Foxes Go Top as Reds Hammer City

After yet another International break in what has been a short season so far, the Premier League resumed with the top four all having the chance to end week 13 on top but the results saw some real surprises with three sides scoring four goals in comfortable wins. In a fitting tribute to those lost in the recent terror attacks in Paris, every game was preceded by the French national anthem - 'La Marseillaise'

Saturday's early kick-off came from Vicarage Road as Watford hosted Manchester United with the visitors knowing a win would see them move to the top above Man City. The Hornets fell behind early on as Memphis Depay put the Red Devils 1-0 up inside 11 minutes and the lead continued long into the second half until a frantic finish. Troy Deeney levelled for the hosts with an 87th minute penalty for 1-1 but had the horror of connecting to a Bastian Schweinsteiger cross to hit into his own net in the final minute to give United a 2-1 win.

In the first of six 3pm games, Chelsea hosted fellow stragglers Norwich City at Stamford Bridge with the Blues and Canaries both desperate to move clear of the bottom three. However it was to be a good day for Jose Mourinho's men as they sealed a 1-0 win courtesy of a 64th minute strike from Diego Costa.

Everton hosted Aston Villa at Goodison Park with the in-form Toffees eager to close up on the top four while Villa searched for a first success under Remi Garde. However, Villa's hopes were dented as early as the 17th minute as Ross Barkley fired in for 1-0 before Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead on 28 minutes. Everton were in firm control as the interval neared as Barkley struck his second and the hosts' third on 42 minutes before Lukaku followed suit just before the hour mark to complete a 4-0 rout.

This time last year, Leicester City propped up the league table but as they travelled to St James' Park to face Newcastle United, they had the chance to go to the top. Foxes striker Jamie Vardy went into the game knowing a goal would bring him level with Ruud van Nistelrooy's record of scoring in 10 successive games and he did just that just before the interval to put the visitors ahead at 1-0.  The Magpies fell further behind on 62 minutes as Leonardo Ulloa struck for 2-0 before the points and top spot were secured for the visitors in the 83rd minute as Shinji Okazaki made it 3-0.

Southampton and Stoke City have both had a mixed first third of the season with them both around mid-table ahead of their meeting at St Mary's. Stoke started the better of the two sides with an early opener from Bojan Krkic in the tenth minute and in a battling game, the effort from the Spanish striker proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 win and the three points for the Potters.

Swansea City hosted AFC Bournemouth at the Liberty Stadium with both sides desperate to boost their flagging seasons with the Swans on the fringes of the bottom three and the Cherries sitting one place off the bottom. The Cherries made the better start of the two sides and took a lead inside ten minutes with a strike from Joshua King before a Dan Gosling strike on 28 minutes put the visitors in control at 2-0. However, Swansea were far from out of the contest as André Ayew pulled one back just two minutes later for 2-1 and the Swans would go into the interval on level terms after Jonjo Shelvey slotted in a 39th minute penalty for 2-2. Both sides pushed for a winner in the second half but had to settle for a point each which the hosts will surely be the happier about. 

West Bromwich Albion went into the weekend on the fringes of the bottom three so the prospect of high-flying Arsenal visiting The Hawthorns would be a tough test. A close first third of the game was ended by the opener for the Gunners on 29 minutes as Olivier Giroud struck for 1-0 but his effort was cancelled out in stunning style just six minutes later as James Morrison rocketed a shot past Petr Cech to equalise. The Baggies' joy extended into the interval as they went ahead on 40 minutes after Mikel Arteta deflected the ball into his own net for 2-1 and that was how it remained until the final whistle as the Gunners wasted the chance to top the table.

The evening kick-off saw a huge clash between the day's original leaders Manchester City and in-form Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium with City sitting third after Leicester and rivals Unites leapfrogged them. Both sides were boosted by the return of their star strikers with Sergio Aguero starting for City while Reds' pair Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge were named on the bench.

The Reds were gifted the lead inside seven minutes as Eliaquim Mangala deflected past Joe Hart for 1-0 after Roberto Firmino's cross and Liverpool were two goals to the good on 23 minutes as Philippe Coutinho fired in a stellar effort past the helpless Hart. City were in serious trouble just after the half-hour mark as a spectacular combination between Emre Can and Coutinho saw Firmino seal his first goal for the Reds for 3-0. The hosts remained in the hunt though as the interval neared with Sergio Aguero firing in a stunning strike for 3-1 but his return lasted just an hour with the Reds introducing Christian Benteke soon after. The Belgian was influential in the last say on the score as he headed on for Martin Skrtel to volley past Hart to complete a 4-1 triumph.

