Premier League Sunderland 1 Portsmouth 1 12 12 2009

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DesiRulez.US - 26th December 2009 - Dance Premier League

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World Cup 2010

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Wolverhampton 0 - 3 Man City

Roberto Mancini made it maximum points after two games in charge of Manchester City with victory over Wolves to claim a first away win in three months.

Craig Bellamy blazed over for the Blues before setting up Carlos Tevez to hook in off Christophe Berra's deflection.
Chris Iwelumo and Kevin Doyle went close for Wolves but Javier Garrido curled in a controversial free-kick after a Bellamy offside was not given.
Tevez smashed in a low second at the end after a pass by substitute Robinho.
As well as closing in on the top four spots after a first win on their travels since their defeat of Portsmouth on 30 August, City's new boss Mancini will be delighted with a second successive clean sheet.
Both clubs were playing their second game in three days and both managers made a number of changes for this battle in the fog at Molineux.

While Mancini brought in Bellamy for the rested Robinho, Mick McCarthy left four on the Wolves bench from the team that lost to Liverpool and beefed up his midfield with Michael Mancienne in the centre.
It was the hosts who dominated at the start, using Iwelumo - making his first Premier League start - as a target man for a string of long punts, and the towering striker almost set up the opener by nodding down to Andrew Surman who blasted over.

Tottenham 2 - 0 West Ham

Luka Modric marked his first start in four months with a telling contribution as Tottenham beat West Ham to move up to fourth in the Premier League.

Modric, who broke his shin on 29 August, swept home Aaron Lennon's deflected cross to cap a bright start.

With West Ham toiling, Jermain Defoe put a curling free-kick just wide and Tom Huddlestone drove against the post.

Injury-hit West Ham lacked a cutting edge and former Hammer Defoe confirmed their defeat with a fierce finish.

It was fitting end to a commanding all-round performance by Spurs and they will remain in fourth unless Aston Villa beat Liverpool at Villa Park on Tuesday.

Stoke 0 - 1 Birmingham

Birmingham climbed up to seventh in the table after extending their run of unbeaten Premier League matches to 11 with a hard-fought win over Stoke.

Cameron Jerome scored the game's only goal, swivelling to bundle home from close range early in the second half.
It was a rare moment of incisiveness in a match high in tempo but often lacking in attacking efficiency.
Ryan Shawcross missed two good chances for Stoke, who remain just four points above the relegation zone.
The win continues a superb run for Birmingham in what has been a fantastic first season back in the top flight so far for the Midlands club.
They have now matched a 101-year-old club record of 11 undefeated games since a run of three wins and eight draws in 1908.

Everton 2 - 0 Burnley

Everton struck at the death to win at home for the first time since September and condemn 10-man Burnley to a ninth successive league game without a win.

Substitute James Vaughan turned home a Marouane Fellaini cross from close range with seven minutes remaining.
Steven Pienaar then sealed the win in injury time after being fed by Yakubu.
David Nugent hit the post for Burnley, but the turning point for the Clarets came when Stephen Jordan saw red for a second bookable offence on the hour.
Everton's victory, their first in the league since early November, ends a winless streak at Goodison Park stretching back to mid-autumn, when Blackburn were on the receiving end of a 3-0 defeat.
More importantly for manager David Moyes, who could only watch with mounting dismay when his side's early-season lethargy was compounded by a wholesale injury crisis, Everton now lie 11th in the league table, five points clear of the relegation zone.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Fulham

Chelsea opened up a five-point gap at the top of the Premier League table as they came from behind to beat Fulham.

The visitors stunned Chelsea by taking the lead after four minutes when Zoltan Gera hooked in from 12 yards.
Fulham then defended comfortably as Chelsea struggled to make an impact but Didier Drogba finally got the equaliser when he headed in at the far post.
And an unfortunate own goal by Chris Smalling handed Chelsea a victory that had looked unlikely for long spells.
For much of the match Chelsea looked short of ideas and out-of-sorts as Fulham produced a performance that was full of commitment and excellent defending.

Blackburn 2 - 2 Sunderland

Substitute El-Hadji Diouf scored against his former club as Blackburn twice came from behind to salvage a deserved draw against Sunderland.

The game burst into life in the second half when Darren Bent tapped home after a scramble, only for Morten Gamst Pedersen to drill a fine leveller.

Bent broke free to score his 13th goal of the season and restore the lead.

But Diouf came off the bench as part of a triple change to head home a cross from Pascal Chimbonda and seal a point.

The Senegalese striker, who left Sunderland in the January transfer window, had only been on the pitch for five minutes and much credit must go to Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce for making such a bold set of substitutions.

Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas came off the bench to inspire his side to a victory over Aston Villa.

Fabregas picked himself up after being fouled by Richard Dunne and curled in a 25-yard free-kick with aplomb.
The goal came after Villa keeper Brad Friedel had denied William Gallas from point-blank range and kept out an Andrey Arshavin shot.
A first-time finish from Fabregas after a Theo Walcott pass and an Abou Diaby strike wrapped up the win for Arsenal.
Fabregas had started as a substitute because of a hamstring problem and was brought on after 57 minutes to give his side extra impetus in beating a stubborn Villa side.
The move paid off for manager Arsene Wenger but he will be concerned that his skipper aggravated his injury in sprinting on to Walcott's ideally weighted pass and had to be replaced on 84 minutes.

However, the victory moved the Gunners to within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea with a game in hand over their London rivals.
Villa had already beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United so far this season to show encouraging signs that they are mentally tougher and have a stronger squad to avoid the same collapse as last season in the chase for a top four place.
Their credentials for another top four assault were under the microscope at the Emirates and they were found wanting ahead of another stern test of their resolve and depth when they play Liverpool on Tuesday.

Birmingham 0 - 0 Chelsea

Premier League leaders Chelsea failed to score for the first time in 34 games as they were frustrated by Birmingham.

Joe Hart made two stunning first-half saves to keep out Daniel Sturridge's low shot and Frank Lampard's drive.
Alex smashed a 35-yard free-kick against the bar, while Sturridge steered Didier Drogba's cross wide.
Chucho Benitez had a goal ruled out for offside and Sebastian Larsson's free-kick was saved by Petr Cech before Florent Malouda was sent off late on.
The Frenchman was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Stephen Carr and his early exit summed up Chelsea's disappointment.
The visitors created enough chances to win the game and will feel they have dropped two points - handing rivals Manchester United and Arsenal a chance to make up ground when they play on Sunday.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has now seen his side win only once in their last seven games.

And with the likes of strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou now heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, the Italian will be concerned that their poor run could continue for a while yet.

In contrast, Birmingham have now stretched their unbeaten run to 10 matches - courtesy of yet more resolute defending and their eighth clean sheet of the season.

However, at times they were hanging on as Chelsea craved out chances to score.

Branislav Ivanovic headed over from a corner, Juliano Belletti nodded a chance into the side netting and Drogba fired over as Chelsea dominated early on.

And it took a superb save from Hart, diving to his left, to prevent Sturridge from scoring his first goal for Chelsea on his first Premier League start.

Burnley 1 - 1 Bolton

Bolton remain in the relegation zone as Burnley fought back to earn a draw in a spirited Lancashire derby at Turf Moor.

After Steven Fletcher had missed a golden chance for the home side Matt Taylor deservedly put Wanderers ahead with a stunning 25-yard free-kick.

Both sides hit the woodwork, before Bolton's run of failing to keep a clean sheet since May continued when David Nugent headed in Wade Elliott's cross.

There were chances at both ends in a tense finish to an entertaining match.

So Burnley are still without a league win over Bolton since the teams met in the old fourth division in 1987.

