Two glorious goals from French international Samir Nasri have given Arsenal a 2-1 home win over Fulham.
The victory takes them back to the top of the English Premier League, a position they held for just a couple of hours a week ago. This time around, the reign will be rather longer as Manchester United’s match at Blackpool was postponed due to a frozen pitch and Chelsea dropped points at home to Everton.
Fulham haven’t managed a win away to Arsenal in over a century and it looked like business as usual when the in-form Nasri scored a wonderful goal after 13 minutes. In fact that would have been his second but for a fine save by Mark Schwarzer a few minutes earlier.
Everyone associated with Fulham will be overjoyed that the veteran Australian international has signed a new contract and will be staying at Craven Cottage. His presence will be crucial to Fulham’s survival in the top flight.
If Arsenal fans expected the flood gates to open they were to be disappointed. While Nasri and Arshevin were at times doing things that took one’s breath away, the team as a whole was not really convincing as a unit.
The lack of understanding in the Arsenal defense was glaringly evident when Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny both went for the same ball and smashed into each other. Clint Dempsey picked up the loose ball and put it in the path of Diomansy Kamara, who happily accepted the opportunity to tie things up. Koscielny, meanwhile, had to be carried off injured.
Fulham remained in contention and both sides missed chances. With Arsenal unable to dominate as they would have liked, they might well have had to settle for a point had it not been for another sublime piece of Nasri magic. It was one of those goals for which no verbal description can ever be adequate, but let me say that George Best would have been proud to score that one.
Chelsea Manager Carlo Ancelotti told EPL website reporters that he was “disappointed and angry” with his team’s 1-1 draw at home to Everton, and two more points dropped in the championship race.
Everton set a cracking pace at Stamford Bridge and were obviously resolved to prevent Chelsea finding their rhythm. Nonetheless, the home team could have grabbed the lead when a shot from returning skipper John Terry hit the bar.
The victory takes them back to the top of the English Premier League, a position they held for just a couple of hours a week ago. This time around, the reign will be rather longer as Manchester United’s match at Blackpool was postponed due to a frozen pitch and Chelsea dropped points at home to Everton.
Fulham haven’t managed a win away to Arsenal in over a century and it looked like business as usual when the in-form Nasri scored a wonderful goal after 13 minutes. In fact that would have been his second but for a fine save by Mark Schwarzer a few minutes earlier.
Everyone associated with Fulham will be overjoyed that the veteran Australian international has signed a new contract and will be staying at Craven Cottage. His presence will be crucial to Fulham’s survival in the top flight.
If Arsenal fans expected the flood gates to open they were to be disappointed. While Nasri and Arshevin were at times doing things that took one’s breath away, the team as a whole was not really convincing as a unit.
The lack of understanding in the Arsenal defense was glaringly evident when Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny both went for the same ball and smashed into each other. Clint Dempsey picked up the loose ball and put it in the path of Diomansy Kamara, who happily accepted the opportunity to tie things up. Koscielny, meanwhile, had to be carried off injured.
Fulham remained in contention and both sides missed chances. With Arsenal unable to dominate as they would have liked, they might well have had to settle for a point had it not been for another sublime piece of Nasri magic. It was one of those goals for which no verbal description can ever be adequate, but let me say that George Best would have been proud to score that one.
Chelsea Drop Points Again
Chelsea Manager Carlo Ancelotti told EPL website reporters that he was “disappointed and angry” with his team’s 1-1 draw at home to Everton, and two more points dropped in the championship race.
Everton set a cracking pace at Stamford Bridge and were obviously resolved to prevent Chelsea finding their rhythm. Nonetheless, the home team could have grabbed the lead when a shot from returning skipper John Terry hit the bar.
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Chelsea finally had some joy four minutes prior to half time when Everton keeper Tim Howard brought down Nicholas Anelka and Didier Drogba made no mistake from the spot.
