BY: MATT MARICONI
We saw twenty-six goals in week one with a Drogba hat-trick. How could we ask for more? Apparently we’ve been good as week two impressed with thirty-eight! Theo Walcott played super hero this time filling the three goal void.
He wasn’t the only one though as Newcastle’s Andy Carroll also went for three. Looking for more excitement? The last few matches left some people stunned. With week three approaching we’ll take a quick look at the results.
A 1-1 finish earned Everton and Wolves a point each. Moyes will be disappointed with the performance after giving up a goal in the 74th minute. A draw seemed to be the only fair result. The opening goal was somewhat controversial. Arteta earned a free kick which could have been ruled a penalty. Tim Cahill scored on the ensuing set piece. There was question of Cahill fouling a Wolves player in the box but no action was taken as Everton went up 1-0. Elokobi was subbed off early in the second half and wasn’t too pleased.
No risk getting a second, he picked up his first for kicking Arteta early on. His replacement was Guedioura who created Wolve’s lone goal. The young Algerian will likely earn a starting role next week for the performance. He made a beautiful challenge on Heitinga to steal possession followed by a pass to Kevin Doyle on the wing. Doyle’s cross on the ground into the box was finished by the English striker Ebanks-Blake. He should have no problem erasing his two goal tally of last season.
Saha nearly scored on a tricky header in the 87th but it went long. At thirty-two years of age the striker may be on the downturn. Wolves managed a good draw with only 41% possession. Just the start they were looking for this season.
West Ham showed they are in a lot of trouble. Another bad defeat this time to Bolton. Giving up three goals at home isn’t acceptable. Now with the exit of Diamanti things will only get worse for the hammers. Johan Elmander only scored three goals all of last season but found two against the struggling club. Bolton off to a flying start and sit fifth on the table after the 3-1 victory.
Meanwhile Liverpool could be facing a similar but more serious situation. Much like West Ham they have an Italian making an exit in Aquilani. Even worse they could lose the Argentine Javier Mascherano. Monday we witnessed the dismantling of their side at Manchester City. A complete one-eighty for City saw them score three goals. The opening goal by Gareth Barry in the 13th minute seemed too easy. Fernando Torres showed slight signs of returning to form but was subbed off in the 78th minute. A 3-0 win as Tevez scored two with one from the spot.
West Brom got a nice win at home against Sunderland. Their performance against Chelsea should be applauded as they only allowed two goals in the first half last week. Keeping the stars from scoring for some thirty-eight minutes isn’t easy. Sunderland may have taken them lightly and end up losing with a final of 1-0. New transfer Peter Odemwingie scored the winning goal.
Manchester United played without Wayne Rooney who’s been on a bit of a goal drought. Playing at Craven Cottage wouldn’t make the game any easier as Sir Alex Ferguson would soon find out. Berbatov and Park looked good in the first half. I was surprised “Chicharito” and Berbatov didn’t score to be honest. The young Mexican seems to be adjusting to the EPL nicely as he made some great runs.
Paul Scholes opened the scoring with his 150th goal for the club. Zamora looked healthy and set up some fine chances. Simon Davies got the benefit scoring in the 57th evening the score. The Final was 2-2 after Hangeland equalized with a header in the 89th. This surely made up for his OG mistake a mere five minutes earlier. A bad result for Manchester as Nani missed from the penalty spot.
In other games we saw Aston Villa lose six to nil at the stadium of light. It was a shocking loss for the manager-less club. John Carew missed a penalty early on and started the break down. A great hat trick for Andy Carroll and a double for Kevil Nolan in this one. Joey Barton scored the opener to get things rolling. Is it time to take Newcastle seriously?
Birmingham took out Blackburn at home with a score of 2-1. Cameron Jerome still hasn’t scored and should be finding the net against Bolton on Sunday.
Tottenham won 2-1 against Stoke City on the road. Gareth Bale scored a pair of goals in the first half. The young Defender or Midfielder as labeled in fantasy games is becoming a star rather quickly.
Chelsea got their second 6-0 win over Wigan on the road. The club will look to extend their lead at the top of the table Saturday against Stoke. This should be another easy win for the title holders.
The other 6-0 score line was that of Arsenal and Blackpool. The Tangerines didn’t stand a chance in this one as Theo Walcott scored three. His pace and vision were magnificent. Chamakah scored the final goal after missing some easy chances. Hopefully now he’s settled in at his new club.
Here are a few good games to look forward to this weekend:
Blackburn vs. Arsenal
This is the first real test for Arsenal this season. A win would be a big boost to their top club status.
Wolves vs. Newcastle
Two clubs looking to find their rhythm. Newcastle looked good against Villa but Wolves could be ready to pounce at home. If Newcastle wins they could be serious trouble for the rest of the EPL.
Aston Villa vs. Everton
Looking to see if Villa’s loss to Newcastle was a fluke or not. Everton are a big test and a win would bring Villa’s spirit back. Both clubs are looking to find some balance. This one could go either way and should be fun to watch.
Newsodrome
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