Premier League Football News

West Ham United 2-1 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's relegation from the Barclays Premier League was confirmed with this away defeat.

Gareth Southgate's men needed a big victory and for results to go their way but they failed to do their part, with Junior Stanislas' weak shot sneaking past Boro keeper Brad Jones for the winner at Upton Park.

Carlton Cole had given the Hammers a first-half lead but Boro were given hope when Gary O'Neil levelled and their relegation rivals were losing.

Arsenal 4-1 Stoke City

Arsenal finished the season on a high with victory over Stoke City at the Emirates Stadium.

An own goal from James Beattie was swiftly followed up by a penalty from Robin van Persie and Abou Diaby's bullet header.

Stoke, safe from any last-day relegation drama, pulled a goal back from the spot through Ricardo Fuller, only for Rory Delap to then gift van Persie his second four minutes before half-time.

Sunderland 2-3 Chelsea

Guus Hiddink's Barclays Premier League reign ended with a win as hosts Sunderland stayed up.

Ashley Cole struck four minutes from time to effectively clinch victory, although Kenwyne Jones' 90th-minute header set up a grandstand finish.

Nicolas Anelka had put Chelsea ahead with a 47th-minute piledriver and substitute Salomon Kalou restored the lead with 16 minutes remaining after Kieran Richardson had levelled.

Fulham 0-2 Everton

Despite going down to two goals from Everton's Leon Osman, Fulham clinched a place in the Europa League.

Everton made sure of fifth place in the Barclays Premier League with a comfortable victory over Fulham.

A brace from Osman, one in each half, helped the Toffees warm-up for next week's FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Fulham's season still ended on a high, though, as Tottenham Hotspur's defeat at Liverpool assured them of seventh place and qualification for next season's Europa League.

Hull City 0-1 Manchester United

Hull City have stayed in the Barclays Premier League despite losing their final fixture.

As expected, Manchester United rotated their squad ahead of the Champions League final and fielded several youngsters.

The champions took the lead on 24 minutes with a stunning 25-yard drive from Darron Gibson from just outside the left corner of the area. The ball arrowed across goal and into the far top right corner.

City were unable to find an equaliser but Newcastle United's 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa ensured the Tigers remain in the top flight.

Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool claimed runners-up spot and denied Tottenham Hotspur European football with this victory.

The Reds stretched their unbeaten home record to 30 matches with this comfortable win at Anfield.

Fernando Torres' opener, an own goal from Alan Hutton and the third from Yossi Benayoun secured the points.

Spurs hit back with a second-half effort from Robbie Keane on his return to Anfield, but defeat ensured Spurs will not be playing in Europe next season.

(All From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines)

Reserve League Play-off preview

Aston Villa and Sunderland meet in the Barclays Premier Reserve League Play-off at Villa Park on Thursday.

Sunderland won the North League by seven points from Manchester United. They clinched the title with a 3-0 victory at Manchester City.

Jean-Yves M'voto, Jack Colback and Jamie Chandler were on the scoresheet as Sunderland ran out comfortable winners.

The Black Cats now travel to Villa who held off a late challenge from Tottenham Hotspur to win the southern section.

great season

The Midlands men sealed the Barclays Premier Reserve League South title with a 2-0 win at home to West Bromwich Albion thanks to goals from Marc Albrighton and James Collins.

Albrighton gave Kevin MacDonald's team the lead on 35 minutes with a curling left-foot effort after a motoring run from Nathan Delfouneso.

The league title was wrapped up in the first minute of stoppage time when Collins converted an Albrighton cross.

It was the second successive season that Villa had won the southern division and Albrighton stressed they are desperate to avenge last season's play-off defeat against Liverpool at Anfield.

He said: "Last season was a great season - we won the academy title and just lost out to Liverpool in the reserve final.

"At the start of this season our thoughts were on going one better and winning the play-off final at the end of the season."

Villa have high hopes for some of their youngsters with Barry Bannan and Albrighton already receiving senior experience after playing in the 2-0 defeat away to CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup this season.

Nathan Delfouneso has also progressed through to the first-team and Villa are delighted with the return to action of midfielder Jonathan Hogg.

He was sidelined for 11 months following major knee surgery but has bounced back strongly, scoring the Reserves' Goal of the Season with a stunning 30-yard volley against Portsmouth.

With Villa's second string featuring 15 different marksmen this season, Hogg's four goals have made him their leading striker.

Manager Martin O'Neill is delighted with the back-to-back titles from MacDonald's team saying: "Kevin has once again done a magnificent job - even though I often leave him having to change his team plans right up to the last minute."

fantastic achievement

Sunderland lost just three times and conceded only 13 goals in their 20 matches. One of those rare set-backs came with a 2-0 defeat at runners-up Manchester United after the Black Cats had already sealed the Premier Reserve League North title, a feat recognised by a guard of honour from the United players.

Sunderland coach Neil Bailey said: "It's a fantastic achievement by the lads, they have had the bit between their teeth since day one.

"They've been top for so long and it's not easy to do, no matter what level you are playing at. They deserve a lot of credit.

"They've had a really good season, performed to high standards in training and taken it into the games and they are getting their rewards.

"If you enter something it's nice to win it and this group of players have that desire in them. They can be pleased with themselves, it was a job well done."

Manager Ricky Sbragia said: "It's been a fantastic season for our reserve side, especially as the squad is made up of mainly youngsters, which of course gives us great hope for the future.

"Neil has done a fantastic job, not only in achieving success for the reserve side but in his work with the first team too."

Sunderland Reserve team skipper Jack Colback said: "We've gone from strength to strength this season and, as a group of players, we have done really well," he said.

"Whatever competition you enter, you want to win it. We'll go into the play-off with a lot of confidence."

The Reserve League Play-off at Villa Park kicks off at 7pm on Thursday 21st May and admission is free.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1661128,00.html)

Premier League Football News

Portsmouth 0-3 Arsenal

Arsenal's understrength side still had enough quality to beat Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

The Gunners were captained by Andrey Arshavin with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor and Manuel Almunia all rested ahead of Tuesday night's Champions League semi-final, second leg against Manchester United.

Nicklas Bendtner put them ahead following a mistake by England goalkeeper David James on 13 minutes, before making it 2-0 from the penalty spot before half-time. Mexican Carlos Vela wrapped things up on 56 minutes.

Manchester City 3-1 Blackburn Rovers

Manchester City romped to an easy win over Blackburn Rovers at Eastlands.

Felipe Caicedo opened the Blues account 18 minutes before half-time with one of the scrappiest goals of the season.

But Robinho drilled home a second well enough before Elano added a third from the spot, ensuring Keith Andrews' second-half effort had minimal impact.

Chelsea 3-1 Fulham

Chelsea strolled to a comfortable win over west London rivals Fulham to keep-up the pressure on Liverpool.

Goals from Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba helped Guus Hiddink's side sharpen their attacking capabilities ahead of Wednesday's Champions League semi-final, second leg against Barcelona.

Anelka put Chelsea ahead inside 50 seconds but Erik Nevland levelled for Fulham four minutes later. Malouda restored Chelsea's lead in the 10th minute and Drogba ended the scoring with a third in the second half.

Wigan Athletic 0-0 Bolton Wanderers

Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers fought out the first ever goalless draw between the sides.

The sides had never previously finished blank in 21 meetings but this result inched Bolton a step closer to safety and badly hit Wigan's fading hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen earned Bolton their point with three first-half saves.

The Finn twice denied Hugo Rodallega, once with the aid of a post, and also tipped over Mido's long-range effort.

However, the crossbar came to Wigan's rescue before the interval when Bolton defender Gary Cahill's deflected strike rebounded back of the woodwork.

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

Jermaine Jenas scored the only goal as Tottenham Hotspur increased West Bromwich Albion's relegation fears.

