Wednesday 2 februari > English Premier League

Birmingham City 2 - 2 Manchester City
Žigic 23’                     Tévez 4’

Gardner 77’ (pen.)      Kolarov 41’


Review:

During Birmingham City’s nerve-jangling 2-2 draw with Manchester City last week, Nikola Zigic’s 23rd minute equaliser was the first time a Birmingham striker has netted in the Premier League since November. That’s a staggering 937 minutes of action without one of their marksmen beating a keeper. With their recent cup adventures in reaching the Carling Cup final and FA Cup fifth round, Birmingham seem to have found a catalyst for success. Zigic, bought for around £6 million from Valencia, was previously lambasted by critics with just two goals to his name in 19 Premier League appearances. The rejuvenated Serb has since made it two goals in two matches with his headed finish against fellow relegation candidates West Ham United.

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Blackpool 1 - 3 West Ham
Adam 42’           Obinna 24’,44’
                           Keane 37’


Review:

First goal; Sublime to the ridiculous for Kingson. Obinna waltzes into the Blackpool box, fires a shot into the near post and it goes through Kingson's hands. West Ham lead 1-0!! 2nd for West Ham, Kingson saves from Obinna, the ball flies back to the striker. There's Kingson again. Ball falls to Keane. who rifles home. 2-0 West Ham. 3rd Goal Blackpool:Adam smacks the corner into the near post. Piquionne takes a wild swing and it's in. Green had no chance. Blackpool 1 West Ham 2. Bizarre goal, but they all count. 4th Goal; Obinna has space some 25 yards out and crashes the ball past Kingson into the net. Blackpool 1 West Ham 3. Then the whistle went.

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Blackburn 0 - 1 Tottenham
                         Crouch 3'


Review:

Blackburn, who have yet to pick up a single point this term from any of the games where their opponents have taken the lead, found themselves trailing as early as the third minute when Peter Crouch headed what proved to be the game's only goal. Crouch leapt highest to Rafael van der Vaart’s cross to give Tottenham the lead. Injury plagued though the visitors may be, there was sufficient strength in depth for Spurs to shine for sustained periods after making much the brighter start of the two sides, even given the absence of Tottenham's most recent casualty, creative midfielder Luka Modric, who is expected to be sidelined for the next two weeks following a bout of appendicitis. However, what the home side lacked in cohesive one-touch passing and close control, they made up for the most part with character, commitment and determination enough to make life frequently difficult for Tottenham's makeshift back four, who regularly found themselves at full stretch in the face of the home side's sustained aerial assault tactics.

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Fullham 1 - 0 Newcastle 
Duff 67'



Review:


Damien Duff scored the only goal on a rather mundane night in west London. Before the match, all talk was on how the Newcastle fans would react to the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool on transfer deadline day.
The Toon Army were remarkably silent on the affair, perhaps resigned to being perpetually aggrieved towards their colourful chairman Mike Ashley, or just still coming to terms with how a striker who has only scored 11 Premier League goals can be worth so much money. Pardew said: “The loss of Andy Carroll is a factor on the game. But I thought the response for our fans was terrific, they could have been super negative and given us a hard time, but they didn’t.” They were remarkably quiet and the drab atmosphere was replicated on the field of play. Both teams failed to muster much action in the first half as Newcastle successfully squeezed the Fulham midfield and would not let the home side get their passing game going.

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Liverpool 2 -0 Stroke City
Raul Meireles 47’
Suarez 79’

Review:

Luis Suarez scored on his Liverpool debut as the Reds began their post-Fernando Torres era by beating Stoke. Potters keeper Asmir Begovic's reflex save kept out a Glen Johnson header but Raul Meireles drove in a 47th minute shot to put the home side ahead. John Carew had a strike which went wide before Suarez rounded Begovic and saw his shot go in despite Andy Wilkinson's attempt at a sliding interception.
Reds keeper Pepe Reina saved from Jon Walters as Liverpool secured victory.
On a day when the giant Torres mural on the outside of the stadium had been removed, inside Anfield Suarez provided enough evidence after his 63rd minute introduction that the Reds faithful might have another hero to appreciate.

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Bolton 1 - 0 Wolverhampton
Sturridge 90’
 


Review:

A goal in added time goal by Daniel Sturridge, the striker on loan from Chelsea, secured Bolton's first victory in six encounters leaving desperate Wolves in even deeper relegation trouble.
The visitors had appeared capable of hanging on for a punt in a dour game of few chances and little entertainment until Ronald Zubar inexplicably turned the ball back across the face of his own penalty area.
That left Sturridge, a 67th-minute substitute, with a clear run at goal to deliver a dramatic finish.
It was a welcome victory for Bolton whose one point from the previous 15 had seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.
In a tiresome opening half they had been denied by the Wolves goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey, who made excellent blocks to twice deny Johan Elmamder, as well as Matt Taylor.

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