EPL Wednesday ~ MAR 14
-
Wednesday, 14 March 2007
Barclays Premiership
vs
Aston Villa v Arsenal - 3:45
vs
Man City v Chelsea - 4:00
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Matches on Tv:
Wed 14 March 2007 - (Thur morning)
Ch 23:
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal - Ch 23 - 3:45 am - (Live)
Ch 24:
Manchester City Vs Chelsea - Ch 24 - 4:00 am - (Live)
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Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea
Start your predictions -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
man city is on a losing streak.
i dont see them getting anything out of this match at all. -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
Aston Villa Vs Arsenal
Manchester City Vs Chelsea -
Man City 0-1 Chelsea
Chelsea reduced Manchester United's lead at the Premiership summit to six points and piled the pressure on Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce. Frank Lampard's 28th minute penalty, scored after Micah Richards' foul on Salomon Kalou, leaves City facing a desperate battle against relegation.
Richards also cleared off the line from Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips hit the bar for Chelsea in the second half. City, in contrast, failed to carve out a single serious chance in the match. Chelsea were able to recall captain John Terry after the head injury he sustained in the Carling Cup final against Arsenal. And he was up against Emile Mpenza, who was handed his first start up front as City attempted to revamp their strike force in a bid to cure their chronic goal shortage.
But it was a piece of naive defending by highly-rated youngster Richards, a reported transfer window target for Chelsea in January, that set City back on their heels after 28 minutes. Richards unwisely threw himself into a challenge on Kalou, leaving referee Alan Wiley with no option but to point to the spot. Lampard coolly sent Andreas Isaksson, preferred to Nicky Weaver in goal, the wrong way with his penalty.
City, for all their endeavour, posed little threat, and they were reduced to a shot from 18 yards by Joey Barton that flew well wide. Chelsea suffered a scare after the break when Terry started limping heavily after a challenge, and even though he carried on with what appeared to be an ankle injury, he still looked uncomfortable.
Richards made some amends for his earlier mistake after 56 minutes, clearing off the line after Lampard had lifted the ball over Isaksson towards the empty net. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sent on City old boy Wright-Phillips for the subdued Arjen Robben with 13 minutes left, and he almost doubled Chelsea's lead within seconds of his arrival, hitting the bar with a rising 20-yard drive.
City's lack of invention was almost embarrassing, but Barton threatened an unlikely equaliser after 80 minutes - however, he shot wastefully wide. Chelsea had hardly been peppering City's goal either, but Didier Drogba brought a block from Isaksson as time ran out. And Isaksson then saved from Michael Ballack in injury time as Chelsea claimed the three points.
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Manchester City manager Stuart Pearce:
"There is talk of rifts in the camp, but you can't put on a performance like that against one of the best teams in the world if you have rifts in your camp - it just doesn't happen. "I've got a fantastic job at a fantastic football club. I'm just looking forward to winning the game at Middlesbrough if possible.
"Do I have the chairman's full support?
"Well I don't walk past him (John Wardle) every day and ask him if I've got his full support. The other night he bought me a sandwich at the reserve game and that's a real show of affection from our chairman."
Chelsea assistant manager Steve Clarke:
"We have always felt the gap between us and Manchester United is manageable. Six points is not a big distance. "One defeat for them and the gap is three points, and the pressure is really on. We are going to chase them all the way. "We will not make the first mistake in the title run-in and hopefully they will make it sooner rather than later. We know what we have to do."
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Man City: Isaksson, Richards, Dunne, Distin, Ball, Jihai (Miller 63), Ireland, Barton, Hamann (Dabo 80), Mpenza, Vassell (Samaras 72).
Subs Not Used: Hart, Dickov.
Booked: Hamann, Dunne, Richards.
Chelsea: Cech, Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Robben (Wright-Phillips 77), Ballack, Lampard, Makelele (Diarra 90), Kalou, Drogba.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Shevchenko, Boulahrouz.
Booked: Drogba, Ballack.
Goals: Lampard 28 pen.
