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Birmingham City 2-2 Manchester City




Updated Feb 2, 2011 5:12 PM ET
Manchester City's title hopes faded further as Craig Gardner's penalty earned Birmingham a 2-2 Premier League draw on Wednesday night.
Gardner had scored the goal which earned Alex McLeish's Blues side victory over West Ham in the Carling Cup semi-final last week and followed that up with a late equaliser from the penalty spot as his side salvaged a precious point at St Andrew's.
The visitors twice led through Carlos Tevez and Aleksandar Kolarov but were pegged back by Nikola Zigic and then Gardner's sixth goal of the campaign.
It means they are now eight points adrift of league leaders Manchester United and have played a game more.

Tue., Feb. 1​
Arsenal 2-1 Everton |Recap
Man United 3-1 Aston Villa | Recap
Sunderland 2-4 Chelsea | Recap
West Brom 2-2 Wigan | Recap
Wed., Feb. 2​
Birmingham 2-2 Man City | Recap
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle | Recap
Blackburn 0-1 Tottenham | Recap
Liverpool 2-0 Stoke City | Recap
Blackpool 1-3 West Ham | Recap
Bolton 1-0 Wolverhampton | Recap
BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


There was no doubting the quality of Roberto Mancini's side and Tevez was a constant threat.
But Birmingham's never-say-die attitude surfaced yet again with on-loan David Bentley and veteran Barry Ferguson impressing.
Edin Dzeko posted an early warning to the home side when his low cross was cut out by Ben Foster.
But after four minutes Tevez converted his 17th goal of the campaign.
David Silva was allowed to break into the Birmingham box before finding Tevez.
His shot from a narrow angle took a slight deflection off Martin Jiranek before bobbling into the far corner of the net.
Tevez took up another good position to latch onto a reverse pass from James Milner.
But he failed to make full contact with his shot and Foster saved comfortably.
Joe Hart was seriously tested for the first time after 15 minutes when he tipped over a volley from Zigic.
Birmingham started to get a foothold in the game and drew level thrugh Zigic in the 25th minute.
Bentley angled in a low free-kick from on the left flank and Zigic was first to react at the near post in deflecting the ball past Hart.
The visitors were rattled after their early dominance and Nigel de Jong was yellow carded for bringing down Bentley.
Micah Richards was stretchered off just after the half-way mark when he bravely won the ball in the air but then collided with De Jong.
He was replaced after a lengthy delay by Kolo Toure.

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After 41 minutes a superb strike from Kolarov restored the lead for the visitors.
Gardner paid the price for bringing down Dzeko on the edge of the area as Kolarov's powerful shot curled into the corner of the net.
Bentley was posing a threat and Kolarov was booked for a rash challenge on the on loan Tottenham player.
Mancini made a half-time switch with Patrick Vieira replacing De Jong.
Bentley was only just too high with a dipping drive from just outside the box as the action got under way again.
At the other end Jerome Boateng would have been disappointed not to test Foster more seriously after good play by Dzeko.
Birmingham retaliated but Jiranek completely mis-kicked from 12 yards out and Johnson headed just wide from a deep Bentley centre.
Tevez was linking up well with Silva and Foster did well to block a shot from the Argentinian after a diagnol run.
Birmingham levelled for the second time after 77 minutes.
Vieira fouled fellow substitute Kevin Phillips inside the penalty area and up stepped Gardner to hammer the spot-kick past Hart into the roof of the net.
In the last minute Hart tipped over a deflected effort from the alert Phillips.
Kolarov was inches wide with a free-kick in the dying seconds.
 
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle United






Updated Feb 2, 2011 5:35 PM ET
Damien Duff twisted the knife into former club Newcastle after their striker misery deepened in a 1-0 Premier League defeat at Fulham.
Duff netted his first league goal for almost a year to settle a tight affair on Wednesday night and propel the in-form Cottagers to 12th in the table, one point behind their opponents.
It was another night to forget for Newcastle, who lost Shola Ameobi to a suspected fractured cheekbone just 13 minutes in, less than 48 hours after selling star striker Andy Carroll to Liverpool.

