Hat-trick by Van Persie so transfer was good descision,Rodgers Liverpool cant any goal meanwhile Andy Carroll shows significant domination for West Ham, City continue with last year bad boy Tevez.

Southampton 2 Manchester United 3 : RVP hat-trick breaks Southampton’s hearts

United trailed the match with just three minutes to go before a Van Persie double made up for an earlier penalty miss from the Dutchman when he was caught out for trying a cheeky chip.

His winner in stoppage time though was his 100th Premier League goal and made sure that Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1,000th league game in charge of Manchester United would be a memorable one.

It was tough luck on Southampton though who played superbly for most of the contest and were twice in front but they remain without a point in this their first Premier League season for seven years.

United started the match the brighter side and dominated possession in the early exchanges but Southampton then started to come into it after a nervy opening 10 minutes and in the 16th minute they took the lead.

Shinji Kagawa, who struggled with the pace of the game at times, was caught in possession in midfield. The ball was eventually played out to Jason Puncheon on the left and he stood up a fine cross to the back post. Waiting there was Rickie Lambert who peeled onto the mismatched Rafael before guiding his header into the corner of the net.

United levelled just seven minutes later courtesy of a trademark finish from Van Persie. The Dutch striker took Antonio Valencia’s cross from the right on his chest at the back post and then drilled the ball low into the opposite corner. He had all the time in the world to do so too after Nathaniel Clyne had slipped.

It wouldn’t be the only time Clyne would lose balance in such a way either. He was lucky later in the half when Patrice Evra was able to get a header on target after Clyne again lost his footing with Kelvin Davis this time getting him out of jail with a decent save.

It was end to end stuff at times in the first half with both sides looking capable of adding more goals.

Adam Lallana was popping up everywhere for Southampton and was at the hub of most of their attacks while on a couple of occasions United nearly caught out Southampton with long balls over the top aimed at Van Persie.

The second half was similarly breathless and St Mary’s was rocking again in the 55th minute when Southampton retook the lead.

Again it came from a header; this time Lambert was the provider as he curled a right-footed cross to the back post, Evra then slipped in similar fashion to Clyne earlier, allowing Morgan Schneiderlin to run in unchallenged and head into the corner of the net.

Southampton gifted United the chance to level in the 68th minute when, for the second time in the match, Kelvin Davis saw a poor pass out of his goal pounced upon by United. The ball was eventually played into Van Persie in the box and Jos Hooiveld foolishly brought him down from behind for a penalty.

But Van Persie showed he is not perfect with an ill-advised spot-kick. He tried to chip it into the corner in a lethargic, almost Panenka style, but Davis made up for his error by getting a hand on it and pushing it wide.

The game buzzed on with intensity and up until Nigel Adkins decided to take off his three dangerous attackers – Lallana, Lambert and Puncheon – in the final 15 minutes, Southampton looked as likely to score a third as United an equaliser.

However, United got on top of proceedings in the closing stages and Van Persie tapped home the equaliser from close range in the 88th minute after Rio Ferdinand had headed a Rafael cross off the post.

That seemed harsh enough on Southampton but the true dagger was to come in the second minute of stoppage time when Van Persie peeled away from the front post to angle a header superbly into the opposite corner from Nani’s fine corner.

It was only Van Persie’s second start in a United shirt but he has already netted four goals to take his total Premier League tally up to 100.

Fitness permitting there are sure to be many more goals to come from the Dutchman in a United shirt, but few are likely to be as dramatic as his late winner here.

Watch Southampton vs Manchester United Match Video:

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Liverpool 0 Arsenal 2: Brendan Rodgers sent Carroll but Reds cant make any goal Arsenal win with new boys.Rodgers got big problems epl 2012-13 season

New boys Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla both opened their accounts for Arsenal either side of half-time while Liverpool’s transfer deadline day inactivity came back to haunt them as they had limited options to try and change things.

Nuri Sahin made his debut in midfield for the Reds but it was Arsenal’s midfield that bossed proceedings with a fit-again Abou Diaby putting in a man of the match performance.

