Premier League Review - Week 1 : 2008 / 2009 SeasonYou are here: Football England > Premier League > Week 1: 2008-9 Season Premier League Opening Day - Week 1, 2008/9 The Premier League arrived not quite with a crash!, bang!, wallop!, but more of a crash!, shrug?, whimper, dependent on your allegiance. Perhaps the nations interests have been captured with our GB team performance at the Beijing Olympics, but was there less of a fanfare than normal to introduce this new season? Anyhoo, down to business: Arsenal 1 West Brom 0 - Shrug Arsenal did command this game and were never really forced to go through the gears, after getting a nerve settling early goal through Samir Nasri who finished from close in. Nasri did look good in his first game for the Gunners, and he did also look like a young Peter Lorre needing dental work. It was pleasing to hear Tony Mowbray's comments that he would continue to send his players out to play football, and that he is only interested in signing good footballers, rather than going down the route most favoured by managers in the Premiership of trying to stifle the opposition with negative tactics and big strong defensive players. Or shit kickers as Mr Mowbray almost called them. Hopefully, his attitude will bear fruit and encourage others to do the same. Aston Villa 4 - Man city 2 - Crash I hope any of you punters that bet 4-2 as a correct score here didn't bin their betting slips after a tepid opening 45 minutes produced no goals and little entertainment. After the break, John Carew got proceedings underway in customary style with a simple header from Luke Young's wide delivery. The ball was good enough to make Carew's job easy, but Micah Richard's poor marking certainly helped the big Norwegian. Young was again involved in the next goal, but unfortunately for Villa it was at the other end. Michael Johnson's incursion into the villa box was halted by Young's challenge and Elano was allowed to level for City from the spot. Agbonlahore then got in on the act, forcing home from close range to put Villa back in the lead, and then minutes later met a sweet Gareth Barry cross from the left to head home his second of the game. Again, City's marking was poor. Ben Haim & Richards sorely missed their suspended colleague Richard Dunne to lead them at the back. Young Gabby then completed a fine day when he latched on to a Barry through ball and cooly slotted past the advancing Joe Hart to seal his lightning hat-trick. A late City consolation by Corluka didn't dampen Tommy Steele's enthusiasm. Bolton 3 - Stoke 1 - Crash Muscled out of it by a stronger & more determined side is something that didn't happen too often to Stoke last season, but here in the Premier League you get a better class of big un for your millions, and Bolton have not got where they are today by being intimidated. A ten minute period before half time saw Bolton score three and kill off the game comfortably. The first was either a fortuitous miskicked cross (or an unbelievable welly from an acute angle) by Steinsson that skewed in off Sorenson's bar, but the other two were classic Bolton. Kevin Davies and new signing Johann Elmander both headed home long balls into the Stoke box. A late strike by Ricardo Fuller at least showed that Stoke can score in the Premier League, but how many times this season will they score more than their opponents? Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0 - Crash New man Deco seemed happy enough to pull the strings going forward, and his introduction immediately seems to give Chelsea a more balanced feel. The formation almost had a sort of Christmas tree feel to it, with Cole & Deco buzzing around all over the shop in support of Anelka up front. A decent performance by Mikel in deeper midfield allowed Chelsea to attack well down both flanks, using both full backs well and Ballack & Lampard looked more at home together than throughout all of last season. Joey Cole was at his impish best to speed through Pompey's back line and latch onto Ballack's lofted pass before controlling to despatch smartly past James for Chelsea's first after just 12 minutes. Anelka got the second with an easy close range header after a semi calamity from James, and then Distin handled just before half time to give Lampard his first of the season from the spot. Deco capped a fine performance with a swerver that beat James too easily from outside the box. Big Phil's influence? We'll have to wait and see, but it's a good start. Everton 2 - Blackburn 3 - Shrug I can't imagine the referee & linesmen will be on Moysie's Christmas card list though, after Blackburn's injury time offside winner was allowed to stand. Everton looked distinctly understrength, especially in attacking areas, fielding 6 defenders in the starting line up, and a debut was given to 17 year old Jack Rodwell. Everton did rally well after going behind to David Dunn's superbly placed opening goal, and goals from Arteta and Yakubu put the home side back in front, and in control. The lead only lasted a couple of minutes however, as a howler from the daydreaming Lescott allowed Santa Cruz to score unopposed. The late offside winner was a little harsh on Everton, and I would imagine Moysies eyes would have been bulging like a bullfrog's when he watched the replay later. Hull City 2 - Fulham 1 - Whimper Credit must go to Hull for reversing the result, and Giovanni's left footed strike from distance that produced the equaliser is the sort of stuff that is bound to make the new boy an instant hit with the home fans. The winner for Hull was down to a calamitous mistake from Paul Konchesky, that allowed an easy tap in for Folan. Three big points to get Hull off and running must have delighted our hairy tipster Minty, who is tipping Hull to stay up. Man United 1 - Newcastle United 1 - Shrug Many people may be quick to jump on the fact that United have dropped points already in the title race, but the standard of performance by the home team was pretty good, without getting the right result. Some better finishing, and some less brilliant goalkeeping by the excellent Seamus Given would surely have told a different story. As it was, Obafemi Martins' goal brought King Kev what he'll surely see as a well earned point at Old Trafford. Middlesboro 2 - Tottenham 1 - Shrug Quality performances from Downing, Tuncay and Alves in particular ensured Spurs were outplayed for long spells, and with their sulking Bulgar Berbatov on the bench, the visitors did not provide much threat going forward. You can just imagine him with his Alice band on threatening to "Scweam and scweam and scweam if I'm not allowed to go to United" can't you? Sunderland 0 - Liverpool 1 - Shrug The home team frustrated the visitors for most of the game, and looked set for a hard earned point when, as per most of last season, Torres emerged with a moment of brilliance to settle the tie in Liverpool's favour. A quality strike fizzed into the bottom left by the Spaniard was enough to take all three points. West Ham 2 - Wigan 1 - Shrug 2 goals from Ashton proved just enough for the Hammers, but worryingly the striker limped off with what looked like a calf strain. Pretty uninspiring stuff all round and a perfectly predictable result, so why didn't our boy Minty go for this one?
|
