ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHDAY 5

A week break for international duty and the EPL resumed for the Match Day 5. The international duty has soared England to eventually qualify for next year’s World Cup in South Africa with styles, indulging a 100% win record in the qualifying stage along with Netherlands, Brazil, Australia and Japan among others.

Back home, EPL matches last weekend saw both Chelsea and Manchester City continued their impressive run for 100% win while Portsmouth became the only team pointless, rotting down on the bottom of the table.

Man of the week this week was none other than Liverpool’s Israeli midfield, Youssi Benayoun whom had scored a pulsating hattrick to help Koppers trashed out Burnley by 4 goals to none.

EPL MATCHDAY 5

Saturday, 12 September 2009

BLACKBURN ROVERS 3-1 WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS

Ewood Park, Blackburn (Att: 24,845)

BLA: Diouf 19", Roberts 56", Dunn 63"; WOV: Maierhofer 88"

LIVERPOOL 4-0 BURNLEY

Anfield, Liverpool (Att: 43,817)

LIV: Benayoun 27”, 61”, 81”, Kuyt 41”

MANCHESTER CITY 4-2 ARSENAL

City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester (Att: 47,339)

MANC: Almunia 19” (og), Bellamy 74”, Adebayor 80”, Wright-Phillios 83”; ARS: van Persie 62”, Rosicky 87”

PORTSMOUTH 2-3 BOLTON WANDERERS

Fratton Park, Portsmouth (Att: 17,564)

POT: Kaboul 25”, Boateng 63”; BOL: Cohen 13”, Taylor 41” (pen), Cahill 88”

STOKE CITY 1-2 CHELSEA

Britannia Stadium, Stoke (Att: 27,440)

STO: Faye 32”; CHE: Drogba 45”, Malouda 90”

SUNDERLAND 4-1 HULL CITY

Stadium of Light, Sunderland (Att: 38,997)

SUN: Bent 12" (pen), 66", Reid 49"; HUL: Drogba 45”, Malouda 90”

WIGAN ATHLETIC 1-0 WEST HAM UNITED

DW Stadium, Manchester (Att: 17,142)

WIG: Rodallega 55”

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-3 MANCHESTER UNITED

White Hart Lane, London (Att: 35,785)

TOT: Defoe 1”; MANU: Giggs 24”, Anderson 40”, Rooney 78”

Sunday, 13 September 2009

BIRMINGHAM CITY 0-1 ASTON VILLA

St Andrews Ground, Birmingham (Att: 25,196)

AST: Agbonlahor 84”

FULHAM 2-1 EVERTON

Craven Cottage, London (Att: 24,191)

FUL: Konchesky 57”, Duff 78”; EVE: Cahill 32”

EPL: IT'S THREE DIFFERENT STORIES

Matchday 32 in the Barclay's English Premier League. The weekday match is a bit too much for the Big 4. Manchester United already had a run of 6 games successive all weeks round and it is getting too much hectic. Liverpool had a rest day over the weekend when the FA Cup Semi Final was enrolled. The weekday matches produced slightly different stories for different teams, particularly the Big Four.

LIVERPOOL vs ARSENAL

Liverpool was thrown out of the Champions League after a dramatic finish in Stamford Bridge last week. Nevertheless, the title which is still within their reach is the League title. Arsenal meanwhile is still in CL but suffered a comeback defeat by Chelsea over the weekend. Arsenal is still within points of reach to catch up the third place of Chelsea at the moment.

THE OUTCOME: A goal spree in a dramatic styles again. Is this Liverpool way of giving out so much entertainment? 8 goals last week and another 8 goals this week - Liverpool has let down 11 goals in the last 4 competitive games - that is not good. Indeed, Mr Gerrard is still struggling with injury in which he has been sidelined for weeks. The massacre of 4 goals a piece is made more entertained when Andrei Arshavin exploded 4 goals for Arsenal. He is a goal-scoring-wild-machine, in fact all 4 goals by Arshavin were created through 4 shots on target. Liverpool failed to capitalise the dominance they have while seeing endless shots that never get pass Lukasz Fabianski, a young Pole keeper on the other side. Not even 2 goals by Torres and Benayoun could do much to avoid any more points dropped.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Andrei Arshavin

CHELSEA vs EVERTON

Chelsea is through to the semi-final of CL and final of the FA Cup. Everton is still eyeing for the fifth place when Aston Villa's form began to deterioriate. This is the first match out of the two that will see this both side will be competing each other. Wait for another epic on the end of May where both will battle it out again for the lucrative FA Cup.

THE OUTCOME: It was not easy for both teams as both are known to be resilient in some form of artistic in football. It was the night when both goalkeepers were forced to make much of it to which in a resultant of frustrating goalless draw. Joleon Lescott, Steven Pienaar and Tim Cahill fired much of the ball towards Cech but it was some form of misfortune that the ball just did not went in. Meanwhile good runs by Frank Lampard were frantically cut out by a over-working Joseph Yobo, if not his performance may lead to the ball lurking straight for Drogba. Drogba was not much on fire but still he is dangerous. Set pieces fell to be converted by Lampard and Ballack. In fact the attention of the night was Tim Howard, with superb saves. In the end, no goals and a frustrating night for both.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Tim Howard

MANCHESTER UNITED vs PORTSMOUTH

Manchester United booted out by everton on an extra-long match with a casual-lifeless penalty shootout. Nevertheless, no more quintiplet titles but letting go one may ease some pressure and ensuring the focus on the League title. Either way, Portsmouth still lingering on the mid of the table but may still find themself lucky enough for another season in top flight, mathematically.

THE OUTCOME: It is a less interesting match where as usual United dominates but sprung only few goals. A good pass by Anderson allowed a thought-offside Giggs to cross before Rooney converted the first goal. After that the total domination was seen, with great passing and runs were not materialize with the failure to convert - finishing was somehow blunt. It was not until the substitute Carrick found his run unchallenged before kicked the ball pass David James for the second in dying hour. Portsmouth on occassion looked dangerous but somehow still not capable to breach Van Der Saar. In the end, a sweat victory over Pompey and the winner of the week is perhaps The Red Devils. However, Fergie must be concerned with the double injury on Gary Neville and John O'Shea - the priceless left back.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Wayne Rooney

THE STANDINGS

Manchester United (74pts, with a game in hand, GD +35)

Liverpool (71 pts, GD +38)

Chelsea (68 pts, GD +35)

Arsenal (62 pts, GD +26)