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Rutashubanyuma · Dec 27, 2010

Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland

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Updated Dec 26, 2010 4:02 PM ET
A Dimitar Berbatov double extended Manchester United's unbeaten run to 17 games as Sunderland were brushed aside 2-0 at Old Trafford.
Victory provided United with a healthy advantage at the summit over Arsenal and Chelsea, who meet at the Emirates Stadium on Monday, and nearest challengers Manchester City, who have played two games more.

And while Wayne Rooney's wait for a goal in open play goes on, Berbatov continues to fill the void superbly.
The much-criticised Bulgarian is now on 13 for the season, although his second did require a massive deflection off Anton Ferdinand after he had provided United with a fourth-minute opener in a one-sided contest.
It was almost beyond comprehension that United were not out of sight by half-time.
Not only had they scored an early goal, they had also struck the woodwork on two occasions, Wayne Rooney had twice come close to grabbing that elusive first goal in open play since March and both Berbatov and Ryan Giggs had threatened terror at every turn.
In response, under-strength Sunderland failed to muster a single shot.
Yet somehow Steve Bruce remained hopeful of if not gaining that long-awaited win over his old boss, at least not returning to Wearside empty-handed despite missing seven key men.
Berbatov had broken the deadlock in such simple fashion too.
Giggs' driving run through the Sunderland midfield caused the visitors a major headache.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE

Sun., Dec. 26

Mon., Dec. 27

Arsenal vs. Chelsea BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures

When the veteran laid off a pass to Rooney, Berbatov was in space at the far post.
All his strike partner had to do was find him, which he did with a superb chipped cross which the Bulgarian powered home.
On his last start a month ago, Berbatov scored five and United bagged seven.
For a while it seemed a repeat was on the cards.
Rooney floated an excellent chip narrowly wide. Berbatov thudded a shot against the post. Anderson weaved his way into space on the edge of the area and curled a shot that beat Gordon but crashed down off the bar.
The Scotland keeper was relieved to see another Berbatov

Rutashubanyuma · Dec 27, 2010

Fulham 1-3 West Ham

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Updated Dec 26, 2010 9:54 AM ET
Carlton Cole scored twice as West Ham grabbed their first away win of the season with a 3-1 success at London rivals Fulham on Boxing Day.
Frederic Piquionne was also on target as the Hammers came from behind to temporarily haul themselves off the foot of the table.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE

Sun., Dec. 26

Mon., Dec. 27

Arsenal vs. Chelsea BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures

Cole netted twice after being inadvertently played in by Dickson Etuhu and Aaron Hughes at a chilly Craven Cottage, easing the pressure on manager Avram Grant.
The heat is now well and truly on opposite number Mark Hughes, whose side threw away namesake Aaron's first goal for more than six years.
The Cottagers boss left the field to chants of "Hughes out!" after earlier enduring taunts of "You don't know what you're doing!"
Grant's own pre-match desperation was summed up by Freddie Sears being handed his first Premier League start since March 2009 in one of five changes for the visitors.
The 21-year-old striker, recalled early from a loan spell at Scunthorpe, had scored just one goal in his entire 71-match professional career.
But, playing down the right, he made an immediate impact with a decent cross for the recalled Cole, who was under good pressure.
The striker also dragged wide from a tight angle before the visitors reminded their fans just why they were rock bottom in the 11th minute.
The fit-again Robert Green palmed behind a Carlos Salcido shot that was going wide and the visitors failed to clear the resulting corner, allowing Simon Davies to cross for the unmarked Hughes to nod home.
Recalled Fulham forward Andrew Johnson tested Green from distance two minutes later and should have doubled the hosts' lead in the 18th minute when he failed to connect properly with Davies' cross from six yards.
Fulham continued to dominate and even began playing keep ball as the half progressed but gifted their toothless opponents an equaliser with eight minutes remaining.
Sears' weak cross was intercepted by Dickson Etuhu but the midfielder could only divert the ball straight to Cole, who stretched to angle it beyond the onrushing Mark Schwarzer from six yards.
Cole should have made it 2-1 when he shot straight at the goalkeeper after being put through one on one with a minute remaining.
But Piquionne incredibly put the visitors ahead in stoppage-time when he arrived completely unmarked to volley in Scott Parker's cross.

WHAT A YEAR!

Take a pictorial look back at an incredible year in soccer with the 2010 Year in Pictures gallery.

