had gone ahead when Rio Ferdinand failed to clear and Kevin Davies fired home.

But United fought back and Louis Saha levelled before half time with a great finish as he curled the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen with the outside of his left foot.

Ruud van Nistelrooy - who was again left on the bench - was brought on late in the second half and he was on hand to grab the winner as Saha crossed into the six-yard for the ubiquitous Dutchman to fire home.

Arsenal are back into sixth and just two points behind rivals Tottenham, and with a game in hand, after their 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa at Highbury.

The game was really won by half time as goals as Emmanuel Adebayor and Thierry Henry put Arsenal ahead.

The Gunners stepped up a gear in the second half as Henry, Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby punished slack Villa defending.

Arsene Wenger's side took advantage of the fact that Tottenham went down 3-1 at Newcastle.

Lee Bowyer scored after just 65 seconds, but Robbie Keane levelled with a header.

However, Newcastle struck twice before half time through Shola Ameobi and Alan Shearer from the penalty spot, to seal victory.

Newcastle's cause was aided in the second half when Michael Dawson was sent off for a second bookable offence - while former Toon star Jermaine Jenas almost earned the biggest cheer of the afternoon when he managed one of the misses of the season when he fired wide from two yards with the goal at his mercy.

Portsmouth's brilliant run of form continued as they won 3-1 at Fulham - their third successive Premiership win.

Gary O'Neil put Pompey ahead within the first minute, but they were soon pegged back by a tremendous strike from Steed Malbranque.

Tresor Lomana Lua Lua then restored Pompey's lead and the win was sealed with O'Neil's second on the hour - which took a wicked deflection off Philippe Christanval.

Fulham's miserable day was compounded late on when Michael Brown was sent off for a reckless two-footed challenge.

Pompey's win takes them above Birmingham and level on points with West Brom - who play Liverpool later on Saturday.

Sunderland could still be relegated on Saturday despite the fact they sealed a 2-2 draw at Everton.

The Toffees were twice in-front but they could not hold on to claim the win. Leon Osman had given Everton the lead, only for Jon Stead to grab his first goal of the season and first for Sunderland.

James McFadden looked as if he had won the game, but a late header from Rory Delap - also his first goal for The Black Cats - gave Kevin Ball's men a share of the spoils.

[Straight Edge]

This is great, because I think that we (Man Utd) have a game in hand still, so if we win that then the gap closes to 4 points. Plus we have yet to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. So it we win that game, then the defecit will be down to 1 point. And then, it will be a case of who can handle the pressure. This is shaping upto be one of the best Premiership's off all time.

[Slash]

Just thought I'd add this
Liverpool look to have just about sealed their place in The Premiership's top three after a comfortable 2-0 success at West Brom.

The Reds were by far the better side at The Hawthorns and grabbed the win with goals from Robbie Fowler and Djibril Cisse in an entertaining first half.

The three points, coupled with Tottenham defeat earlier in the day at Newcastle, means Rafa Benitez's men are now some 12 points clear of their nearest rivals.

At the same time West Brom are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference as Portsmouth joined them on 27 points.

Liverpool had dominated the opening period and should have had more than the two goals they came out with.

Harry Kewell had the games opening effort blocked, but it was not long before the West Brom defence was unlocked for the first time.

The majestic Xabi Alonso started the move as he fed Cisse down the right, the French striker unselfishly squared the ball for the onrushing Fowler to slam into an empty net.

Peter Crouch was then heavily involved and his run on 17 minutes should have seen another Fowler goal, but the gangly forward kept the ball instead of playing his strike-partner through on goal and the chance was gone.

Crouch was then unlucky as he broke into the box, only to see his goal-bound drive blocked by Paul Robinson.

Up at the other end just moments later and Robinson registered his side's first shot on goal after good work from Diomansy Kamara saw him freed on the left - but the right footed effort was never going to trouble Jose Reina.

Seven minutes before the break and Liverpool doubled their advantage.

The goal was route-one, but was a high-class effort as Alonso picked up the ball just outside his own area - he spotted the run of Cisse and picked him out with a 60-yard pass which allowed the Frenchman to just touch the ball past the advancing Tomasz Kuszczak and into the empty net.

A clearly unhappy Bryan Robson introduced Hungarian ace Zoltan Gera at the interval and it almost paid dividends immediately.

His first contribution was a cross-come shot which only just sailed wide of Reina's upright and then just moments later the Liverpool number one had his palms stung by a rasping left-footed volley which he managed to grab at the second attempt.

Liverpool were still in cruise control and could have added further to their lead, with Cisse breaking clear - but unlike the first half - Kuszczak was equal to it and saved.

Gera had yet another chance after the hour mark, but again Reina was equal to it.

A rare piece of sloppy defending from Liverpool almost allowed West Brom a route back into the game as Kevin Campbell got the wrong side of Sami Hyypia, he took it past Reina but his touch was bad and it came to Jonathan Greening who blazed over.

Benitez was now happy for his side to play the game out at 2-0 and the was highlighted by the introduction of Jan Kromkamp for Cisse.

Indeed West Brom failed to muster anything and it was Liverpool who should have added to their lead.

The best chance came for Kewell as he broke into the box and he had the chance to pick out Fernando Morientes and Luis Garcia - but instead the Australian could only find the advertising hoardings.

West Brom did have a late appeal for a penalty waved away by Uriah Rennie as the ball struck Momo Sissoko's hand - but it would have been harsh on the Liverpool man and also probably meant West Brom could have got something their play did not deserve.


Chelsea 0 - 0 Birmingham

Anyone remember the score when we beat Birmingham? I think we only scored a couple!

[Dark Drakan]

Nice to see the gap at the top closing, hope United can keep it up and Chelsea buckle under the pressure.