Att: 39,429
Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire). -
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal overtook Liverpool and moved up into third place in the Premiership after edging a win at Aston Villa. The visitors went ahead through Abou Diaby but he knew little about diverting home Julio Baptista's shot.
Jeremie Aliadiere missed several Arsenal openings while Villa's Ashley Young sidefooted straight at keeper Jens Lehmann in his side's best chance. Freddie Ljungberg hacked the ball off the goal-line as Diaby almost scored an own goal as the visitors clung on.
Arsenal went into the game with little to smile about after losing the Carling Cup final and exiting the FA Cup and Champions League on their way to another trophy-less season. But fortune smiled on them at Villa Park after 10 minutes when a Baptista shot going comfortably wide was diverted in by Diaby.
Aliadiere has struggled to earn a regular first-team place for the Gunners and showed why as he wasted two promising chances in quick succession. He was played through on goal by Freddie Ljungberg but the finish did not match the pass as his effort was blocked by keeper Thomas Sorensen.
The striker was found with another pass as he made a diagonal run on goal only to delay his shot and be dispossessed. Villa striker John Carew could have made Arsenal pay as he looked set for a clear strike on goal but was cynically brought down by Johan Djourou just outside the area.
The home side started to pile on the pressure and should have been level when a Wilfred Bouma pass scythed through the Arsenal defence and found Gareth Barry.
He pulled the ball back for Ashley Young and his effort was saved by Lehmann before Gabriel Agbonlahor's follow-up strike was blocked in a frantic goalmouth. An unmarked Aliadiere wasted another chance as he sent a six-yard header into ground and over minutes ahead of the interval.
Villa were dominant after the break and the crowd raised the noise level as they backed the effort of their players. The combination nearly paid off when Diaby almost put a Villa corner into his own net only for Ljungberg to clear off the line. Villa threw all they had at Arsenal but the visitors dug deep to hold on and continually repel their hosts through a mixture of determined and desperate defending.
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Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill:
"I thought we put an awful lot into the game. In the second half we were excellent. "Overall, I'm pleased with how we performed but we did not have an ounce of luck. "It could have been a sending off when Johan Djourou fouled John Carew. Beside the fact there was a bit of cover it looked like John was about to shoot."
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
"We were very disappointed after our Champions League exit. "But we showed a great response with many players not available. It was a great resilient performance. "In the first half it was a good football game. In the second half it was a battle and we stood up and showed a great mental response."
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Aston Villa: Sorensen, Bardsley, Mellberg, Cahill, Bouma, Petrov, McCann (Berger 74), Barry, Agbonlahor, Carew, Young.
Subs Not Used: Taylor, Davis, Ridgewell, Moore.
Booked: Cahill.
Arsenal: Lehmann, Hoyte, Silva, Djourou, Gallas, Ljungberg, Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby (Rosicky 63), Julio Baptista (Flamini 65), Aliadiere (Senderos 90).
Subs Not Used: Poom, Walcott.
Booked: Djourou.
Goals: Diaby 10.
Att: 39,968
Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire). -
Points gain after EPL Wednesday ~ MAR 14 matches.
2 pts: turbo_drift, anhydrouscoppersulphate, felirox.
1 pt: pervertboi, zocoss, a-Lost-9uY.
0 pt: used. -
Scoreboard after 14 March EPL matches:
1. anhydrouscoppersulphate 19pts
2. zocoss 13pts
3. used 12pts
4. felirox 12pts
5. a-Lost-9uY 11pts
6. turbo_drift 11pts
7. _n00b_ 7pts
8. finoq 6pts
==========Relegation Zone==========
9. stevenliew 5pts
10. pervertboi 4pts
11. gigabyte14 1pts -
Penalty Pain For Psycho
A controversially won Frank Lampard penalty put paid to Man Citeh's hopes of sparking a revival. Stuart Pearce must be a very nervous man as he contempletes the league table. Citeh are just six points clear of the relegation zone and still have to play Watford and Charlton as well as Liverpool and Manyoo, although Psycho may be long gone by then.