Jenas netted two minutes before the break to maintain Spurs' push for a Europa League place and leave Albion in desperate danger of the drop.

Jermaine Defoe had an effort disallowed with Jonas Olsson going close for the Baggies. Heurelho Gomes made some fine saves for Spurs who have now chalked up six successive clean sheets at White Hart Lane.

Stoke City 0-1 West Ham United

Diego Tristan boosted West Ham's hopes of qualifying for the Europa League with the only goal of the match.

Tristan scored a superb free-kick after 32 minutes to leave Stoke City still searching for the win which would surely make them safe.

Middlesbrough 0-2 Manchester United

Manchester United's comfortable win stretched their lead at the top of the Barclays Premier League to six points.

Ryan Giggs fired the champions in front with a crisp left-foot drive on 25 minutes for his second league goal of the season.

Ji-Sung Park netted the second on 51 minutes, drilling in from Wayne Rooney's clever through-ball.

The victory means Sir Alex Ferguson's men now need just seven points from their remaining four matches to clinch a hat-trick of titles.

It also leaves Middlesbrough deep in relegation trouble three points adrift of safety with three to play.

(All From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/)

Blackburn Rovers 2-0 Wigan Athletic

Ryan Nelsen scored his first Barclays League Premier League goal as Blackburn Rovers took a huge stride towards safety with victory over Wigan Athletic at Ewood Park.

The New Zealand defender headed home Benni McCarthy's free-kick on the hour after McCarthy had given Rovers the lead on the stroke of half -time.

Hugo Rodallega had hit the woodwork for Wigan in the third minute and the home side had Paul Robinson to thank for retaining their advantage in the second half.

Wigan gave the home side a mighty scare as early as the third minute when Antonio Valencia broke past Stephen Warnock on the right and floated a shot over Paul Robinson which crashed away off the underside of the bar.

Hugo Rodallega also threatened from the opposite flank as Allardyce's men began looking jittery, although Samba - playing up front as expected - almost got his foot on a long Warnock cross to the back post in the 11th minute.

Rovers came even closer one minute later when Morten Gamst Pedersen flashed a ball across the box and once again the lurking Samba just failed to get the crucial touch in front of goal.

El-Hadji Diouf was just beaten to Benni McCarthy's right-wing cross by Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland as the home side's early nerves seemed to evaporate and the dangerous Samba looked the most likely source of a breakthrough.

priceless opener

Wigan had a lucky escape in the 23rd minute when Pedersen's deep cross eluded everybody until it fell to Diouf at the far post, and his header goalwards was booted off the line despite Lee Cattermole slipping as he did so.

N'Zogbia lashed a left-foot shot wide for the visitors who continued to show plenty of purpose in their attacks. Watson should have done better when he was set up by Rodallega in the 26th minute but fired over the bar.

The visitors continued to shade the action up to the break, threatening from a series of Watson corners, while Allardyce's shortage of attacking options was underlined again by his side's absence of clear-cut chances.

However just as the half seemed destined to end in stalemate, McCarthy rose to meet Pedersen's corner in the final minute of the half and headed a potentially priceless opener past Kirkland.

Latics manager Bruce replaced the ineffective Mido with Amr Zaki at the break, handing the Egyptian striker a shot at redemption for the first time since the player was fined for returning late from international duty.

But Rovers had the first chance of the half in the 54th minute when Samba out-jumped Kirkland to meet Andre Ooijer's cross from the right but steered the ball just the wrong side of the post.

sharp effort

One minute later the visitors came closer when Valencia cut across the box and played a clever ball which put Watson through, but the midfielder's low drive was parried away by Robinson.

Rovers took another huge stride towards safety on the hour when they grabbed their second goal, McCarthy flinging in a free-kick from the left and captain Nelsen rising to flick home his first goal for the club.

Robinson denied Wigan an opportunity to reduce the deficit in the 65th minute with a series of fine saves which started when he tipped a Charles N'Zogbia header over the bar for a corner.

From Watson's set-piece Emmerson Boyce saw his initial shot cleared off the line before Robinson parried Valencia's long-range follow-up then Scharner's goal-bound close-range header.

Robinson continued to deny the Latics a chance at getting back in the match, stretching well to parry another sharp effort from the dangerous Rodallega in the 72nd minute.

To their credit Wigan pressed to the end and Robinson was called into action in injury time to save again from substitute Daniel De Ridder, and Ooijer booting a late Titus Bramble effort off the line.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~45183,00.html)

Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough

Captain Cesc Fabregas scored both goals as Arsenal warmed up for their Champions League semi-final against Manchester United with a 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Middlesbrough at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners are now all but safe in fourth place following a run of 20 league matches without defeat.

Andrey Arshavin, who smashed in four goals at Liverpool in midweek, was again inspirational, but will not be eligible for the European tie against holders United.

With leading scorer Robin van Persie still sidelined by a groin problem, the double salvo by Fabregas and the return to fitness of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia could not have come at a better time.

With such a vital Champions League tie only some 72 hours away, manager Arsene Wenger would have been forgiven if he had rested a couple of his key men today in front of the watchful eyes of Sir Alex Ferguson in the Emirates crowd.

However, Arsenal had named a strong starting XI and remained positive from the outset, with Theo Walcott - in his 100th appearance for the club - looking to get clear down the right and Arshavin deployed in a roaming role from the left.

The first opening came after eight minutes. Walcott was sent clear by Fabregas, but Robert Huth, the former Chelsea defender, made a fine recovery tackle.

Arsenal continued to press Boro on the edge of the area, with full-back Kieran Gibbs almost getting on the end of Fabregas' pass at the near post.

crucial block

Arshavin snatched possession some 18 yards out, but could not make enough space for a clean shot, and would perhaps have been better to play Fabregas in on the overlap down the left.

To their credit Boro continued to chase down the home side albeit without making too much impression in the opposition half.

The Gunners went ahead on 26 minutes. Nicklas Bendtner flicked the ball to Fabregas in the centre-circle, and the Arsenal captain immediately released Arshavin down the left. The Russian raced into the area before laying the ball back across into the path of the on-rushing Fabregas, who drilled his shot past Brad Jones, low in the far corner.

Arsenal looked for a second, and Walcott screwed a shot across the face of goal when a square pass to Bendtner in the centre looked the better option.

Almunia, fit again following an ankle problem, was called into action on 43 minutes when he saved Stewart Downing's 20-yard snap-shot at full strength, down to the left.

Boro almost snatched an equaliser when former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere took a through ball on his chest and raced into the area, but Almunia was quick off his line to make a crucial block.

closing stages

At the other end, Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue combined to tee-up Walcott six yards out, with Jones producing a quick reaction save.

In a warning for the hosts, Boro striker Marlon King fired an angled volley from Tony McMahon's cross goalwards which Almunia held, but on 67 minutes, the Gunners cut the visitors' defence open again.

Arshavin stepped inside to find a square pass to Eboue, who slid the ball through into the path of Fabregas.

Jones rushed out to close down the Arsenal captain, but was promptly rounded before Fabregas rolled the ball into the net.

The Gunners played out the closing stages to record a first win over Boro since January 2006 to go into Wednesday's match at Old Trafford full of confidence.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~45182,00.html)

Manchester United 5-2 Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United staged a stunning fight-back to go back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

After being overhauled by Liverpool earlier in the day, United found themselves 2-0 down at half-time as Darren Bent and Luke Modric gave Tottenham Hotspur a commanding lead.

However the champions hit back to win with two goals apiece from Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

Dimitar Berbatov scored the fifth against his old club to put the Red Devils three points clear of the Merseysiders with a match in hand.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1639413,00.html)

Premier League Football News

Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Aston Villa

Bolton Wanderers moved a point closer to safety with this draw at home to Aston Villa.