After a bumper Saturday, Super Sunday saw just one game but what a game it was as Tottenham Hotspur hosted West Ham United in a five-goal thriller of a London derby at White Hart Lane. The hosts made the first mark on the game as Harry Kane scored a 22nd minute opener for 1-0 before Toby Alderweireld added a second on 33 minutes to put Spurs in control at 2-0. Kane added his second and the hosts' third just five minutes after the restart to leave the Hammers needing a miracle to avoid defeat but such a feat seemed impossible as Kyle Walker made it 4-0 with just seven minutes left. West Ham did have some slight consolation in their afternoon as Manuel Lanzini struck in the 87th minute for 4-1 but it mattered little as their rivals moved clear in fifth place.

The week's action came to an end with the Monday Night Football feature from Selhurst Park as mid-table Crystal Palace hosted struggling Sunderland with the visitors looking for their first away win of the season. A tight game on a cold London evening saw the sides remain level as the game entered the final third but Sunderland boosted their hopes of ending their travelling hoodoo as Jermain Defoe struck in the 80th minute and the strike proved to be enough as the Black Cats claimed a 1-0 win.

Gunners Join City on Top While Eagles Defeat Reds

Ahead of the final International break of the year, gameweek 12 of the Premier League saw a fairly low scoring programme with just only three sides scoring twice while seven secured shutouts.

Saturday's opening game saw Bournemouth host Newcastle at the Vitality Stadium with both sides looking to improve on poor runs of form that put them both in the bottom four. The game was a tight affair overall but the Magpies came out on top with a 28th minute winner from Ayoze Perez securing a narrow 1-0 win.

In the first of five 3pm games, high-flying Leicester City hosted Watford at the King Power Stadium with the chance to close up on the top two. They did just that by moving joint on 25 points with a 2-1 win over the Hornets with the first goal coming on 52 minutes from N'Golo Kanté before Jamie Vardy slotted in a 64th minute penalty to score for the ninth game in a row. Watford remained in the hunt with a penalty of their own in the 76th minute from Troy Deeney but it was only a consolation as the hosts held firm.

Manchester United hosted West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford looking to end a run of three consecutive defeats to the visiting Baggies who themselves hoped to move into the top half. A tight first half from both sides meant the Red Devils had now gone three and a half games without a goal but that ended just seven minutes after the break as Jesse Lingard made it 1-0. The lead remained a narrow one until the final minutes as the visitors suffered a double blow with the sending off of Gareth McAuley which saw Juan Mata seal a 2-0 win with the resulting spot kick.

Norwich City and Swansea City met at Carrow Road with both eager to move away from the fringes of the bottom three. A tight encounter saw the Canaries come out on top with the crucial strike coming on 70 minutes as Jonny Howson secured a 1-0 win.

Sunderland played host to Southampton at the Stadium of Light looking to bounce back from their thriller at Everton which left them just above bottom spot in the table while the Saints hoped to climb up the top half. The visitors came out on top but left it late to secure a 1-0 win with the vital strike coming just four minutes from the end as Dusan Tadic scored an 86th minute penalty.

West Ham United and Everton have both had mixed form this season so it was no surprise that in their meeting at Upton Park, they both came away with a point each. The Hammers struck first with a 30th minute strike from Manuel Lanzini but the Toffees struck back just before the interval as Romelu Lukaku slotted in on 44 minutes to make it 1-1. Both sides battled in the second half for a winner but it proved elusive in a close draw.

The evening kick-off saw Chelsea travel to face Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium but due to suspension, Jose Mourinho was missing from the Blues dugout as they looked to gain revenge for their recent cup exit to the Potters. The game was a tight one as is always expected in Stoke but what came as the biggest surprise was Marko Arnautovic's stunning 53rd minute strike which he volleyed past Asmir Begovic to secure a 1-0 success.

Super Sunday began with Remi Garde's first game as manager of Aston Villa as they hosted Manchester City at Villa Park. City looked to open a gap at the top but were halted by a superb defensive performance from Villa as they held the league leaders to a 0-0 draw. The point moved City top overall but leaves Villa still languishing at the bottom.

The second installment came from the Emirates Stadium as Arsenal and Tottenham faced off in the North London derby with the Gunners knowing a win would see them leapfrog Manchester City at the top. However, their pursuit suffered a blow before a positive as Harry Kane fired the visitors ahead on the half hour mark. Arsenal drew level in the second half as a rare strike from Kieran Gibbs on 77 minutes secured a point in a 1-1 draw.

