Saturday Premier League review.
Fulham secured a vital relegation lifeline on Saturday afternoon as they came back from two goals behind to beat Manchester City 3-2 at Eastlands. Sven-Goran Eriksson's side appeared to have this game all wrapped up by the midway stage of the first half as they raced into a two goal lead. Stephen Ireland found the first on nine minutes with a neat finish from Martin Petrov's pass, before Benjani hit the second eleven minutes later. Elano found Darius Vassel and the striker slipped a neat pass through to the former Portsmouth man, who made no mistake with a smart finish past Maik Taylor in the visiting goal.
The Cottagers were surprisingly muted considering defeat coupled with bad results elsewhere would relegate them, but they were given hope midway through the second half when Diomansy Kamara came off the bench to fire a great shot through the legs of Joe Hart. Buoyed by this, Roy Hodgson's side pressed looking for the leveller and it came shortly after when Jimmy Bullard was brought down in the area by Sun Jihai. Danny Murphy's initial kick was saved, but the veteran midfielder hit home on the rebound to make it 2-2. The two goalscorers then combined for the third, as Murphy set up Kamara to lash home the winner late on and hand the visitors hope of survival.
The news wasn't so good for Birmingham however as Alex McLeish's side did the opposite and threw away a two goal lead to draw with Liverpool. A neat finish from Mikael Forssel and cracking free-kick from Sebastian Larsson either side of half-time put Alex McLeish's side in the driving seat by the early stages of the second half.
However, Peter Crouch brought the visitors back into the game shortly after the second strike with a sidefooted finish from Jermaine Pennant's pass, before a slice of good fortune handed them the equaliser. Yossi Benayoun's header from Lucas' cross took a cruel deflection off Radhi Jaidi and went into the back of the net. City couldn't hit back and the result delivered a potentially decisive blow to their survival hopes.
There was less drama at the JJB Stadium and White Hart Lane, but the results of the games between Wigan and Reading and Spurs and Bolton are no less important for the four-way tussle at the bottom. Both the Royals and the Trotters remain in immediate trouble after low-scoring draws. Reading were held to a dour stalemate by Wigan, meaning they are still just a point ahead of Birmingham, while Bolton are in sixteenth on goal difference alone following a 1-1 draw at Tottenham. Stelios appeared to put the visitors on course for a vital victory, but Steed Malbranque levelled up shortly after to secure a point.
At the other end of the table, Chelsea made sure the title will go to the final day of the season with a 2-1 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. Sir Alex Ferguson opted to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and the visitors started slowly, with Chelsea dominating the opening stages and hitting the woodwork through Joe Cole. It didn't take long for the hosts to take a deserved lead though as, in the build-up to half-time, Michael Ballack headed home from Didier Drogba's well-flighted cross to send the home fans into raptures.
United came out in the second half far stronger, but they needed a defensive slip-up to draw them level. Ricardo Carvalho played a weak backpass to John Terry and Wayne Rooney nipped in to dispossess the England man and fire into the back of Petr Cech's net. It seemed that would be enough to hand United the point which would leave them in charge of the title race, but Chelsea went ahead again when Michael Carrick was adjudged to have handled in the area. Ballack struck home from the spot, and the Blues - despite two off the line clearances - clung on to leave themselves in second on goal difference alone.
West Ham and Newcastle played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at Upton Park in the battle of the mid-table sides. Alan Curbishley's men started brightly and found both of their goals inside the opening 22 minutes. Mark Noble volleyed home George McCartney's cross to put the Hammers ahead, before Bobby Zamora set up Dean Ashton to sweep home the second. However, two strikes late in the first period from Obafemi Martins and Geremi brought the hosts level, and although both sides had good chances to add to the scoring in the second period, the score deservedly stayed at 2-2.
Finally, Sunderland took a crucial step closer to safety by beating local rivals Middlesbrough 3-2 in the Wear-Tees derby at the Stadium of Light. Tuncay Sanli broke through to put the hosts ahead four minutes in, but Danny Higginbotham and Michael Chopra found the back of the net not long after to make sure it was the hosts who went into the break ahead. Afonso Alves took advantage of a defensive lapse seventeen minutes from time to seemingly secure a point for Boro, but on a day of late drama in the Premier League, Daryl Murphy rose highest to head home Grant Leadbitter's corner and seal three vital points for his hard-working side.
After Saturdays Premier League matches the Title and 2 remaining relegation issues are as wide open as ever and looks like giving us one of the most exciting league run ins for many years.