Tamir Cohen marked his first start of the season by scoring for Bolton at the Reebok Stadium.

He smashed the ball home from close range in the 59th minute after Aston Villa failed to clear a free-kick from Matt Taylor.

The visitors had taken the lead through Ashley Young but have now failed to win in 12 matches in all competitions.

A full match report will be available shortly.

Hull City 1-3 Liverpool

Liverpool kept up the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the table.

Xabi Alonso put the Reds ahead, and after Caleb Folan had been sent-off for Hull City, Dirk Kuyt made it 2-0.

Geovanni reduced the arrears before Kuyt made sure of victory late on.

A full match report will be available shortly.

Fulham 1-0 Stoke City

A first-half goal was enough to see Fulham keep up their push for a place in Europe.

Erik Nevland scored the only goal of the match after 29 minutes to give Roy Hodgson's side victory.

A full match report will be available shortly.

West Ham United 0-1 Chelsea

Chelsea kept up the pressure towards the top of the Barclays Premier League with a narrow victory at West Ham United.

The Blues scored the only goal on 55 minutes through Salomon Kalou. Frank Lampard wriggled to the byline down the left and floated a cross to the far post, where Kalou took one touch before planting his finish into the empty net for his ninth goal of the season.

A full match report will be available shortly.

West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Sunderland

West Bromwich Albion kept alive their hopes of Barclays Premier League survival with a convincing win over Sunderland.

Jonas Olsson broke the deadlock after 40 minutes putting Albion in front with his third goal of the campaign.

Greening's inswinging corner flicked off the head of Marc-Antoine Fortune to Olsson whose low left-footed half volley flew past Marton Fulop.

After 58 minutes Brunt scored his fourth goal in the last three matches to double the Baggies lead.

Fortune held off a weak challenge from Anton Ferdinand and his low cross from the byline was turned home at close range by the Northern Ireland international.

Carlos Menseguez added a third two minutes from time to wrap up the points.

A full match report will be available shortly.

(All From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/)

Manchester United 2-0 Portsmouth

Paul Scholes marked his 600th Manchester United appearance in trademark fashion, supplying a great through ball that could eventually seal an 18th league championship for the Red Devils.

Chelsea's failure to beat Everton at Stamford Bridge leaves Liverpool as United's only realistic title rivals. Goals from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick mean Sir Alex Ferguson's men are now three points clear of their north-west rivals, with a match in hand.

It would be Scholes' ninth title medal. He deserves it for the sublime defence-splitting pass that set up Carrick seven minutes from time after United had failed to capitalise on Rooney's early opener.

Unusually for Scholes, until his telling late intervention he was fairly subdued as he joined Bill Foulkes, Sir Bobby Charlton and long-time team-mate Giggs in United's exclusive 600 club.

In fact, it was midfield partner Anderson and evergreen Giggs - who has now turned out an incredible 799 times for his only professional club - who caught the eye.

The pair were at the heart of most United attacking moves, combining in brilliant fashion for Rooney's early opener.

As Sir Alex Ferguson is well aware, quick goals are vital at this stage of the season, when nerves can create so many problems at both ends of the table.

So the United manager must have been delighted to see Anderson sent Giggs flying down the left flank with a brilliant reverse pass that found the Welshman just onside.

forward line

With 10 championship medals to his name, Giggs is not in the habit of panicking in such situations. And he calmly rolled his cross along the six-yard box, where Rooney gleefully tapped him.

Had Rooney been allowed to dart onto another precise Giggs pass at the end of a one-sided opening period, United would have had the victory they craved wrapped up with half the match remaining.

Instead, a very marginal offside decision went against them, as did a failure to convert a series of excellent chances, the best of which fell to Giggs.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the provider with a low cross from the right. Giggs' deft chip sailed over David James but bounced agonisingly wide of the post.

Substitute John O'Shea, who replaced Gary Neville shortly after Rooney's opener, had a header cleared off the line by Nadir Belhadj, with Giggs spurning another opportunity after Rooney had sent him through, United's stand-in skipper firing straight at James.

The half-time introduction of Jermaine Pennant brought some pace to Portsmouth's forward line. The problem for Pompey was they struggled to get into an area where it might be exploited.

bottom corner

On the one occasion they did, Glen Johnson was the provider. But Edwin van der Sar read his idea and pushed the England defender's low cross away from Peter Crouch.

Van der Sar was one of nine changes to Ferguson's FA Cup semi-final line-up.

Yet still the United manager could afford to leave Rio Ferdinand out altogether and have both Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on the bench.

And once O'Shea had limped off, leaving Ferguson with a single remaining substitution, it was the Argentina star most United fans wanted to see introduced.

By then, anxiety appeared to have set in. In addition to Johnson's cross, Van der Sar had to keep out a volley from Crouch and a far more dangerous header from the same man that seemed destined for the bottom corner.

Rooney would have restored a sense of calm if he had finished instead of firing straight at James after shrugging off the attentions of Johnson to reach Van der Sar's long punt forward.

Yet Portsmouth's urgency left Ferguson to conclude neither Tevez nor Berbatov would be needed, bringing on Michael Carrick instead to help steady the ship.

The tactic worked a dream, although probably not in the way Ferguson imagined as the England man collected Scholes' superb pass and finished smartly.

It left Pompey dangling precariously six points above the drop zone, facing a crucial trip to Newcastle United on Monday.

By then, United will be getting ready to face Arsenal in a Champions League semi-final, with Scholes hoping another of those cherished title medals is within touching distance.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~44741,00.html)

Chelsea 0-0 Everton

Battling Everton ended Chelsea's lingering Barclays Premier League title ambitions with a hard-fought goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.

The result leaves Guus Hiddink's side three points behind second-placed Liverpool and six adrift of leaders Manchester United, who beat Portsmouth at Old Trafford and also have a game in hand.

The match, a dress rehearsal for May's FA Cup final, was dominated by both goalkeepers.

Chelsea's Petr Cech and Everton's Tim Howard took the plaudits on a night when both sides failed to make the most of their chances.

Cech was the first goalkeeper forced into action when a left-wing cross from Joleon Lescott was glanced into the arms of the Czech Republic international by Jo in the second minute.

Cech came to Chelsea's rescue in the sixth minute when Tim Cahill put Jo through with a neat pass but the Everton striker was unable to beat the home goalkeeper who kept out his shot at point-blank range.

Moments later Chelsea responded with a long-range effort from Michael Ballack smothered by Howard who dived low to his left to ensure the ball did not creep inside the post.

Minutes later Lampard, playing his 50th game of the season, sent a 25-yard shot just over Howard's crossbar.

Michael Essien tried to go one better than Lampard in the 19th minute but his effort was well off target.

Chelsea were now dominating the match but Everton still had their moments.

SUPERB SAVE

In the 22nd minute Steven Pienaar tried to curl a 25-yard shot into the top corner but unfortunately his accuracy left him down and the ball went the wrong side of Cech's left-hand upright.

Cech then had to back-pedal frantically to ensure that a long-range free-kick from Leighton Baines did not creep in underneath the crossbar.

But Everton's spell of pressure was when Joseph Yobo had to incept a Lampard pass to keep out the lurking Drogba.

Chelsea continued to press for an opening goal but Everton's defence remained resolute.

Indeed, the Toffees almost opened the scoring themselves in the 33rd minute when Jo broke down the left-flank and crossed low for Cahill.

The Australian midfielder turned cleverly before drilling a low shot towards the bottom corner of the net.

But for the third time in the match, Chelsea goalkeeper Cech pulled off a superb save to deny Everton the lead.

Cech's performance was outstanding and in complete contrast with his recent displays.

GLANCING EFFORT

The Czech Republic international had been suffering something of a confidence crisis after conceding eight goals in Chelsea's previous three fixtures.