In the other 4pm game, Liverpool hosted Crystal Palace with the Eagles looking to extend their hoodoo over the Reds who had former captain Steven Gerrard watching on keen for his former side to exact revenge for the Eagles defeat in his final game. However, it wasn't to be as Palace went ahead as early as the 21st minute through Yannick Bolasie whose opener was then cancelled out by a clever equaliser from Philippe Coutinho on 42 minutes. The Reds had yet to suffer defeat under Jurgen Klopp but the usually excitable manager had to deal with a first blot on his record as Scott Dann secured a 2-1 win in the 82nd minute.

Europa League Matchday Four Review

Alike the Champions League, the Europa League traditionally sees its first qualifiers for the next stage at matchday four and this time around, four sides secured a place in the next stage.

A
Ajax's wait for a first win of the group continued after drawing 0-0 at home to a Fenerbache who remain just above them in second with a two point gap between the two sides.

Molde secured their spot in the last 32 with a 2-1 win away to a Celtic side who remain bottom of the group without a win. The hosts opened the scoring on 21 minutes through Elyounoussi only to be quickly pegged back by Kris Commons' 26th minute leveller for 1-1. However, Molde regained the lead on 37 minute with Helstad's effort which proved to be the winning goal on a night which only got worse for Celtic who had Bitton sent off in the 76th minute. 



B
Sion missed the chance to secure qualification but remain top of the group after salvaging a draw against third placed Bordeaux. The French side took a 1-0 lead on 67 minutes with a strike from Touré and looked set to secure a win only to be denied late on by an own goal from Chantome for 1-1.

Liverpool secured their first win of the group and their first away win in Europe for three years as they claimed a 1-0 win away to Rubin Kazan with the crucial strike coming on 52 minutes from Jordan Ibe who scored his first senior goal for the Reds.

C
Borussia Dortmund secured qualification and remain unbeaten at the top after a comfortable 4-0 win at home to FC Qabala who remain without a win at the bottom. Marco Reus opened the scoring on 29 minutes before Pierre Aubameyang doubled the lead just before half-time. The visitors night got worse with two further goals in the space of three minutes as Zenjov scored an on goal on 67 minutes followed by Mkhitaryan on 70 minutes as the Germans strolled through to the last 32.

FC Krasnodar sit second after opening up a four point lead over opponents PAOK after a 2-1 win which leaves PAOK winless after four games. Ferreira put the hosts ahead on 33 minutes before a penalty from Dos Santos on 67 minutes doubled the lead to 2-0. PAOK set up a tense finish with a 90th minute strike from Mak for 2-1 which is how it ended.


D
Napoli strolled into the next stage with a fourth win in a row as they demolished FC Midtjylland 5-0. The Italians started their charge after only 13 minutes with El Kaddouri's strike before going to 3-0 ahead after two from Gabbiadini's on 23 and 38 minutes. The Danes night got even worse as Maggio struck a fourth on 54 minutes and Callejon rounded off the win on 77 minutes.

Club Brugge remain in the hunt to qualify after claiming their first win with a 1-0 win at home to Legia Warsaw who remain bottom. The crucial strike came on 38 minutes as Meunier scored for the Belgians.  

E
Villarreal sit second and firmly in the hunt to advance to the next stage after a 2-1 win away to Dinamo Minsk who as a result cannot qualify after suffering a fourth successive defeat. Despite their poor form, the hosts actually struck first with an opener on 69 minutes from Vitus but their joy was short lived as Roberto Soldado levelled within three minutes with a penalty. The visitors secured the win with four minutes left as Politevich scored an own goal for 2-1.


Rapid Vienna continued their perfect run of wins to secure their spot in the next stage with a 2-1 win  away to Viktoria Plzen. The Austrians went ahead as early as the 13th minute through Schobesberger before deep into the second half, Plzen drew level with a 71st minute equaliser from Holenda. The win was secured just six minutes later by a slip and flick goal from Schobesberger to claim the points and qualification to the last 32.


F
FC Groningen are unable to qualify after slipping to their third defeat from four games after a late slip up at home to Slovan Liberec. The unfortunate strike came just nine minutes from the end as Padt scored an own goal to give the Czechs a 1-0 win.

After a bizarre robbery saw the boots stolen from the Braga camp, the Portuguese side's night got even worse as the slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Marseille. The crucial strike came on 39 minutes from Mbdia but despite the loss, Braga remain clear at the top.

G
Lazio remain unbeaten atop the group with qualification firmly in their sights after a 2-0 win away to Rosenborg who remain without a win from their four games. A first half brace from Djordevic in the ninth and 29th minutes opened up the 2-0 lead before the Italians were reduced to ten men late on with Diao's dismissal but the seven minutes was too short for the hosts to avoid a defeat.

