Manchester City overtook local rivals United to join Arsenal at the top of the Barclays Premier League with a comfortable 3-1 win away to West Ham United on Saturday. The victory was achieved without unsettled skipper Carlos Tevez, who was suspended and reported to be homesick for Argentina.
It is the first time City has occupied such a lofty position at this juncture of the season since 1977, when they ultimately lost out to Liverpool by a single point. Interestingly, that particular City side included current assistant manger Brian Kidd. However, Roberto Mancini’s offsider is not about to get over-excited.
“You don’t win anything in December but if we’re still in the shake-up come March or April we can start to think in those tersms,“ Kidd told reporters from the Mail Online. ”The last time City were in this situation was in the ‘70s when I was there as a player.”
At Upton Park the visitors looked a class apart, and Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure gave them a deserved lead in the 29th minute.
The Hammers gave it a go after the break and should have had a penalty when the same Yaya Toure handled in the box. Everyone seemed to see the infringement except the match officials, and it was another testament to the old adage that when you’re down you somehow never seem to get the breaks.
By contrast it was certainly Yaya Toure’s day. Having got away with the handball, on 72 minutes he found himself bearing down on Robert Green’s goal from the left hand flank. Toure ambitiously tried to slot the ball between Green and his near post from a 45 degree angle. His shot hit the post and ricocheted off the unfortunate keeper’s back into the net.
Coming on as a substitute for Mario Balotelli, new England international Adam Johnson again gave a good account of himself and coolly rounded Green for City’s third having been played in by David Silva.
Johnson’s twinkling feet have caught the eye every time he has come onto the park this season, and he has shone even while surrounded by the club’s galaxy of foreign stars. He may well prove to be the most exciting home grown player to wear the sky blue since Mike Summerbee.
James Tomkins managed a consolation for West Ham with a couple of minutes left, but by that time many of the despondent home fans had already quit the ground.
It is the first time City has occupied such a lofty position at this juncture of the season since 1977, when they ultimately lost out to Liverpool by a single point. Interestingly, that particular City side included current assistant manger Brian Kidd. However, Roberto Mancini’s offsider is not about to get over-excited.
“You don’t win anything in December but if we’re still in the shake-up come March or April we can start to think in those tersms,“ Kidd told reporters from the Mail Online. ”The last time City were in this situation was in the ‘70s when I was there as a player.”
At Upton Park the visitors looked a class apart, and Ivory Coast international Yaya Toure gave them a deserved lead in the 29th minute.
The Hammers gave it a go after the break and should have had a penalty when the same Yaya Toure handled in the box. Everyone seemed to see the infringement except the match officials, and it was another testament to the old adage that when you’re down you somehow never seem to get the breaks.
By contrast it was certainly Yaya Toure’s day. Having got away with the handball, on 72 minutes he found himself bearing down on Robert Green’s goal from the left hand flank. Toure ambitiously tried to slot the ball between Green and his near post from a 45 degree angle. His shot hit the post and ricocheted off the unfortunate keeper’s back into the net.
Coming on as a substitute for Mario Balotelli, new England international Adam Johnson again gave a good account of himself and coolly rounded Green for City’s third having been played in by David Silva.
Johnson’s twinkling feet have caught the eye every time he has come onto the park this season, and he has shone even while surrounded by the club’s galaxy of foreign stars. He may well prove to be the most exciting home grown player to wear the sky blue since Mike Summerbee.
James Tomkins managed a consolation for West Ham with a couple of minutes left, but by that time many of the despondent home fans had already quit the ground.
Newcastle Bounces Back
Inconsistent Newcastle United bounced back from last week’s disappointment and gave new boss Alan Pardew the perfect start with a satisfying 3-1 home win over Liverpool.
Magpies’ skipper Kevin Nolan, who was himself born in Liverpool, was back in the side after recovering from an ankle injury and he opened the scoring for the home team after a quarter of an hour.
Joey Barton, yet another Scouser plying his trade on Tyneside, was also back in the Newcastle side. It was his cleverly chipped free kick that found Andy Carroll, who headed the ball down for his captain to score.
The Reds pushed Newcastle hard in the latter stages of the first half and at the start of the second. They were rewarded for their efforts with a Dirk Kuyt goal which brought them level on 49 minutes.
Liverpool missed chances to take the lead and as the game wore on Newcastle’s players gradually began to re-assert themselves. With 10 minutes remaining the pressure told, and Barton nipped in between a pair of defenders to poach a goal from close range with ten minutes left.
The visitors would still have fancied their chances of salvaging a point, but those hopes were dashed when Andy Carroll rifled in a pile-driver from well outside the box in the final minute to ensure that the points were Newcastle’s.
Aston Villa came out on top in the Midlands derby with a 2-1 triumph over West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park.
