Manchester City Routs Aston Villa, Moves Even On Points With United

Various Manchester United players, Edwin van der Sar most vocal amongst them, were irate when the goal was allowed to stand, but the defense’s inability to win the ball in the air costs them. Birmingham City looks set to take a point, the match 1-1 in stoppage time.

For Berba, that’s 14 goals in 15 matches this season, a tally he nearly built upon moments later when he put a 19 yard shot off Foster’s left post. Now in the 65th minute, United maintains their 1-0 lead, looking on course to regain the league’s lead from rival Manchester City.

Both sides took to the interval level and that’s exactly how the game would end. More of a slug-fest than a match pleasing on the eye, West Ham played more defensive during the course of the second half by carrying out specific tactics implemented by boss Avram Grant. The message: get at Everton and don’t allow them the space and time to pass. Sounds obvious, but it was enough to save a point at home when three would have lifted the Hammers out of the relegation zone for the first time this season.

With the draw, Everton jump to 11th on 22 points level with three other clubs, and West Ham stay in 19th on 17 points while a Wolves win tomorrow will again place the Hammers dead last.

Now in stoppage time, Kingson looks poised to keep his clean sheet and given Blackpool three points.

Gareth Bale had been playing a mediocre game for about 80 minutes, but just like the match against Aston Villa a couple of days ago, Newcastle’s push forward due to their deficit and man advantage opened up space for a counter attack for him. Just like the match against Villa, Bale showed his quality in creating what should be the clincher for Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle gave the ball away in the 81st minute, and Luka Modric took advantage. Surging up the middle of the pitch with the ball at his feet, Modric had Peter Crouch to his right and Bale to his left with only two Newcastle defenders challenging. Modric laid the ball off to Bale who made a 35 yard run with the ball at his feet, beating his man and putting in a shot to the far post from about 12 yards out, very similar to Aaron Lennon’s goal from the other side. Had he missed wide, Crouch would have tapped it in anyway, but his effort was perfectly on target and went into the net at the far post of Tim Krul.

It was an obvious call to make. Kalinic went high into the challenge, lunging with an elevated left foot, making contact with Scharner six inches above the ankle. The slow motion replay showed the type of bend we’ve come to associate with a fracture, though that’s our worse memories speaking. Scharner was fine, though the circumstance for injury was still there. Kalinic was justly shown red in the 64th minute.

Younes Kaboul has been sent off for headbutting Chieck Tiote, who is somehow still on the field after committing somewhere between four and eight yellow card offenses in this match. No, it wasn’t nearly as forcible as Zinedine Zidane’s classic headbutt, but violent conduct is violent conduct and in the 66th minute, Tottenham Hotspur are down to ten men for the second time in as many games.

Kaboul’s headbutt was very silly and the referee was well within his rights to send him off, but it’s a wonder that Tiote hasn’t been sent off as well, even before this incident. Kaboul confronted Tiote because he took issue with a reckless challenge, one of many from Tiote, that probably should have resulted in a second yellow card being shown to the Ivorian international.

While West Brom has controlled nearly two-thirds of possession, they’ve had no scoring chances since intermission. Instead, it’s Blackburn who has gained control of the game, not only on the scoresheet but through the run of play. Less flowing action and more direct play has played into Rovers’ hands, enabling their two goal lead.

The beginning of the second half was shaky after a great ending to the first half for Tottenham Hotspur, but Aaron Lennon has caught lightning in a bottle to give Spurs a 1-0 lead over Newcastle United at White Hart Lane. If the result holds, Spurs will move into fourth place in the English Premier League.

Younes Kaboul started the move for Spurs, sending the ball down the right to Lennon. The right winger beat his marker, James Perch, who has looked slightly out of his league for parts of the match. From about 12 yards out, Lennon hit a right footed shot to Tim Krul’s far post that took a slight deflection before skipping past him into the back of the net. Spurs gained a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute, and it’s much deserved after a scramble at the end of the second half that saw them barely miss out on two fantastic chances.

Mario Balotelli has been awarded the start at Eastlands today as Roberto Mancini elected to rest Carlos Tevez in favor of the homesick striker Balotelli. While Mancini also has been forced to make a number of changes because of the thick and fast fixture list over the course of the Holiday season, his City side are only an hour or so from reaching the summit of the Premier League, at least until Manchester United’s match against Birmingham City which will take place later today.

Within the first ten minutes, Balotelli won and converted a penalty for City to put the home side up 1-0 early on. U.S. and Aston Villa defender Eric Lichaj brought down Balotelli in the game’s seventh minute and Balotelli cooly converted from the spot. Moments later, City were awarded a corner kick when a Yaya Toure shot was deflected out by Carlos Cuellar.

As expected, Blackburn has had trouble stopping Brom’s sweeping play through the midfield. WBA quickly threatened an equalizer after Kalinic’s opener, and having evened the score on 17 minutes, Brom enters the second half hour looking far more likely to find the match’s next goal. Now in the 32nd minute, the match remains tied, with Jerome Thomas having just failed to curl a 19-yard attempt inside the far post.

It’s a rousing start for a Cottager side many had began giving up for dead after their weekend loss to West Ham, but at a venue known for having the loudest supporters in the league, Fulham are experiencing an early revival. Eighty minutes of football gives Stoke City plenty of time to recover, but with Chris Baird on pace for 18 goals, Fulham has built an early, two goal advantage.

Fulham has only two wins this season, none away from Craven Cottage. They’d only scored six times in eight away matches before Baird’s goal, and with their 3-1 loss at the weekend to previously 20th place West Ham, the Cottagers fell to 18th place. With manager Mark Hughes’ performance under increased scrutiny, Baird’s goal is a welcome reprieve, putting a positive bend on Fulham’s recent problems.

The goal isn’t without a touch of controversy, though those tricky camera angles will keep up from complaining too much. A ball played from deep inside Rovers half went wide left for Kalinic, though it was unclear whether the Blackburn attacker was onside. A sharp camera angle provided no way of knowing how founded West Brom complaints were. Instead, Kalinic went alone on goal, cutting in from Scott Carson’s right, letting go from the middle of the box, beating the Brom `keeper far post.

Blackburn is without a win since sacking former manager Sam Allardyce, but now in the 10th minutes at the Hawthorns, Rovers still lead Brom, 1-0.

SB Nation Soccer will be updating you throughout the day, so check back for news on goals, injuries, red cards and results as we follow the league’s foray into its second half.