But he kept Chelsea in this match in the first half to silence the critics who had criticised his nervy performances of late.

A lightning counter-attack from Chelsea in the 42nd minute almost brought reward for the home side.

Nicolas Anelka led the charge as he burst down the right flank but with Florent Malouda completely unmarked in the penalty area, the France international's cross was easily intercepted by Howard.

Two minutes before the break Cech raced out of his goal to beat Leighton Baines to the ball as Everton threatened to open-up the home side once more.

Cech rescued Chelsea again two minutes after the interval when a cross from Leon Osman was met by the head of Cahill.

The Everton midfielder's glancing effort was well held by Cech who was looking unbeatable in the home goal.

The Toffees continued to press forward but Pienaar was again off target when he tried his luck from 25-yards.

Chelsea managed to wrestle back the initiative from the visitors but despite some intricate approach play, there was little invention in their attack.

SAVED SUPERBLY

The best they could muster was a clever flick from Drogba that set Anelka racing into the penalty area but his shot flew across the six-yard box without troubling Howard.

A minute later John Terry almost broke the deadlock for the home side when he let fly from fully 30 yards only for Howard to leap spectacularly to his left to deny the captain an opening goal.

Salomon Kalou then squandered a clear opportunity when he fired high over the bar from a corner by Malouda.

Jo wasted a chance to pinch the points for Everton when he fired high and wide from 18-yards in the 73rd minute.

Chelsea's Kalou did likewise at the opposite end when he headed a cross from Malouda over the bar from six yards.

Everton goalkeeper Howard then saved superbly to deny Kalou in the 79th minute after Lampard's corner found him unmarked.

Pienaar and Cahill both wasted late chances for Everton while Drogba hit the crossbar with a volley in injury time - a miss that almost certainly ended Chelsea's interest in the title race.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~45138,00.html)

Benitez: United in driving seat

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says Manchester United are in the "driving seat" for the league title.

Benitez concedes it will be difficult to end the campaign above United after Tuesday night's 4-4 draw at home to Arsenal moved the Reds top.

But he believes there are still plenty of twists left in the championship race, despite United only being behind Liverpool on goal difference with two matches in hand - the first at home to Portsmouth on Wednesday.

keep pushing

"United are in the driving seat and we will see what happens," he said. "If they win it will be more difficult but they have to win and they also have to play against Arsenal so we will see.

"We have a point against a good team and we are top. We have to keep pushing until the last game. It's football, you never know."

Benitez was left to rue a number of uncharacteristic defensive errors which cost his side victory.

"It is really disappointing because we conceded four goals and normally we were not conceding these kind of goals," said the Liverpool manager.

"We made massive mistakes. It is difficult to explain because it was different players in different stages of the game. You don't remember any save from Pepe (Reina), it is just four chances and four goals and all of them have been our mistakes.

"The positive thing is we have scored four goals against Arsenal and the team was fighting and working hard. We know this has to be the way until the end of the season."

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1635391,00.html)

Arsenal 4-4 Liverpool

Four goals from Andrey Arshavin put a huge dent in Liverpool's Barclays Premier League title hopes as Arsenal drew 4-4 at Anfield.

The hosts went ahead of Manchester United on goal difference having come from behind three times, starting with Arshavin's first in the 36th minute.

Fernando Torres and Yossi Benayoun scored soon after the interval but three further goals from the Russian Gunner piled the pressure back on Rafael Benitez's side and even a second from Torres and an injury-time equaliser from Benayoun were not enough to force victory.

The result hands a huge advantage to United, who have two matches in hand with the first at home to Portsmouth.

Liverpool were architects of their own downfall as the first three Arsenal goals came from mistakes.

It was almost a carbon copy of their Champions League exit against Chelsea a week ago when a 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge saw them miss out on the semi-finals.

It was also not the first time Arsenal had done serious damage to a Liverpool title challenge, it being 20 years since Michael Thomas scored on this ground with the last kick of the season to deny the Reds the championship.

Torres and Albert Riera should have done better with their early efforts to test the fragile confidence of Lucasz Fabianski but both fired straight at the goalkeeper.

Javier Mascherano fired wide after 15 minutes as Arsenal were content to soak up what Liverpool had to offer and swiftly counter-attack when the chance arose.

Those occasions were few and far between and Fabianski, who had looked shaky on a couple of occasions, had to be at his best to tip over Torres' shot from the right angle of the penalty area.

diving save

Referee Howard Webb waved away Liverpool appeals in the 26th minute when Mikael Silvestre appeared to catch Dirk Kuyt on the edge of the area.

Arsenal's first chance came when they broke quickly from a Liverpool corner and Cesc Fabregas volleyed wide after Daniel Agger, making his 50th league appearance, had got in Jose Reina's way as he tried to punch clear.

A smart turn by Torres on Kolo Toure saw the Spain striker fire in a 25-yard shot which Fabianski could only parry but Silvestre cleared the danger.

Samir Nasri then had to clear off the line at the far post after Agger flicked on Xabi Alonso's right-wing corner before the Gunners hit their hosts with a sucker punch in the 36th minute.

Mascherano lost the ball on the edge of the penalty area and Fabregas exchanged passes with Nasri before crossing for Arshavin to fire home off the underside of the crossbar.

Benayoun immediately brought a diving save from Fabianski and then headed over as Liverpool piled on the pressure leading up to the interval without reward.

Liverpool realistically had 45 minutes to keep their season alive and that realisation brought the equaliser within four minutes of the restart.

Alvaro Arbeloa's cross was poorly dealt with by Bacary Sagna and Kuyt collected the ball, got to the byline and crossed for Torres to head low into the left corner of Fabianski's goal.

level again

Seven minutes later they were ahead. Fabianski and Kieren Gibbs both misjudged their clearances and Kuyt crossed to the far post where Benayoun headed in.

The goalkeeper claimed to have clawed the ball out but it was clearly over the line.

In the 65th minute Arsene Wenger brought on Theo Walcott for Denilson to try to get back in the game but it was another mistake which brought their equaliser.

Arbeloa could not control Jamie Carragher's downward defensive header and Arshavin nipped in to fire past Reina's outstretched left hand.

Incredibly for a team which had conceded just eight goals in 16 home league matches a third error handed Arsenal the lead again.

Fabio Aurelio played a left-wing cross straight to Arshavin 10 yards out and he drilled a shot under Reina for his hat-trick in the 70th minute.

Amazingly Liverpool were level again two minutes later when Torres controlled Riera's cross, turned Silvestre and fired past Fabianski.

Torres had a header cleared off the line by Gibbs from Alonso's corner with nine minutes to go and Carragher fired over from Aurelio's cross as Liverpool desperately pushed for the winner.

And that cost them as Walcott broke from a corner and played in Arshavin to score his fourth in injury time.

Benayoun bundled home an equaliser even later on but it was too late to force a victory.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~45139,00.html)

United dominate PFA awards

Manchester United players dominate the nominees to be crowned PFA Players' Player of the Year.

The Red Devils provide five of the six contenders for this year's award.

Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo are in the hunt for the prize, with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard representing the rest of the Barclays Premier League.

United also provide two of the candidates for the PFA Young Player of the Year honour in Jonny Evans and Rafael da Silva, with Aston Villa duo Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland and Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon providing the competition.

Dutch veteran Van der Sar is looking to become the first goalkeeper in over 30 years to win the award after setting a record for minutes without conceding a league goal earlier this season.

He has been ably protected by central defensive duo Ferdinand and Vidic, with the Serbian powerhouse tipped by many to take the prize.

However, the evergreen Giggs has been mooted as a possible sentimental vote, with the Welshman yet to add the senior award to the two Young Player of the Year accolades he collected in the early 1990s.

clean sweep

Portuguese ace Ronaldo may not have hit the heights of last season, but he is still the joint-top scorer in the Barclays Premier League and is chasing a hat-trick of Player of the Year awards.

