Around the English Premier League – Round 26

The Citizens keep holding on the leadership, but not yet safe from the imminent danger that represents Manchester United; while Arsenal recovers very well from the Champions League’s 4-0 defeat.
By Camilla Mancini

For this round all the changes of the standings where left for the lower half clubs, for the top 10 remain in the same positions. The most relevant change is from the relegation zone, from which the Wolves managed to escape one more time and to replace them in the 18th spot left Blackburn. The Rovers had no chance on Saturday against a Manchester City, which made its rival forget how they defeated United in the last visit they made to the city of Manchester. Instead the Citizens took control from the very beginning of the meeting and with the help of its three top scorers blasted whatever hopes the Rovers had. The Red Devils played until the next day and knowing that they had to achieve the triumph to not open up more the gap in between them and City, scored a last minute goal.

So Manchester City hosted Blackburn and as mentioned before, left them goalless almost repeating the result from their 1st leg fixture, when the Sky Blues smashed the Rovers with a 4-0 that also included a goal from Balotelli. On Saturday it was Mario Balotelli the first one to get in the score sheet at 30’; for the rest of first half although City controlled the ball couldn’t convert another. Seven minutes after the restart Sergio Agüero score the second and within ten minutes from the end Edin Dzeko grabbed a pass from Kolarov and headed into Paul Robinson’s goal. Including the three goals from Saturday, Roberto Mancini’s leading strikers have given the squad 39 goals in the Premier season, in fact is the only club that has more than one player with 10 or more goals. The victory has left City with 63pts, still followed by United with 2 points less.

Meanwhile Tottenham continues with 53pts and now has the Gunners 3 points closer, with 46pts thanks to the surprising defeat at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal welcomed the Spurs to their London derby with its heavy artillery preparing to riddle them. Although the visitors started very well grabbing a double lead within the first 34 minutes, with an early goal from Louis Saha and a penalty charged by Emmanuel Adebayor, the Gunners just raised in power and started the bombardment.

Five minutes before the break the first goal was headed by Bacary Sagna –his first goal in 10 matches- and just 3 minutes later the 28-year-old captain, Robin Van Persie, even-up the scoreboard with an outstanding strike. At the return from the interval the midfielder Tomas Rosicky scored his first goal of the season; and just like that Arsenal was leading the game. Around ten minutes passed with both clubs looking for their next goal, but the openings were just for the Gunners, specifically just for Theo Walcott, who scored twice. At 65’ Walcott scored the fourth mark with help of his captain and the fifth after just 3 minutes with assistance from Alex Song. As if it wouldn’t have been enough the beat-up the Spurs got, they also got Scott Parker sent-off by the referee when he received a second yellow card at the 87’.

The other matches from round 26: Wigan 0-0 Aston Villa; West Brom 4-0 Sunderland; QPR 0-1 Fulham; Newcastle 2-2 Wolves; Chelsea 3-0 Bolton; Norwich 1-2 Man. United; Stoke 2-0 Swansea.