St Etienne sit second after a comfortable 3-0 win at home to Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk who despite the loss remain in the hunt with the French side for qualification. Monnet-Paquet set the hosts on their way on 38 minutes before a second from Beric on 52 minutes and third from Hamouma on 65 minutes sealed the points.  



H
Lokomotiv Moscow remain clear atop the group and unbeaten after salvaging a 1-1 draw away to Besiktas who sit just behind them in second. Ricardo Quaresma put the hosts in front on 58 minutes but their joy was curtailed by a leveller from Niasse on 76 minutes who ensured a share of the points.

Skënderbeu Korçë claimed their first win of the group with a comfortable 3-0 victory at home to Sporting Lisbon. The hosts went ahead on 15 minutes with a strike from Lilaj before the visitors suffered a heavier blow just two minutes later as Rui Patricio was sent off with Lilaj slotting in the resulting penalty for 2-0. The gloss on the win came on 55 minutes as Nimaga completed the rout.  

I
Basel sit comfortably at the group's summit after a 2-0 win away to Belenenses with the Swiss side taking the lead on 45 minutes with a penalty from Janko before Emobolo added a crucial second for 2-0 in the 64th minute.

Fiorentina moved above opponents Lech Poznan after a 2-0 away win which puts them three points away from Basel at the top. The Italians opened he scoring late in the first half with a 42nd minute strike from Ilicic and the win was confirmed late on by a second from Ilicic in the 83rd minute.  


J
In the group's early game, Monaco kept top spot after salvaging a 1-1 draw away to FC Qarabag. The hosts went ahead on 39 minutes with a strike from Armenteros only to be denied by an equaliser from Cavaleiro on 72 minutes. However, their stay at the top would depend on the second game later on.

Tottenham Hostspur left it late to move above Monaco in the group as they won 2-1 at home to Anderlecht. Harry Kane put Spurs ahead on 29 minutes but the lead was cancelled out on 72 minutes by Ezekiel's leveller. The win and the three points were sealed with just three minutes left as Moussa Démbelé struck for 2-1.

K
In a battle between two sides without a win in the group, Asteras Tripoli claimed the glory as they sealed a 2-0 win against Apoel FC. The hosts made a stunning start by taking the lead inside two minutes through Bertoglio before sealing the win just before half-time with a strike from Giannou.

Schalke 04 remain clear at the top and alike opponents Sparta Prague are still unbeaten as the sides shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Lafata put the Czechs ahead inside six minutes but their lead was cancelled out before the 20th minute as Geis slotted in a penalty for 1-1.


L
Atletic Bilbao moved clear at the top after a stunning 5-1 win at home to Partizan Belgrade. The hosts opened the scoring on 15 minutes through Williams before an instant leveller from Oumarou for 1-1 but Williams struck again just two minutes later for 2-1.A third from Urkiaga made it 3-0 just before half-time and the hosts made sure of the points with two goals in the 71st and 81st minutes through Zubeldia and Urkola for 5-1.

FC Augsburg kept in the hunt for qualification by thrashing AZ Alkmaar 4-1 in a result that leave the Dutch side at the bottom of the group. A nine minute brace from Bobadilla in the 24th and 33rd minutes created a 2-0 lead but the visitors pulled on back through Janssen just before half-time for 1-1. However, the hosts sealed the points in the second half with Ji slotting in on 66 minutes before Bobadilla completed his hat-trick with on 74 minutes for 4-1.

Champions League Matchday Four Review

Matchday four of the Champions League traditionally starts the list of qualifiers for the next round and this year is no different with three sides safely advancing to the last 16.

A
Real Madrid became the first side to qualify for the next stage as they secured a 1-0 win at home to Paris St Germain who remained second after falling to a 35th minute winner from Nacho but they remain in the hunt to qualify with a four point gap over third place.

Shakthar Donetsk sit third after claiming their first win of the group with a comfortable 4-0 win over Malmo who slip to the bottom of the group on goal difference. The Ukrainians opened the scoring on 28 minutes through Gladkiy before doubling the lead just after half-time with a penalty from Darijo Srna for 2-0. The Swedes seemed to be on the way to defeat as Eduardo added a third for the hosts on 56 minutes and the win was confirmed with a 73rd minute effort from Teixeira who made it 4-0 but the miserable night for Malmo was added to late on with the sending off of Arnason on 89 minutes.


B
Manchester United moved to the top of the group with a narrow 1-0 win at home to CSKA Moscow with the crucial strike coming in the 78th minute as Wayne Rooney ended his side's run of three games without scoring.

