Weekend review

Chelsea remain top, while Hull are served a reality check

By Peter Fraser   Last updated: 1st September 2008

Alan Curbishley

Curbishley: Welcome win

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The final two remaining 100 per cent Premier League records came to an end at the weekend, but Chelsea continue to top the table with Liverpool in hot pursuit.

Hull were served a top-flight reality check by Wigan as they were thumped at KC Stadium, while Portsmouth stunned Everton at Goodison Park.

Middlesbrough continued their solid start to the season against Stoke, but Blackburn came unstuck at West Ham.

Arsenal and Manchester City both recorded convincing victories over Newcastle and Sunderland, respectively, as Bolton and West Brom could not be separated.

Critics will counter with the argument that it is far too early to draw any conclusions from the league table but, with three of the 'big four' already occupying the UEFA Champions League positions, things seem awfully familiar.

Only ninth-placed Manchester United, who have played a game less than their rivals, sit outside the elite spots as Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal begin their campaigns well.

Chelsea remain at the top the table despite being held to a 1-1 draw by London rivals Tottenham at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues stretched their intimidating unbeaten home record, but manager Luiz Felipe Scolari's winning start to life in England came to an end as Juliano Belletti's opener was cancelled out by Darren Bent.

Liverpool, who also failed to register three points for the first time in 2008/09, remain second in the table, but have come in for criticism following an unimpressive stalemate at Aston Villa.

With the build-up to the match overshadowed by the appearance of Gareth Barry against his long-term suitors, the Midlands meeting never lived up to the hype.

Neither side looked capable of finding a winner and Liverpool continue to nervously count the change in their transfer kitty following another misfiring performance from £20million summer signing Robbie Keane.

Arsenal are beginning to slip into gear and bounced back from last weekend's shock defeat at Fulham by demolishing Newcastle 3-0 in some style.

The Magpies will be sick of trips to Emirates Stadium after leaking 12 goals in five trips to the home of the Gunners in all competitions.

On Saturday evening it was the highly impressive Robin van Persie who did the damage with an expertly dispatched penalty and a second from open play, before Denilson completed the scoring.

Shaun Wright-Phillips enjoyed a return to remember in his second spell at Manchester City as he helped Mark Hughes' side to a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Wright-Phillips recently moved back to City following an unsuccessful three-year stint at Chelsea and the winger instantly reminded everyone of his exciting first spell as he netted an eight-minute second-half brace to follow Stephen Ireland's opener on Wearside.

To borrow a cliché, Hull's Premier League honeymoon period is officially over as they were hammered 5-0 at home by Wigan.

A comedy Sam Ricketts own goal early in the piece set the tone for the Tigers before Antonio Valencia showed the KC Stadium defence a clean pair of heels.

Amr Zaki has impressed since arriving in England and the Egyptian striker enhanced his reputation with goals either side of an Emile Heskey strike.

Portsmouth produced one of the performances of the weekend as they earned their first points of the season with a 3-0 away victory over Everton.

Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe have been tipped to blossom as a classic big man-little man partnership and the duo showed signs of things to come, while David James also caught the eye with a penalty stop from Yakubu Aiyegbeni.

It was Defoe who grabbed the headlines on Merseyside as his expertly taken double sandwiched a picture book team goal from Glen Johnson to leave Everton supporters feeling a little nervous following an unconvincing start.

Defoe beat Tim Howard at his near post to open the scoring and his superb chipped second may well earn him a place in England's first XI for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers with Andorra and Croatia, despite the best follow-up efforts of Crouch.

In a style similar to preview publicity covering Barry's outing against Liverpool, Blackburn boss Paul Ince's return to West Ham loomed large ahead of the weekend.

However, it was Alan Curbishley who earned the attention as jeers turned to cheers for the Hammers boss following a 4-1 victory.

Ince, infamously pictured in a Manchester United shirt before leaving West Ham in his playing days, had been tipped to receive the brunt of the Upton Park faithful's criticism, but is was under-fire Curbishley who received the flack in East London.

However, a Calum Davenport opener and a Christopher Samba own goal gifted Curbishley's side a two-goal lead inside 20 minutes, and all appeared rosy.

Jason Roberts pulled one back to add a little tension before having a penalty sublimely saved by Robert Green, but Craig Bellamy and Carlton Cole fired the Hammers up to fifth in injury time.

Stoke came back down to earth with a bump after defeating Aston Villa as they suffered late 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough.

Afonso Alves served up a comical air-kick early on in proceedings on Teesside, but the Brazilian then demonstrated his brilliance with a pin-point free-kick after Amdy Faye had been dismissed with the weekend's only red card.

Stewart Downing added his name to the list of failures from 12 yards on Saturday, with the Riverside crossbar most likely still vibrating from the England midfielder's driven effort.

Downing's misery was compounded as Boro full-back Justin Hoyte had a debut to forget when bumbling in an own goal, but fans' favourite Tuncay Sanli was to prove the hero as he earned the three points in the closing stages.

West Brom had been tipped to prove the most comfortable among the newly-promoted teams, but Tony Mowbray's side prop up the table following a goalless draw against Bolton.

When May 2009 arrives keep this Reebok Stadium encounter in mind for the, 'if onlys...'.

With both sides expected to find the going tough, this draw may be one Mowbray and his opposite number Gary Megson, up against his former club for the first time, live to regret should a relegation battle develop.

Comments

Samuel Njor (Manchester United fan) says...

man utd should pls sign some good young players for the hardgames ahead

Posted 14:21 1st September 2008

Mike Stebbings (West Ham United fan) says...

Where are the West Ham critics now eh?

Posted 12:54 1st September 2008

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