Out to prevent a clean sweep of the top three spots is Gerrard, who won the award in 2006 and has been inspirational in Liverpool's push for a first title in 19 years.

In the Young Player category, Evans and Rafael are aiming to become the fourth United player to win the award in the past five years.

Evans has been more than an able understudy to Ferdinand and Vidic in the centre of defence this season, while swashbuckling full-back Rafael has also caught the eye.

Villa's push for a UEFA Champions League spot has been rewarded with Agbonlahor and Young looking to follow in the footsteps of Andy Gray and Gary Shaw, who won this award in 1977 and 1981 respectively.

Ireland has impressed in the centre of midfield for City this season and he is aiming to become only the second player from the club to win the award after Peter Barnes' success back in 1976.

Spurs have also supplied the winner of the Young Player of the Year only once, when Glenn Hoddle won in 1980, and England winger Lennon is in the running after a sparkling campaign at White Hart Lane.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1627028,00.html)

Carew loving life at Villa

John Carew says he plans to stay at Aston Villa next season and hasn't given up hope of finishing fourth this term.

Villa twice came from two goals behind as they managed to salvage a 3-3 draw against Everton at Villa Park on Sunday.

The result left Martin O'Neill's men without a win in seven matches and eight points behind Arsenal, who currently lie in the coveted final UEFA Champions League place.

Carew notched his 13th goal of the season in all competitions against the Toffees at the weekend and admits he is more than happy at the club.

really satisfied

"I love it here, I feel it on the pitch," he said.

"If I didn't love it here you would see that on the pitch. I am really happy. I love the club, the fans, the staff and the group here, who are fantastic.

"I just want to continue and to do well the whole of next season - and avoid all the injuries which hindered me.

"I have scored a lot this season and if I hadn't been out for months it could have been a lot more this season.

"I lost about 20 games, so it is a pity. But I am really satisfied with all of the goals in so few games."

best wingers

The Norwegian international admits that his impressive return this season is down to the service he receives from the flanks thanks to James Milner and Ashley Young.

"We have two of the best wingers in the league," he added.

"It is a dream for a striker to have them feeding you balls and we are lucky to have them."

Despite slipping further behind the Gunners in the race for fourth spot the 29-year-old believes that Arsene Wenger's side's tough run-in means that Villa haven't given up all hope of finishing above them.

"We haven't given up, even though there is a big gap," he said.

"Arsenal have tough games coming up, hopefully they won't take many points against Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool, who are all fighting for the league.

"If we are lucky they will take one point from those games and we will win all our matches. We have the potential to win all of the games which are left."

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1626997,00.html)

Stoke City 1- 1 Newcastle United

Alan Shearer's Newcastle United side salvaged a precious point at Stoke City thanks to homegrown hero Andy Carroll.

Just when it appeared as if their supporters would be left waiting for their miracle to materialise from Tyneside legend Shearer, so the manager's fellow Geordie Carroll popped up to answer their prayers.

However, Newcastle should have been dead and buried by the time the Gateshead-born 20-year-old headed an 81st-minute equaliser, cancelling out a first-half opener from Newcastle old boy Abdoulaye Faye.

The fact that the match was not beyond reach owed much to Stoke's failure to take the gilt-edged chances that came their way, and occasional right-time, right-place defending when it mattered most.

But make no mistake, this first point of Shearer's reign from his two matches in charge does not mask the deficiencies that are still rife within a team that remain in the bottom three.

inefficient marking

That was evident by the way Stoke scored their goal from Faye, who silenced St James' Park in early December when he scored a last-gasp equaliser that saw Stoke hit back from 2-0 down to snatch a 2-2 draw.

You could almost imagine Shearer, in his former role as a Match of the Day pundit, highlighting the inefficient marking that allowed Faye the easiest of headers.

Liam Lawrence, who had already tested the Newcastle defence with a number of piercing deliveries, made his fourth corner of the match count.

But as the Magpies markers went missing it made it a formality for Faye to plant a comfortable seven-yard header beyond stricken goalkeeper Steve Harper.

As early as the sixth minute Harper had been relieved to see a glancing header from Ryan Shawcross flash across his goal and narrowly beyond the left-hand post following another Lawrence inswinger.

Eight minutes later, though, Harper was almost left red-faced as he was beaten to the punch by a brave Fuller who had risen to meet a curling cross from Rory Delap after a woeful Damien Duff clearance.

Fuller was unlucky as his header shaved the crossbar of an empty net, with Harper in no-man's land and again breathing a sigh of relief.

But when the goal arrived it was deserved for Stoke who ended the half firmly in the ascendancy, but with penalty appeals for handball waved away against Shola Ameobi and Kevin Nolan.

limp display

There was also blood and bandages for striker James Beattie after he was caught on top of his head in a collision with Sebastien Bassong.

How Stoke did not then put the match out of Newcastle's reach early in the second period remains a mystery as they had the chances, but a little bit of luck was at least on the visitors' side.

Bassong and Ryan Taylor both found themselves on hand in clearing efforts from Glenn Whelan and Faye off the line.

Newcastle managed to survive the storm, but Shearer - sharp-suited as he often stood with his hands in his pockets inside his technical area - was still watching a limp display.

That was until he brought on substitute Carroll in the 71st minute.

The young striker's impact was almost immediate as within moments he had headed narrowly wide a deep cross from Ryan Taylor, at that stage Newcastle's best chance of the encounter.

Then, within 10 minutes of his arrival, Carroll's instinct saw him rise to a deflected chip from Duff and loop a delightful header inside the right-hand post of Thomas Sorensen.

The draw means Stoke are one point nearer the 40 points mark which should see them safe, a target Newcastle find themselves 10 points adrift of, with just six matches remaining to save their Barclays Premier League skins.

(From Wesite : http://www.premierleague.com/page/MatchReports/0,,12306~45061,00.html)

Premier League Football News

Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 West Ham United

Roman Pavlyuchenko scored the only goal of the match as Tottenham Hotspur defeated West Ham United.

Tottenham kept alive their hopes of European football thanks to Pavlyuchenko's winner at White Hart Lane.

Pavlyuchenko scored within nine minutes of coming off the bench, and his 14th of the season means the race for seventh place in the Barclays Premier League is hotting up.

A full match report will be available shortly.

Wigan Athletic 1-4 Arsenal

Four second-half goals handed Arsenal victory over Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium.

Arsenal launched a blistering fightback at the JJB Stadium to extend their unbeaten Barclays Premier League run to 18 matches.

Mido put Wigan ahead but that only prompted a furious backlash from the Gunners with all their goals coming in the second half.

Theo Walcott began the rout with Mikael Silvestre, Andrey Arshavin and Alexandre Song all adding to their tally.

A full match report will be available shortly.

Portsmouth 2-2 West Bromwich Albion

Portsmouth's Niko Kranjcar struck a superb free-kick to deny West Brom victory in the relegation showdown.

Younes Kaboul fired Pompey into a half-time lead at Fratton Park with a brilliant individual goal but Jonathan Greening and Chris Brunt hit back for West Brom after the interval.

Brunt produced a fine free-kick in the 62nd minute, but it was bettered at the other end three minutes later through Kranjcar.

An in-depth match report will appear shortly.

Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea kept title hopes alive but only after surviving a late comeback by Bolton Wanderers in a seven-goal thriller.

Two goals from Didier Drogba, a Frank Lampard penalty and Michael Ballack's first Barclays Premier League goal of the season put them in full control until Lampard and Drogba were substituted in the 65th minute at Stamford Bridge.

After that Bolton scored three goals in 11 minutes through Andrew O'Brien, Chris Basham and Matt Taylor to give Chelsea an almighty scare.

