.
Fulham proved once again to be Man City's nightmare by drawing 1-1 on Sunday and
ending any realistic hopes City had of fighting for top spot. In Fulham's last
four league visits to Man City they have drawn twice and won twice.
Elsewhere Manchester United had an emphatic victory over Wigan, while there were other big wins for Wolves and Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend.
West Ham gave themselves hope of avoiding relegation following a 3-1 home success against Liverpool and Everton beat Sunderland.
Aston Villa (0) 4 Blackburn (0) 1
Aston Villa have really clicked into top gear of late under Gerard Houllier and while their local rivals Birmingham had a weekend to remember, Villa fans will take consolation in the fact that their team ran riot against Blackburn, winning 4-1.
| Premiership Results |
|
Saturday 26th February
|
| 15.00 |
Aston Villa |
4-1 |
Blackburn |
| 15.00 |
Everton |
2-0 |
Sunderland |
| 15.00 |
Newcastle |
1-1 |
Bolton |
| 15.00 |
Wigan |
0-4 |
Man Utd |
| 15.00 |
Wolves |
4-0 |
Blackpool |
|
Sunday 27th February |
| 13.30 |
West Ham |
3-1 |
Liverpool |
| 15.00 |
Man City |
1-1 |
Fulham |
|
Monday 28th February |
| 20.00 |
Stoke |
1-1 |
West Brom |
|
Top 4 |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Bottom Half |
Relegation |
|
In a remarkable second half that saw five goals, Ashley Young opened the scoring from the penalty spot following a foul by Keith Andrews.
It was soon two as Marc Albrighton's shot took an unfortunate deflection off Grant Hanley for an own goal, before Stewart Downing broke away on the counter to bag an excellent third.
Nikola Kalinic pulled one back but Young notched his second with a fine finish to end all hope of a comeback. There was still time for more drama as Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen was sent off after receiving two yellow cards.
Ashley Young has now scored his last four Premier League penalties, and has netted three in 2011. In total, he has scored five of seven career Premier League penalties. This was also Aston Villa's 500th Premier League goal at Villa Park. Young scored his fourth ever Premier League double and first in over two years. He has never scored a Premier League hat-trick.
Blackburn remain the only Premier League club who are yet to pick up a single point after falling behind this season, and they have conceded in all 14 Premier League away matches this season.
Everton (2) 2 Sunderland (0) 0
Jermaine Beckford continues to adapt to life in the Premier League and his double earned Everton a 2-0 win over Sunderland.
| Premiership table |
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
| 1 |
Man Utd |
27 |
13 |
1 |
0 |
39 |
9 |
4 |
8 |
1 |
22 |
16 |
36 |
60 |
| 2 |
Arsenal |
27 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
30 |
12 |
7 |
4 |
2 |
27 |
15 |
30 |
56 |
| 3 |
Man City |
28 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
22 |
11 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
22 |
14 |
19 |
50 |
| 4 |
Tottenham |
27 |
7 |
5 |
1 |
19 |
10 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
19 |
21 |
7 |
47 |
| 5 |
Chelsea |
26 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
24 |
8 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
22 |
14 |
24 |
45 |
| 6 |
Liverpool |
28 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
23 |
11 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
13 |
24 |
1 |
39 |
| 7 |
Bolton |
28 |
7 |
5 |
2 |
25 |
17 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
14 |
21 |
1 |
37 |
| 8 |
Sunderland |
28 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
18 |
14 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
15 |
21 |
-2 |
37 |
| 9 |
Newcastle |
28 |
4 |
6 |
4 |
31 |
20 |
5 |
3 |
6 |
12 |
19 |
4 |
36 |
| 10 |
Stoke |
28 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
20 |
15 |
3 |
1 |
10 |
12 |
20 |
-3 |
34 |
| 11 |
Everton |
27 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
21 |
18 |
2 |
7 |
5 |
14 |
18 |
-1 |
33 |
| 12 |
Aston Villa |
28 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
22 |
16 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
13 |
31 |
-12 |
33 |
| 13 |
Fulham |
28 |
5 |
6 |
3 |
17 |
14 |
1 |
8 |
5 |
12 |
15 |
0 |
32 |
| 14 |
Blackburn |
28 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
17 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
10 |
18 |
35 |
-11 |
32 |
| 15 |
Blackpool |
28 |
4 |
3 |
6 |
22 |
24 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
20 |
31 |
-13 |
32 |
| 16 |
Birmingham |
26 |
4 |
7 |
3 |
13 |
15 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
12 |
20 |
-10 |
30 |
| 17 |
West Brom |
28 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
22 |
23 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
14 |
30 |
-17 |
29 |
| 18 |
Wolves |
28 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
21 |
19 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
10 |
27 |
-15 |
28 |
| 19 |
West Ham |
28 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
17 |
21 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
16 |
28 |
-16 |
28 |
| 20 |
Wigan |
28 |
3 |
6 |
6 |
16 |
30 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
11 |
19 |
-22 |
27 |
It may not have been the best season for the Toffees but this result proved they can still turn in a fine display, and they dispatched of a Black Cats outfit who are well established in the top half.
