MANCHESTER CITY 4 FULHAM 1
It's amazing what the impending arrival of one of the top Premiership strikers can do as Manchester City went to town and recorded their biggest win of the season ahead of the arrival of Robbie Fowler. But Kevin Keegan's swashbuckling side had to come from behind after Steed Malbranque's second minute strike, his fourth goal in the last two games coming as a result of a firm right foot shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Fulham maintained that lead against a disorganised City side that had to wait until the 20th minute for an equaliser and when it arrived you almost expected Gene Hackman to be on the end of it as 'Popeye Doyle' because it was the French Connection that provided the leveller.
Benarbia was picked out by Sommeil who slipped the most delightful of passes through to Nicolas Anelka who took just one touch before smacking the ball past Maik Taylor.
With KK's half-time words ringing in their ears City took just 58 second half seconds to go ahead. This time Anelka was the provider and his pass put Belmadi away and when he crossed for Benarbia his shot shinned home for 2-1.
Anelka should have made it 3-1 but fired his effort over the bar from a tight angle. But the enigmatic Frenchman made up for that miss, just past the hour, when he crossed for Benarbia to head goalwards. Fulham keeper Taylor parried the ball but only succeeded in teeing up Foe who slid home to register his seventh goal in the last ten games.
Fulham's woe, and those of under-fire Jean Tigana, were compounded on 70 minutes when substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips made it 4-1 within 30 seconds of replacing Benarbia. It wasn't pretty but it was pretty effective because it was route one, most un-Keeganlike. Nash's long clearance was headed on by Dunne and the finish by Ian Wright's lad was one the old man would have been proud of.
Interestingly Keegan has promised Fowler that he WILL play against West Brom on Saturday, despite the 4-1 victory over Fulham. He said. "Robbie was always number one on my list and I have told him he will play against West Brom on Saturday, even if he only manages 65 minutes. He won't be on the bench very often here.
"He is the best finisher I have ever seen and though I went after other players after the initial transfer collapsed, I didn't have the same enthusiasm."
Leeds plc has confirmed in a statement to the Stock Exchange that Fowler's move to Maine Road has been completed and that he has signed a three and a half year deal. According to the statement Fowler 'has agreed personal terms to move to Manchester City plc following the successful completion of a medical examination'.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 The Albion crashed to the bottom of the Premiership courtesy of Shaun Bartlett's first goal for two months but that should not disguise the Addicks current record of just one defeat in their previous 11 league games, which is a measure of how difficult it was for West Brom.
The home side dominated for long periods but, as Gary Megson knows only too well, plenty of buzz but no sting at this level usually means a struggle. The Albion have netted just 17 goals in 24 league matches and their lack of confidence in front of goal was there for all to see.
A Ronnie Wallwork header, saved by Dean Kiely, was Albion's best effort of a shot shy first half whereas Charlton were denied a goal when Gregan cleared a Jensen free-kick of the line, midway through the half.
West Brom lost centre half Darren Moore with a 53rd minute injury and Charlton, sensing yet another blow to Albion confidence, proceeded to exploit an already suspect defence. Right on the hour Jensen, flighted a superb free-kick towards the area that would normally be guarded by the departed Moore and Shaun Bartlett climbed, unopposed, to head downwards and, after a pin-ball ride off various bodies, the ball ended up where it has on so many occasions in Albion's troubled debut season in the Premiership, in the back of the net.
Albion boss Gary Megson admitted after his side crashed to the bottom of the table that time is running out for his team. He said: "We played much better than we did on Saturday and passed the ball a lot more and created one or two chances. But once again we have been undone by a set piece and that has happened twice against Charlton in recent weeks.
"At the moment we seem to have the uncanny knack of snatching defeat from a game we look like we are going to win and we get punished for each mistake we make."
Charlton boss Alan Curbishley admitted Albion were 'unlucky' to lose and said: "We've done the double over West Brom and they're entitled to feel really hard done by. They certainly could have got more points from the two games we've had against them recently and they put us under pressure from the first minute.
"They unsettled us in the first half and only a great save from Dean Kiely kept us in it. Maybe the run we've had recently helped us to keep going and get the points when West Brom could have taken victory. It's a good win for us and keeps us well positioned in the top half of the table, which is where we want to try and stay."
WEST HAM UNITED 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 1
West Ham finally secured their first home win in the Premiership but they had to come from behind to do it. The Hammers went a goal down to Dwight Yorke in the 38th minute but a penalty equaliser from their Italian talisman Paulo di Canio and a late winner from substitute Jermain Defoe moved Glenn Roeder's team to within one point of fourth from bottom Bolton.
It was yet another defensive blunder that gifted the opposition the lead when David Thompson's free-kick was converted by Yorke, seven minutes from the break but West Ham could already have been ahead beforehand. Although that single chance by new signing Les Ferdinand was a poor header that promised more than it delivered. That was followed by Carrick's diving header and a typically brilliant shot from di Canio, both well saved by Friedel.
Blackburn took the lead when the defence failed to clear after Yorke's weak header fell at his own feet. The Rovers' striker reacted quicker than the home defence, not difficult these days, and stabbed the ball home.
After some interval words of wisdom from Glenn Roeder, West Ham took the game to Blackburn and were level just short of the hour after Andy Todd, who else, felled di Canio, who else, in the box and the Italian got up to convert the spot kick.
With the final whistle imminent the Hammers finally got their first home win, after five months of trying. Steve Lomas played a great pass into the path of Defoe and the substitute outpaced his marker to drive the winner past Friedel.
One swallow doesn't make a summer but at least three points makes a happy Hammer. Roeder, not surprisingly, was that happy Hammer afterwards and said: "My overriding emotion at the final whistle was happiness. It's great to smile and there's an extra meaning in my smile tonight. Three days ago we embarrassed ourselves and our football club at Old Trafford."
But the emotions were different after the team's first home win as Roeder admitted: "Tonight the atmosphere in the dressing room was the opposite end of the spectrum to Old Trafford and we want more of that. This was three massive points and we hope it will be the turning point of our season."
So it turned out that Graeme Souness' pre-match prophecy that it couldn't be a worse time to come to Upton Park came to pass and afterwards the Rovers' boss said he knew the reason why. "We had too many people who didn't turn up," he said. "We didn't play at all and were nervous, which was hard to understand against a team fighting for their lives.
"We knew it would be a difficult game on the back of them having got walloped on Sunday and not having won here. So all credit to West Ham. They've got their first home win so it was a good night for them. They're a good football club and have too much quality to go down."