More significantly for their first top flight campaign in 33 years the Clarets are now without a Premier League victory in eight matches.
The strong home record, which had yielded 18 of their 19 points prior to this fixture and seen only Wigan triumph at Turf Moor this term, will be tested in contrasting fashion by Stoke and Chelsea during January.

Fulham 0 - 0 Tottenham

A string of fine saves from Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes earned his side a point against Fulham.

Gomes was in impressive form with the best of his efforts coming when he palmed a Bobby Zamora header wide.
The Spurs keeper was beaten by a Clint Dempsey free-kick but that was kept out after it came back off the crossbar.
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer was rarely called upon but, when he was, he brilliantly kept out a Peter Crouch shot and Jermaine Jenas's follow-up.
Schwarzer's double save came late on and made sure his side did not lose a game they had dominated for large spells.
But Spurs, who started with top scorer Jermain Defoe on the bench, racked up a third clean sheet in a row for the first time since August 2005.

Liverpool 2 - 0 Wolverhampton

Liverpool's players handed boss Rafael Benitez a welcome Christmas tonic with a battling win against 10-man Wolves.

The hosts were poor throughout but forced their way into the game after Wolves controversially had Stephen Ward sent off for two yellow cards.
The numerical advantage allowed Steven Gerrard to powerfully head home an Emiliano Insua cross after the break.
Yossi Benayoun doubled the lead with a deflected effort from close range to hand the hosts an unconvincing victory.
Liverpool went into the match having won just two of their previous eight league games and in the unusual position of being mid-table at the mid-way point of the season. And while fans will not be convinced they have turned the corner after another stuttering display, the cheers around at Anfield at the final whistle will at least offer Benitez some festive cheer.
Wolves were the better side at times and manager Mick McCarthy will surely point to the dismissal of Ward as the turning point.

Referee Andre Marriner showed the defender a second yellow card - but only after being surrounded by Liverpool players for incorrectly cautioning Christophe Berra.
McCarthy had clearly fancied his side's chances of causing an upset by fielding a full-strength team - a very different approach to Wolves' recent outing against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But the decision to field an attacking 4-4-2 formation allowed Liverpool to take control of the game in the early stages.

Man City 2 - 0 Stoke

Roberto Mancini calmed the turbulence around Eastlands as he started his reign as Manchester City manager with a comfortable victory against Stoke City.

Mancini was warmly greeted by City's fans after taking charge following the controversial sacking of Mark Hughes - and his opening victory will have been greeted with relief by watching chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak and chief executive Garry Cook.

The pair have been heavily criticised following the removal of Hughes and the hasty succession of the former Inter Milan coach, but they will now hope focus can return to events on the field at Eastlands and the pursuit of fourth place in the Premier League.

Martin Petrov, restored to the side by Mancini, scored the first goal under the Italian's stewardship with a far-post finish after 28 minutes and Carlos Tevez turned in the second in first-half stoppage-time.

City's victory was workmanlike as opposed to spectacular, and even in defeat Stoke were occasionally able to hint at the defensive vulnerability that did much to undermine Hughes's reign before his ruthless dismissal.

Hughes has left one major dilemma behind for the Italian to solve - and it was in evidence as Craig Bellamy was greeted by a standing ovation when he replaced the disappointing Robinho with 20 minutes left.

It was an obvious message to Mancini about Bellamy's approval rating inside Eastlands, and a sign that his tireless efforts are preferred to the more fleeting glimpses of the Brazilian's genius.

This is for the future however, perhaps the January transfer window, and all City and Mancini required was the triumph to start yet another new managerial era.

Mancini, resplendent in sky blue scarf and enthusiastically welcomed by those gathered inside Eastlands, was able to reflect on a job well done after his first 45 minutes in charge as City established a two-goal lead.

Stoke, if anything, were quicker to settle than City and in the early stages had the game's brightest performer in Tuncay. He forced Shay Given into a brave block after 20 minutes and the keeper needed lengthy treatment after colliding with team-mate Kolo Toure after making the save.

Sunderland 1 - 1 Everton

Marouane Fellaini's equaliser five minutes from time earned Everton a deserved point against Sunderland.

The hosts took the lead in the 17th minute when Darren Bent combined brilliantly with Kenwyn Jones to head past keeper Tim Howard from 10 yards.

Bent came close to adding a second minutes later but saw his shot cleared on the goal-line by Johnny Heitinga.

But sustained second-half pressure from Everton saw Fellaini convert Tony Hibbert's cross from 10 yards.

The Belgian midfielder was among a number of Everton players to impress during a second-half renaissance orchestrated by the endeavour and invention of Steven Pienaar.

The South Africa midfielder was at the centre of Everton's most promising moves, constantly tormenting full-backs George McCartney and Phil Bardsley.

However, neither team will be satisfied with a point - with only one victory in their previous 10 matches apiece, both Sunderland and Everton were in desperate need of three festive points to reinvigorate their rapidly deflating league campaigns.

With Michael Turner unavailable because of a four-match suspension, Sunderland boss Steve Bruce turned to Paulo da Silva to partner John Mensah in central defence, while captain Lorik Cana replaced the injured Lee Cattermole in midfield.

Everton boss Dave Moyes had no such concerns, naming an unchanged XI from the team that started in the 1-1 draw against Birmingham.

The continuity in selection clearly benefitted the visitors, with Pienaar and Tim Cahill in particular dictating the tempo of the early exchanges with a series of neat interchanges and intelligent runs.

The duo were involved in the build-up as Leon Osman struck the outside of Marton Fulop's left-hand post with a sweetly struck, right-foot curling effort from the edge of the area.

West Ham 2 - 0 Portsmouth

West Ham hoisted themselves out of the bottom three with a hard-earned victory over fellow strugglers Portsmouth.

After a tense opening, Alessandro Diamanti scored from the spot for his third in as many games after Hayden Mullins fouled substitute Luis Jimenez.
Pompey were more positive in the second half with Kevin Boateng and the lively Frederic Piquionne both going close.
But the Hammers held firm at the back and Radoslav Kovac nodded in Jimenez's curling free-kick to secure the points.
Following their excellent point against leaders Chelsea last week, it was three deserved points for manager Gianfranco Zola's men to claim only their fourth league win of the season and their first clean sheet in 16 league games.
It was a strangely timid opening for the table's bottom two clubs with any sign of forward movement soon quelled by two very congested midfields.

After two wins in five league games for new boss Avram Grant, the Pompey camp would have been a happy one in the build-up to Christmas but it was the home faithful who were singing on 23 minutes.

opening goal after being hacked down by former Hammers midfielder Mullins.

Wigan 1 - 1 Blackburn

Benni McCarthy scored his first league goal of the season but it was not enough for Blackburn to edge their derby clash with Wigan.

Hugo Rodallega levelled for the home side just after the break with a powerful close-range header.
Neither team were prepared to settle for a point though and a frenetic second-half ensued.
But Jason Scotland fluffed a one-on-one with Paul Robinson and McCarthy had an overhead kick saved by Chris Kirkland.
With both sides desperate for points in a congested bottom half of the table, the result did not deliver the three "precious" points that Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce had sought ahead of the match.
Lining up to face a Wigan team that had conceded 38 goals in 17 games, Allardyce was conscious of his own side's inability to both score and keep a clean sheet.

Blackburn had managed to score only once in six matches and were without a win in 12 away league games.

McCarthy quietened some of his manager's qualms when he made the most of Wigan's woeful marking to place Ryan Nelsen's header-on beyond Kirkland.

But Blackburn blotted their manager's copy book in the second period when they allowed the in-form Rodallega to score.

Displaying all the confidence that has seen him notch up six league goals this season, Wigan's leading scorer rose above the defence to power the ball beyond Robinson.

