Hammers smashed Chelsea, Manchester United is back again Reading , big lesson form Swansea to Arsenal.
West Ham United 3 Chelsea 1:Hammers victory over Rafa Benitez awful Chelsea
Rafa Benitez is ready to risk John Terry and Frank Lampard in Chelsea’s next Premier League game in a bid to end the club’s worst run for 27 years.
Their capitulation from one goal to the good to lose 3-1 in Saturday’s London derby at West Ham had their interim manager questioning a lack of leadership.Terry has seen just over two hours of action since the start of October after suffering a knee injury on returning from his racism ban. Lampard has been out for more than a month with his calf injury. But both are set to resume training today, with what looks like a relatively straightforward final Champions League group match, against Nordsjaelland, too soon for their returns.However, with Chelsea on a run of seven matches without a win, Benitez admits he will talk to the influential pair about declaring themselves fit for Saturday’s visit of Sunderland.He said: “I will talk with them and, afterwards, the doctor. If it is a risk, a lot of players would play with problems. It depends on the risk. Normally I will not if it is not necessary.
“Terry will train part of the session on Monday so hopefully will be close, but with the knee you never know. He has to play games and then see the reaction. At the moment he can run and can do a lot of things, but he has the control when he turns. In a game, you have to turn without being aware you’re about to do it.“Similarly, Lampard will train on Monday and we will see. It is the same. He is doing well, but the calf is dangerous, because you never know. He needs more confidence from training. He might say on Monday that he feels fantastic, or he may not be 100 per cent sure.”
Things at Chelsea at the moment are not normal, and the return of two England players being ushered out as “has-beens” just a year ago is suddenly extremely necessary for the Blues.
Hammers boss Sam Allardyce was very restrained not to lord it over his long-term detractor Benitez, however hard he was pushed. But after seeing his team work hard to go right back into the faces of a visiting team who were cruising at half-time, even he said: “I think that they are missing John Terry. I think that they are missing leadership. That’s all you are going to get me to say about Chelsea.”Fernando Torres’ last useful contribution to the game, in the 13th minute, had set up Juan Mata to pick his spot with a shot and open the scoring in a first half in which he was totally dominant.
But the introduction of Mohamed Diame paved the way for Carlton Cole to equalise after what Benitez thought was unfair physical pressure on Branislav Ivanovic – before adding the second goal himself.
Substitute Modibo Maiga completed the second-half rout late on. Petr Cech managed a number of saves, but might arguably have been sent off for a handball outside the penalty area just before the break.
Gary Cahill, playing under his seventh manager in 13 months for club and country, seemed to struggle to work out with Ivanovic what to do with Carlton Cole – in for Andy Carroll, who has ligament damage and who could be sidelined for up to eight weeks.
Midfi elders Ramires and John Obi Mikel were outrun and outfought by the excellent Diame and Mark Noble.
And the talismanic Torres? It was another afternoon of anonymous mediocrity for him before sloping back to the warmth of a dressing room that was a little bit hotter than usual.
“I was angry,” said Benitez following a third match in charge without a victory. “I think they were angry.
“The players know it is not the ideal situation and that, if I am at this club, then that is because something was wrong, that they were not at the levels that everyone was expecting from them this season.”
Watch West Ham United vs Chelsea match video:
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Reading 3 Manchester United 4 : What a match but United win again !
Wayne Rooney answered the goalscoring rallying cry of his manager as Manchester United twice came from behind to beat Reading 4-3 and move three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Rooney struck twice in a thrilling match at the Madejski Stadium, where all seven goals came in a 34-minute spell in the first half. Hal Robson-Kanu gave Reading an early lead before United hit back with Anderson levelling and Rooney putting them ahead from the spot.Reading stunned the visitors with two quick-fire goals to regain the lead as Adam Le Fondre and Sean Morrison both scored with close-range headers, but another effort from Rooney and a neat finish from Robin van Persie saw United take the spoils.The home side went ahead in the seventh minute after Jonny Evans could only head Jobi McAnuff’s cross into the path of Robson-Kanu, who volleyed past Anders Lindegaard. United responded in typical fashin as Anderson and Ashley Young exchanged passes with the Brazil international lashing United level.Just nine minutes after falling behind the visitors were ahead after Jay Tabb bundled into the back of Evans in the box leaving Rooney to slot home from the penalty spot. Reading were level just three minutes later as United fan Le Fondre wriggled free of Evans in the area to head home a Nicky Shorey corner.Brian McDermott’s side took advantage of further poor defending from United to re-take the lead as Morrison beat Evans to a corner and powered a close-range header past Lindegaard. But United hit back as Young freed Patrice Evra down the left and his low cross was tucked away by Rooney to make it 3-3.Ferguson replaced Rafael with the more powerful Chris Smalling, and just four minutes after Rooney’s effort United took the lead yet again. Michael Carrick’s through-ball was deflected into the path of Van Persie by a clever Rooney touch and the Dutchman fired past Federici with his weaker right foot.