Beckford rounded the goalkeeper in the eighth minute and his shot found the back of the net via Titus Bramble's knee.
Sunderland were denied an equaliser following some heroics from Tim Howard and Beckford made them pay as he scuffed an effort into the net following a Mikel Arteta pull-back. The three points sees Everton rise to mid-table and earlier worries of relegation fade away.
Everton manager David Moyes picked up 500 points as a Premier League manager - the fourth manager to reach this milestone.
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has never won in eight Premier League visits to Goodison Park. In all Sunderland have not won in their last 18 Premier League visits to Merseyside. Their only victory in a total of 20 Premier League matches in the city was 3-1 at Everton in November 1996.
Newcastle (1) 1 Bolton (1) 1
Newcastle and Bolton played out a 1-1 stalemate at St James' Park in an eventful tie.
| Up-Coming Premiership games |
|
Saturday 05 March
|
| 12.45 |
Birmingham |
v |
West Brom |
| 15.00 |
Arsenal |
v |
Sunderland |
| 15.00 |
Bolton |
v |
Aston Villa |
| 15.00 |
Fulham |
v |
Blackburn |
| 15.00 |
Newcastle |
v |
Everton |
| 15.00 |
West Ham |
v |
Stoke |
| 17.30 |
Man City |
v |
Wigan |
|
Sunday 06th March |
| 13.30 |
Liverpool |
v |
Man Utd |
| 16.00 |
Wolves |
v |
Tottenham |
|
Monday 07th March |
| 20.00 |
Blackpool |
1-1 |
Chelsea |
|
Top 4 |
Top 5 |
Top 10 |
Bottom Half |
Relegation |
|
Former Bolton midfielder Kevin Nolan glanced a header in to make it 1-0 but a strike from on-loan Daniel Sturridge levelled things up and neither side could add to their earlier efforts.
Sturridge has been a revelation since making the short-term switch to Bolton and a rare mistake from Cheick Tiote allowed Johan Elmander to find the pacey forward who fired home with his left foot.
Despite neither side breaking through in the second half, Ryan Taylor was shown a straight red card for a two-footed lunge on Elmander.
Kevin Nolan's 11th Premier League goal of the season was his 50th in the division. He is only the eighth English midfielder to reach this milestone and the only one who is yet to win an England cap.
Daniel Sturridge became the first Bolton player to score four goals in his first four matches for them in the Premier League era and only the second
Wigan (0) 0 Man Utd (1) 4
With Arsenal in Carling Cup action, Manchester United had the chance to open up a gap at the top of the Premier League and they duly obliged with a convincing 4-0 triumph at Wigan.
The Latics slumped to the bottom of the table and are now in big trouble, although they played well in the first half and were kept out by Edwin van der Sar on more than one occasion.
At the other end, though, they were torn to shreds by the Red Devils as Javier Hernandez netted a brace before goals from Wayne Rooney and Fabio put the gloss on the victory. Mexican Hernandez slotted home coolly at the front post to get the ball rolling and he then netted a second in the 74th minute, adding to his reputation as a fine finisher with a great future ahead of him.
A sour note from the DW encounter came when Rooney appeared to elbow James McCarthy in the back of the head.
