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Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Manchester City
Held at the same time as the YOG opening ceremony, the first match of the season posed as a exciting nil-nil draw that reflects the EPL's competitiveness. Both teams are in contention for a Champion League's place, but the match is pretty much a one-sided affair. If not for keeper Joe Hart, Manchester City would be humiliated. Despite many high-profile spending during the transfer window accounting for over 100 million, the most prosperous club in the world fail to impress. Tottenham on the other hand played spetacularly, creating chances over chances but lack the element of luck when Joe Hart denied them over and over again. The English keeper who had not featured a lot in the World Cup shone. And the question is this, why had Fabio Capello not played him in the tournament which England exited in an embarassing manner?
This match shows that money does not mean everything. Eleven football stars on the pitch do not produce results that met expectations without teamwork and familiarity with each other. I disapprove of Manchester City's way of doing things as they simply buy big names and sell them off after a few seasons, as can be seen from the likes of Robinho, Craig Bellamy, etc. Although there are some improvements since the change of owner to a extremely dirty rich one who have endless cash to splash, they are nowhere in contention of the title. This may be counter-productive as it results City to be over-reliant on money, instead of nurturing talents from young.
Scorer(s) : NA
Man of the Match : Joe Hart (Man City)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Stoke City
David Jones scored a brilliant free kick for Wolverhampton to take the lead, contributing to a record 2-1 over Stoke, signalling a rather good start for the team.
Scorer(s) :
Wolves - Jones 37' | Fletcher 39'
Stoke - Diagne-Faye 55'
Man of the Match : David Jones (Wolves)
Aston Villa 3-0 West Ham United
This match was the last one for Aston Villa star James Milner for his boyhood club, set to a move to Manchester City. However, that does not cause him to be any less committed, bringing a brigh display and scoring the third goal. His departure would be sorely missed by the team and the fans. I wish him the best of luck in his new career, and hope that he doesn't end up being another Bellamy.
West Ham looks sloppy and dreamy most of the time especially their defence, probably due to the long period of rest, causing players to be not in the same level of competence. I suggest that more friendly matches to be held to keep the players sufficiently prepared.
Scorer(s):
Aston Villa - Downing 15' | Petrov 40' | Milner 66'
Man of the Match : Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa)
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Everton
A terrible goalkeeping error from Tim Howard gifted Blackburn the win. Blackburn have secured a commendable result on the opening day. Alhtough their goal may be fortunate, their defend was resolute and deserved merit. Despite keeping most of the possession, Everton was unable to break down the defence. It was hard luck on them to concede an unnecessary goal.
Scoreline:
Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Fulham
Sunderland 2-2 Birmingham City
Wigan Athletic 0-4 Blackpool
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Chelsea 6-0 West Bromwich Albion
Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal
It is unusual for powerhouses to meet this early, but the clash of the two sides is not any less exciting. This match is full of twists and the unexpected that grabs your heart as your emotion run high and low where with every twist, one would cheer while the other would groan. This applies if you are a fan of either club. Notably for the start of new signings Joe Cole, Milan Jovanoic (both Liverpool) and Koscielny....
In footytube.com, close to 50% users rate Arsenal as being lucky, out of the options of awesome, great, average, lucky and rubbish. Hence, it can be seen that the element of luck is often the deciding factor, especially between two teams whose standards are very close.
In footytube.com, close to 50% users rate Arsenal as being lucky, out of the options of awesome, great, average, lucky and rubbish. Hence, it can be seen that the element of luck is often the deciding factor, especially between two teams whose standards are very close.
Manchester United 3-0 Newcastle United
