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Ninth Week Conclusions in the Premiership

Posted by Stan Hughes on Oct 26, 2009 in Featured Articles, Premiership | 0 comments

Joe Cole is back. In his first Premier League start since January following cruciate knee ligament injury, the pint-sized midfielder produced a mesmerizing attacking display brimming with pace and invention. At the heart of Chelsea’s attacking play from the get go, Cole seamlessly linked midfield and attack from the ‘hole’ behind Anelka and Drogba inspiring the Blues to a resounding five-nil drubbing of Blackburn. Even Fabio Capello could afford a wry smile at seeing the England midfielder execute a perfect behind the leg cross only for Drogba to fluff his lines from two yards.

Man City 100% home record falls. Following back-to-back Premiership draws away to Wigan and Aston Villa, Mark Hughes must have thought a home tie against struggling Fulham would be the perfect tonic for his faltering outfit. City have been in irresistible form this season at the Eastlands and when Martin Petrov put the home side two-nil up on the hour mark it looked like another three points in the bag. But Fulham had other ideas and within ten minutes of Petrov’s strike, Duff and Dempsey had pulled the plucky Londoners level ending City’s 100% home record in the process. Three ties on the trot and with their title credentials on the skids, City face a difficult six week period that includes encounters against a resurgent Liverpool and a free-scoring Chelsea. Not exactly the type of opposition that will roll over and let you win.

Diamanti Hammers Arsenal. Surrendering the lead was all the trend this weekend as another top team failed to turn their goal supremacy into three points. Two-nil down to Arsenal with fifteen minutes to play, Hammers fans were already filing off for the exits when Carlton Cole latched on to a parried Alessandro Diamanti free-kick to nod the home side back into the match. Five minutes later the Italian was at it again, this time coolly dispatching the tying penalty after the dominant Cole fell under the challenge of Alexander Song in the penalty area. With the Italian attacker again providing the spark off the bench, the £6 million Zola dished out for the Serie B sensation might just prove the difference come May.

Beware, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake is off the mark. Last season the Wolves frontman banged them in for fun. 25 goals in 41 appearances in the Championship made the Cambridge born lad an instant terrace icon at Molineux. But this season, in the high stakes of the Premiership, goals have been few and far between. In fact, prior to this weekend’s Midlands encounter against Aston Villa, Ebanks-Blake had shot blanks in all 5 of his Premiership appearances. Stepping up to take the tying penalty in the 83rd minute, Ebanks-Blake was a man on a mission. Lashing the ball into the roof of the net, Blake reeled off to celebrate his long awaited arrival on the big stage and hopefully for Mick McCarthy‘s men, the first of many crucial strikes.