An in-depth match report will appear shortly.

Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United

Goals by Paul Scholes and Federico Macheda put Manchester United back on top of the Barclays Premier League.

Scholes headed the champions in front after 19 minutes, glancing in a Wayne Rooney cross.

Kenwyne Jones levelled for relegation-threatened Sunderland on 55 minutes but Supersub Macheda put United back in front, prodding home on 74 minutes, just 45 seconds after coming off the bench.

The win lifted Sir Alex Ferguson's men back above Liverpool and left the Black Cats deep in trouble.

A full match report will be available shortly.

Middlesbrough 3-1 Hull City

Middlesbrough secured only their second win in 20 matches to boost their survival hopes.

Tuncay Sanli fired Boro in front after only three minutes, slotting home from a tight angle after Matt Duke had saved from Afonso Alves.

But the visitors levelled just five minutes later when Manucho headed in a Nick Barmby cross.

However home-grown hero Matthew Bates stabbed home his first Boro goal from six yards on the half hour.

The Tigers threw everything forward but their former striker Marlon King sealed the points in the dying minutes after dispossessing former Boro favourite George Boateng.

A full match report will be available shortly.

Liverpool 4-0 Blackburn Rovers

Fernando Torres struck twice to put Liverpool on their way to a comprehensive victory.

Liverpool club captain Steven Gerrard was left on the bench as Liverpool cruised to a victory that keeps their title hopes alive.

They wiped away the bitter memory of the midweek Champions League defeat by Chelsea, thanks to a couple of top-line goals from Fernando Torres, taking his total for the season to 14.

With the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster on Wednesday, the match was preceded by a minute's silence.

And Blackburn Rovers' former Liverpool player, Stephen Warnock, carried a wreath onto the pitch and laid it on the turf in front of the Kop prior to kick-off.

The first Torres goal was a tremendous hooked volley after five minutes, the second a fine header from Xabi Alonso's free-kick.

And in the closing minutes Daniel Agger and substitute David Ngog wrapped up the points with further goals.

(All From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1623935,00.html)

Almunia gunning for glory

Goalkeeper Manuel Almunia says now is the time for Arsenal to deliver on the big stage.

The Barclays Premier League club face Spanish outfit Villarreal for a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, with the first leg at the intimidating El Madrigal stadium on Tuesday night.

Over the past three months the Gunners have slowly regained momentum, an unbeaten run of 17 Barclays Premier League matches taking them back into the top four while they have also secured an FA Cup semi-final date against Chelsea at Wembley.

Wenger has long championed the potential of the current crop of players, which he believes could become Arsenal's most successful side and just need to get a first trophy to cement that belief.

mentally prepared

Almunia, 31, sees no reason why the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott cannot fire the Gunners to success in 2009.

"It looks to be the season for the young players to be man enough to face all the big competitions we have," he said.

"Players like Alex Song, Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott - when these players are 100 per cent fit, they can be mentally prepared to be totally professional, and they have the potential to win trophies.

"We can win every single game and we are here to do it."

Almunia added: "Villarreal are a difficult team, but we do not fear them.

"Technically, Villarreal are not better than Arsenal. We have a lot of talent in our team.

"Villarreal have very good technical players, because that is the Spanish game - but we do not play the typical English football.

"Arsenal play lovely football, and to do that you need good players technically."

Almunia watched from the bench the last time Arsenal took on the Yellow Submarine as Wenger's men secured the goalless draw they needed to progress to the 2006 Champions League final, courtesy of a dramatic late penalty save from Jens Lehmann.

Fabregas, now Gunners skipper, was in the starting XI that night, and marked his return from a three-month injury lay-off to set up both goals for fit-again Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor in the 2-0 Barclays Premier League win over Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Arsenal, though, must again do without leading scorer Robin van Persie, who suffered a groin problem while away with Holland during the international break, but winger Samir Nasri travelled to Spain after being laid low by a virus.

Russian midfielder Andrey Arshavin is ineligible for the Champions League having played for Zenit St Petersburg during the group stages before his January transfer to north London.

(From website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1615284,00.html)

Barmby eyes new high

Nick Barmby believes Barclays Premier League survival would eclipse everything Hull City achieved last season.

The Tigers stormed into the top flight for the first time in their history last year with a tremendous late surge which culminated in glorious play-off success at Wembley.

It had also been the club's first-ever trip to the national stadium and they celebrated in style with a parade around the city.

Almost a year on, Hull are now locked in a fierce battle to retain their place among the elite and hometown hero Barmby feels succeeding would top promotion.

too late

The 35-year-old former England international said: "It would be massive. It would be our Wembley - but we have got seven cup finals.

"Because we have got Manchester United last game of the season we don't want to be too late going about our job, but it would be a major achievement, huge."

Barmby, like manager Phil Brown, was keen to view Saturday's goalless draw with fellow strugglers Portsmouth as a point gained.

Both sides laboured throughout a dour struggle at the KC Stadium and dropped places as a result, Hull to 15th and Pompey to 16th.

Yet with the bottom four all losing, it was another small step closer towards the final goal.

Barmby said: "There was a lot of tension between the two teams, which is natural with what is at stake, staying in the Premier League.

"The final third for both teams was a bit scrappy and we never really created a great deal of chances, but I thought our defence was magnificent and our desire and attitude was spot on again.

"Picking up a point at this stage of the season with the bottom three losing - we'll take the point and take the positives out of it."

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1614209,00.html)

News in brief - Mon 6th Apr

A review of the news from around the grounds of each Barclays Premier League club.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger believes his young team has undergone a transformation during the season after they extended their long unbeaten run. The Gunners are without a Premier League defeat in 17 games after Saturday`s 2-0 win at Manchester City and although they have cemented their place back in the top four, Wenger concedes that they needed a better start if they wanted to challenge for the title.Wenger admitted: "If we had won two more games, we could have been challenging, but the other teams could maybe say that as well. We are 17 unbeaten, but we lost five of the first 14 - you can't do that and win the league. However, it shows that when a team is young, they can improve and they are showing that now. We are not the same team that was playing in the autumn."

Aston Villa

Martin O'Neill vowed his Aston Villa side will bounce back from the heartbreak of their last-minute defeat at Old Trafford. Villa were leading until 10 minutes from time when Cristiano Ronaldo levelled for Manchester United who snatched an injury-time winner through Federico Macheda. It left Villa six points adrift of Arsenal in the battle for fourth place with just seven matches remaining. O'Neill said: "We are not finished. We play Everton next week, which is a massive game for both teams."

Blackburn Rovers

Sam Allardyce stressed the result was all that mattered after his Blackburn side earned a vital 2-1 win over Spurs. Rovers looked to be heading for defeat courtesy of Robbie Keane's penalty until Spurs midfielder Wilson Palacios was sent off and Benni McCarthy and Andre Ooijer struck to move Rovers clear of the drop zone. "It was not our best performance, I know that," admitted Allardyce. "But our battling qualities, our determination to go right to the end got us the victory. It is not so much about the display but the result. It is all about getting the three points. We are the team in form down at the bottom end. We are on the rise."

Bolton Wanderers

Gary Megson will not allow his Bolton side to become complacent despite moving well clear of the relegation zone with their 4-1 win over Middlesbrough. Megson`s men are now up to 37 points after goals from Kevin Davies, Gary Cahill, Matt Taylor and Ricardo Gardner, but the Wanderers manager is still demanding a strong end to the campaign. He said: "Obviously it is a great result. We have played that game with the knowledge if we put in a good performance and get a good win this was a really defining Saturday. We are eight points above the relegation zone with probably a better goal difference than most in there so it is going to be difficult [to be caught]. But I don't think we can turn around and say if we finish on 37 points that will be enough. At times we didn't pass brilliantly or finish brilliantly but right the way through the game we battled and worked our socks off and we got our just rewards."