Liverpool meanwhile had no clear-cut attacking options on the bench, with Stewart Downing and the admittedly impressive Jonjo Shelvey the best they could do in the way of attacking substitutions.

Brendan Rodgers has tried to implement a passing policy at Liverpool, but just as last week when Martin Skrtel was guilty of an error that led to a goal, it was a misplaced pass that led to the Arsenal opener on the half hour.

An uncharacteristically off-colour Steven Gerrard was the guilty party this time as he gave the ball away cheaply while Liverpool were attacking, allowing Arsenal to burst forward on the counter.

Cazorla dribbled impressively to the edge of the area and with a dummy run from Oliver Giroud to his right creating space, the Spaniard was able to slip the ball to Podolski on the left instead and the German finished impressively after making a fantastic run.

Arsenal really should have doubled their advantage in the 41st minute in similar fashion when Diaby powered forward magnificently from deep in his own half before playing in Giroud. But the French striker made a woeful hash of his shot, slicing wide of the left post and earning an earful from Podolski as a result.

Liverpool were doing just as much attacking as Arsenal but did not have nearly the same fluidity in the final third.

The one exception to that rule was the livewire teenager Raheem Sterling, who was Liverpool’s best performer. He hit the outside of the post with Liverpool’s best first-half effort after slickly spinning inside the box to create the chance for himself.

The second-half followed a similar script to the first. Arsenal didn’t dominate possession, but used the ball so much better than their hosts with Arteta and Diaby conducting proceedings from deep.

Even their full-backs were getting forward with Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson both forcing Pepe Reina into saves.

To be fair to Liverpool they did have a decent shout for a penalty when Per Mertesacker seemed to man-handle Luis Suarez inside the box early in the second-half, but the Uruguayan’s reputation and willingness to drop to the floor theatrically clearly did him no favours as referee Howard Webb waved play on.

Arsenal deservedly doubled their advantage in the 68th minute after a lovely passing move but after his spill against Hearts in midweek, questions will again be asked about Pepe Reina.

Cazorla finished a one-two with Podolski with a shot from the left half of the box that Reina seemed to have got down to save, but the Spanish keeper only managed to deflect the ball goalward with his left hand and the ball went in at the near post.

Shelvey, who had just come on for Sahin, was also guilty of not tracking Cazorla’s run, but to be fair to the substitute, he did at least try and make up for it at the other end, twice forcing Vito Mannone into good saves before the end.

Arsenal never really looked like conceding though as they kept their third consecutive clean sheet of the season, with new defensive coach Steve Bould clearly having made an impact.

On the other hand, Liverpool could have desperately done with a plan B but will now need to unearth a free agent from somewhere if they want to expand their attacking options with the transfer window shut until January.

Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Allen, Sahin (Shelvey 67), Borini (Downing 55), Suarez, Sterling.

Subs not used: Jones, Henderson, Coates, Carragher, Kelly.
Booked: Skrtel, Shelvey.
Arsenal: Mannone, Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen (Koscielny 90+1), Gibbs, Diaby, Arteta, Oxlade Chamberlain (Ramsey 73), Cazorla, Podolski (Andre Santos 82), Giroud.

Subs not used: Martinez, Walcott, Coquelin, Gervinho.

Booked: Arteta, Mertesacker.

Scorers: Podolski 31, Cazorla 68.
Referee: Howard Webb.
Attendance: 44,932.

Watch Liverpool vs Arsenal Match Video:

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West Ham 3 Fulham 0:Impressive Andy Carroll proved Himself to Brendan Rodgers but injured

Andy Carroll fell awkwardly after colliding with Fulham centre back Brede Hangeland midway through the second half of West Ham’s 3-0 Premier League win at Upton Park.

The pony-tailed front man, who joined the London club on a season-long loan from Liverpool on Thursday, immediately clutched his right hamstring and was substituted.

The Football Association said on its website that Carroll was ruled out of the England matches, adding that any decision to replace him would “not be made until after the three league fixtures on Sunday have been completed”.

England, already without injured striker Wayne Rooney, open their Group H campaign in Moldova on Friday before hosting Ukraine four days later.

