The visitors would not have been happy to see the name of Chelsea’s star striker Didier Drogba back on the team sheet, but it turned out to be the main man’s understudy Saloman Kalou that netted the insurance marker on 80 minutes after a sublime display of passing initiated by Kalou himself.
Earlier, France’s latest skipper Florent Malouda, had put Chelsea ahead after 23 minutes of the first half in a routine day at the office for the league leaders.
Birmingham Triumph
It is many a long year since Birmingham and Blackpool have met in the top flight. There was no Mathews, Mortenson or Merrick on show, but the current crop of players put on an entertaining enough display in the driving rain at a windswept St. Andrews.
The Blues have so far failed to live up to the promise of last season, but today they were worthy 2-0 winners with the likes of Alex Hleb and Nikola Zigic starting to look the part. In fact it was the Serb who grabbed the decisive goal on 56 minutes after Liam Ridgewell had put Alex McLeish’s team ahead in the first half.
Wigan and Bolton played out a 1-1 draw at the DW Stadium with Hugo Rodallega and Johan Elmander adding to their goal tallies. Not a match to set the pulses racing, but both teams will be satisfied with four and five match unbeaten runs respectively.
Aston villa defender Richard Dunne has the ignominy of being the Premier League’s all-time leader in own goals. He scored his eighth at the Stadium of Light to hand Sunderland a hard earned three points. Villa certainly had enough chances to have got something from the game, but failed to find the back of the net.
Heady days at the Hawthorns right now as West Brom came from behind to achieve a victory that takes them, at least for 24 hours, up to fourth place above both Arsenal and Manchester United. After Sunday’s matches, West Brom sits in a very respectable sixth place.
Fulham were probably a trifle fortunate to go ahead when Zoltan Gera’s shot was pushed onto the post by Scott Carson, only for the ball to bounce back onto the luckless keeper and rebound into the net.
The Baggies drew level after a quarter of an hour, courtesy of Mulumbu. They continued to press and were rewarded for their endeavor when Marc-Antoine Fortune put them ahead five minutes before the interval.
Despite dominating the second period the home team was unable to add to their lead, but did enough to make sure of the victory.
Roberto Di Matteo was a winner as a player and he seems to have instilled that mentality into his players. For the first time in years, WBA look unlikely to be involved in the relation dogfight this time around. Their rookie manager is already one of this season’s success stories.