Own goals had almost proved the difference early on with Wigan surviving a scare after Titus Bramble threw himself in the way of a Junior Hoilett cross.

Everton 1 - 1 Birmingham

Birmingham failed to win for the first time in six matches but still got the draw they needed at Everton to But Sebastian Larsson curled in to level and Birmingham dug in thereafter.
Tim Cahill came closest to a winner but Everton could not break through and they stay two points off the drop zone.
The result may end a run of five straight victories for Birmingham, but Alex McLeish will be happy enough with a resolute defensive display from his side that extends their unbeaten run to nine matches and ensures they will spend Christmas Day within touching distance of those sides chasing a European spot.leapfrog Liverpool into seventh in the league.

An irrepressible start from the hosts was rewarded by Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's stinger and Louis Saha was incorrectly denied a second by an offside flag.

West Ham 1 - 1 Chelsea

Chelsea failed to capitalise fully on Manchester United's shock defeat at Fulham as they drew at West Ham.

The Hammers took the lead just before half-time when Jack Collison was fouled by Ashley Cole and Alessandro Diamanti converted the resulting penalty.
Chelsea's equaliser also came from the spot after Matthew Upson was harshly judged to have fouled Daniel Sturridge.
Frank Lampard was made to take the penalty three times but kept his cool to ensure the visitors grabbed a point.

Whilst a draw is not the ideal result for Chelsea, it caps a good week for them, after their win at Portsmouth on Wednesday and United's loss at Craven Cottage.

Wolverhampton 2 - 0 Burnley

Wolves put in a forceful performance as they moved out of the relegation zone courtesy of a win over Burnley.

Nenad Milijas put Wolves ahead when he stroked in a shot after keeper Brian Jensen parried a Matt Jarvis shot.
Kevin Doyle beat Steven Caldwell to a long ball and got past Mike Duff before stabbing in a Wolves second.
Caldwell had a header cleared off the line by Kevin Foley and Steve Fletcher was denied two penalties as Burnley failed to get back into the game.
Richard Stearman appeared to be holding Fletcher as they challenged for a Wade Elliot cross before Karl Henry looked guilty of tugging the Burnley striker's shirt in the box.
Ultimately, though, an improved second half effort from the visitors came too late and Wolves leapfrogged them in the Premier League table with the win.

Wolves had chances to seal a more convincing victory with Burnley chasing the game as they earned three points which will probably give their manager Mick McCarthy extra satisfaction.

There had been plenty of furore following McCarthy's controversial resting of 10 players from the win over Tottenham for the midweek defeat by Manchester United.

McCarthy had clearly prioritised the game against a Burnley side that has struggled on its travels this season and brought back most of the side that had beaten Spurs last weekend.

The Midlands outfit were under pressure to justify their manager's decision and, whether it was a case of them being sharper and fitter or Burnley's poor away record, the home side quickly grabbed a stranglehold of the game.

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Aston Villa 1 - 0 Stoke

Aston Villa underlined their Champions League credentials as Stoke City were undone by a second-half header from substitute John Carew.

Villa broke the deadlock on the hour when Ashley Young crossed for Carew to nod home the winner from six yards.
Stoke defended doggedly throughout, but offered little by way of goal threat beyond a disallowed first-half effort from Mamady Sidibe.
Steve Sidwell might have added a late second for Villa, but twice fired wide.
It was a fourth successive Premier League win for Martin O'Neill's men, who are unbeaten in seven games since early November and now sit third in the table, two points clear of Arsenal, who entertain Hull this evening.
But while Villa's statistics are impressive, their lack of fluency in the face of some impressively stubborn Stoke defending was at times less so, and it would have been an injustice to the visitors' resilience had Sidwell done better with two late efforts from just outside the box.

Blackburn 0 - 2 Tottenham

Peter Crouch's brace sent Blackburn to a rare home defeat as Tottenham moved up to fourth with a clinical win.

Spurs took the lead in first-half stoppage time when Crouch rose highest to head in Niko Kranjcar's cross.
And they wrapped up a crucial three points late on when the frontman kept his calm to slot home one-on-one.
In between, Rovers twice hit the post through Benni McCarthy, who was also denied by Heurelho Gomes, but they could not break down a resolute Spurs.
It was a second clean sheet in a week for Tottenham, who in the absence of Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate appear to have stumbled across a fine centre-half pairing in Michael Dawson and Sebastien Bassong.
But while Wednesday's 3-0 home defeat of Manchester City was an exercise in sweeping attacking play and guile, their win at Ewood Park was all about character and discipline.
It was the perfect response following the recent controversy over the players' Christmas party and serves further notice of the Londoners' top-four ambitions this campaign.
For Blackburn, though, it was only a third home defeat in a year under Sam Allardyce, and they will feel rightly frustrated following a match that for long periods looked like it could go either way.
Certainly the hosts enjoyed the better possession for much of the match, and provided a decent test of Tottenham's rearguard during a first half full of bluster from both sides, if low on quality in the final third in freezing conditions

Fulham 3 - 0 Man Utd

Bobby Zamora's golden spell of form continued as Fulham cruised past a desperately disappointing Manchester United at Craven Cottage.

Zamora - touted for an England call-up in some quarters - scored his 10th goal of a prolific season and was Fulham's spearhead as they gave an injury-hit United side a harrowing afternoon.
Danny Murphy, a scourge of United when at Liverpool and now again with Fulham, put the skids under United with a low finish after 22 minutes and the champions, with Michael Owen anonymous up front, never looked like mounting a recovery.

Zamora was on the scoresheet seconds after the interval when he provided a comprehensive finish from Clint Dempsey's header, and Damien Duff's powerful drive completed a hugely-deserved victory for Roy Hodgson's side after 75 minutes.

But it was Zamora who took the honours as he terrorised a makeshift United rearguard, with Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick pressed into service in unaccustomed roles.

Portsmouth 2 - 0 Liverpool

Ten-man Liverpool's season of woe continued as they were beaten by bottom-of-the-table Portsmouth.

Nadir Belhadj screamed in a shot from an acute angle to put Pompey ahead after poor defending from the Reds.
The visitors had Javier Mascherano red carded for a nasty tackle on Tal Ben-Haim before an unmarked Daniel Agger headed high for Liverpool.
Tireless striker Frederic Piquionne's volley from a tight angle sealed the home side's victory.
Pompey manager Avram Grant had engineered a Champions League semi-final win over Liverpool in April 2008 during his time as Chelsea boss.

Tottenham 3 - 0 Man City

Tottenham put their pursuit of the top four back on track with a deserved victory over fellow Champions League hopefuls Manchester City.

Niko Kranjcar put Spurs ahead, tapping in after Stephen Ireland had blocked Peter Crouch's initial header.
Jermain Defoe's 14th goal of the season, a superb first-time finish from eight yards, proved decisive.
Kranjcar drove in from the right and finished with aplomb to add the polish to an accomplished Spurs performance.
The victory is Tottenham's 18th win over City in 25 Premier League meetings, but represents something far greater.
Following lavish summer outlays, strong starts of their own and stuttering early form from the established elite, the top four aspirations of these two have come in for heavy scrutiny.
Spurs' win puts their pursuit of Champions League football back on track after the 1-0 home loss to Wolves on Saturday and leaves them two points shy of fourth-placed Aston Villa.

However City's defeat, while only their second of the season, represents further lost points in a campaign that has seen them draw over half their fixtures and win just one of their last 10 league matches.
And on this evidence of this, it is easy to see why City have failed to win more frequently.
They enjoyed concerted spells of possession throughout the match but fashioned precious little to hurt Spurs.

Liverpool 2 - 1 Wigan

Liverpool relieved the pressure on manager Rafael Benitez with a morale-boosting victory over Wigan.