Chelsea

Guus Hiddink admitted his side's canter to victory over Alan Shearer's Newcastle at St James' Park made his side's shock defeat to Tottenham two weeks ago hurt more than ever. Goals from Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda helped Hiddink's men cling to the coat-tails of Manchester United but the Dutchman knows his side could have been in a much stronger position in the Barclays Premier League title race. Hiddink said: "We said before that we are still in the title race but now we regret even more that we lost points against Spurs. We have to keep fighting and keep the pressure on the teams above us. The pressure is also on us not to spoil more points, as we did against Spurs. We have to keep winning and with two home games now coming up we have to keep the pressure on and let's see what happens. We have a lot of very big games coming up and it's nice. It's April and May and it's the finish of the season and it's going to be very challenging for everyone."

Everton

David Moyes was delighted with the way his players responded after the international break. Everton bounced back strongly from their defeat at Portsmouth by beating Wigan Athletic 4-0 at Goodison Park and Moyes said: "The hardest thing is to get your players going again after internationals, you never know how they are. They have all had a couple of games and a lot of travel, but they have every right to be tired. But the ones who have travelled the furthest, Tim Cahill and Steven Pienaar, were excellent. We have got the defeat at Portsmouth out of our system. I was worried about that, but we were back to our best."

Fulham

Roy Hodgson was devastated after seeing his side fight so hard, only to lose out so close to the final whistle as they went down 1-0 to Liverpool. The Reds had hit the woodwork four times in the first half but the Cottagers looked to have held on for a point until Yossi Benayoun`s late, late goal which took them back to the top of the table. Hodgson said: "It's a bitter blow to lose in injury-time after such a battling performance against an in-form team. That is frustrating and disappointing. We had dangerous situations. They had more possession but we dealt with things reasonably well. I cannot fault the players for their commitment. But when you can bring on players like (Ryan) Babel and Benayoun it is a great advantage. Benayoun's goal was a bit fortunate but he took it very well."

Hull City

Phil Brown believes Hull City's 0-0 draw with Portsmouth was a point gained despite missing the chance to ease their fears of relegation. Glen Johnson was sent off 10 minutes from time in an uninspiring clash at the KC Stadium, but both clubs moved a further point away from the bottom three, with all three sides currently in the drop zone losing. And Brown said: "If you are in a situation at the bottom of any division and the bottom three don't win, and you get something from your game, it has to be a gain. Would we have deserved three points? I would probably say no. Would they? I would probably say no to that. I think the lack of quality in the final third from both teams was the reason why it was a 0-0 draw."

Liverpool

Rafael Benitez says he will not get carried away despite his side going back to the top of the table with a 1-0 win at Fulham. The Reds have reeled in Manchester United in recent weeks and Yossi Benayoun`s last-gasp goal secured a 1-0 win at Fulham to move them two points clear ahead of United`s home match with Aston Villa on Sunday. And Benitez was delighted to have sent the Reds fans home happy with renewed hope of a first league title since 1990. The Spaniard said: "Hopefully we can keep them happy to the end. I was really pleased. We have a lot of confidence, but as a manager you have to be calm." Benitez had started Benayoun on the bench because he was suffering from a slight hamstring problem and the chances are he will fulfil the same role on Wednesday in the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Anfield against Chelsea. "We had to protect him, he is not 100% fit," added Benitez, who otherwise played a virtually full strength side and saw them hit the woodwork four times in a dramatic first half.

Manchester City

Mark Hughes admits Manchester City need to "pick ourselves up" after suffering another away defeat - this time 2-0 at Arsenal. City have not won away since August and to make matters worse ahead of Thursday`s UEFA Cup meeting with Hamburg, Hughes saw Stephen Ireland injured before the game and both Wayne Bridge and Vincent Kompany hobble off during the first half. Hughes said: "We did not have enough power and presence on the field, but were compromised by the changes we had to make because of injuries. In the end we just did not have enough to get back at a very good Arsenal side. But we have got to pick ourselves up now because we have got a huge game on Thursday in the UEFA Cup against Hamburg."

Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson loves watching Manchester United throw caution to the wind as they produced another of their famed stunning fightbacks to overcome Aston Villa 3-2 at Old Trafford. With 10 minutes remaining it seemed the Red Devils were heading for a third successive defeat and about to hand the title initiative to main rivals Liverpool. Then, Cristiano Ronaldo drilled home his second goal of the match, setting the stage for 17-year-old Federico Macheda to curl home a sublime winner in the second minute of stoppage time to send Old Trafford into ecstasy. Ferguson: "In those situations, I gamble. Winning is the name of the game at this club. Risks are part of football and this club has been that way for a long time. I love to see that kind of adventure. Yes, there are times when we don't defend properly - and we didn't defend well today - but there is always a goal threat. There is always a chance we can win the match - and that is more exciting than anything."

Middlesbrough

Gareth Southgate was critical of his side's performance at both ends of the pitch as the 4-1 defeat at Bolton left them in real trouble in 19th place in the Barclays Premier League. The Teessiders are five points from safety with just seven matches remaining and a ninth successive loss away from home - their worst run since the Second World War. Kevin Davies put Bolton ahead with his 12th league goal of the season in only the eighth minute, only for Gary O'Neil to equalise seven minutes before half-time. However, Gary Cahill fired home just before the interval, Matt Taylor curled in a fortuitous free-kick over the heads of the defence and Ricardo Gardner added a late fourth. With Blackburn and Stoke both winning Boro face a daunting task if they are to survive with seven matches remaining. "We didn't do enough of the things we need to do to win football matches," said Southgate. "We defended really poorly and we haven't done enough to deserve anything from the game. To come here and lose 4-1 is very disappointing. We didn't start very well defensively as a team, we were second to too many things, but we always looked like we would be a threat on the break."

Newcastle United

Manager Alan Shearer felt his side had been the victims of an error from the linesman in their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea - but refused to blame the loss on the official. Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda struck to give the Blues a 2-0 lead but the Magpies thought they were back in it 17 minutes from time when Michael Owen`s deflected cutback appeared to have crossed the line before being hacked clear by Ashley Cole. And Shearer said: "I thought it was in from where I was standing - I would say that, wouldn't I? I'm a manager now. I have seen it on TV and it looks in. It's a mistake from the linesman. What it might have done was give us a rousing last five or 10 minutes, but it was certainly not his fault that we lost the game."

portsmouth

Paul Hart was happy with his side`s efforts after they earned a goalless draw at fellow strugglers Hull City. Both teams dropped places in the table after the draw - which saw Glen Johnson sent off for the visitors - but moved a further point clear of danger. Portsmouth are now 16th, four points above 18th-placed Newcastle with the Tigers a point better off. And Hart said: "I think we have got to be happy with a point overall. A lot of our players have had a difficult week playing around the world or two games for England. Sometimes that takes its toll because we are not in a position where we can rotate the whole team. We have to ask the players to play under all circumstances and they do so willingly."

stoke city

Tony Pulis called on his Stoke side to build on their first away win in the Barclays Premier League after they beat West Bromwich Albion 2-0. Goals in either half from Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie secured the win and Pulis was delighted. He said: "The monkey is off our back with the away win. I am very pleased we have done it with the fans not having to travel too far from home because they will have had a great night. It has been disappointing that we haven't had the win until now but we have played very well away from home. We just haven't got the results we deserved. But this is all new territory and new experiences and the players have to glean things from that. We've got to try and build on this if we can."