West Brom arguably had the better of the first half, with Somen Tchoyi being denied by the frame of the goal at the 21 minute mark, but they found themselves going into the break one down in the wake of Stuart Downing’s 29th minute strike for the hosts.
The visitors continued to hold their own in the second period, but Ashley Young was always a threat for Villa, and the experience of Emile Heskey, returning to lead the line after several weeks on the injured list, proved the difference when he secured the points for Villa with a close-range header on 79 minutes.
West Brom finally made it onto the score sheet courtesy of Paul Scharner’s header with a minute to go, but there was to be no miracle turnabout in time added on.
Blackpool’s creditable away form continued with a valuable away win at Stoke in what was being termed the “Mathews derby”. Blackpool’s return to the top flight after decades in the wilderness has had the historians reaching for their record books on almost a weekly basis. Both sets of supporters were happy to applaud a montage of Sir Stanley Mathews’ exploits prior to the kick-off.
One of England’s favourite sons, Mathews played 701 games for these two clubs between 1932 and 1965. Were it not for the suspension of competition for several years during the Second World War, that total would have been very much higher.
This was the first meeting in the top tier of English football between the maestro’s two clubs since 1971. There was plenty of cut and thrust between the two old adversaries with both creating chances and hitting the woodwork.
But the encounter was decided by a single goal from the Seasiders’ DJ Campell 2 minutes into the second half. It was Blackpool’s first win away at Stoke for 47 years.
Everton and Wigan athletic played out a goalless draw at Goodison Park, and the solitary point will further neither club’s need to pull clear of the drop zone.
Fulham and Sunderland managers Mark Hughes and Steve Bruce were teammates for many years at Old Trafford, and it was honours even as their sides drew 0-0 at Craven Cottage. Steve Bruce will have gone home the happier of the two having achieved a point away from home, which keeps his side in sixth place.
Magpies’ skipper Kevin Nolan, who was himself born in Liverpool, was back in the side after recovering from an ankle injury and he opened the scoring for the home team after a quarter of an hour.
Joey Barton, yet another Scouser plying his trade on Tyneside, was also back in the Newcastle side. It was his cleverly chipped free kick that found Andy Carroll, who headed the ball down for his captain to score.
The Reds pushed Newcastle hard in the latter stages of the first half and at the start of the second. They were rewarded for their efforts with a Dirk Kuyt goal which brought them level on 49 minutes.
Liverpool missed chances to take the lead and as the game wore on Newcastle’s players gradually began to re-assert themselves. With 10 minutes remaining the pressure told, and Barton nipped in between a pair of defenders to poach a goal from close range with ten minutes left.
The visitors would still have fancied their chances of salvaging a point, but those hopes were dashed when Andy Carroll rifled in a pile-driver from well outside the box in the final minute to ensure that the points were Newcastle’s.
Midlands Derby Triumph for Villa
Aston Villa came out on top in the Midlands derby with a 2-1 triumph over West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park.
West Brom arguably had the better of the first half, with Somen Tchoyi being denied by the frame of the goal at the 21 minute mark, but they found themselves going into the break one down in the wake of Stuart Downing’s 29th minute strike for the hosts.
The visitors continued to hold their own in the second period, but Ashley Young was always a threat for Villa, and the experience of Emile Heskey, returning to lead the line after several weeks on the injured list, proved the difference when he secured the points for Villa with a close-range header on 79 minutes.
West Brom finally made it onto the score sheet courtesy of Paul Scharner’s header with a minute to go, but there was to be no miracle turnabout in time added on.
Blackpool Win at Stoke
Blackpool’s creditable away form continued with a valuable away win at Stoke in what was being termed the “Mathews derby”. Blackpool’s return to the top flight after decades in the wilderness has had the historians reaching for their record books on almost a weekly basis. Both sets of supporters were happy to applaud a montage of Sir Stanley Mathews’ exploits prior to the kick-off.
One of England’s favourite sons, Mathews played 701 games for these two clubs between 1932 and 1965. Were it not for the suspension of competition for several years during the Second World War, that total would have been very much higher.
This was the first meeting in the top tier of English football between the maestro’s two clubs since 1971. There was plenty of cut and thrust between the two old adversaries with both creating chances and hitting the woodwork.
But the encounter was decided by a single goal from the Seasiders’ DJ Campell 2 minutes into the second half. It was Blackpool’s first win away at Stoke for 47 years.
No Goals
Everton and Wigan athletic played out a goalless draw at Goodison Park, and the solitary point will further neither club’s need to pull clear of the drop zone.
Fulham and Sunderland managers Mark Hughes and Steve Bruce were teammates for many years at Old Trafford, and it was honours even as their sides drew 0-0 at Craven Cottage. Steve Bruce will have gone home the happier of the two having achieved a point away from home, which keeps his side in sixth place.