David Ngog's glanced header put the Reds ahead, although Liverpool missed several chances to add to their lead.
Jason Scotland volleyed against the crossbar for Wigan as he almost punished Liverpool's profligacy.
Fernando Torres tapped in at the second attempt to seal the win before Charles N'Zogbia scored an injury-time consolation strike for the visitors.
The victory was only Liverpool's fourth in the last 16 games and whether this will be a false dawn like the other wins remains to be seen.
But they moved up to sixth in the league courtesy of a much-needed three points and also marked a special occasion for the club with a determined performance.
Liverpool were celebrating the 50th anniversary since former manager Bill Shankly took over at the club and earned legendary status during nearly 15 years in charge.

Shankly took the club from the old second division - the current Championship - and won three league titles, two FA Cups and a Uefa Cup as he kick-started a golden era in the club's history which saw the Reds go on to dominate in English football and in Europe.
Those memories are in stark contrast to the present team's struggles this season, although the Reds quickly took control against Wigan.
Liverpool were rewarded with a goal after nine minutes when Ngog glanced in a header from Fabio Aurelio's angled cross after ex-Reds keeper Chris Kirkland failed to punch the ball away.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Portsmouth

Chelsea restored their three-point lead in the Premier League - but only after an unconvincing win over Portsmouth.

Nicolas Anelka side-footed Chelsea ahead after good work from Alex as the home side dominated the first half.
But Pompey, managed by former Blues boss Avram Grant, levelled through Frederic Piquionne's fierce finish and even had chances to go ahead.
Frank Lampard saved the hosts' blushes with a 79th-minute penalty after Marc Wilson's lunge on Branislav Ivanovic.
Teenage substitute Fabio Borini could have made the win more comfortable had he not dragged his shot narrowly wide - but that would have masked a curiously flat performance by the league leaders.
They can, at least, celebrate their first win in five matches as they look ahead to Sunday's trip to West Ham, but Carlo Ancelotti must be concerned by his side's stuttering form.

Grant was given a warm reception on his return to Stamford Bridge, but the home fans were probably not feeling quite so charitable when the Israeli's side threatened to deal a stunning blow to the Blues' title chances.
After Mick McCarthy controversially fielded a weakened Wolves side at Manchester United on Tuesday, eyebrows were raised when Grant made seven changes to the side that snatched a late draw against Sunderland at the weekend.

Burnley 1 - 1 Arsenal

Graham Alexander's penalty earned Burnley a deserved point as Arsenal failed to maintain the pressure on Chelsea and Manchester United at the Premier League summit.

Burnley looked like they might be in for a long night at Turf Moor after Cesc Fabregas capped a scintillating Arsenal opening salvo with an early goal.
Arsenal threatened to put the game to bed before Burnley got out of the blocks as Fabregas quickly wasted another chance and Andrey Arshavin struck an upright.
But Burnley, who were denied by the woodwork themselves in the opening seconds when Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia turned Thomas Vermaelen's wayward header on to the bar, are formidable opponents at the wonderfully atmospheric Turf Moor and refused to lie down.
And Alexander, the master from 12 yards, put them level before half-time from the spot following Vermaelen's foul on the hulking figure of Andre Bikey.
Owen Coyle's side, inspired by the outstanding Chris Eagles and Kevin McDonald, more than matched Arsenal for long periods and looked the more likely winners for spells in the second half.

Liverpool v Wigan

Liverpool will give late fitness tests to Javier Mascherano and Glen Johnson after both picked up knocks in the loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Reds are optimistic Mascherano (thigh) will recover in time but Johnson may miss out, with Philipp Degen set to deputise at right-back.
Wigan midfielder Hendry Thomas is available after he served a suspension on Saturday.
It means manager Roberto Martinez has a full-strength squad at his disposal.

Burnley v Arsenal

Burnley have no new fitness concerns for Wednesday's game against Arsenal at Turf Moor.

Chris McCann, Martin Paterson and Jay Rodriguez remain long-term absentees.
Emmanuel Eboue is back after injury for Arsenal but Armand Traore is sidelined by the hamstring problem that forced him off against Liverpool on Sunday.
Midfielder Denilson is out with a back injury but boss Arsene Wenger is hopeful the Brazilian could return against Hull on Saturday.

Stockport 0 - 4 Torquay

Elliot Benyon grabbed a hat-trick to ease League Two Torquay into the third round of the FA Cup at Stockport's expense in the twice-postponed tie.

The striker opened the scoring early on, prodding in after keeper Owain fon Williams's kick fell into his path.
And Williams was again left red-faced for the second when his clearance hit Scott Rendell's knee and went in.
Benyon added a third when he guided Jake Thomson's cross home and then wrapped it up with a sweeping finish.

Sunderland 0 - 2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa underlined their top four aspirations with a clinical victory over Sunderland that lifts them above Arsenal and into third in the league.

Emile Heskey opened the scoring with a low drive and James Milner sealed an impressive win with a superb 25-yarder.
Stewart Downing and Ashley Young also hit the woodwork, but Sunderland were not overawed in a competitive game.
Andy Reid twice went close for them but Lorik Cana's late red card for a second booking summed up a frustrating night.
The defeat continues a frustrating run of form for an inconsistent Sunderland outfit, whose wins over Liverpool and Arsenal represent their only victories from their last nine league games.
But for Villa, victory pushes them to within five points of the Premier League summit and provides further weight to the argument that they, more than any side, have the potential to break the monopoly of the big four.

Man Utd 3 - 0 Wolverhampton

Mick McCarthy's vastly-changed Wolves survived for half an hour before losing out to a lacklustre Manchester United.

With 10 new faces from the team that beat Tottenham, Wolves fell behind to a Wayne Rooney penalty after Ronald Zubar handled Darron Gibson's corner.

Defender Nemanja Vidic soon made up for a wild volley by nodding in United's second from another Gibson corner.

An uninventive Wolves rarely threatened and Antonio Valencia fired in the third after clever work by Dimitar Berbatov.

After their shock defeat by Aston Villa, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will be pleased with the three points which draw them level on points with leaders Chelsea, but the flat performance might give him a few concerns.

The talking point before kick-off could have been Ferguson's previous 899 league games in charge, but instead it was the visitors' surprising line-up that caught the attention.

After Saturday's 1-0 win at Tottenham, the Wolves team sheet revealed 10 changes by manager McCarthy with goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann the only survivor from their White Hart Lane heroics.

Premier League rules state that clubs should "field a full strength team", although the governing body told BBC Radio 5 live it was unlikely they would launch any investigation into the Old Trafford match.

These are worrying times for Wolves with this defeat pushing them back into the bottom three after Bolton saw off West Ham on Tuesday night.

Despite regulars Stephen Ward, Jody Craddock, Richard Stearman and Nenad Milijas all being absent from the squad, McCarthy's team of unfamiliar faces justified their selection at the start as they shut out United's strike partnership of Rooney and the recalled Berbatov.

After firing a one-on-one at Hahnemann's legs and then seeing a deflected shot dribble just wide of the post, Rooney finally got the all-important opener with a penalty on the half-hour to settle the early jitters.

Gibson's corner looped into the box and, as Zubar leaped with the towering Vidic, the Wolves defender flapped with his arm and referee Steve Bennett pointed to the spot.

Bolton 3 - 1 West Ham

West Ham keeper Robert Green's sloppy error helped Bolton beat the Hammers and climb out of the bottom three.