Manchester United have won all 12 Premier League matches against Wigan - and their last three without conceding a goal. In total, they have outscored them 37-4.
Nani provided his 12th league assist of the season, moving one ahead of Arsenal's Andrei Arshavin (11) with the most in the division.
Wolves (1) 4 Blackpool (0) 0
That result leaves Wigan in dire straits and they go bottom because Wolves thrashed Blackpool 4-0.
Ian Holloway's Tangerines were found wanting after a woeful performance which demonstrated how much they rely on Charlie Adam, who was suspended.
It was a disastrous start for the away side as Matt Jarvis scored in the second minute for Wolves, who were in total control and never looked in danger of letting the result slip.
A poor first half from Blackpool got worse when DJ Campbell was sent off for a petulant push in the face on Richard Stearman, leaving referee Neil Swarbrick with no choice but to brandish the red card.
After the break Jamie O'Hara made it two with a strike from range and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake then came off the bench to score an impressive late double.
This was Wolves' biggest ever Premier League victory and biggest in the top flight in almost exactly 31 years - since a 4-0 win at Norwich City on February 23, 1980.
Sylvain Ebanks-Blake scored his ever Premier League double. They were also his fifth and sixth Premier League goals of the season and first since November. Ebanks-Blake was the first ever Wolves player to score twice as a substitute and the third player to achieve this feat in the division this season after Chelsea's Salomon Kalou (v Wigan) and Stoke's Jonathan Walters (v West Brom).
West Ham (2) 3 Liverpool (0) 1
Whispers of a European finish have begun to emerge at Anfield following Liverpool's recent revival under Kenny Dalglish but they were well beaten at West Ham, losing 3-1.
The Hammers are still in the mire but the relief around Upton Park was clear to see following the win, which gives them a fighting chance of survival. Scott Parker, so often West Ham's talisman in times of need, scored the opener with the outside of his foot and Demba Ba's excellent header made it two.
Liverpool fought back as Glen Johnson pulled one back against his old club but Carlton Cole beat Pepe Reina at his near post to seal the victory.
This was the first time in three months a West Ham player scored the opening goal at Upton Park in the Premier League. Valon Behrami was the last West Ham player to score 1-0 at home in the Premier League. That was against Wigan on November 27. West Ham ended Liverpool's streak of scoring the opening goal in seven successive Premier League matches.
Demba Ba became the third West Ham player to score three goals in his first three Premier League matches for the club after Trevor Sinclair (January to February 1998) and Ian Wright (August to September 1998).
Man City (1) 1 Fulham (0) 1
Manchester City's hopes of a top-four finish were dealt a blow after they were held 1-1 at home to Fulham.
Mark Hughes returned to Eastlands 14 months after he was sacked and replaced by Roberto Mancini, and tensions remain after a frosty handshake at the final whistle as the Italian barely acknowledged Hughes on the touchline.
The game itself was a hard-fought contest and Mario Balotelli put his side in front with a fine strike from range into the bottom corner in the 26th minute.
It stayed that way until half-time but after the interval Damien Duff pulled the Cottagers level with a close-range finish from an Andy Johnson cross.
Fulham have come back to take at least one point in each of their last four visits to Manchester City. They have now taken at least a point in five away matches when they were behind in the 2010-11 Premier League season (at Man City, Blackpool, Blackburn, Wigan and Aston Villa).
Mario Balotelli scored his six Premier League goal. This was his first match in which he only scored once. He scored twice at WBA and he scored a hat trick against Aston Villa.
Stoke (0) 1 West Brom (0) 1
Carlos Vela stepped off the bench again to net an equaliser and earn West Brom a priceless point at Stoke to lift them out of the drop zone.
Jermaine Pennant hit the crossbar in the first period and he then provided the goal assist in the 53rd minute when Rory Delap headed home his corner.
West Brom pressed for an equaliser but Marc-Antoine Fortune hit the bar with his header.
But the Baggies were not to be denied and Vela, who scored a late equaliser against Wolves last time, scored from a Steven Reid cross with three minutes remaining, although fellow substitute Peter Odemwingie looked offside.
Vela then had two efforts to win it in injury time but Asmir Begovic made two good close-range saves to earn his side a point, which lifts the Potters into 10th.