Sunderland

Ricky Sbragia admits his side are desperate for a win after their 2-0 defeat at West Ham left them perilously close to the drop zone. The Black Cats are now just one place and three points ahead of their fierce rivals Newcastle, who currently occupy the final relegation spot after goals from Junior Stanislas and James Tomkins. "It's going to be difficult, we need a win badly," said Sbragia. "We have to play Manchester United next which will be difficult. We can't depend on others. I thought we gave our all but the first goal was always going to be crucial and unfortunately we conceded it."

tottenham hotspur

Harry Redknapp was upset with the decision to send midfielder Wilson Palacios off in the 2-1 defeat at Blackburn. Robbie Keane`s penalty - after a handball by Gael Givet - had Spurs on course for victory until Palacios was shown two yellow cards, and Benni McCarthy and Andre Ooijer netted to give the home side the points. Redknapp said: "He never made contact with him (Dunn) for the second card. He was our best player but even with the sending off we should have shut the game out. But it gave them a lift." It was Tottenham's first defeat in seven league matches after their revival under Redknapp who felt Spurs were well in control until Palacios was banished to the dressing room. "I cannot believe what happened," said Redknapp. "I could not see them scoring. We were in complete control and I was looking for us to get a second."

West Bromwich Albion

Tony Mowbray concedes his side have a mountain to climb to avoid relegation after the 2-0 defeat to Stoke. Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie struck to seal the Potters` first away win of the season and leave the Baggies bottom - eight points adrift of safety. And Mowbray said: "This is a huge disappointment. We talked about having two big home games against Bolton and Stoke and we have taken one point. It makes life very difficult for us. To give Stoke a goal start after two minutes is the scenario we didn't want. We talked about getting the first goal and trying to drag them out and create more space and to give them a goal after two minutes played into their hands. You've got to give them great credit. They defended very well and even at the death they were still throwing their bodies in the way and blocking things. Ultimately we weren't good enough and didn't get the result and Stoke came and did the job."

West Ham United

Gianfranco Zola saluted his youngsters for keeping the club's European hopes alive despite an injury crisis at Upton Park. Junior Stanislas, 19, marked his first start with the opener against Sunderland and 20-year-old James Tomkins added another after the restart. The 2-0 win moved the Hammers to seventh in the Barclays Premier League, which should be enough to reach the Europa League next season. Zola admitted he had to field his youngsters after injuries to senior players such as Scott Parker and Carlton Cole. "It's amazing to see our young players doing so well," said the Italian. "We need their energy and strength. We will need them to help us achieve our goals. When you have a great team spirit it's easy for whoever comes in to do a good job."

Wigan Athletic

Steve Bruce admitted that his fatigued side were beaten by the better side at Goodison. The Latics manager was visibly disappointed with the 4-0 defeat but defended his team's performance explaining it was totally out of character and owed much to the long distance travelling the core of his team have had to endure over the last two weeks. He said: "Sometimes you have to take a beating, and I think Everton were far better than us all over the park. They were excellent in their display. It's very difficult for us after internationals with all the travelling our players have to do. When they have to travel away it's to the likes of South America and that tiredness showed. Those that have seen us over the last few months will agree it wasn't a typical Wigan performance. Where we've looked rock solid and difficult to beat before-hand, we looked out of place. I don't want to make excuses though, I thought Everton were terrific. They were the best side that have played us all season."

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1613574,00.html)

Premier League Football News

Manchester United 3-2 Aston Villa

Federico Macheda scored a dramatic last-gasp winner to put Manchester United back on top of the table.

Cristiano Ronaldo fired United in front on 14 minutes, whipping in an angled shot following an indirect free-kick for a backpass but John Carew headed the visitors level on the half hour.

Gabriel Agbonlahor nodded the visitors ahead after 58 minutes but Ronaldo drilled in his second to equalise with 10 minutes remaining.

In the third of five minutes of added time, 17-year-old substitute Macheda turned to score a magnificent winner to lift the champions above Liverpool at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

Everton 4-0 Wigan Athletic

Everton cruised to their biggest win of the season to further cement sixth place in the Barclays Premier League.

Wigan Athletic were demoralised long before the end, having failed to contain Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini, who scored one and had a hand in three others before he was substituted 19 minutes from the end.

Jo netted twice for the Toffees and Leon Osman got the other as Wigan's own quest for European qualification took a severe hit.
The result all but killed off the Latics' hopes of pipping Everton to sixth place with the Merseysiders stretching their advantage to 10 points with seven matches remaining.

(From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1613712,00.html)

Premier League Football News

Fulham 0-1 Liverpool

An injury-time winner from Yossi Benayoun sent Liverpool back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

The Merseysiders left it late but thoroughly deserved the victory which puts them two points clear of Manchester United who have two matches in hand.

Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso and Andrea Dossena all hit the woodwork in the first half as Liverpool struggled to turn their dominance into goals but substitute Benayoun snatched a dramatic victory to dent Fulham's hopes of qualifying for Europe.

Hull City 0-0 Portsmouth

Hull City and Portsmouth both earned a valuable point in their bid to avoid relegation.

Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson was dismissed late on after an innocuous collision with Dean Marney, but could already have been sent off after a number of earlier indiscretions.

The right-back also gifted Hull their best opportunity but David James saved brilliantly from Craig Fagan's powerful header.

Newcastle United 0-2 Chelsea

Chelsea spoiled Newcastle United manager Alan Shearer's first match in charge with this victory.

Fabricio Coloccini's error on 56 minutes allowed Frank Lampard to poke the ball through to Nicolas Anelka, and when his chipped shot came back off the woodwork, Lampard headed into the empty net.

Having established a lead, Guus Hiddink's side settled into a comfortable rhythm, retaining possession and making their hosts chase the ball.

Florent Malouda increased the advantage in the 65th minute with a close-range finish from Lampard's pass.

Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough's bid for relegation survival was dealt a blow at the Reebok Stadium.

Kevin Davies opened the scoring in typical fashion with a header after eight minutes.

Gary O'Neil equalised after 38 minutes, but just six minutes later Bolton regained the lead through defender Gary Cahill.

Matthew Taylor and Ricardo Gardner both scored late on to condemn Middlesbrough to a heavy defeat.

Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City

Emmanuel Adebayor inspired Arsenal to a 2-0 win over Manchester City, scoring two goals.

The Togo striker headed his first after eight minutes thanks to Cesc Fabregas' free-kick, the midfielder playing for the first time since his lengthy injury lay off.

Adebayor netted his second just after half-time, rounding City goalkeeper Shay Given after another sublime pass from Fabregas

West Ham United 2-0 Sunderland

Junior Stanislas and James Tomkins boosted West Ham's hopes of Europe to increase Sunderland's relegation fears.

On his first start for the club, Stanislas tapped in two minutes before the break after Luis Boa Morte had raced into the penalty area and squared for his team-mate.

Eight minutes after the break Mark Noble's set-piece was headed home by Tomkins, who had got in front of Ferdinand to net his first for the club.

West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Stoke City

Goals by Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie gave Stoke their first away win to badly damage West Brom's survival hopes.

Fuller gave the Potters a flying start by netting after just two minutes and Beattie added the second four minutes after the break.

The result leaves the Baggies rooted to the foot of the Barclays Premier League and staring relegation in the face but it provided a major boost to Stoke's own bid to beat the drop.

It was Stoke's first win on the road in the top flight since they beat Luton in 1984.

Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

Two late goals ensured Blackburn Rovers grabbed a vital three points against Tottenham Hotspur.

Robbie Keane had opened the scoring after 30 minutes when Tottenham were awarded a penalty, and they looked to be on their way to victory.

But the match turned when Wilson Palacios was sent off for two yellow cards in as many minutes in the closing stages. Almost immediately Benni McCarthy equalised in the 82nd minute, and Andre Ooijer was on hand to tap into an empty net with a minute remaining.

The win gives Rovers some breathing space in their battle against relegation.

(All From Website : http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~1612417,00.html)