Matthew Upson picked up the game's first yellow card early in the second half for tripping Clint Dempsey.
But the free-kick came to nought and West Ham should have scored themselves in the 52nd minute but another heavy touch from Cole let him down.
Fulham boss Hughes withdrew Dempsey and Etuhu for Damien Duff and Eddie Johnson a minute later, a change greeted by some fans with chants of: "You don't know what you're doing!"
Green beat Andrew Johnson to John Pantsil's cross as the hosts searched for an equaliser but the latter then got himself booked after bringing down Stanislas.
Only a desperate clearance from Brede Hangeland prevented Cole turning in Parker's 64th-minute cross, and Sears sent a shot on the turn wide moments later.
Hangeland then played a defence-splitting pass to Andrew Johnson but Green was off his line in a flash to block the forward's finish.
Junior Stanislas had an effort deflected behind in the 71st minute before another calamity befell Fulham two minutes later.
Hughes tried to cut out a long ball forward but only succeeded in nodding straight to Cole, who fired a superb angled drive across Schwarzer.
Eddie Johnson forced a superb fingertip save from Green trying to pull a goal back and Danny Murphy should have done better than blazing over Duff's cross.
With time running out, Andrew Johnson was unable to get enough power on a shot on the turn.
But Fulham were already beaten and West Ham had the luxury of making a late change when Frank Nouble came on for Piquionne before the chants of "Hughes out!" began.

Rutashubanyuma · Dec 27, 2010

Newcastle 1-3 Manchester City

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Updated Dec 26, 2010 12:39 PM ET
Carlos Tevez fired Manchester City back into the title race as his side held off a spirited Newcastle fightback to win 3-1 at St James' Park.
The Argentinian, whose differences with the club have been resolved, put the Magpies to the sword in a blistering opening to the game, setting up Gareth Barry's opener with just 72 seconds gone and then helping himself to a second in the fifth minute.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE

Sun., Dec. 26

Mon., Dec. 27

Arsenal vs. Chelsea BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures

Then after Andy Carroll had dragged Alan Pardew's men back into the game with a 72nd-minute header, his 11th goal of the season, Tevez ended Newcastle's hopes when his 81st-minute effort ended up in the back of the net with the help of two deflections.
The result was the perfect antidote to Monday's night's 2-1 defeat at Everton, although City were made to fight all the way by a Magpies side which, having seemingly thrown the points away barely before they had broken sweat, threatened to emerge with something to show for their efforts in front of a crowd of 51,635.
By contrast, the Magpies were left to reflect on a fourth home league defeat of the season and looking anxiously over their shoulders ahead of Tuesday's difficult trip to Tottenham.
Despite having tasted victory over Liverpool in his only game to date at the helm, Pardew went into this afternoon's encounter knowing the degree of difficulty to be significantly higher, and a cursory glance at the team-sheet would have illustrated the gulf between a club which is now being run on a strict budget and the richest in world football.
Opposite number Roberto Mancini was even able to leave £24million signing Mario Balotelli sitting on the bench after serving the 20-year-old with a reminder as to what is expected of him.
But where Newcastle could not compete in terms of quality, they would have backed themselves to do so when it came to passion and honest endeavour.
In the event, their game plan was torn up inside five disastrous minutes when they twice pushed the self-destruct button to hand the advantage to the visitors.
Keeper Tim Krul has proved an able deputy for Steve Harper during his spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, but his ill-judged second-minute pass to Joey Barton handed the midfielder's former club the perfect opportunity to get their noses in front.
Tevez anticipated well to steal possession and slide a pass into the run of Barry, who dispatched it past Krul into the bottom corner.
Worse was to follow barely three minutes later when the Argentinian picked out former Magpie James Milner on the right and then found space between central defenders Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor to meet his cross and guide it expertly into the top corner.
Tevez was simply too hot to handle as he repeatedly dropped deep to find space before running at the heart of the home defence as they back-pedalled in sheer terror.

WHAT A YEAR!

Take a pictorial look back at an incredible year in soccer with the 2010 Year in Pictures gallery.