Bolton had taken the lead when Chung-Yong Lee played a one-two with Ivan Klasnic and dinked in a shot, before Alessandro Diamanti fired in to level.
But Green spilled a Gary Cahill shot in front of Klasnic, who pounced to score from point-blank range.
Cahill nodded in at the far post to add to Bolton's lead and increase West Ham's relegation fears.
Green - who hopes to be in England's World Cup squad next year - had stressed the importance of the game with both clubs in the bottom three ahead of the fixture.
And the tension of the situation appeared to have more of an impact on the visitors.
The Hammers, who have the uncertainty of financial problems and a possible takeover hanging over them, can usually be expected to produce neat and tidy football under manager Gianfranco Zola but even this deserted them for the most part at the Reebok Stadium.

Birmingham 2 - 1 Blackburn

Birmingham City's impressive Premier League campaign hit new heights as they moved into sixth place with a deserved win over Blackburn Rovers at St Andrews.

Cameron Jerome was the spearhead with a scrambled early strike and a resounding low finish just after the interval to give Birmingham their fifth successive league victory.
Ryan Nelsen's 69th-minute goal gave Blackburn hope - and that was extended by Chucho Benitez's incredible miss from six yards in the closing minutes that increased the tension around St Andrews after Birmingham looked to be cruising to victory.
Birmingham's winning run is a club record in the Premier League and well-merited reward for manager Alex McLeish's shrewd work in the summer transfer market that has set the perfect platform for the rest of the season.
Jerome has been short of goals since Birmingham's return to the top flight, but McLeish has kept faith with the England Under-21 striker and used his programme notes to insist it was only a matter of time before he was on the mark.

Liverpool 1 - 2 Arsenal

Andrey Arshavin was Liverpool's tormentor again as Arsenal secured a vital win at Anfield to close the gap on Premier League pacesetters Chelsea and Manchester United.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger insists his side can still have a big say on the title race - but his bold claims looked in danger of backfiring as Dirk Kuyt gave Liverpool a deserved interval lead.
Liverpool's £18m full-back Glen Johnson, who suffered a torrid afternoon, unwittingly handed Arsenal a route back into the game when he turned Samir Nasri's cross past Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina five minutes after half-time.
And the visitors, who were uncharacteristically off the pace in the opening period, were ahead after 58 minutes with a moment of genius that Arshavin is making his Anfield trademark.
The Russian, who scored four goals in four attempts in a dramatic 4-4 draw at Anfield last season, struck in stunning fashion, controlling brilliantly before firing a thunderous shot high past Reina.
Arshavin's magic totally deflated the hosts who, despite having big guns Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Alberto Aquilani on the pitch in the closing stages, barely mounted any meaningful response as Arsenal closed out the victory with ease.

The result does further damage to boss Rafael Benitez's public guarantee that Liverpool will definitely finish in the top four, with Anfield totally subdued at the final whistle as Arsenal dealt comfortably with a succession of aimless long balls.
Arsenal's emotions were in sharp contrast at the final whistle as they responded to an angry half-time team talk from Wenger and celebrated a victory that leaves them only six points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.
Liverpool were able to pair Gerrard and Torres together for the first time since early October as the Spain striker started after making an appearance as substitute in midweek against Fiorentina.

Millwall 4 - 0 Staines Town

Millwall set up an FA Cup third round tie with Derby after thrashing Staines Town in their second-round replay.

Staines were first to threaten and Lions keeper David Forde had to push Ali Chaaban's shot around the post.
But Millwall took control when Steve Morison met Danny Schofield's pass and coolly fired home, before Morison set up Jack Smith to make it 2-0.
Alan Dunne headed home a third from a Schofield corner and Schofield added a fourth from Adam Bolder's free-kick.

Olympiakos 1 - 0 Arsenal

Arsenal's unbeaten Champions League run in Group H came to an end at Olympiakos after their youngsters were undone by a cool second-half strike by Leonardo.

The Gunners enjoyed much of the possession but Carlos Vela was guilty of wasting two excellent chances.
The hosts livened up after a drab first half, with Leonardo bursting through the defence to slot in the opener.
Lukasz Fabianski denied Leonardo and Kostas Mitroglou while Aaron Ramsey had a late shot cleared off the line.
Olympiakos held on to ensure their progression into the knock-out stages as runners-up.
With Arsenal's top spot assured, boss Arsene Wenger could afford to rest many of his stars, handing a debut to 18-year-old Tom Cruise and partnering reserve-team captain Kyle Bartley with veteran Mikael Silvestre in defence.

The Greek champions needed just a point in Athens to make the final 16, and they began very hesitantly and nervously in front of their noisy supporters.
Arsenal were rarely without the ball in the opening 15 minutes, and fit-again striker Theo Walcott had the first chance but shot straight at keeper Antonis Nikopolidis after linking up well with teenager Jack Wilshere.
Sluggish Olympiakos were restricted to long-range efforts from Luciano Galletti and Dudu thanks largely to Welsh international Ramsey pulling the strings in the absence of rested captain Cesc Fabregas.
The hosts' limp first-half effort was brought to a close rather aptly when defender Raul Bravo blazed a wild volley high and wide.
The second half was a transformation and within five minutes of the re-start Olympiakos were ahead.
Bartley flapped at a tackle on Oscar Gonzalez and the ball fell to Leonardo who strode through on goal and slotted smartly between the legs of Fabianski.

Liverpool 1 - 2 Fiorentina

Liverpool's disappointing Champions League campaign ended in miserable fashion, with Alberto Gilardino's last-gasp goal giving Fiorentina victory.

Rafa Benitez's side already knew they could not progress from Group E, while their opponents had already qualified.
Yossi Benayoun headed the Reds in front when he met Steven Gerrard's free-kick.
But Martin Jorgensen levelled with a low shot and Gilardino ensured his side topped the group when he turned in a Juan Vargos cross in injury time.
It was the third time the Reds had conceded a late goal in Europe this season, after doing so in both their matches against Lyon, and again they paid a heavy price for a defensive lapse.
But, in truth, Liverpool were unlucky to lose and it was probably of greater significance to their fans that £20m midfielder Alberto Aquilani made his first start and Fernando Torres, who played the last 30 minutes, returned to action after more than a month out.

That duo will hope to play a big part in the remainder of Liverpool's season - starting with Sunday's crunch Premier League encounter with Arsenal.
Understandably, Benitez had one eye on that game against the Gunners and, judging from the subdued atmosphere, so did the majority of the Anfield crowd.
Fiorentina, who sowed the seeds of Liverpool's Champions League exit with a stunning win in Italy at the end of September, were also short of inspiration early on - with their crippling injury list a mitigating factor.
So, most of the focus in the first half was on Aquilani, who arrived from Roma in August with a big reputation and price-tag, but until now had only played 22 minutes of first-team football from the bench because of injury.

Friday, 11 December 2009

TP Mazembe Englebert v Pohang Steelers, QF, 16:00

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Dynamo Kiev v Barcelona, Gp F, 19:45

Inter Milan v Rubin Kazan, Gp F, 19:45
Liverpool v Fiorentina, Gp E, 19:45
Lyon v Debrecen, Gp E, 19:45
Olympiakos v Arsenal, Gp H, 19:45
Sevilla v Rangers, Gp G, 19:45
Standard Liege v AZ Alkmaar, Gp H, 19:45
VfB Stuttgart v Unirea Urziceni, Gp G, 19:45

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Al-Ahly Dubai v Auckland City FC, PO, 16:00

