The English League: Matches & Table

[JaFaR]

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English League
Week 21
Sat - 30 Dec 06

Charlton vs. A Villa

Blackb'n vs. M'brough

Bolton vs. Portsm'h

Chelsea vs. Fulham

Everton vs. N'castle

Man Utd vs. Reading

Tot'ham vs. Liv'pool

Watford vs. Wigan

West Ham vs. Man City

Sheff U vs. Arsenal

_________________________

Team Pld Pts
Man Utd 20 50
Chelsea 20 46
Arsenal 20 36
Bolton 20 36
Portsmouth 20 35

[JaFaR]

Matches Results
Week 21

Blackb'n 2 - 1 M'brough

Bolton 3 - 2 Portsm'h

Charlton 2 - 1 A Villa

Chelsea 2 - 2 Fulham

Everton 3 - 0 New Castle

Man Utd 3 - 2 Reading

Tot'ham 0 - 1 Liverpool

West Ham 0 - 1 Man City

Sheff U 1 - 0 Arsenal

___________________________________
Team Pld Pts
Man Utd 21 53
Chelsea 21 47
Bolton 21 39
Liverpool 21 37
Arsenal 21 36

[JaFaR]

Cristiano Ronaldo provided Sir Alex Ferguson the 65th birthday present he wanted more than any other as Manchester United stretched their lead at the Barclays Premiership summit to six points.
For the third time in eight days over the festive period, Ronaldo struck twice, on this occasion ensuring the brave efforts of 10-man Reading counted for nothing.
It took the winger’s Barclays Premiership tally for the season to 12, enhancing still further his player of the year claims and the belief of those within the Red Devils camp that the 21-year-old is currently the best player on the planet.
But it is the Barclays Premiership trophy Ronaldo, his team-mates and his success-hungry manager crave most of all.
And, though they were forced to endure a nervy few minutes after Leroy Lita had dragged Reading back into the contest in stoppage time, the momentum is with United now and Chelsea will need to stand stronger than they have ever done under Jose Mourinho to stop them.
Not that Ronaldo is the only key man at United. Overshadowed by the winger’s blistering form, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s rejuvenation into a top-class, top flight performer has nevertheless been one of the stories of United’s season.
Even as recently as the Red Devils' summer tour to South Africa, Ferguson was expressing doubts over Solskjaer’s ability to make an impact at the highest level.
Now, the Scot has no such worries and 24 hours before kick-off confidently predicted the 33-year-old would reach 15 goals for the season.
Solskjaer now has eight, showing all those old predatory instincts to escape Ibrahima Sonko’s attentions, arriving at the near post with perfect timing to head into the bottom corner.
Up to that point, it appeared the Reading goal would enjoy a charmed life.
Keeper Marcus Hahnemann twice got away with fumbles close to his own line, making up for those handling errors by keeping out Ronaldo’s piledriver.
Amid the United attacks though, Reading were holding their own, proving their previous draw with the Red Devils this term, and their Boxing Day efforts against Chelsea were no fluke.
Lifelong Red Devils fan Glen Little should have done much better when Kevin Doyle found him with a cut-back and Lita had already wasted an excellent chance when Sonko capitalised on Van der Sar’s rare blunder to drag Reading level.
It was the Senegal defender’s first goal since March and represented swift redemption for his earlier mistake.
United’s response was almost immediate as Ronaldo hit the bar before the break then, following the half-time introduction of Ryan Giggs, Solskjaer brought a superb save out of Hahnemann with a glancing near-post header.
Wayne Rooney also went close with a curling shot after he had been sent through by Ronaldo, part of an attacking onslaught in which United noticeably increased the speed of their game, hitting a level which Reading just could not match.
The move which brought Ronaldo the latest addition to his glittering season was simply sensational.
One touches passes from Giggs and Rooney sent Solskjaer flying into the area past Sonko. The striker’s shot might have got the faintest of touches from Hahnemann as it bounced onto the post but the rebound fell straight to Ronaldo, who gleefully bundled it home.
By that stage, Reading were being pinned back deep in their own half and the visitors’ flagging hopes of rescuing something from the game were virtually ended when referee Mike Dean sent Sam Sodje off for his second bookable offence, pulling back Rooney, just five minutes after his introduction as a substitute.
Ronaldo was in no mood to ease off and was on hand to volley home from close range when Giggs picked him out with a far post cross.
The strike probably came as no surprise to Royals boss Steve Coppell, a legendary Red Devils winger himself, who identified England’s World Cup nemesis as United’s danger man.
Coppell could be rightly proud of his side’s efforts and saw Lita bag another for his Reading side, who contributed fully to an excellent advert for Barclays Premiership football.