PSV Eindhoven also move up the standings by displacing opponents Wolfsburg with a 2-0 success which saw a tight first half at 0-0 broken on 55 minutes by Locadia's opener and hopes of the Germans salvaging a point were dashed late on by an 86th minute strike from De Jong.

C
FC Astana remain bottom of the group but still in the hunt to qualify as they secured a surprise 0-0 draw at home to second placed Atletico Madrid who wasted the chance to go clear at the top in the day's early kick-off.

Benfica took advantage of the group's other result to move to the top of the group with a 2-1 win over Galatasaray. A closely fought first half saw the sides remain level at the interval but it took just seven minutes of the second half for the hosts to open the scoring as Oliveira made it 1-0 but the visitors were soon back on level terms ad Lukas Podolski levelled on 58 minutes. However, the points would go to Benfica as Luisao made it 2-1 on 67 minutes and the hosts even managed to hold on with ten men after Gaitan was sent off five minutes from the end.


D
Juventus missed the chance to extend their gap at the top of the group as they drew 1-1 away to Borussia Monchengladbach who remain bottom of the group on two points. The Germans opened up an early lead through Johnson on 18 minutes but they went into the interval on level terms as Liechtsteiner equalised on 44 minutes for the Italians. The visitors were dealt a blow as Hernanes was sent off on 55 minutes but the hosts were unable to capitalise with an extra man and had to settle for a point.

Manchester City secured their spot in the next stage with a comfortable 3-1 win away to Sevilla who remain third as a result. City raced into a 2-0 lead inside 11 minutes with goals from Raheem Sterling and Fernandinho before being pegged back by a 25th minute effort from Trémoulinas. The points were sealed in the first half as Wilfried Bony added a third on 36 minutes.

E
Barcelona edged towards the next stage with a comfortable 3-0 win over BATE Borisov who remain bottom of the group. A 30th minute penalty from Neymar saw the hosts go ahead before a second on the hour mark from Luis Suarez left the visitors with a mountain to climb to avoid defeat but the defeat was confirmed in the final ten minutes as Neymar slotted in his second and the Catalan's third on 85 minutes.

AS Roma came out on top in a five-goal thriller at home to Bayer Leverkusen with the 3-2 win allowing them to leapfrog their opponents in the group. A perfect start from the hosts saw them open the scoring inside two minutes through Mo Salah before Edin Dzeko added a second for 2-0 on 29 minutes. Bayer took just six minutes of the second half to draw level at 2-2 as Mehmedi and Hernandez struck in the 48th and 51st minutes before a double blow for the Germans saw Toprak sent off on 79 minutes  before the resulting penalty from Pjanic secured the win for the Italians.  


F
Bayern Munich remain top of the group after a 5-1 demolition of Arsenal who now face a huge task to qualify. Robert Lewandowski continued his stunning scoring run with the opener inside ten minutes before Thomas Muller added a second on 29 minutes for 2-0 and David Alaba added a third just before half-time. Arjen Robben looked to have sealed the win for the Germans as early as the 55th minute as he struck a fourth but Olivier Giroud gave the Gunners hope with a 69th minute effort. The gloss on the win for the hosts came in the 89th minute as Muller struck for a second time to make it 5-1.

Olympiakos sit second but level on points with Bayern after a 2-1 win at home to Dinamo Zagreb 
who were denied a point by a late strike. The Croatians opened the scoring with a 21st minute effort from Hodzic before being pegged back on 65 minutes by an equaliser from Pardo. The visitors suffered a blow in their pursuit of regaining the lead with the sending off of Pivaric on 79 minutes but their despair got worse in the final minutes as Pardo struck for a second time to secure the three points.

G
Chelsea boosted their hopes of qualification with a 2-1 win at home to Dynamo Kyiv who the leapfrogged in the group. The Blues went ahead on 34 minutes via an unfortunate own goal from Dragovic but the defender redeemed himself in the second half with a 77th minute equaliser for 1-1. However the spoils were to go to the Blues as Willian secured the win with an 83rd minute strike.

FC Porto remain clear at the top of the group after a 3-1 win away to Maccabi Tel Aviv who as a result cannot reach the last 16. The visitors took just 19 minutes to strike the opener as Tello scored for 1-0 and they were two goals to the good after a 49th minute effort from André. Layun added a third on 72 minutes to seal the points but the hosts had the final say as Zahavi slotted in a 75th minute penalty to make it 3-1 with their first goal of the group itself.

H
Gent secured their first win of the group stage win a narrow 1-0 win at home to Valencia who missed the chance to secure qualification had they had won. The crucial strike came on 49 minutes as Sven Kums slotted in a penalty that keeps the Belgians in the hunt for the last 16.