However, lone striker Carroll perhaps should have dragged Newcastle back into the game when he headed a sixth-minute Wayne Routledge cross straight at keeper Joe Hart, and having survived further damage, Pardew's men started to work their way back into the game.
Carroll proved a major handful for central defenders Vincent Kompany and Joleon Lescott, and Hart had to collect his 31st-minute looping header and was then grateful to see his diving injury-time effort fly wide.
But in the meantime, full-back Aleksandar Kolarov had blasted two long-range efforts just over to remind the home side of City's potency from all areas.
Carroll sent an acrobatic 59th-minute volley wide from Jonas Gutierrez's cross, and Pardew made his move seconds later when he sent on striker Nile Ranger for Routledge and adopted a 4-4-2 formation.
City were content to try to hit the Magpies on the break and Yaya Toure embarked upon an enterprising 63-minute run which was only ended by Coloccini's desperate challenge deep inside his own penalty area.
Gutierrez sent a looping header across the face of goal six minutes later, but Newcastle got their break three minutes later when Carroll powered home a header from Barton's crooner.
Hart protested with some justification that he had been blocked by Kevin Nolan, and was booked for his pains as the home fans settled in for a grandstand finish.
With Barton and Cheik Tiote snapping at heels and Carroll in menacing form, the Magpies looked the more likely scorers, but their hopes were dashed in unfortunate fashion with nine minutes remaining.
Jose Enrique and Coloccini looked to have got back to close down Tevez, but his shot deflected off both of them to wrong-foot Krul and creep inside the post.
There was still time for substitute Balotelli to be booked for a foul on Tiote, but that was off little consequence to the home side.

Rutashubanyuma · Dec 27, 2010

Blackburn 0-2 Stoke City

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Updated Dec 26, 2010 3:47 PM ET
Steve Kean's coronation as new Blackburn boss turned sour at Ewood Park as goals from Robert Huth and Marc Wilson saw Stoke triumph 2-0.
Huth opened the scoring with a powerful 51st-minute header from a Matthew Etherington corner and Wilson wrapped up the points by knocking home the simplest of chances in injury time to snap their run of three Premier League games without a win.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE

Sun., Dec. 26

Mon., Dec. 27

Arsenal vs. Chelsea BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures

And Kean will know it could have been much worse for his side with Etherington missing an early sitter and Kenwyne Jones forcing a wonder save out of Paul Robinson late on.
For all the new Rovers' owners heady predictions, the defeat made it clear that Kean's more immediate concern is sorting out the future of unsettled stars like defender Christopher Samba.
Rovers looked susceptible to set-pieces all afternoon and Huth grabbed the lead by darting ahead of the static Mame Biram Diouf to power home Etherington's corner.
It was rich reward for Tony Pulis' men who looked the better side throughout and shaded a dismal first period made memorable only by Etherington's astonishing 14th-minute miss.
Ryan Shawcross rose highest in the box to nod on a Rory Delap long throw and find Etherington, only for the midfielder to tap the ball across the face of goal from point-blank range.
Brett Emerton poked a half-chance wide for Rovers after 20 minutes from a cross from the left by Martin Olsson, who was by far the home side's best player on the flank.
With the bitingly cold weather not helping, both sides struggled to fashion clear-cut openings but the visitors created a couple of opportunities just past the half-hour mark.
First the impressive Jon Walters, back from a bout of 'flu, came close in a scramble before Huth's header in the box from a Jermaine Pennant free-kick was booted clear by Gael Givet.
A poor first half ended with a spate of bookings with Stoke's Andy Wilkinson and Shawcross, and Rovers' Nikola Kalinic all finding themselves yellow-carded for poor challenges.
Huth broke the deadlock with the goal that was impressive for its simplicity, charging in front of the static Diouf to angle Etherington's corner past Robinson.
Rovers belatedly stirred, the busy Givet close to connecting to a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick then Diouf heading into Asmir Begovic's hands from an Emerton cross.
But the visitors came close to adding a second in the 64th minute when Delap wriggled clear on the right and sent in a superb cross to Dean Whitehead, whose header was caught by Robinson.
Three minutes later Stoke countered swiftly through Pennant and his cross from the left found Jones, whose close-range header was brilliantly tipped over the crossbar by Robinson.
Jones wriggled through a static Rovers rearguard before being pushed into touch by Robinson as the home fans began to show their frustration with their side's display.
Begovic punched clear under pressure from a Pedersen corner and with time running out Emerton thumped in a long-range effort which was deflected out for another set-piece.
From it, youngster Grant Hanley saw his firm header well saved by the increasingly busy Begovic, then Diouf fumbled a shooting chance in the box after being set up by Michel Salgado.
To compound the agony for Kean, Stoke wrapped up the win in injury time when substitute Ricardo Fuller crossed for Wilson to knock home the simplest of chances.