Goals:

MAN UTD 33' O Solskjaer
READING 38' I Sonko
MAN UTD 59' Cd Ronaldo
MAN UTD 77' Cd Ronaldo
READING 90' (+1) L Lita

Half Time Score:

1-1

Cautions / Red Cards:

READING 64' S Sodje Yellow Unsporting behaviour
READING 69' S Sodje Red Second Bookable Offence
READING 87' B Gunnarsson Yellow Unsporting behaviour
MAN UTD 90' (+4) K Richardson Yellow Unsporting behaviour

Penalties:

Substitutions:

MAN UTD 46' Off: J Park On: R Giggs
READING 59' Off: G Murty On: S Sodje
READING 66' Off: G Little On: S Ki-Hyeon
READING 73' Off: K Doyle On: S Hunt
MAN UTD 78' Off: Cd Ronaldo On: D Fletcher
MAN UTD 79' Off: W Rooney On: K Richardson

Attendance:

75910

[JaFaR]

Carlos Bocanegra rocked Chelsea with a late equaliser to leave the champions six points adrift of Manchester United at the top of the Barclays Premiership.
Deadly Didier Drogba looked to have earned Chelsea all three points when he put Jose Mourinho’s side ahead in the 61st minute but Bocanegra’s 84th-minute equaliser cost the Blues another two home points.
Drogba’s strike, his sixth in as many games, made him the first Chelsea player in a decade to score 20 goals in one season.
The Ivory Coast international, who this week admitted he had thought about quitting the club in the summer, momentarily took the focus off Chelsea’s defensive problems.
But Mourinho will be hoping influential captain John Terry will recover quickly from his back operation if they are to have any hope of catching Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.
Chelsea’s current defensive frailties were exposed as early as the 16th minute by Fulham’s Moritz Volz - he scored the 15,000th Premier League goal - and demonstrated once more why Terry is such a towering talisman for Mourinho’s side.
VOLZ SCORES 15,000th PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL
Chelsea have now conceded eight goals during Terry’s absence with a back injury that required surgery in midweek and they looked decidedly rocky without his inspirational leadership.
Midfielder Michael Essien twice went close in the opening three minutes - sending one shot just wide of the target and forcing Antti Niemi into a fine save with his second effort moments later.
In the 13th minute Essien turned provider with a powerful run down the right flank. His cross into the six-yard box fell perfectly for Salomon Kalou but the Chelsea striker just failed to apply the finishing touch.
But they paid for their wastefulness in the 17th minute when Volz put the visitors in front with a goal that would not have pleased Blues coach Mourinho.
Franck Queudrue’s throw into the penalty area was dummied superbly by Tomasz Radzinski to leave Volz clear to unleash a right-foot volley into the net.
Volz’s strike was the seventh goal Chelsea had conceded since captain Terry had been sidelined.
Fulham should have increased their lead in the 26th minute but an unmarked Wayne Routledge fired over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area to the dismay of boss Chris Coleman.
But Chelsea equalised in the 35th minute when Liam Rosenior failed to clear a long cross from Makelele and Lampard despatched the loose ball into the corner of the net via the legs of the unfortunate Fulham defender.
Lampard’s hopes of claiming his 10th goal of the season were dashed when Chelsea’s equaliser was officially credited as an own goal by Fulham defender Rosenior.
Chelsea looked short on confidence with Paulo Ferreira filling in as a central defender. But with Khalid Boulahrouz suspended, Mourinho had little option but to play the right-back out of position.
He was caught out of position on numerous occasions in the opening half and Fulham were unlucky not to punish Chelsea’s poor defending a second time when Brian McBride’s header was pushed off the line by Hilario in the 47th minute.
Mourinho, clearly fearing two more dropped home points over the festive period, opted to send on Ukraine international striker Andriy Shevchenko in place of full-back Geremi in the 57th minute.
The change worked wonders as Drogba put the home side in front in the 61st minute.
The Ivory coast international headed Lampard’s cross home from six yards after Fulham had failed to clear Ashley Cole’s long punt into the area. It was his sixth goal in as many games.
But Fulham rocked Chelsea six minutes from time when Essien failed to clear a cross from Queudrue and, after McBride’s shot was superbly saved by Hilario, Bocanegra pounced to equalise from close range.