Tue., Feb. 1​
Arsenal 2-1 Everton |Recap
Man United 3-1 Aston Villa | Recap
Sunderland 2-4 Chelsea | Recap
West Brom 2-2 Wigan | Recap
Wed., Feb. 2​
Birmingham 2-2 Man City | Recap
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle | Recap
Blackburn 0-1 Tottenham | Recap
Liverpool 2-0 Stoke City | Recap
Blackpool 1-3 West Ham | Recap
Bolton 1-0 Wolverhampton | Recap
BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


Manager Alan Pardew, who hoped an unchanged line-up would prove it was business as usual at St James' Park, would have been without the injured Carroll at Craven Cottage, even had he stayed.
Newcastle could ill afford to lose another forward but that was exactly what happened when Ameobi took an elbow to the head in a challenge with Steve Sidwell after just 10 minutes.
Three minutes of futile treatment followed before Ameobi was led down the tunnel and replaced by Nile Ranger.
The visitors had shown total commitment to that point, with Mike Williamson closely shadowing the in-form Moussa Dembele.
Duff's deflected shot and a weak Danny Simpson strike at the other end were the only efforts of note in the opening quarter, although Sidwell arguably saved a goal by flicking Joey Barton's free-kick behind.
Danny Murphy went close to sending Clint Dempsey clean through but Steve Harper was too quick off his line, while the goalkeeper also snaffled Sidwell's harmless long-ranger.
Newcastle's discipline began to waver and Simpson was booked just past the half-hour mark for hauling back the increasingly influential Dempsey, who also drilled narrowly wide from close range as Newcastle failed to deal with a Murphy free-kick.
Newcastle were briefly down to 10 men again before half-time thanks to another head injury, this time to Simpson.
Williamson produced a great block to deny Duff an early second-half opener but the winger should then have put Fulham ahead in the 50th minute when he prodded wide from barely three yards after Dempsey's shot was saved by Harper and deflected straight to the winger.
Captain Kevin Nolan was booked for a rash tackle on Dembele but the visitors were starting to get a foothold in the game.

The home of the best LIVE soccer and rugby awaits at FoxSoccer.tv -- don't miss a second of the action.

Leon Best nodded Danny Guthrie's cross off target and the recalled Chris Baird sent Jonas Gutierrez's wicked cross just the right side of his own post.
Williamson made a near-fatal error just past the hour when he gifted the ball to Duff and Dempsey unleashed a rising near-post drive which was tipped over by Harper.
More suicidal defending ultimately cost them in the 67th minute when Jose Enrique was too easily beaten by Duff to Murphy's 60-yard ball and the Irishman kept his cool to strike right-footed past Harper.
Fulham boss Mark Hughes handed on-loan Chelsea winger Gael Kakuta his debut with 19 minutes remaining as Andy Johnson was withdrawn, while Newcastle threw on Peter Lovenkrands for Best.
Baird's free-kick grasscutter was too close to Harper before the Fulham fans began to chant: "There's only one Andy Carroll."
Kakuta should have killed the game 10 minutes from time when he sidefooted Dembele's cross straight at Harper.
And he was almost made to pay seconds later when Ranger forced Mark Schwarzer - a surprise starter four days after the end of Australia's Asian Cup campaign - into a brilliant point-blank smother from Nolan's cutback.
The chances kept coming and Dempsey shot too close to Harper and Kakuta saw his finish blocked after a brilliant, sweeping move.
Fulham ran down time by removing Murphy and Duff for Zoltan Gera and Simon Davies but they also went closest to another goal, with Dembele prodding too close to Harper.
 
Blackburn 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur






Updated Feb 2, 2011 5:33 PM ET
Peter Crouch's fourth-minute goal was enough to keep Tottenham in sight of a Champions League place with a 1-0 victory at Blackburn.
Wednesday's Premier League victory at Ewood Park was a huge boost for manager Harry Redknapp, given how many of his players were either injured or suspended.
Crouch got the all-important goal when he rose above Chris Samba and headed Rafael van der Vaart's cross into the corner.

