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Premier
League Round-up: Matchday 35
The
Premier League is wide open once again – both at the top and bottom
A
round-up of all the scores and scorers from the Premier League, matchday 35.
The
Premier League is seemingly open at both ends and, as I’m sure you can probably
envisage, that’s not very pleasant. With three games to go any three of eleven
teams could be relegated, while Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United could
all still be crowned champions. For innocent onlookers this makes for pure
excitement but, for anyone involved with the clubs concerned, it’s all about
the end-of-season nerves.
Two
controversial Chelsea goals helped
them to overcome London rivals Tottenham
to keep the pressure on Manchester United while Spurs all-but-kissed goodbye to
that lucrative fourth spot. Brazilian
midfielder Sandro had given Harry Redknapp’s side the lead with a cracking 25
yard effort but, with Carlo Ancelotti’s team piling on the pressure and Tottenham
goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes pulling off some fine saves in the first half, it was
only a matter of time before Chelsea got off the mark.
Chelsea
did finally score on the stroke of half-time, as Frank Lampard’s dipping shot
was flapped at by Gomes who let the ball slip through his legs and, according
to the assistant referee, over the line. The evidence is pretty much
inconclusive as to whether the ball had crossed the line or not but fresh
appeals for goal-line technology could be heard post-match, with Redknapp
questioning the lack of technology in the game, labelling the
Chelsea win as “lucky”. Salomon Kalou scored a late winner from six yards out,
and seemingly from an offside position, his third goal in four games, to claim
all three points for Chelsea.
Manchester United knew, then, that
they had to win because otherwise next Sunday’s encounter with Chelsea would be
seen as the title decider. Arsenal,
though, were looking to claim just their second League win since the beginning
of Mach and, thanks to an Aaron Ramsey goal, their admittedly-slim title hopes
were kept alive.
Chelsea
youngster Gael Kakuta helped Fulham
to power past Sunderland at the
Stadium of Light to leave The Black Cats dangerously above the relegation zone,
while Mark Hughes’ side now look set for a top ten finish. Kakuta gave The
Cottagers the lead just after the half-hour mark, stumbling home after sloppy
Sunderland defending, while a Simon Davies double helped round off the victory.
Sunderland did have their chances, Lee Cattermole, Sulley Muntari and Stephane
Sessegnon all going close, but it was ultimately their defending that resigned
them to their fourteenth defeat of the season.
The
relegation battle is too close to call at the minute and results at Ewood Park
and The DW Stadium didn’t make it any easier, Blackburn beating a lacklustre Bolton
1-0 thanks to a fine Jonas Olsson strike while Wigan claimed a point against Everton,
a late Leighton Baines penalty cancelling out Charles N’Zogbia’s fine finish. Blackpool also gained a point although
it could have been a lot worse had Kenwyne Jones not
missed an open goal
from inside the area for Stoke. 0-0
the final score there.
The
relegation zone currently consists of Wigan, Wolves and West Ham who
all failed to win this weekend. West Ham surrendered to a 2-1 away defeat to Manchester City with Nigel De Jong and
Pablo Zabaleta scoring for City and Demba Ba for West Ham. Wolves took an early
lead against fellow strugglers Birmingham
through a Steven Fletcher penalty, but Sebastian Larsson levelled for The
Blues, before Craig Gardner was sent off for two bookable offences.
West Brom confirmed their
Premier League status for next year with a superb victory over local rivals Aston Villa, coming from 1-0 down,
thanks to a comical Abdoulaye Méïté, to
win 2-1, Peter Odemwingie and Youssouf Mulumbu with the goals. Paul Scharner
was sent off for Roy Hodgson’s side for two needless fouls, but The Baggies now
lie just outside the top ten, with Villa still not quite safe of relegation,
just six points above the drop-zone.
Liverpool recorded another comfortable victory to leave Kenny Dalglish’s side in 5th
place, defeating Newcastle 3-0 at home. Liverpool now look set to claim
that Europa League spot with Spurs faltering and fourth-placed Manchester City
now seven points clear. A scrappy finish from Maxi Rodriguez, his fourth goal in two games, put Liverpool
in front within ten minutes, while a second half Dirk Kuyt penalty and a
measured Luis Suarez strike sealed the victory.
Matchday 35 results: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham; Blackburn 1-0 Bolton; Wigan
1-1 Everton; Blackpool 0-0 Stoke; Sunderland 0-3 Fulham; West Brom 2-1 Aston
Villa; Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United; Birmingham 1-1 Wolves; Liverpool 3-0
Newcastle; Manchester City 2-1 West Ham.
Matchday 36 fixtures: Aston Villa-Wigan; Bolton-Sunderland;
Everton-Manchester City; Newcastle-Birmingham; West Ham-Blackburn;
Tottenham-Blackpool; Wolves-West Brom; Stoke-Arsenal; Manchester
United-Chelsea; Fulham-Liverpool.
Potential
Arsenal ticket price rise angers fans
Arsenal
Supporters’ Trust shows opposition to price rises
Loyal
Arsenal fans are being “priced out of attending matches”, according to The
Arsenal Supporters’ Trust, amid claims of yet more rises.
After
yet another season of disappointment and frustration, the last thing a football
club needs to do is anger their fans, especially fans that have already had it
up to the back teeth with their club’s failings.
With
certain sections of Arsenal supporters calling for revolution at the club, with
manager Arsène Wenger
particularly in the firing line, fans of The Gunners are about to become a
whole lot unhappier with the news that ticket prices could increase by up to
6.5% next season.
Arsenal
already boast the most expensive season ticket in the country, with £893 being
the cheapest and, as 7,000 executive Club Level tickets increasing, the fear is
that regular supporters will see their prices rise too.
The Arsenal
Supporters’ Trust, the most influential of all the club’s
supporters’ groups with over 1000 paying members, are firmly against any
increase:
"We first raised this issue in
February, when we became aware of the plan to raise ticket prices," the
AST told The London Evening Standard.
Arsenal have had another disappointing
season in the English Premier League, currently sitting
in 3rd, nine points off leaders Manchester United when, a couple of
weeks ago (and throughout most of the season), they were being touted as title
challengers, only to drop off right at the end.
The AST, though, insist that this is
irrelevant: “Our objection has nothing to do with recent results, and
everything to do with our concern that loyal Arsenal fans are being priced out
of attending matches. The current economic climate means many fans are
suffering.
"Arsenal's commercial revenue is
£50m less than Manchester United, annually. This is the area where the club
should prioritise raising extra money, rather than increasing ticket
prices."
Arsenal are in the middle of being taken over by
American tycoon Stan Kroenke, currently a majority shareholder, and
this news will certainly disconcert many fans, especially as The Black Scarf
Movement, another supporters’ group, expressed their concerns that the club is
becoming a “faceless corporate monster”.
As The Evening Standard points out, this
will be the first time that Arsenal have increased their prices since they
moved to The Emirates Stadium in 2007 but that hardly softens the blow.
Are
these price increases fair? Arsenal fans, what are your thoughts? Be sure to
leave a comment below.
These
articles were originally published on sports website Sports Haze but are now
not available due to the site shutting down.