United were denied a fifth goal before half-time as Van Persie pounced on a smart Federici save and directed an effort goalwards. Adrian Mariappa was in the right place to clear but it appeared the whole of the ball had crossed the line before the former Watford man hacked it away.
The second half started much calmer but it was the home side who were pressing forward. Lindegaard fumbled a simple catch from a Shorey corner before Halsey waved away Reading appeals for a penalty after Evra won the ball in a challenge with Mariappa.
Van Persie wasted a good chance to put United two clear when he robbed the ball off a dallying Federici but could not hit the empty net from a relatively tight angle. Smalling found himself in space on the right flank with just three minutes left on the clock but he could only blaze an uncontrolled effort wide.
Watch Reading vs Manchester United match video:
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Arsenal 0 Swansea 2 : Stunning victory by Swans in London
Games like this separate Arsenal from the Premier League title contenders.
An afternoon with plenty of possession and territorial advantage ended in disaster as magnificent Michu bagged a late brace to allow Swansea to leapfrog the Gunners in the table into seventh spot.Yet you just sense that either Manchester United or City, given the same scenario, would have found a way to break the Welsh club’s stubborn resistance before Swansea’s late, late show which resulted in goals in the 88th minute and injury-time.It’s seven long years without a trophy for the Emirates faithful and on this evidence you can see why.Prior to kick-off more than 1,000 Arsenal supporters from the group, ‘The Black Scarf Movement’ embarked on a planned protest.It was claimed the stand was not against manager Arsene Wenger but against the way the club is run.Arsenal supporters protest Arsene Wenger and French player after game
But Swansea have shown Arsenal that you do not need to spend big to be a success in the top-flight during their 18-month stay.You only have to look at goalscoring sensation Michu, who Arsenal looked at last summer, but decided not to pursue their interest in the £2million bargain from Rayo Vallecano. The midfielder-cum-striker now has 11 goals this season.The visitors, fresh from disposing of high-flying West Bromwich Albion in midweek, started brightly, Angel Rangel forced Wojciech Szczesny into a smart double save in the 14th minute after Ki Sung-Yueng left Mikel Arteta trailing.Arsenal fi nally offered an attacking threat, but Lukas Podolski saw his left-footed effort blocked by Chico Flores.
For all Arsenal’s possession in the opening half hour, Swansea created the chance of the first period when Rangel’s diagonal pass was flicked on by Michu into the path of the onrushing Nathan Dyer, who was foiled by a Thomas Vermaelen tackle.Jonathan de Guzman also skimmed the top of Szczesny’s crossbar with a free-kick.Arsenal came out firing in the initial exchanges of the second half.Jack Wilshere continued to probe from the centre of midfield and a jinking run was accompanied by a neat pass to playmaker Santi Cazorla whose shot well handled by Gerhard Tremmel.Both sides carved out chances as the game began to open up with Tremmel saving from Cazorla’s deflected effort from range, but Rangel tested the reflexes of Szczesny at his near post.Wenger attempted to change his side’s fortunes with a double attacking change, introducing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud for the anonymous Gervinho and Podolski. It didn’t work.
Referee Mark Clattenburg enjoyed a quiet afternoon for large parts, but was called on to make a correct big decision late on.
Giroud seemed to nip in after Chico hesitated, but the centre-back recovered to get a toe on the ball ahead of the Frenchman.
Szczesny denied Swansea substitute Dwight Tiendalli before Michu’s late double.
His first came as he curled the ball home after a fine one-two with Luke Moore. Then he slid the ball past Szczesny after Nathan Dyer robbed Carl Jenkinson.
“I’m rather pleased with Michu,’’
said Swans boss Michael Laudrup rather unerstatedly. ‘‘He would be a bargain whatever price because he gets goals – and they bring points.
“He’s got 11 goals in 15 games but he’s not just a goalscorer, he works hard too. The whole team did and we got exactly what we deserved.’’
Sadly for Gunners fans, so did their team.
Watch Arsenal vs Swansea match video:
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Barclays Premier League game week 15 other Results
Liverpool 1 – 0 Southampton
Queens Park Rangers 1 – 1 Aston Villa
Norwich City 2 – 1 Sunderland
Manchester City 1 – 1 Everton
West Bromwich Albion 0 – 1 Stoke City
Fulham 0 – 3 Tottenham Hotspur
12/03 Newcastle United vs Wigan Athletic 3:00 PM (ET)
I like d fighting spirit of Man u. D attackers were extra ordinary despite d blunders caused bt d defenders.
Westham n Swansea showcased wht chelsic n Arsenal lack. Actuall dey both team lacks leadership, especialy chelsic.
I like d fighting spirit of Man u. D attackers were extra ordinary despite d blunders caused bt d defenders.
Westham n Swansea showcased wht chelsic n Arsenal lack. Actuall dey both team lacks leadership, especialy chelsic.