Goals:

FULHAM 16' M Volz
CHELSEA 35' L Rosenior (OG)
CHELSEA 62' D Drogba
FULHAM 84' C Bocanegra

Half Time Score:

1-1

Cautions / Red Cards:

CHELSEA 45' (+1) RR Paulo Ferreira Yellow Unsporting behaviour
Penalties:

Substitutions:

CHELSEA 57' Off: N Geremi On: A Shevchenko
FULHAM 68' Off: C John On: L Boa Morte
CHELSEA 80' Off: S Kalou On: W Bridge
CHELSEA 86' Off: C Makelele On: S Wright-Phillips

Attendance:

41926

[JaFaR]

English League
Week 22
Mon - 01 Jan 07

Liv'pool vs. Bolton

Fulham vs. Watford

Man City vs. Everton

M'brough vs. Sheff U

Portsm'h vs. Tot'ham

Reading vs. West Ham

Wigan vs. Blackb'n

N'castle vs. Man Utd

Tue - 02 Jan 07

Arsenal vs. Charlton

A Villa vs. Chelsea

_________________________________________

Team Pld Pts
Man Utd 21 53
Chelsea 21 47
Bolton 21 39
Liverpool 21 37
Arsenal 21 36

[mido]

English League
Week 22
Mon - 01 Jan 07

Liv'pool 3-0 Bolton
Fulham 0-0 Watford
Man City 2-1 Everton
M'brough 3-1 Sheff U.
Portsm'h 1-1 Tot'ham
Reading 6-0 West Ham
Wigan 0-3 Blackb'n
N'castle 2-2 Man Utd

Tue - 02 Jan 07

Arsenal 4-0 Charlton
A Villa 0-0 Chelsea

[mido]

Team Pld Pts
Man Utd 22 54
Chelsea 22 48
Liverpool 22 40
Arsenal 22 39
Bolton 22 39

[mido]

English League
Week 22
Mon - 01 Jan 07

Liv'pool 3-0 Bolton
62'Crouch
63'Gerrard
84'D.Kuyt

Fulham 0-0 Watford

Man City 2-1 Everton
50'Samaras 83.L.Osman
73'Samaras(p.)

M'brough 3-1 Sheff U.
36'Viduka 45'Jagielka
69'+76' Yakubo.

Portsm'h 1-1 Tot'ham
29'Binjamin 50'S.Milbrounque

Reading 6-0 West Ham
12'Gunnarson
15'Hunt
30'A.Ferdinand
36'K.Doyle
58'L.Lita
73'K.Doyle

Wigan 0-3 Blackb'n
37'E.Heskey(o.g)
57'Derbyshire
76'MCcarthy(p.)

N'castle 2-2 Man Utd
33'Milner 40'P.Scholes
83'Edgar 46'P.Scholes

Tue - 02 Jan 07

Arsenal 4-0 Charlton
30'T.Henry(p.)
45'Hoyte
76'R.Van Persie
90'R.Van Persie

A Villa 0-0 Chelsea

[mido]

English League
Week 22
Mon - 01 Jan 07

Liv'pool 3-0 Bolton
62'Crouch
63'Gerrard
84'D.Kuyt

Fulham 0-0 Watford

Man City 2-1 Everton
50'Samaras 83.L.Osman
73'Samaras(p.)