Zenit St Petersburg secured their spot in the last 16 after extending their perfect record to four wins with a 2-0 win away to Olympique Lyonnais who remain without a win . The Russians opened the scoring on 25 minutes as the in-form Dzyuba continued his scoring streak but he went one better by scoring a second for 2-0 on 57 minutes. The sides both ended the game with ten men after Lyon's Gonalons was dismissed on 72 minutes with Zenit's Anyukov following on 88 minutes.

 

City Deny Canaries While Reds Stroll Past Chelsea

Ahead of the return of the European competitions, the Premier League reached gameweek 11 with two games featuring no goals while one saw an eight goal thriller in a schedule that saw three other sides seal a shut-out.

Saturday's early kick-off saw Chelsea host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge with the Blues keen to turnaround their flagging season and thereby deny Reds manager Jurgen Klopp a first league triumph. Chelsea started superbly by taking a lead inside four minutes through Ramires but were pegged back just before the interval by a leveller from Philippe Coutinho for 1-1.

The Brazilian struck again in the second half as he put the Reds in front on 74 minutes and the win and three points were sealed with seven minutes remaining as Christian Benteke fired in for 3-1.

In the first of six 3pm games, Crystal Palace hosted high-flying Manchester United at Selhurst Park with both keen to move up the table. However, the sides had to be happy with a point each as they cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw.

Manchester City looked to continue their stay atop the table as they hosted struggling Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium. A tight first hour saw the sides remain level something the Canaries would have been proud of given they were 4-0 down at that time in their last visit. However, City soon broke the deadlock as Nicolas Otamendi struck on 67 minutes but Cameron Jerome's equaliser with seven minutes remaining set up a tense finish. City were given a boost though as Russell Martin was sent off on 88 minutes with Yaya Touré slotting in the resulting penalty to claim a 2-1 win.

Newcastle United hosted Stoke City at St James Park with both sides looking to boost their mixed run of form which sees them bottom six. However, they had to settle for just a point apiece as they cancelled each other out in a tight 0-0 draw.

Swansea City hosted high-flying Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium with the Swans keen to boost their mixed run of form and deny the Gunners from closing up at the top. A tight first half saw the sides remain level at 0-0 into the interval but the visitors wasted no time in making a good start to the second half as Olivier Giroud struck on 49 minutes for 1-0.

The three points were wrapped up by a five minute double as Laurent Koscielny and Joel Campbell struck to confirm a 3-0 win.

High-flying West Ham United travelled to Vicarage Road for a London derby against Watford who had hopes of moving up the table. The Hammers have had great away success this season but saw their good form under threat after the hosts took the lead on 39 minutes via Odion Ighalo. The Hornets' striker made it 2-0 just three minutes after the interval and whatever hopes the Hammers had of staging a comeback were dashed in the 84th minute by the dismissal of James Collins as they slipped to a rare defeat.

West Bromwich Albion hosted high-flying Leicester City with the Baggies keen to stem the Foxes charge towards the top. The hosts took the lead on the half hour mark as Salomon Rondon struck but in what has become a tradition so far this season, the Foxes came from behind to lead as Riyad Mahrez scored twice either side of the hour mark to turn the game around at 2-1 before in-form Jamie Vardy extended his scoring streak to eight games with a 77th minute effort. The win was far from sealed though as Rickie Lambert slotted in an 84th minute penalty for the hosts for 3-2 but to their despair that was how the game ended.

Super Sunday opened with Everton hosting struggling Sunderland with the sides sharing eight goals in a thriller at Goodison Park. The Toffees struck first with Gerard Deulofeu scoring on 19 minutes before Arouna Koné added a second on 31 minutes before a late effort from Jermain Defoe made it 2-1 into the interval. The visitors were soon level though as Steven Fletcher equalised five minutes after the restart. However, the equality lasted just five minutes as Seb Coates hit into his own net for 3-2 before two goals in as many minutes on the hour from Koné and Romelu Lukaku put the hosts in control at 5-2 and the gloss on the win came on 76 minutes as Koné completed his hat-trick as the Toffees strolled at 6-2.

The second part of Super Sunday saw a South Coast derby as Southampton hosted Bournemouth with the Cherries keen to move away from the bottom four and deny their rivals from closing on the top four. The hosts struck first as they took the lead on 31 minutes through Steven Davis before Graziano Pellé doubled the lead just five minutes later for 2-0.

The Cherries received a boost with 12 minutes remaining as Victor Wanyama was dismissed but they were unable to utilise their numerical advantage as they slipped to defeat.

