English Premier League Sunday: Chelsea Holds Off Arsenal, Liverpool Shocked By Blackpool

Referee Martin Atkinson drew the ire of Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton in the wake of the Magpies’ 2-1 Sunday loss to Manchester City.

City’s first goal was the result of a highly scrutinized decision to award the Citizens a penalty after a Mike Williamson sliding tackle on Carlos Tévez as the players entered the United area. Tévez converted to give City an early 1-0 lead.

A fun London derby comes to an end with Chelsea emerging victorious, taking all three points to bring their total to 18. Although the Blues are sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League, the match wasn’t a simple stroll for last year’s champions.

Arsenal threatened goal again and again, but the shots were frequently high or wide, with Petr Cech’s role almost limited to a save off a strong Andrei Arshavin strike. The Blues didn’t play their best football this afternoon, with both Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba slightly off their usual form. Fortunately, Chelsea’s defense were able to contain the pressure Arsenal constantly applied.

While Chelsea have been fairly ineffective on set pieces today, it was a free kick by Alex that finally brought the Blues a second goal. The Brazilian absolutely hammered his kick at the Arsenal line, causing the wall to break apart and allowing the ball to slice cleanly into the goal.

19-year-old Jay Emmanuel-Thomas takes the field for Arsenal in his Premier League debut. Arsenal are hoping his hulking presence can make a difference as they continue to seek their equalizer.

On the other side, Chelsea pull Ramieres off the pitch in favor of Yuri Zhirkov.

Abou Diaby is pulled for Tomas Rosicky as Arsenal continue to press for a goal. The visitors have created plenty of chances, but haven’t managed to find an equalizer against Chelsea. Meanwhile, the home side missed a clear chance at goal when Nicholas Anelka’s sitter went just wide.

The Blues pull Branislav Ivanović, who likely picked up a knock, in favor of Paulo Ferreira. They’re trying desperately to preserve their one goal lead.

Though Liverpool had struggled entering today’s match against Blackpool, it was somewhat unfathomable that the Reds would loose at Anfield to the Tangerines; however, first half goals from Charlie Adam and Luke Varney sent the Seasiders into halftime up 0-2, and although Sotirios Kyrgiakos pulled one back in the second, the lead was enough to give Ian Holloway’s men a historical 1-2 win over Liverpool.

Liverpool will finish the weekend in the relegation zone, their six points better than only Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United (both with five).

For Drogba, it was his sixth league goal of the season.

After a week’s speculation starting with Manuel Almunia’s poor performance against West Bromwich Albion, Arsene Wenger has gone with Lukas Fabianski in goal for today’s big match against Chelsea.

Now in it’s seventh minute, the match has yet to produce a test for Fabianski.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher was given all the time he wanted on the ball at the top of the arc. When Luke Varney ran-in from his left wing position – running inside a Martin Skrtel who was being occupied by D.J. Campbell – Taylor-Fletcher had his target, chipping a ball between the line and Pepe Reina, allowing Varney to run onto an easy goal, putting Blackpool up 0-2.

Liverpool defenders immediately appealedfor offside. While the replay was inconclusive, Varney may have been kept on by Skrtel, who was two yards behind a line that was at the edge of the Liverpool area.

Fernando Torres left Liverpool’s match against Blackpool before the ninth minute, with what appears to be a pulled groin muscle. Bad news for the Reds, who’d already lost Torres at the beginning of the season with a knee injury.

Liverpool comes into today’s match in 18th place. Blackpool sits 16th.

Roberto Mancini’s final substitution brings back the second defensive midfielder, with Patrick Vieira being brought-on for Carlos Tévez in the 86th minute.

Tévez was responsible for City’s first goal, a penalty kick given in the first half.

Two minutes after Adam Johnson put the home team ahead, Newcastle United was denied a penalty when Martin Atkinson failed to whistle Joleon Lescott’s taking-down of Shola Ameobi in the Manchester City area.

Ameobi was holding-up play against Vincent Kompany when left back Lescott came in to support. replays showed Lescott taking-out the right leg of Ameobi, sending him to ground, not coming close to playing a ball the sat next to the Newcastle striker’s left foot.

Johnson got the ball on City’s right flank, roughly 26 yards from goal. The winger ran at Jose Enrique and turned him before cutting inside, launching his shot through Mike Williamson’s legs and into the far corner.

In response, Mancini has brought in Adebayor to attack the Sol Campbell, Mike Williamson pairing in Chris Hughton’s defense.

Moments after being brought on, Adebayor was played (and won) a long ball to the left of Newcastle’s central defense, taking a man with him as he gained possession near the byline, opening up space in the area for Carlos Tévez.

Goals by Carlos Tévez and Jonas Gutierrez have given today’s match at Eastlands a decidedly Argentine flavor. They’ve also sent the match into intermission tied 1-1.

However, with Fabricio Coloccini now out of the game, having suffered an apparent groin injury, it remains to be seen whether Chris Hughton will persist with trying to constrict the pitch. Neither Mike Williamson nor Sol Campbell are renown for their recovery speed.

Coloccini was subbed-off with an apparent groin injury.

The match remains tied 1-1, which Newcastle having used two or their three substitutes.

Tévez’s run past Mike Williamson, to the central defender’s left, saw the Citizens captain run onto a ball just inside the Newcastle area. Williamson’s diving challenge poked the ball away from the Argentine but, according to Martin Atkinson, also got too much of the man, giving Manchester City a penalty kick.

The goal was Tévez’s fifth of the Premier League season.