M'brough 3-1 Sheff U.
36'Viduka 45'Jagielka
69'+76' Yakubo.

Portsm'h 1-1 Tot'ham
29'Binjamin 50'S.Milbrounque

Reading 6-0 West Ham
12'Gunnarson
15'Hunt
30'A.Ferdinand
36'K.Doyle
58'L.Lita
73'K.Doyle

Wigan 0-3 Blackb'n
37'E.Heskey(o.g)
57'Derbyshire
76'MCcarthy(p.)

N'castle 2-2 Man Utd
33'Milner 40'P.Scholes
83'Edgar 46'P.Scholes

Tue - 02 Jan 07

Arsenal 4-0 Charlton
30'T.Henry(p.)
45'Hoyte
76'R.Van Persie
90'R.Van Persie

A Villa 0-0 Chelsea

[mido]

English League
Week 23
Sat - 13 Jan 07

Watford vs. Liv'pool

Bolton vs. Man City

West Ham vs. Fulham

Sheff U vs. Portsm'h

Man Utd vs. A Villa

Chelsea vs. Wigan

Charlton vs. M'brough

Blackb'n vs. Arsenal

[mido]

English League
Week 23
Sat - 13 Jan 07


Watford 0-3 Liv'pool

34.C.Bellamy
40.P.Crouch
47.P.Crouch

Bolton 0-0 Man City


West Ham 3-3 Fulham

28.B.Zamora 16.T.Radzinski
46.Y.Benayoun 59.B.Mc.bride
64.Y.Benayoun 91.Christanvial

Sheff U 1-1 Portsm'h

24.S.Quinn 82.G.Onei'll


Man Utd 3-1 A Villa

11.J.P.Song 52.G.Ogbanlahor
13.M.Carrick
35.C.Ronaldo
Chelsea 4-0 Wigan

13.F.Lampard
63.A.Robben
70.C.Kirkland (o.g)
90.D.Drogba

Charlton 1-3 M'brough

28.J.F.Hasselbank 45.L.Cattermoole
63.Arsa
68.Y.Angbini

Blackb'n 0-2 Arsenal

37.K.Toure
72.T.Henry

[mido]

Team Pld Pts



Man Utd 23 57
Chelsea 23 51
Liverpool 23 43
Arsenal 23 42
Bolton 23 40

[mido]

English League
week 24
sat 20 Jan. 2007



Liverpool 2-0 chelsea

4' D.Kuyt
18'J.Pennant



Reading 3-1 Sheff. Utd


44' S.Long 77'C.Nade
50' De La Cruz
70' S.Hunt



Portsmouth 0-1 Charlton


79' Faye




Newcastle Utd. 2-2 West Ham Utd.



45'J.Milner 18'C.Cole
53'N.Solano (p.k) 22'M.Harrywood


Middlesbrough 5-1 Bolton Wanderers


6'G.Speed (o.g) 25'K.Nolan
10'Xavier
23'M.Viduka
44'S.Dawning
84'M.Viduka



Fulham 1-1 Tottenham Hotspurs


84'V.Montella 88'P.Shimbonda


Aston Villa 2-0 Watford


86'Maho(o.g)
90'G.Ogbanlahor




Manchester City 0-3 Blackburn Rovers


44'M.J.Pedersen
66'M.J.Pedersen
90'M.Derbyshire




Wigan Athletic 0-2 Everton


66'M.Arteta
90'M.Arteta




Arsenal 2-1 Manchester Utd.



83'R.Van Persie 53'W.Rooney
91'T.Henry

[mido]

Team Pld Pts





1.Manchester Utd 24 57
2.Chelsea 24 51
3.Liverpool 24 46
4.Arsenal 24 45
5.Bolton 24 40