Tue., Feb. 1​
Arsenal 2-1 Everton |Recap
Man United 3-1 Aston Villa | Recap
Sunderland 2-4 Chelsea | Recap
West Brom 2-2 Wigan | Recap
Wed., Feb. 2​
Birmingham 2-2 Man City | Recap
Fulham 1-0 Newcastle | Recap
Blackburn 0-1 Tottenham | Recap
Liverpool 2-0 Stoke City | Recap
Blackpool 1-3 West Ham | Recap
Bolton 1-0 Wolverhampton | Recap
BPL Scores | Table | Fixtures​


Tottenham defender William Gallas shrugged off a groin injury and took his place in the team alongside Sebastien Bassong, meaning Jonathan Woodgate was only needed for bench duty.
Anurudha Desai, chairwoman of the club's owners Venkys, took in her first Blackburn match and in a message to fans thanked them for their support.
Tottenham were without new signing Steven Pienaar after he suffered concussion during a training session on Tuesday.
However, despite their injury problems the visitors made a perfect start and took the lead in the fourth minute.
Tottenham won a free-kick 20 yards out in the 29th minute after Samba had upended Jermaine Defoe as he tried to skip into the area.
Van der Vaart stepped up but only succeeded in flighting his effort over the bar.
Back came Blackburn and Heurelho Gomes again looked uncomfortable when he dropped a shot from David Dunn, only to recover just in time.
Dunn then came close to scoring in the 36th minute, clipping his effort wide of the post following a sweeping move involving Martin Olsson and Jason Roberts.
Tottenham were being pinned back and a minute later Ryan Nelsen headed wide following a corner from Dunn, before Vedran Corluka almost headed into his own net after Roberts had flicked the ball on.
The visitors were finding it hard going trying to hang on to their lead with Redknapp a constant visitor to his technical area.
They launched a quick counter attack in the 43rd minute when Van der Vaart tried to release Aaron Lennon but he was crowded out in the penalty area.
Blackburn again came close to equalising in stoppage time when Nelsen got on the end of Dunn's free-kick but headed over.
Van der Vaart delivered a cross into the area and Crouch got above Samba and headed into the corner.
Samba was left distraught after a good start to the day when it was confirmed he had signed a contract extension until 2015.
Blackburn responded and Jermaine Jones saw his effort blocked and the rebound fell to Junior Hoilett. However his effort was cleared by Crouch carrying out his defensive duties.

The home of the best LIVE soccer and rugby awaits at FoxSoccer.tv -- don't miss a second of the action.

Tottenham suffered another scare when Gomes flapped at a long ball from his opposite number and it fell to Hoilett but he hit it into the ground.
This was a good spell by Blackburn and Dunn's instinctive shot from the edge of the area went narrowly over the bar.
Blackburn started the second half brightly and Gomes palmed away a shot by Mame Biram Diouf from an acute angle following Jones' throughball in the 46th minute.
Although Tottenham were finding it hard going they continued to look good on the counter-attack.
And in the 55th minute Corluka delivered a good ball to the back post but Samba got the better of Crouch to head clear.
A minute later Jermain Defoe squandered a great chance following a surging run by Lennon through the heart of Blackburn's defence.
Lennon laid the ball off to an unmarked Defoe but his effort was beaten away by Robinson.
Lennon was becoming increasingly influential and Paul Robinson reacted superbly to turn the winger's thunderbolt over the bar in the 61st minute.
Blackburn manager Steve Kean then freshened things up four minutes later by bringing on Steven Nzonzi for Jones, who looked tired.
However, Kean's idea to bring off Dunn two minutes later and bring on Morten Gamst Pedersen did not go down too well with a section of the crowd.
Blackburn stepped up the pace and Gomes came to Tottenham's rescue twice in quick succession. He kept out a powerful effort by Diouf in the 72nd minute, and three minutes later blocked a driven free-kick from Pedersen.
Then Jenas got a vital touch in stoppage time to divert Samba's goalbound header to safety.
 
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