However, Chelsea were unable to capitalize on their advantage in the second half, and it was the visitors who looked most likely to score.
A deserved equalizer finally arrived with 86 minutes on the clock. A Leighton Baines cross was headed back across goal by Tim Cahill onto the head of substitute Jermaine Beckford, who finished well.
The draw saw last season’s champions, Chelsea, slip another rung lower. After dropping from the top of the ladder to second for the first time this season following the previous week’s draw, they are now in third place. In fact, they have only taken five premiership points from their last six matches and are in a serious form slump.
Carlos Tevez scored his tenth goal of the season after only four minutes, and that proved to be enough to give Manchester City a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers and keep the side from Eastlands in touch with the leaders.
City really should have added more, with Mario Balotelli and David Silva both hitting the frame of the goal. Bolton struggled to compete for much of the game, but could have snatched an equalizer 19 minutes from time when Vincent Kompany cleared off the line for City with goalkeeper Joe Hart out of the picture.
Blackburn Rovers bounced back well from their thrashing at Old Trafford last week with a convincing 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, thanks to goals from David Dunn, Brett Emerton and Ryan Nelsen.
Wigan Athletic drew 2-2 with Stoke City. Robert Huth opened the scoring for the visitors with a deflected 30 yard free kick. Wigan drew level thanks to a Danny Collins own goal, before Matthew Etherington restored Stoke’s advantage. Five minutes before half time it was all square again when a shot from Tom Cleverley went in off Rory Delap. The second period produced no more goals.
In a 1-1 draw at St. Andrews, Tottenham Hotspur went ahead through a Sebastien Bassong strike on 18 minutes. It was his first goal for 16 months. Spurs were good value for their lead in the opening 45 minutes, but Birmingham came back as the match wore on and secured a share of the points thanks to a strike from Craig Gardener with nine minutes left. The single point leaves Spurs in fifth place, three points adrift of Manchester City, while Birmingham is down in 14th.
However, Chelsea were unable to capitalize on their advantage in the second half, and it was the visitors who looked most likely to score.
A deserved equalizer finally arrived with 86 minutes on the clock. A Leighton Baines cross was headed back across goal by Tim Cahill onto the head of substitute Jermaine Beckford, who finished well.
The draw saw last season’s champions, Chelsea, slip another rung lower. After dropping from the top of the ladder to second for the first time this season following the previous week’s draw, they are now in third place. In fact, they have only taken five premiership points from their last six matches and are in a serious form slump.
Tevez on Target Again
Carlos Tevez scored his tenth goal of the season after only four minutes, and that proved to be enough to give Manchester City a 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers and keep the side from Eastlands in touch with the leaders.
City really should have added more, with Mario Balotelli and David Silva both hitting the frame of the goal. Bolton struggled to compete for much of the game, but could have snatched an equalizer 19 minutes from time when Vincent Kompany cleared off the line for City with goalkeeper Joe Hart out of the picture.
Other Results
Blackburn Rovers bounced back well from their thrashing at Old Trafford last week with a convincing 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, thanks to goals from David Dunn, Brett Emerton and Ryan Nelsen.
Wigan Athletic drew 2-2 with Stoke City. Robert Huth opened the scoring for the visitors with a deflected 30 yard free kick. Wigan drew level thanks to a Danny Collins own goal, before Matthew Etherington restored Stoke’s advantage. Five minutes before half time it was all square again when a shot from Tom Cleverley went in off Rory Delap. The second period produced no more goals.
In a 1-1 draw at St. Andrews, Tottenham Hotspur went ahead through a Sebastien Bassong strike on 18 minutes. It was his first goal for 16 months. Spurs were good value for their lead in the opening 45 minutes, but Birmingham came back as the match wore on and secured a share of the points thanks to a strike from Craig Gardener with nine minutes left. The single point leaves Spurs in fifth place, three points adrift of Manchester City, while Birmingham is down in 14th.