Tuesday, 19 January 2010

Man Utd v Man City, SF, L2, 20:00

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

Man City v Man Utd, SF, L1, 19:45

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

Blackburn v Aston Villa, SF, L1, 20:00

Saturday, 2 January 2010

Accrington Stanley v Gillingham, R3, 15:00

Aston Villa v Blackburn, R3, 15:00
Blackpool v Ipswich, R3, 15:00
Bolton v Lincoln City, R3, 15:00
Brentford v Doncaster, R3, 15:00
Bristol City v Cardiff, R3, 12:30
Everton v Carlisle, R3, 15:00
Fulham v Swindon, R3, 15:00
Huddersfield v West Brom, R3, 15:00
Leicester v Swansea, R3, 15:00
MK Dons v Burnley, R3, 15:00
Middlesbrough v Man City, R3, 15:00
Nottm Forest v Birmingham, R3, 15:00
Plymouth v Newcastle, R3, 15:00
Portsmouth v Coventry, R3, 15:00
Preston v Colchester, R3, 15:00
Reading v Liverpool, R3, 17:15
Scunthorpe v Barnsley, R3, 15:00
Sheff Wed v Crystal Palace, R3, 15:00
Southampton v Luton, R3, 15:00
Staines Town/Millwall v Derby, R3, 15:00
Stockport/Torquay v Brighton, R3, 15:00
Stoke v York, R3, 15:00
Sunderland v Barrow, R3, 15:00
Tottenham v Peterborough, R3, 15:00
Tranmere v Wolverhampton, R3, 15:00
Wigan v Hull, R3, 15:00

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Stockport v Torquay, R2, 19:45

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Millwall v Staines Town, R2R, 19:45

Wednesday, 16 December 2009

Burnley v Arsenal, 19:45


Chelsea v Portsmouth, 19:45

Liverpool v Wigan, 20:00

Tottenham v Man City, 20:00

Tuesday, 15 December 2009

Birmingham v Blackburn, 20:00


Bolton v West Ham, 20:00

Man Utd v Wolverhampton, 20:00

Sunderland v Aston Villa, 19:45

Sunday, 13 December 2009

Liverpool v Arsenal, 16:00

12 December 2009

Birmingham v West Ham, 15:00


Bolton v Man City, 15:00

Burnley v Fulham, 15:00

Chelsea v Everton, 15:00

Hull v Blackburn, 15:00

Man Utd v Aston Villa, 17:30

Stoke v Wigan, 12:45

Sunderland v Portsmouth, 15:00

Tottenham v Wolverhampton, 15:00

Luton 3 - 0 Rotherham

Luton produced an FA Cup shock as they thrashed League Two side Rotherham to book a lucrative trip to Southampton.
Adam Newton put Luton ahead early on after collecting Kevin Nicholls' low cross before dummying Andy Warrington and slotting into the empty net.
Alan White doubled their lead with a towering header before Adam Le Fondre missed a chance to pull one back.
Claude Gnakpa blasted a right-foot rocket into the bottom corner to secure Luton's progress to the third round.

Leeds United 5 - 1 Kettering

Leeds were taken to extra-time against Kettering before sealing a third-round FA Cup tie against Manchester United.
Luciano Becchio headed the home team in front as Leeds dominated the first hour, with the scorer hitting the post and Lee Harper making several saves.
Former Leeds player Anthony Elding headed Kettering level after the break.
Leeds took control in the second half of extra-time, Tresor Kandol heading home between two strikes from Mike Grella before Jermaine Beckford struck.
The scoreline was harsh in the extreme on the non-league team.
There was little to choose between the two sides in the first half of extra-time but after the restart Leeds took control with four goals in 11 minutes to ensure the tie would not go to a penalty shoot-out.
The match was played in wet and blustery conditions and for the first hour it seemed as though it would be a fairly miserable experience for the visiting supporters.
Their team was completely outclassed, with Leeds creating clear-cut openings almost at will.

Barrow 3 - 1 Oxford Utd

Barrow beat non-league rivals Oxford to book a tie against Premier League Sunderland in the FA Cup third round.
Skipper Phil Bolland headed the hosts ahead in the 37th minute from Marc Goodfellow's corner.
Substitute Carlos Logan fired in shortly after the break and Goodfellow all but sealed the win when his 20-yard shot was deflected in.
That left James Constable's 18th goal of the season for Blue Square Premier leaders Oxford as only a consolation.

Barnet 0 - 1 Accrington Stanley

Bobby Grant scored the only goal as Accrington defeated Barnet to seal a third-round FA Cup tie with Gillingham.

Jake Cole had denied Michael Symes before Grant struck from the edge of the box after Barnet failed to clear a shot from Billy Kee.
Midfielder James Ryan almost doubled the lead but his volley shaved the outside of the post.
Barnet veteran Paul Furlong failed to convert Albert Jarrett's cross, while Dean Sinclair headed just over.

Aldershot 1 - 2 Tranmere

Tranmere will host Premier League Wolves in the FA Cup third round after goals from Ian Thomas-Moore and Terry Gornell saw off battling Aldershot.

Rovers took the lead against the run of play when Thomas-Moore volleyed in from an angle just before half-time.
The visitors made it 2-0 shortly after the break when Gornell squeezed the ball home from an acute angle.
Aldershot kept on pushing but Oliver Bozanic's scrambled finish in injury time was all they had to show for it.

Fulham 1 - 0 Sunderland

An impressive Bobby Zamora scored his sixth goal of the season to lift Fulham to eighth spot in the Premier League after they beat Sunderland.

Zamora also hit the bar before half-time and Erik Nevland should have scored too but he shot straight at Marton Fulop from a Zamora lay-off.
Mark Schwarzer saved Kenwyne Jones's shot when he intercepted a back pass and Darren Bent volleyed wide.
Fulham faded after the break, but held off a spirited Sunderland effort.
The result means Sunderland's woes away from home continue as they now have just one win from their last 18 league trips. Meanwhile, Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will be content his team held firm after their European exertions on Thursday.

Everton 2 - 2 Tottenham

Everton fought back from two goals down to earn a point with Tottenham, who missed an injury-time penalty.

Jermain Defoe slotted in the opener at the near post, and Michael Dawson made it 2-0 with a diving header.
Louis Saha volleyed in from eight yards to start Everton's comeback and Tim Cahill equalised when he stooped to head in Leighton Baines's cross.
Defoe had a chance to win it after Wilson Palacios was fouled but Tim Howard saved the striker's spot-kick.
It was a dramatic finale to a fine second half that swung one way and then another, but Spurs will be kicking themselves for throwing away a two-goal lead.

Burnley 2-0 Hull

Burnley's opener came from a Graham Alexander penalty after referee Mike Jones surprisingly ruled that Tyrone Mears had been fouled by Stephen Hunt.

Hull's Geovanni appeared to equalise direct from a free-kick, but Jones disallowed it for pushing in the wall.
The aggrieved Geovanni quickly picked up two bookings to be sent off and Alexander's second goal settled it.
First, the Brazilian was booked for remonstrating long and hard with Jones after his right-footed free-kick, just outside the area, had crept into the top corner via Burnley keeper Brian Jensen.

Bolton 0-4 Chelsea

The Blues created a glut of chances but had to wait until the 45th minute for Frank Lampard to score from the spot after Didier Drogba was brought down.

Jlloyd Samuel was sent off for the professional foul and Chelsea doubled their lead when Deco curled home.
Lampard hit the bar before Zat Knight bundled into his own net and Drogba rolled in a well-worked fourth.
Bolton will be sick of the sight of the team from west London after the Blues dumped them out of the Carling Cup on Wednesday with a similar drubbing at Stamford Bridge.

Bolton 0-4 Chelsea

The Blues created a glut of chances but had to wait until the 45th minute for Frank Lampard to score from the spot after Didier Drogba was brought down.

Jlloyd Samuel was sent off for the professional foul and Chelsea doubled their lead when Deco curled home.
Lampard hit the bar before Zat Knight bundled into his own net and Drogba rolled in a well-worked fourth.
Bolton will be sick of the sight of the team from west London after the Blues dumped them out of the Carling Cup on Wednesday with a similar drubbing at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal 3 - 0 Tottenham

The game turned inside 11 seconds shortly before the interval as the Gunners struck twice to set up a victory that gave manager Arsene Wenger 1000 Premier League points since his arrival at the club in 1996.