Carroll made an instant impact for West Ham, flicking on a long ball inside the first minute which led to Kevin Nolan’s opening goal.

“He will probably be on our treatment bench for a while. He was injured in a jump with their centre half and he over-extended himself,” West Ham manager Sam Allardyce told the BBC.

The 23-year-old Carroll moved to London in search of the form that led Liverpool to pay a club record fee of 35 million pounds ($55.59 million) to Newcastle United for him in January 2011.

Carroll failed to live up to that price tag at Anfield, scoring 11 times, and West Ham have the option of signing him on a permanent deal at the end of the season for an undisclosed fee.

Watch West Ham vs Fulham Match Video:

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Manchester City 3 QPR 1: Manchester City make hard work of uninspired QPR

The meeting between the two sides brought back memories of last season’s final day 3-2 classic but City were hoping to avoid the need for such dramatics this time out.

Yaya Toure gave them an early lead and the champions proceeded to completely dominate the first half without being able to double their advantage.

Bobby Zamora then scored a scarcely deserved equaliser in the 59th minute for the visitors from West London but Edin Dzeko, making his first start since March, headed City back in front two minutes later.

City would have been expected to push on from there and kill off the game but instead they tired badly giving a previously laboured QPR side a chance of an unlikely point.

However, despite playing seven summer signings, QPR were similarly uninspired, and Carlos Tevez redirected a mis-hit Edin Dzeko shot into the net in stoppage time to wrap up the victory.

An indication of City’s early domination was the fact that their opening goal came from what was already their seventh corner of the match in just the 16th minute.

Samir Nasri curled the corner to the back post where Tevez shot against Zamora – the ball then bounced out to Yaya Toure near the penalty spot and the Ivorian fired home the opener.

QPR were completely devoid of ambition in the first half and just sat back in numbers hoping that City wouldn’t break them down.

Roberto Mancini’s men had a number of chances but it was somehow only 1-0 at the break. The closest QPR actually came was a bizarre clearance from halfway back towards his own goal by Jack Rodwell that sailed just over.

The second-half followed a similar patter and Pablo Zabaleta was desperately unlucky not to score in the 52th minute when, after been slipped in by a cute David Silva pass, he curled a great effort off the underside of the crossbar.

Then QPR scored completely against the run of play in the 59th minute. Andy Johnson nicked David Silva in possession and ran into the box; he fired a shot on goal that took a deflection and Joe Hart did superbly well to save it, however, he could only put it into the path of Johnson’s former Fulham team-mate Zamora who nodded home a header from two yards.

That seemed to wake up City though who had the lead again just two minutes later.

Tevez was again involved as he reacted quickly to a fizzed ball by Aleksandar Kolarov into the box to push the ball forward with his right foot before pulling back a cross with his left from the end-line that landed perfectly on Dzeko’s head, allowing the big striker to nod home from close range.

However, after that City got sloppy again and seemed to tire badly. New signing Esteban Granero was having a decent game for QPR in midfield and the booked Kolarov was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch after barging into Anton Ferdinand and then his replacement Nedum Onuoha.

QPR did create a couple of changes as City looked gassed but they were perhaps unlucky that their two best openings fell to centre back Ryan Nelsen who mis-hit one effort and couldn’t get onto the end of another cross that Jolean Lescott had failed to deal with.

Instead it was City who would get the game’s fourth goal, as Tevez scored his 50th Premier League goal when he redirected a poor effort from Dzeko past Rob Green.

It was fully deserved, as the Argentine had allowed Yaya Toure to feed the Bosnian by harassing the QPR defenders in possession.

It was again a stoppage time goal from an Argentine against QPR, but while it may not have had the drama of last season’s meeting between the sides, and Sergio Aguero’s heroics, three points are three points, and once again it was City who took the spoils.

Watch Manchester City vs Queens Park Rangers Match Video:

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Other results:

Saturday, 1 September 2012

West Bromwich Albion 2-0 Everton

Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Norwich City

Swansea City 2-2 Sunderland

Wigan Athletic 2-2 Stoke City

Sunday, 2 September 2012

Newcastle United 1-1 Aston Villa

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