Premier League, Week 8: Sunderland and Newcastle face off in Tyne-Wear derby

It was only Baird’s third goal for Fulham but it came in his 150th appearance for the club and it was the match winner. Not a bad way to celebrate an anniversary.

As half-time drew to a close, referee Roger East was booed off the field by the home crowd, who were incensed at a number of free-kicks that he had failed to award to Luis Suarez after the Uruguayan was repeatedly fouled throughout the game. Those that feel that the striker’s reputation precedes him will certainly have more incidents to add to their case.

In the end, as the home crowd grew increasingly uneasy at the spurned chances and Reading counter-attacks, Sterling’s goal proved enough as the final whistle came to give Liverpool their first home victory of the season. It was a largely unimpressive win against a side that was positioned in eighteenth place in the table, but Brendan Rodgers will be no less relieved for that. For Brian McDermott, he can be content with his side’s display, but must be concerned about the extent to which they were overrun in midfield. Both teams will need to improve if they are to achieve their aims this season.

Despite their eventual capitulation, it was the away side who started the game the brightest, taking the lead early on thanks to a corner which Wayne Rooney headed past his own goalkeeper attempting to defend.

Liverpool will be assured that they are in control of the game, but will also be aware that a 1-goal lead is never a secure one. Brian McDermott will know that his team still have a route back into this game.

Rooney’s own goal came 11 minutes in, and it looked like the start of a rough day at the office for him. He hadn’t looked sharp going forward up until that point and when he nodded in a Stoke free kick, it was just the most recent of many errors. He quickly redeemed himself, however, hitting a class header on the other end after 27 minutes off of a Robin van Persie cross.

That left Spurs needing to come back from behind once again - a feat that they looked unlikely to repeat. Mata almost completed his hat-trick shortly afterwards after escaping into space down the wing, but only chipping a tame shot into Friedel’s arms.

Tottenham pressed for an equaliser, but Gylfi Sigurdsson could only enjoy two chances from range, one free-kick and one from open play, but sent both harmlessly over the bar, indicative of his underwhelming performance throughout the game.

Ignore it. Chelsea are reinvigorated and fighting for a title, thanks to their summer signings. Tottenham’s summer transfer business and managerial change has transformed their team as well, and they’re out to prove that they can fight for a Champions League place. Both teams have mismatches that they can exploit against the other, and both managers will feel like this is the kind of match they can’t lose if they’re going to achieve their goals this season. That’s what this match is actually about.

Tottenham Hotspur injuries and suspensions

This week’s Premier League slate isn’t a truly elite set of matches, but there are two that enter the ‘must-watch’ category. None of the other four matches that are widely available on television are garbage. Even if you don’t have any online streaming services, multiple monitors or time to watch replays, you should get a chance to watch at least five solid matches this weekend.

ESPN2 and Watch ESPN (U.S.), Sky Sports 2 (U.K.), TSN (Canada)