Spurs grab key points, Reds flounder
Source: Agencies |
January 28, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
TOTTENHAM Hotspur strengthened its claim for a top-four finish in the Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 win over Fulham on Tuesday as Liverpool could only manage a 0-0 draw at struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Peter Crouch and David Bentley scored at White Hart Lane to keep Spurs in fourth place with 41 points, above a clutch of teams battling for a shot at next season's Champions League.
Liverpool, runners-up to Manchester United last season, could not break down Wolves despite Steven Gerrard returning from a hamstring injury to play the full 90 minutes but moved up one place to fifth, three points back.
Manchester City is also three points behind Tottenham but has two games in hand while Aston Villa is on 36 points before its home game with Arsenal.
Burnley dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season after a 0-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers which enjoyed its first win under manager Owen Coyle who joined them from the Lancashire club this month.
Bolton moved up to 15th, ahead of West Ham United which stays above the drop zone on goal difference after a 1-1 draw at bottom club Portsmouth.
With the title race now between champion Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, the scrap for fourth place looks like going all the way to the end of the season.
Tottenham did its chances no harm with a routine win over a Fulham side with just one away league win all season.
A terrible lapse in Fulham's defence gifted Spurs their opener after 28 minutes, Crouch scoring from close range after Luca Modric robbed a day-dreaming Bjorn Helge Riise in the area and crossed low for the England striker to convert.
Riise was involved in Tottenham's second goal early in the second half, although this time he was unlucky as Bentley's curling free-kick flicked off his head to wrong foot Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
"Three points was the main thing tonight," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, whose side has stuttered of late, told Sky Sports. "It was a good performance and well deserved, we dominated the game and our keeper didn't have much to do."
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was again forced to defend his team selection after its tally of dropped points moved to 31, three more than it conceded in the whole of 2008-09.
Midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who cost the club 20 million pounds (US$32.27 million) when he signed from AS Roma, was again left on the bench.
"We had another 11 players on the pitch who did well," Benitez told the BBC. "Today we had to decide between Gerrard and Aquilani and we thought Gerrard would be more dangerous going forward. The positive was Gerrard playing 90 minutes."
Chung Yong Lee's goal was enough for Bolton to beat rival Burnley at the Reebok Stadium where some away fans held aloft "Judas" banners aimed at Coyle.
Danny Webber salvaged a point for Portsmouth after West Ham had gone in front at Fratton Park with a Younes Kaboul own goal.
Peter Crouch and David Bentley scored at White Hart Lane to keep Spurs in fourth place with 41 points, above a clutch of teams battling for a shot at next season's Champions League.
Liverpool, runners-up to Manchester United last season, could not break down Wolves despite Steven Gerrard returning from a hamstring injury to play the full 90 minutes but moved up one place to fifth, three points back.
Manchester City is also three points behind Tottenham but has two games in hand while Aston Villa is on 36 points before its home game with Arsenal.
Burnley dropped into the relegation zone for the first time this season after a 0-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers which enjoyed its first win under manager Owen Coyle who joined them from the Lancashire club this month.
Bolton moved up to 15th, ahead of West Ham United which stays above the drop zone on goal difference after a 1-1 draw at bottom club Portsmouth.
With the title race now between champion Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, the scrap for fourth place looks like going all the way to the end of the season.
Tottenham did its chances no harm with a routine win over a Fulham side with just one away league win all season.
A terrible lapse in Fulham's defence gifted Spurs their opener after 28 minutes, Crouch scoring from close range after Luca Modric robbed a day-dreaming Bjorn Helge Riise in the area and crossed low for the England striker to convert.
Riise was involved in Tottenham's second goal early in the second half, although this time he was unlucky as Bentley's curling free-kick flicked off his head to wrong foot Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
"Three points was the main thing tonight," Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, whose side has stuttered of late, told Sky Sports. "It was a good performance and well deserved, we dominated the game and our keeper didn't have much to do."
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was again forced to defend his team selection after its tally of dropped points moved to 31, three more than it conceded in the whole of 2008-09.
Midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who cost the club 20 million pounds (US$32.27 million) when he signed from AS Roma, was again left on the bench.
"We had another 11 players on the pitch who did well," Benitez told the BBC. "Today we had to decide between Gerrard and Aquilani and we thought Gerrard would be more dangerous going forward. The positive was Gerrard playing 90 minutes."
Chung Yong Lee's goal was enough for Bolton to beat rival Burnley at the Reebok Stadium where some away fans held aloft "Judas" banners aimed at Coyle.
Danny Webber salvaged a point for Portsmouth after West Ham had gone in front at Fratton Park with a Younes Kaboul own goal.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