The weekend came to an end with Monday Night Football which saw Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa with Villa's newly acquired manager Remi Garde hoping for a good start as he watched from the stands. Tottenham has other ideas as the raced into the lead inside three minutes with an effort from Moussa Dembélé and they were two goals to the good at the interval as Dele Alli struck for 2-0. Villa got off the mark on 79 minutes through Jordan Ayew but it was to be a consolation goal as Harry Kane sealed the win for the hosts in the 90th minute. 

Capital One Cup Fourth Round Review

After a four week break since the third round, the Capital One Cup resumed with a fourth round draw which featured potential upsets with three Championship sides facing top flight opposition while some of the all-top flight clashes had some high vs low 'fliers'.

Tuesday night saw the first four ties with the first coming in an all-top flight clash at Goodison Park as Everton hosted Norwich City. The Canaries broke the deadlock on 51 minutes with a strike from Sebastian Bassong but were soon pegged back by Leon Osman's 68th minute leveller for 1-1. Neither side was able to score for a second time in the 90 minutes as well as the period of extra time so penalties would be the decider.  Everton came out on top as they secured a 4-3 win on penalties.

In a Championship/Premier League clash at the KC Stadium, Hull City hosted Leicester City and despite the divisional gap, the sides remained level at 0-0 for the entire 90 minutes. Extra time saw a change as Leicester took a 1-0 lead through Riyad Mahrez on 100 minutes but just six minutes later the hosts were level at 1-1 as Hernandez struck and 1-1 was how the period ended. The penalty shoot-out had a surprise ending as Hull came out on top with a 5-4 win.

The night's other cross-divisional clash saw Sheffield Wednesday host Arsenal with the Owls keen to stage a huge upset. The chances of an upset grew inside 27 minutes as Wallace fired the hosts into a 1-0 lead and the joy of the Owls fans intensified further just before half-time as Joao made it 2-0.

The Gunners needed a huge second half to avoid an embarrassing exit but their task grew tougher just 11 minutes after the interval as Hutchinson made it 3-0 and despite a rally from Arsenal to comeback, it was in vain as they tumbled out of the competition as the Owls flew through.

As Stoke hosted Chelsea at the Britannia Stadium, the Blues had to try and defy the famous 'Can they do it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke?' They looked to be struggling early in the second half as Stoke took a 52nd minute lead through Jon Walters and with the game entering the final minutes, the score remained at 1-0. However, Chelsea kept their hopes alive with an equaliser from Loic Remy with Stoke suffering another blow with the dismissal of Phil Bardsley ahead of the impending period of extra time. Neither side were able to score a second in the extended time so the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Stoke came out on top winning 5-4 to end the Blues chances of retaining the trophy.

Wednesday night saw the other four ties with the first seeing Liverpool host Bournemouth and Anfield with the sides meeting for the second year in a row. The Reds started well and went ahead inside 17 minutes as Nathaniel Clyne connected to a superb back heel effort from Joao Teixeira which had been cleared off the line. Bournemouth pushed to draw level but were unable to prevent the hosts from advancing into the last eight with a 1-0 win.

Manchester City hosted Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium with the Eagles keen to stage an upset on the current league leaders. However, they were behind as early as the 22nd minute as Wilfried Bony struck for 1-0 before Kevin De Bruyne doubled the lead just before the interval. The Eagles looked to be out of the contest early in the second half as Kelechi Ihenacho struck on 59 minutes for 3-0 and City confirmed their place in the last eight with a 76th minute penalty from Yaya Toure for 4-0. Palace scored a consolation in the 89th minute as Damien Delaney struck but fell to a 5-1 loss after Garcia Alonso completed the rout in the final minute. 

After sacking manager Tim Sherwood, Aston Villa travelled to face Southampton at St Mary's looking to hopefully entice a new manager with a win. However, the Saints made the first breakthrough as Maya Yoshida struck on 51 minutes and they piled further woe on Villa with a second on 77 minutes from Graziano Pelle. Villa did hit back as Scott Sinclair converted a penalty in the final minutes but they were unable to force extra time as the Saints secured a 2-1 win.

The final tie of the night proved to be the longest as Manchester United hosted Championship side Middlesbrough and despite the gap in league places, the two sides remained level past the 90 minutes and even the extra time period resulting in a penalty shoot out. Manchester United missed three from four attempts and tumbled out as 'Boro secured a 3-1 win.

The draw for the quarter finals is as follows...