It also ended any hopes Spurs may have harboured of ending a winless league sequence against Arsenal that now stretches back 20 games.
Boss Harry Redknapp would have been satisfied with how his side had coped with Arsenal's threat until they imploded spectacularly as half-time approached.

Birmingham 0 - 0 Man City

Christian Benitez hit a post early on for the home side and Craig Bellamy saw a shot blocked for City.

Keeper Given came to the visitors' rescue early in the second half, saving James McFadden's penalty after Nigel de Jong had handled in the box.
Barry Ferguson's second yellow saw Birmingham reduced to 10 men late on.
The Scottish midfielder's dismissal was an unfortunate end to what was a committed display from the home side.

Blackburn 3 - 2 Burnley

Blackburn came from behind to beat Burnley in the local rivals' first meeting in the top flight since 1966.

Rovers were stunned when Robbie Blake opened the scoring with a superb 20-yard shot after only four minutes.
But David Dunn equalised with a low drive and Franco Di Santo nodded Rovers ahead after woeful Burnley defending.
Pascal Chimbonda added a third goal for Rovers with a precise finish into the corner before Chris Eagles grabbed a late consolation from six yards.
The win was no more than Rovers deserved after they recovered from being the first home team to concede a goal against Burnley in the league this season.
Blake's excellent strike, curled in from outside the box as Blackburn backed off, set up the derby for a sizzling start in keeping with the feverish atmosphere that had built up for at least an hour before kick-off.
With so much pride at stake between the two old rivals - both clubs being founding members of the Football League - a match of passion and tenacity was expected.
That proved to be the case early on, coupled with a lot of quality - not least the calibre of the goals.
Dunn's effort that cancelled out Blake's opener was also a peach, curled into the corner after on-loan Chelsea striker Di Santo had perfectly laid off Morten Gamst Pedersen's cross
As Rovers continued to press forward, driven on by the impressive Dunn, they created another chance but El-Hadji Diouf could only drag his shot wide.

Burnley, for all their attempts to play their way out of trouble, were struggling to keep Rovers at bay.
And the visitors contributed to their downfall when goalkeeper Brian Jensen fell under no challenge when trying to deal with a cross and Graham Alexander headed the ball up for Di Santo to nod into an empty net.
If that goal was a messy effort, Rovers' next strike was much more pleasing to the eye.
Pedersen headed cleverly into the path of Chimbonda and the defender cut inside Steven Fletcher before slotting a shot into the far corner.
At that stage it looked a long way back for Burnley, who had yet to secure a point on their travels in this campaign.
By contrast, Rovers looked to have found some confidence and were comfortably in control.
The pattern remained similar after the interval as Burnley's lack of firepower prevented them from forcing a way back into the match.
Unable to take advantage of a spell of possession, Burnley were short of ideas and could only muster a weak effort from Fletcher and a header from Steven Caldwell.
And at the other end, the uncertain Jensen almost dropped another clanger when he allowed Paul Robinson'kick to bounce and was lucky to see his opposite number's clearance go over the bar.
Robinson tried to repeat the trick moments later and once again Jensen was almost found out, needing his defenders to hack the ball away.
Burnley did manage to get a sight on goal when substitute Eagles was played in by Wade Elliott but he hesitated and the chance was gone.
Elliott also worked an opening for Alexander a little later, but the shot was blocked.
There was definite improvement from Burnley and Eagles fired a low shot narrowly wide as they pressed to reduce the deficit.
And moments later, Eagles gave Burnley a chance of pulling off an unlikely comeback when he turned in Stephen Jordan's cross.
However, Blackburn held out for the last few minutes and almost had the final word when Pedersen blazed a volley over the bar.

Arsenal 3 - 1 Birmingham

Arsenal were not quite at their clinical best but still proved too strong for Birmingham at the Emirates.

Robin van Persie opened the scoring with a precise, low drive across goal after Alex Song had played him in.
Abou Diaby doubled the lead when he smashed in a rising shot before Lee Bowyer volleyed in after Vito Mannone's mistake to halve Birmingham's deficit.
Substitute Andrey Arshavin shot wide and Robin van Persie hit the bar before Arshavin curled in to seal the points.
Arshavin's strike came at a time when Birmingham were threatening to get an equaliser but overall, the Gunners were good value for the three points that moves them up to fourth in the Premier League table.
The only blemish on the Gunners' afternoon was an injury suffered by Theo Walcott, who had started a match for the first time this season but was forced off on the half-hour mark after failing to shake off the after-effects of a robust challenge by Liam Ridgewell.
England winger Walcott had been one of three changes for Arsenal, with Kieran Gibbs playing at left-back and Mannone keeping his place in goal despite Manuel Almunia's return to fitness.

Walcott had started brightly and tested Blues keeper Joe Hart with a curling shot that came at the end of a strong run before he was replaced by Arshavin.
Arsenal had already posted warnings of their attacking intent by then, with Tomas Rosicky twice getting in good positions only to fail to connect properly with volleys.
It must have made uncomfortable viewing for new Birmingham owner Carson Yeung as he sat in the stands as president of the club for the first time since he completed his takeover.
Yeung has promised to make £40m available for new players but any green shoots of recovery that may come from that potential cash injection look a long way off on this showing.
Fielding a team with four changes from that side that lost to Burnley, the visitors, who had lost four of their last five league games going into the match, struggled to keep pace with their opponents.

And they were soon undone by Song's fine through ball and Van Persie's equally well-placed finish gave Arsenal the lead.
Moments later, Arsenal worked a great opening with some fluid football, and Diaby arrived at the far post to hammer home Rosicky's cross.
Birmingham's first effort at goal came form Sebastian Larsson, but his free-kick was pushed away by Mannone.
However, the Italian keeper was soon to make a costly mistake when he flapped at a cross and succeeded only in patting the ball down at the feet of Bowyer, who dispatched the ball into an empty net.
Arsenal almost restored their two-goal lead when Arshavin took a snap shot but Joe Hart made a decent low stop to his right.
Birmingham started the second half well and Cameron Jerome's ball almost reached Lee Bowyer via Barry Ferguson as Arsenal looked vulnerable.

But the hosts hit back and Arshavin dragged a shot wide when he looked set to score before Cesc Fabregas was just about kept out by Hart.
As Arsenal began to assume full control once more, they were presented with an indirect free-kick in the area after Larsson was harshly judged to have played a deliberate back pass.
From the set-piece, Van Persie smashed the ball against the top of the bar.
Arsenal then suffered a scare when Ridgewell's cross looked certain to be turned in before Mannone made up for his earlier error by clawing the ball away from two waiting Blues players.
But the home side's nerves were settled when Arshavin cut in from the right and curled a sweet shot into the far corner.
Arsenal might have had a fourth goal but Hart made a fine save to deny Diaby from close range and Van Persie's shot was blocked by Ridgewell.

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Chelsea

Aston Villa delivered a blow to Chelsea's title ambitions by inflicting a second successive away defeat on the pre-match Premier League leaders.

Chelsea took the lead when Brad Friedel failed to deal with a speculative long-range effort from Didier Drogba, but they failed to capitalise.
An unmarked Richard Dunne headed the home side level after Ashley Young's corner flicked off Frank Lampard.
James Collins headed the winner from another Young corner to stun Chelsea.
It was Collins' first goal in four years as Chelsea's defence was uncharacteristically exposed again at a set piece.
Two seasons ago, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich left Villa Park before the end of a 2-0 defeat by Martin O'Neill's side. Two weeks later then manager Jose Mourinho was dismissed.

