EPL Weekend ~ Feb 23 / 24 - Game 27
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Saturday, 23 February 2008
Barclays Premier League
Birmingham v Arsenal, 8:45
Liverpool v Middlesbrough, 11:00
Portsmouth v Sunderland, 11:00
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Reading v Aston Villa, 8:30
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Match on Tv:
Saturday, 23 February 2008
Channel 21:(Live & Exclusive)
Blackburn Rovers Vs Bolton
11:00 PM
Channel 22:(Live & Exclusive)
Portsmouth Vs Sunderland
11:00 PM
Channel 27:(Live & Exclusive)
Birmingham City Vs Arsenal
08:40 PM
Liverpool Vs Middlesbrough
10:55 PM
Newcastle United Vs Manchester United
01:15 AM
Match on Tv:
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Channel 27:(Live & Exclusive)
Reading Vs Aston VIlla
8:30 PM
Blackburn Rovers Vs Bolton Wanderers
11:00 PM
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my prediction:
Birmingham v Arsenal, 0-3
Liverpool v Middlesbrough, 1-1
Portsmouth v Sunderland, 3-1
Sunday, 24 February 2008
Reading v Aston Villa, 0-0
Monday, 25 February 2008
Man city v Everton 1-0
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McFaden's injury-time penalty stuns Arsenal after Eduardo breaks leg
Birmingham 2 Arsenal 2
Surprise: Birmingham City's James McFadden (R) celebrates his goal against Arsenal
Birmingham striker James McFadden scored an injury-time penalty to stun leaders Arsenal and rescue a precious point for Alex McLeish's strugglers.
Theo Walcott's double looked to have enabled Arsenal to overcome a sickening leg injury to striker Eduardo after just three minutes for which Martin Taylor was red-carded.
Bad break: Arsenal's Eduardo lay's in pain with a suspected broken leg following a challenge by Birmingham City's Martin Taylor
It was fully six minutes before the Gunners striker was eased onto the stretcher before being taken from the pitch. Wenger immediately replaced Eduardo, who will be 25 on Monday, with Nicklas Bendtner who spent all of last season on loan at Birmingham.
In a tactical reshuffle Blues boss McLeish took off Mikael Forsell, brought on Parnaby at right-back and switched Stephen Kelly to centre-half alongside Liam Ridgewell. Arsenal shrugged off the injury setback and Cesc Fabregas showed great skill to set up a chance for himself on the edge of the City box and his 20-yard drive was only just too high.
Maik Taylor clung onto a low left-footed drive from Bendtner after a mis-kick from Mathieu Flamini had fallen into his path. But after 28 minutes Arsenal were stunned when McFadden put City ahead with his second goal in two games.
McFadden's persistence won him a free-kick after he had shrugged off two challenges before being brought down by Flamini. The Scottish international took the free-kick himself and curled the ball over the defensive wall and into the roof of the net even though Manuel Almunia got his fingertips to the ball.
Adebayor squandered a golden chance to level matters when he raced onto a through ball from Fabregas. The ball sat up nicely as Maik Taylor came off his line but Adebayor scooped his shot over the crossbar. The chances were starting to come more regularly for the Gunners and an Alexander Hleb cross picked out Adebayor who directed his header wide when he would have expected to at least hit the target.
But in first half injury-time McFadden could have doubled Birmingham's lead. He seized onto a pass from Sebastian Larsson and beat the offside trap but, with only Almunia to beat, put his shot wide under pressure from Philippe Senderos.
Arsenal came out for the second half as if they meant business and Maik Taylor tipped over a curling effort from Fabregas and a more powerful drive from Flamini. It came as no surprise when Walcott put Arsenal level after 50 minutes.
Maik Taylor was outjumped by Adebayor following a corner from Fabregas and the loose ball fell to Walcott who made no mistake from close range. It was the first league goal scored by an English player for the Gunners since Justin Hoyte in January 2007.
It was now one-way traffic towards the Birmingham goal and Taylor again did well to tip over a fierce shot from Hleb. But after 55 minutes Walcott struck again to put the Gunners ahead. This time the England Under-21 player created the goal for himself with a mazy run before beating Maik Taylor's dive with a shot into the corner of the net.
Adebayor was having one of those days in front of goal when nothing was going right and he was again denied by Maik Taylor after bursting clear of the Blues defence as Arsenal ran out comfortable winners.
Then in injury-time McFadden rescued a point for the home side from the penalty spot.
McFadden was on form at St Andrew's