EPL Weekend ~ Mar 15 / 16 / 17 - Game 30
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Barclays Premier League
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Arsenal v Middlesbrough, 1:15
Portsmouth v Aston Villa, 11:00
Sunderland v Chelsea, 11:00
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Monday, 17 March 2008
Birmingham v Newcastle, 4:00
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Match on Tv:
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Channel 21:(Live & Exclusive)
11:00 PM
Channel 22:(Live & Exclusive)
Liverpool Vs Reading
11:00 PM
Channel 27:(Live & Exclusive)
Derby County Vs Manchester United
10:55 PM
01:15 AM
Match on Tv:
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Channel 22:(Live & Exclusive)
Wigan Athletic vs Bolton Wanderers
11:00 PM
Channel 27:(Live & Exclusive)
9:30 PM
12:00 AM
Monday, 17 March 2008
Channel 27:(Live & Exclusive)
Birmingham v Newcastle, 4:00
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Arsenal look to snap out of drawing run
Arsenal can expect to be staring up at Manchester United by the time they kick off at home to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Three consecutive draws for the Gunners have allowed United to close what was becoming a significant gap to one point and Sir Alex Ferguson's side have the chance to get their noses in front when they travel to doomed Derby County.
Chelsea, who thrashed Derby 6-1 on Wednesday, are also back in the mix and will continue their dogged chase at relegation battlers Sunderland on Saturday.
Arsenal would have expected nine points out of fixtures with Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic but have managed just three, a statistic all the more baffling considering their superb dismantling of European champions AC Milan.
Manager Arsene Wenger believes the pace and power of fit-again Dutchman Robin van Persie can reignite Arsenal's title bid as the finishing line looms on the horizon.
Van Persie came on as a substitute in the 0-0 draw at Wigan having made only three appearances since October."He can make a difference," Wenger told the club's Web site (www.arsenal.com). To have him back for the last 10 would be patience rewarded.
"Before he was injured, he played eight games and scored five goals. When you lose a player like that you think of course we are in trouble but we compensated well."He is desperate to come back and do well."
United will also be desperate to do well, although three points against a Derby side in danger of becoming the worst ever Premier League team, are surely a formality. Ferguson was left ranting and raving after a 1-0 FA Cup defeat by Portsmouth last week and Derby's players may be having sleepless nights in anticipation of a backlash.
Ben Foster is expected to be given his first league start in goal for United in the absence of the injured Edwin van der Sar and suspension to Tomasz Kusczak.
Chelsea manager Avram Grant has come under intense scrutiny after the shock Cup defeat by Barnsley last week, but his side are just three points behind United and five behind Arsenal with a game in hand on the Gunners.
Significantly Chelsea still have to play the top two at Stamford Bridge.
Fourth-placed Liverpool, who completed the quartet of English clubs to reach the Champions League's last eight on Tuesday with victory over Inter Milan, get their focus back on league points at home to Reading.
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Mugged at the Emirates: Aliadiere comes back to haunt Arsenal
Arsenal 1 - 1 Middlesbrough
Jeremie Aliadiere returned to mug his old club at the Emirates Stadium with a goal that will have Arsenal's title rivals Manchester United and Chelsea fancying their chances even more following victories of their own. And it could even have been better for them, and so much worse for Arsenal.
Aliadiere, back after suspension for a sendingoff at Liverpool, scored just one Premier League goal for the Gunners in his seven years with the club. Now he has one against them having given Middlesbrough a crucial first-half lead yesterday that lasted until Kolo Toure prised a point for the Gunners with a late header.
'Jeremie was fired up,' said Boro manager Gareth Southgate. 'It was not too difficult a decision to put him back in. I knew how much it would mean to him and I'm chuffed he got a goal. He's really maturing into a class act.' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was less generous. He said: 'First of all, he's a good player but it was not a difficult goal to score.'
Wenger was unhappy that his side have now drawn four successive games since Eduardo was injured at Birmingham last month. He added: 'When you are in a race for the championship, it is disappointing to drop eight points in four games. We have to keep belief, spirit and focus for the next game against Chelsea.'
Ronaldo's magic lifts dull United
Derby 0-1 Man United
To anyone who was not in the sell-out crowd, the identity of the goalscorer who kept Manchester United's defence of the Premier League on track will hardly have come as a surprise.
But with the frenzied celebration of his 31st goal of an incredible season, Cristiano Ronaldo showed how close he and sloppy United had come to slipping up against a team humiliated 6-1 by title rivals Chelsea only three days earlier.
One, two, three, four, five — Ronaldo used his fingers to count off the attempts on goal he had fluffed or seen thwarted. He could have used his other hand, too, but as his screaming, contorted face displayed, all that will matter come May is the chance he did convert.
Torres clinches it: But it's a wonder goal from Mascherano that brings the Kop alive
Liverpool 2 Reading 1
Javier Mascherano became the unlikeliest of goal heroes as Liverpool chalked up their seventh win a row on a remarkably feisty afternoon at Anfield.
Not surprisingly, Fernando Torres netted the winner to take his tally this season to 27 goals in 36 games. He is now the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler a dozen years ago to hit 20 league goals in a campaign.
But if Torres's heroics are expected, Mascherano is the unlikely lad in front of goal — and perhaps that is why his first career league goal ever drew the biggest cheer of the afternoon.
At the 38th attempt for West Ham and Liverpool, Mascherano struck gold with a goal that was as brilliant as it was vital. His equaliser helped Liverpool turn defeat into victory and keeps them as odds-on favourites to clinch fourth place ahead of Everton.
Terry's goal gives Grant a pass mark but tougher exams await
Sunderland 0 Chelsea 1
Chelsea had no reason to beware the ides of March in the North East yesterday.
Yet the week ahead in London, when Chelsea must meet Tottenham and Arsenal in five days, is fraught with danger for the team Avram Grant inherited from Jose Mourinho with the good fortune of a man finding a winning lottery ticket blowing in the wind.
Against a Sunderland team goalless for six hours 15 minutes, Chelsea prised another three precious points from a road trip to remain in pursuit of Arsenal and Manchester United.
They took the lead with a 10th-minute goal from John Terry, passed the ball with sharpness and precision through Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack for the next 20 minutes and then shut out the game with the kind of pragmatic football that is their hallmark.
For Grant, the stakes just keep mounting, however. The Premier League cannot be won this week, but, arguably, it can be lost if the results against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Wednesday, and against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday are unfavourable to Chelsea.
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Saturday, 15 March 2008
Barclays Premier League
results
Arsenal 1-1 Middlesbrough
Sunderland 0-1 Chelsea