Rutashubanyuma · Dec 27, 2010

Bolton 2-0 West Bromwich Albion

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Updated Dec 26, 2010 12:49 PM ET
Goals from Matt Taylor and Johan Elmander gave Bolton a 2-0 Boxing Day win over a West Brom side who paid the price for poor finishing.
The Baggies had by far the better of the chances in both halves, with Peter Odemwingie squandering three great opportunities and Chris Brunt heading against a post.

BARCLAY'S PREMIER LEAGUE

Sun., Dec. 26

Mon., Dec. 27

Arsenal vs. Chelsea BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures

But they simply could not find the net and, after Taylor gave Wanderers the lead with his first goal of the season in the 40th minute, Elmander made the points safe four minutes from time.
Defences were certainly on top in the early stages and it took until the 16th minute for the first shot of the match, Graham Dorrans firing straight at Jussi Jaaskelainen.
Former Baggie Paul Robinson then had to be alert to head away a Somen Tchoyi cross before, as the game opened up, a flowing Bolton move ended with Elmander shooting over the bar when at the very least he should have made Scott Carson work.
West Brom were looking dangerous, though, and, after Tchoyi had sent another effort wide, leading scorer Odemwingie beat the offside trap to latch onto James Morrison's deft chip only to lose his bearings and shoot well wide from eight yards.
The Baggies were certainly on top, though, and they should have gone in front 10 minutes before half-time when Odemwingie again beat the Bolton offside trap.
A simple square ball to Graham Dorrans would have surely seen the visitors go one up but his pass was weak in the extreme, earning the striker an earful from Brunt.
And that missed opportunity was made to look even more costly when Taylor gave the hosts a lead they scarcely deserved in the 40th minute.
Taylor was both architect and scorer, freeing Lee with a neat chip. The Korean looked like he had taken it too far after going round Carson but he had the presence of mind to look up and play in Taylor, who tucked away his first of the season.
West Brom sought an immediate leveller and Gonzalo Jara forced Jaaskelainen to tip a shot over his bar before Gary Cahill was lucky to get away with one touch too many in the area.
West Brom continued their goal quest after the break with a succession of chances that began when Tchoyi struck a fierce shot at Jaaskelainen from a tight angle.
The visitors came even closer moments later, and again Tchoyi was at the heart of the move. The midfielder dug out a cross that Brunt got to ahead of Jaaskelainen only for his header to cannon back off the post before being hacked away.
Brunt then fired an effort into the side-netting before the midfielder and Odemwingie combined to play in Morrison. This time the Nigerian's touch was inch perfect but his team-mate's was not, allowing Jaaskelainen to take the ball off his toe.

WHAT A YEAR!

Take a pictorial look back at an incredible year in soccer with the 2010 Year in Pictures gallery.

In the 68th minute, Odemwingie again found himself with only the keeper to beat and, although his effort was better this time, it was still a couple of yards the wrong side of the post.
Wanderers finally fashioned a chance of their own moments later as substitute Sam Ricketts crossed for Elmander, who planted an overhead kick onto the roof of the net from six yards.
Baggies boss Roberto Di Matteo sent Ishmael Miller on for Morrison, and the striker almost had an immediate impact only for Cahill to somehow get in the way of his goalbound shot.
The England defender was then involved at the other end, first seeing a shot blocked by Gabriel Tamas and then winning a free-kick just outside the box when he was fouled by Dorrans.
Stuart Holden stepped up and his 20-yard effort looked to be curling in before Carson flung himself to his right to tip the ball round the post.
Lee, who now heads off to the Asian Cup, received a standing ovation as he was replaced by Ivan Klasnic and, with four minutes left, the home fans were cheering again when Elmander made the points safe.
After breaking away down the right, the striker tried to play in Klasnic. But, when the ball came back to him, he took it on himself and slotted a shot under Carson from the tightest of angles.
Captain Kevin Davies then tried his luck from the edge of the area after beating Carson to a long ball but was denied by Paul Scharner on the line.
Five minutes of injury time came and went before Bolton were able to celebrate their first clean sheet since the opening day of the season.

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