Sunday 29 September 2013

EPL 7-Match Report, Reviews and Analysis:

Hello and welcome to my latest blog post, where I have a match report from all of today's 7 EPL matches, including the heavily-anticipated "master vs apprentice" between managers Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas Boas in the Chelsea vs Tottenham London derby match. Also both Manchester clubs were in action and potential shocks were on the cards as the EPL entered round 6 of the 2013-14 season. 

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Chelsea 1 
The early afternoon match was being played at White Hart Lane, as Spurs hosted London rivals Chelsea in the opening EPL fixture of this weekend. The hosts broke the deadlock and scored first, with Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson scoring in the 19th minute. 

Aston Villa 3 Manchester City 2
A shock result, as Villa beat title contenders Manchester City 3-2 at home.

City started the game well and quickly on the counter attack, with midfielders Nasri and Milner both having early efforts on goal narrowly wide of the target. Yaya Toure broke the deadlock just before half-time with a tap-in finish from a Nasri corner (which was their 9th of the game) to score his 6th goal so far this season.

Aston Villa had an instant response and equalised with their first clear cut chance of the game - midfielder El Ahmadi scored with a low struck hit past Joe Hart at the far post when City were vulnerable at the back and were subsequently punished on the counter. The replays showed a hint of offside, but the goal was still given. 


Equaliser: El Ahmadi slots the ball into the net at the far post to make it 1-1 in the 51st minute. 

Dangerous: El Ahmadi celebrates scoring Villa's first real chance of the game.
Dzeko gave City the lead again 5 minutes later, after a corner was delivered well into the box by Nasri and the Bosnian striker connected with the ball (with his back) to make it 2-1.

Leandro Bacuna equalised with his first goal for Aston Villa, and what a goal it was. He scored a well-struck curling free-kick from 25 yards out, which Joe Hart was helpless to try and save the effort.  The swerving strike beat the City wall and flew into the top corner of the net in a flash - great finish. 


Unstoppable: Bacuna (not pictured) scored his first goal for Villa with a swerving free-kick. 

What a goal: Bacuna rushes over to celebrate his strike with manager Paul Lambert.
City conceded two minutes later, with young Austrian striker Andreas Weimann slotting the ball past Joe Hart on the counter attack from a long-range Guzan clearance to slide across into the net. 


Dramatic: Young Austrian striker Weimann scored for Aston Villa to make it 3-2 against City.
Home advantage: Weimann celebrates the winning goal in-front of the excited Villa fans

Fulham 1 Cardiff City 2

Hull City 1 West Ham United 0 

Manchester United 1 West Bromwich Albion 2
Another shock loss for a Manchester side - this time it was United at home losing 2-1 to West Brom. Despite their slender 1-0 win over Liverpool in midweek, they were still downbeat after getting completely dominated 4-1 by their local rivals Manchester City in the derby match last Sunday. 

Both sides started the game lively, with Sessegnon and Nani both going close early on but failing to hit the target with some good defending and timewasting (on Nani's part)

Berahino missed a golden chance for West Brom with a free header which skimmed the post, before United had a chance of their own with Nani's delivery into the box was headed over the bar by English striker Wayne Rooney. 

Portuguese midfielder Anderson headed and hit the crossbar for United just before half-time in a lively first half with chances for both sides. 

In the second half however, United were caught out at the back with French midfielder Morgan Amalfitano weaving in and out getting past the entire United defence before chipping De Gea to break the deadlock after 53 minutes. The hosts were left completely shocked and there was an instant reaction from United. 

Wayne Rooney equalised 3 minutes later from a set-piece, with a bullet drive from a free-kick which the goalkeeper should have saved but the shot swerved away from him and flew into the bottom corner of the net. 

West Brom made an instant reaction from the equaliser, because they were desperate to get a good result out of the game and did not want to settle for a draw - with young startlet Saido Berahino linking up well with Sessegnon to combine and score again for WBA in the 67th minute with a stinging strike. 

United did their best to equalise and get back into the game, but The Baggies held on for a shock victory away from home against the reigning EPL champions.

Southampton 2 Crystal Palace 0

Swansea City 1 Arsenal 2
Arsenal moved back to the top of the table and moved two points clear of close rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a comfortable 2-1 win over Swansea away from home in Wales at The Liberty Stadium.

Goals from young German forward Serge Gnabry and in-form Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey gave The Gunners a nice two goal cushion with just over 25 minutes to play. The hosts' week went from bad to worse, after they were knocked out of the Capital One Cup unluckily against Birmingham during midweek, but they got a consolation goal through left-back Ben Davies. 

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