Saturday’s Results

For the first time for nearly a century all of the current big 4 – Chelsea, Liverpool, Man Utd, and Arsenal – failed to score on the same weekend. Arsenal were the only side to lose, 3-0 to Man City, to further compound their misery and disarray. This is the most testing period Arsene Wenger has faced since he took over, and it will be interesting to see how he deals with it. What he would have given yesterday for Fabrice Muamba, who drove Bolton forward, or for Matthew Upson, so strong for England in midweek – both cast-offs from his reign. Arsenal are in trouble, there is no doubt of that. They are no longer in the top 4, and have never looked less likely to go on one of their famous runs. Can ‘The Professor’ sort them out?

For Man Utd, Chelsea, and Liverpool, who all drew 0-0, there is less cause for concern. Each will be delighted not to lose ground on the others. Each were held for differing reasons – Utd versus a genuinely quality opposition (Villa), Chelsea against a team who performed a textbook parking of the bus (Newcastle), and Liverpool having a slight off day against a well-organised and well drilled Fulham side.

They will all breathe a sigh of relief that they have not slipped from their current positions, and redouble their efforts next weekend (after the Champions League in midweek).

Of the other two games yesterday, Bolton secured a well earned 3-1 win against Boro, ending the home side’s 5 match unbeaten run – Matt Taylor reminded us of his goalscoring ability, and Johan Elmander got back on the scoresheet.

Finally, in the battle of the promoted sides, Stoke’s belligerent physical ‘football’ overcame West Brom’s sideways and backwards passing, their 1-0 win thanks to a header from the massive Mamady Sidibe.

Spurs take on Blackburn in just under half an hour – and there’s no place for Frazier Campbell, as Pavyluchenko starts alongside Darren Bent. Brilliant. (See here).

Results, scorers, and less interestingly bookings, in full:

Aston Villa	0-0 (HT 0-0)	Man Utd
Bookings: Davies 77

Chelsea	0-0 (HT 0-0)	Newcastle
		Bookings: Gutierrez 50 Guthrie 86

Liverpool	0-0 (HT 0-0)	Fulham

Man City	3-0 (HT 1-0)	Arsenal
Ireland 45+2 Robinho 56 Sturridge (pen) 90+2
		Bookings: Song Billong 87

Middlesbrough	1-3 (HT 0-2)	Bolton
Pogatetz 77		Steinsson 8 Taylor 10 Elmander 78
Bookings: Pogatetz 7 Digard 22		Bookings: Muamba 52 Cahill 63 Samuel 67 Nolan 70 McCann 84

Portsmouth	2-2 (HT 1-0)	Hull
Crouch 20 Johnson 63		Turner 54 Pamarot o.g. 89
Bookings: Diop 85 Davis 90+5		Bookings: Windass 86