Middlesbrough v Everton
Southampton v Liverpool
Man City v Hull City
Stoke v Sheffield Wednesday

City Top After Derby Draw While Reds Held By Saints

Gameweek ten in the Premier League and after the high scoring of recent weeks, this set of games saw just two sides score three or more while six teams kept clean sheets. In a rare weekend with no early kick-off or Monday Night Football, the ten games took place in a split of five 3pm's, an evening game on Saturday, a Super Sunday treble and single 2pm kick-off.

After the recent departures of Advocaat (Sunderland) and Rodgers (Liverpool), a third manager was to leave the league this weekend but at the kick-off of Aston Villa's hosting of Swansea City at Villa Park, the thought was non-existent. In a game where the Ayew brothers faced off, Jordan got the first joy as he put Villa ahead on 62 minutes but Swansea levelled through Gylfi Sigurdsson just six minutes later.

After his brother had scored earlier, Andre got in on the act with the winning goal for Swansea in the 87th minute and it proved to be even more vital as the 2-1 defeat for Villa saw Tim Sherwood dismissed as manager less than 24 hours later.

Leicester's superb form continued as they hosted fellow high-fliers Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium and sealed a 1-0 victory courtesy of a 59th minute strike from Jamie Vardy who in scoring joined a select group of players to net in seven consecutive games.


Norwich City hosted West Bromwich Albion at Carrow Road with both sides keen to move clear of the bottom three. The Baggies had the better luck as they sealed a 1-0 win courtesy of a 46th minute strike from Salomon Rondon.

Two other sides who were on the fringes of the bottom three faced off at the Britannia Stadium as Stoke City hosted Watford. The Hornets opened the scoring just before the interval with a first top-flight strike for Troy Deeney on 43 minutes.

Almen Abdi doubled the lead to 2-0 on 69 minutes which proved to be enough to secure the three points. 

When West Ham United and Chelsea were paired on the fixture list, the fact that the Hammers would go into the game higher placed in the table was a prediction of fantasy with Chelsea languishing in 15th as they visited Upton Park. The hosts made the better start of the two as they opened up a 1-0 lead inside 18 minutes through Mauro Zarate before Chelsea's half got even worse with the sending off of Nemanja Matic on 44 minutes.

However, the ten men were soon level as Gary Cahill equalised on 56 minutes but the extra man advantage paid off for the hosts as they secured a 2-1 win on 79 minutes with a strike from Andy Carroll.

The evening game saw Everton travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium with the Gunners looking to leapfrog Manchester City at the top. They made a good effort of doing so in the first half against the Toffees by scoring twice in as many minutes through Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny on 36 and 38 minutes. Everton responded just before the interval with a Ross Barkley shot deflecting in on 44 minutes for 2-1. The Gunners held the narrow lead until the end where Everton suffered a late blow with the sending off of Gareth Barry. 


Super Sunday kicked off with the Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland hosted fierce rivals Newcastle United looking to move off the bottom with a record breaking sixth win in a row against the Magpies. A tight first half sparked into action just before the interval as Fabrizio Coloccini was dismissed for impeding Steven Fletcher with Adam Johnson converting from the penalty spot for 1-0.

The hosts went further ahead just after the hour as Billy Jones tapped in n 65 minutes and the bragging rights were confirmed with four minutes to go as Fletcher fired in for 3-0.

The only game not televised on Sunday proved to be the highest scoring as Bournemouth hosted Tottenham at the Vitality Stadium with the sides sharing six goals. The Cherries made the perfect start with an opener from Matt Richie inside the first minute for 1-0. The visitors soon drew level as Harry Kane equalised with a ninth minute penalty but they then went ahead on 17 minutes as Moussa Dembele made it 2-1. Tottenham were in full control on 33 minutes as Eric Lamela struck to make it 3-1 leaving the hosts with a huge task to avoid defeat. Their task was made greater by Kane striking twice in five minutes either side of the hour mark to make it 5-1 as Spurs stormed to victory. 

The second derby of the day came from Old Trafford as Manchester United hosted city rivals Manchester City with both hoping to displace Arsenal at the top of the table. A tight game was expected and the whole 90 minutes proved to be just that as they shared the points in a 0-0 draw but one that meant City regained top spot.

The weekend came to an end with the Super Sunday trilogy culminating with Southampton's trip to face Liverpool at Anfield. Both sides have had mixed starts to the season so it was a surprise that the game was so tight and remained 0-0 well into the second half. However, the deadlock was broken by a superb header from Christian Benteke on 77 minutes but the Reds' joy was short lived as Sadio Mané equalised on 86 minutes for 1-1 before being sent off late on after a two rapid bookings as Liverpool drew for the seventh time in nine games.