Current Blues' coach Carlo Ancelotti has no concerns as far as his job security goes, but he will have been deeply unhappy with the lack of concentration at the back which allowed Villa to get back into the game.
Villa, with frustrated England striker Emile Heskey again confined to the bench by O'Neill until the final eight minutes, should take plenty of confidence from a hard-earned victory.
After a quiet opening, the game exploded into life when emergency referee Kevin Friend - called in at the last minute after Steve Bennett was taken ill - waved away Villa appeals for a penalty.
On closer inspection, Jose Bosingwa had wrapped his arm all over Gabriel Agbonlahor's shoulder, preventing him from capitalising on Stilyan Petrov's cross with only Petr Cech to beat.
Chelsea, fortunate not to concede a penalty, quickly poured forward, James Milner denying Florent Malouda with a smart tackle. But on their next attack the west London club took the lead.
Drogba skilfully turned Collins, but was still about 35 yards out when firing his shot at the Villa goal.
Friedel should have had the effort comfortably covered, but the 38-year-old American was deceived by the dip and bounce of the shot, and had to hide his embarrassment as he picked the ball out of net.

Chelsea, no doubt fortified by the goal, tended to offer more in the way of a threat going forward - so it was a bit of a surprise to see Villa grab an equaliser.
It had an element of fortune about it, as Lampard's attempted clearing header from Young's corner served up a chance on a silver platter for Dunne. The Republic of Ireland defender buried his header from close range.
But Chelsea now produced their best football of the half. Friedel, atoning for his earlier error, had to back-pedal furiously to tip a cheeky chip from the consistently excellent Deco over the top right-hand corner.
And a neat move of short passes played across the edge of the Villa area presented Drogba with an excellent chance, whereupon Collins produced a terrific block, throwing his body into the path of the shot.
The Blues' defence was found wanting early in the second half, however, when another corner from Young proved too much to deal with.
This time the winger picked out Collins on the far post, who was given vast swathes of undefended territory in which to rise up to nod the ball down, back across goal and into the net.
John Terry reacted by jumping around the box like a toddler with a tantrum, but the only way Chelsea could respond was to attack once again.

Everton 1 - 1 Wolverhampton

Diniyar Bilyaletdinov slid home a dramatic late equaliser as Everton denied Wolves a priceless away win.

Wolves edged a tame first half but the game came to life after the interval.
Kevin Doyle put the visitors ahead when he raced on to huge clearance by keeper Wayne Hennessey and nonchalantly flicked the ball under Tim Howard.
But Bilyaletdinov levelled from Jo's cross in a frantic finale which also saw Wolves substitute Stefan Maierhofer sent off after two yellow cards.
Such a thrilling finish seemed highly unlikely after a tepid opening period short on goalmouth incident and excitement.
Despite coming off the back off a six-game unbeaten run, Everton made a sluggish start. They created just two chances in the opening period, the best of which was wated by Tim Cahill.
A long pass upfield fell to Louis Saha whose poor attempt to control the ball allowed Cahill to race through to the edge of the box, but he rushed his attempt and the ball sailed over the bar
Saha was then unable to keep a headed chance down from a corner, and that was about as good as it got for the hosts.

Wolves, beaten 1-0 at home by previously winless Portsmouth in their last outing, could have been forgiven for packing the defence and settling for a point against an Everton side unbeaten in six.
But boss Mick McCarthy has faith in his young side's attacking prowess.
The fact he was able to include one of his star men Michael Kightly from the start for the first time this season was a huge boost.
And although winger Kightly failed to have an impact, their attacking threat was provided by the lively front pairing Sylvan Ebanks-Blake and record signing Doyle.
It was the first time McCarthy has been able to pair them in attack this term, and the duo were a constant menace to Everton's defence.

Man Utd 2 - 1 Bolton

Manchester United moved top of the Premier League with a nervy victory over Bolton at Old Trafford.

The champions took an early lead when Michael Owen's header was deflected into his own net by Zat Knight.
After Antonio Valencia lashed home his first goal for United, the hosts looked to be cruising to the three points.
But Matt Taylor headed in from Kevin Davies' cross and Bolton began to flood forward in search of an equaliser, only to be denied by some dogged defending.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men will be mightily relieved to have secured the win, which was far from convincing but sees them go a point clear of Chelsea after the Blues were beaten at Aston Villa earlier on Saturday.
Such was their dominance, United seemed to switch off mid-way through the second half and were fortunate not to be punished as Bolton laid siege to their goal.

They will have to raise their game for the trips to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday and then Liverpool in the league four days later.
Bolton, who drop a place to 13th, will feel their late rally was worthy of a point but, in truth, they would have been out of contention far earlier had United taken a few more of their numerous chances.
A seventh straight defeat at Old Trafford looked likely for Bolton as early as the fourth minute when Owen found himself unmarked to meet Ryan Giggs' precise cross with a glancing header.
The ball was heading wide but, unfortunately for the visitors, it struck Knight's leg and trickled into Jussi Jaaskelainen's net.
Owen, benefitting from Wayne Rooney's calf injury to make only his second league start for United, was at the heart of United's electrifying start.
The 29-year-old was one of eight changes to United's starting line-up and caused the Bolton defence no shortage of problems in the opening exchanges.
United's outstanding performer, however, was Giggs and the 35-year-old winger almost set up a second as his cross from the right was headed goalbound by Jonny Evans, only for Jaaskelainen to save brilliantly on to a post.
Bolton's five-man midfield was providing little cover for their back four - but to their credit they did get forward to support lone striker Davies whenever possible.

On one such occasion, Davies escaped the attentions of Rio Ferdinand but headed wide from an unmarked position following Sam Ricketts' centre.
Nine of Bolton's 10 league goals this season have come from set pieces and they almost continued that sequence when Taylor drove wide after Davies had chested down Gary Cahill's long punt forward.
But United were in a comfort zone and reasserted their authority with a second goal, Valencia playing a one-two with Gary Neville before drilling a powerful strike past Jaaskelainen.
Bolton had the first chance of the second half, Knight heading Taylor's free-kick straight at Edwin Van der Sar, but United, and in particular, Dimitar Berbatov ensured they were soon under the cosh once more.

Portsmouth 1 - 2 Tottenham

Harry Redknapp celebrated his return to Fratton Park with a win that kept old club Portsmouth bottom of the table.

The home fans' reception for Redknapp was in reality mild, but the opening exchanges were highly charged.
Ledley King headed Spurs ahead from a Niko Kranjcar corner before Jermain Defoe volleyed in their second.
Kevin-Prince Boateng pulled one back moments before Defoe saw red for stamping, but Spurs held on and Pompey had Michael Brown sent off at the end.
Aruna Dindane had a golden first-half opportunity to put Pompey ahead but ballooned over an open goal inside the six-yard box.
Both match-day squads featured three players who had played for the opposition in recent times, Defoe, Kranjcar and substitute Peter Crouch for Spurs, and Brown, Boateng and Younes Kaboul for Portsmouth.
Striker Defoe, fit after missing England's final World Cup qualifiers, was in the thick of the action from the outset.
He was spoken to by referee Phil Dowd in the first few seconds after a heated exchange of views with former Spurs player Brown.
The lively Defoe then burst through but England keeper David James saved his low shot comfortably.
He was in on goal again after a neat through ball from Tom Huddlestone, but the fierce low drive came back off the post with James beaten.

Portsmouth, with only one league win so far and unsettled by recent changes of ownership, showed plenty of endeavour, with the spirited Boateng at the heart of most of their attacks.
Dindane is likely to see his glaring miss repeated several times on calamity-based football compilations, while Spurs keeper Heurelho Gomes, who has endured some calamities of his own, produced some magical saves, most notably an acrobatic one-handed tip over while diving in the opposite direction after Boateng's free-kick was sharply deflected.