October 2005

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 Manchester City  3  Aston Villa  1      Vassell haunts Villa  
31 October 2005 : Get Your Kits Out at the COMSTAD

 
David O'Leary suffered a Halloween horror at Eastlands as the spectre of Darius Vassell came back to haunt the under-pressure Aston Villa boss.

Vassell bagged a first-half brace to lead Manchester City's march into the Barclays Premiership's top four, leaving Villa precariously placed on the fringes of a relegation fight on the day a 'preliminary approach' for the midlands club by the Comer Homes Group was confirmed.

In the build-up to Vassell's first game against his former club since his £2million summer move north, O'Leary insisted he had no regrets about selling the England forward.

The Irishman quickly had cause to regret those words as within 26 minutes Vassell had scored more times in a single game than O'Leary's preferred strike force of Milan Baros and Juan Pablo Angel have managed between them all season.

Neither Baros nor Angel were fit enough to be involved but the pair were probably happy about that as the visitors suffered a start which must have left O'Leary wondering if he had been the victim of a delayed trick or treat gag.

His problems started before kick-off when Thomas Sorensen twisted an ankle in the warm-up, forcing O'Leary to hand stand-in 'keeper Stuart Taylor his first Premiership start since May 2003.

The former Arsenal man barely had time to settle into the game before his goal was breached in the most ridiculous manner imaginable.

TPicturehere was no imminent danger to the Villa defence when Sylvain Distin launched a long, hopeful ball forward. On his own up front, Vassell did well to get his head to it.

The striker deserves credit for following up his own efforts but even he could not have anticipated Jlloyd Samuel's failure to spot Taylor advancing out of his box, an error he compounded by heading past his 'keeper, allowing Vassell to run on and tap into an empty net.

It was the type of goal which made the massive gamble on O'Leary to be the first Premiership manager sacked this season totally understandable and if major shareholders Doug Ellis and Jack Petchey do decide to sell out for £64million to the consortium led by Solihull-based businessman Michael Neville, he will have cause to sweat.

Neville is not investing that kind of money on a team he thinks is going to drop into the Football League, but they now sit uncomfortably on nine points, just two points and two places above the drop zone.

After enduring such a ludicrous start, O'Leary must have thought it could not get any worse for Villa. But it did, both in his team's performance and on the scoresheet.

Liam Ridgewell had a particularly tortuous evening in the heart of the visitors' defence and had already been turned once by Vassell on his way to smashing a shot against the post, when Andy Cole exposed the young defender with a marvellous piece of skill.

A deft first touch allowed Cole to flick Danny Mills' chipped pass over Ridgewell's head, then the former England international kept his cool to lob a ball into Vassell's path.

Although he scored 45 goals in 201 games for his boyhood idols, Vassell will have netted few like the thunderous effort he quickly dispatched, a superb right-footed volley which flew into the bottom corner.

Villa were lucky not to be further adrift at the interval, although a fingertip save from another old boy, David James, to deny James Milner at least offered some hope of a fightback.

The interval introduction of Patrik Berger for Samuel certainly made a difference.

It was the Czech international's industry which created Villa's goal as he chased down a wayward Milner cross, then drilled the ball over for Ridgewell to bundle home.

Unfortunately for O'Leary, Berger lasted less than half an hour before he limped out of the action, forcing the Villa boss to substitute a substitute, a move totally in keeping with what had gone before.

That the man should be Eric Djemba-Djemba, who proved to be such an unmitigated disaster in 18 unhappy months at Old Trafford, told its own story about Villa's present plight.

Cole's match-sealing effort had nothing to do with Djemba-Djemba, but the farce continued for O'Leary as he saw the striker's shot loop skywards off Delaney's outstretched leg, over Taylor and into the net.


Teams

Man City : James, Mills, Sommeil (Jihai 45), Distin, Jordan, Croft (Sibierski 69), Barton, Ireland, Musampa, Cole (Wright-Phillips 85), Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Richards, De Vlieger.

Booked: Barton.

Goals: Vassell 4, 26, Cole 83.

Aston Villa :  Taylor, Delaney, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Samuel (Berger 45), Milner, Davis, McCann, Barry, Phillips, Moore (Bakke 71), Berger (Djemba-Djemba 75).

Subs Not Used: Sorensen, De la Cruz.                       Return to Main Page           Home Page

Booked: Samuel.

Goals: Ridgewell 65.

Att: 42,069

Ref: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).

 
Arsenal 1 Manchester City 0   Good effort by the Blues
Saturday 22nd October 2005 - David Harrop for Get Your Kits Out at Highbury


Arsenal made it five home wins out of five in the Barclays Premiership this season thanks to Robert Pires' penalty - but the game will be remembered for one of the strangest incidents of the season.

After having given his side the lead from the spot after an hour, Pires had the chance to double their advantage with a second penalty 17 minutes from time.

But instead of shooting from the spot, Pires attempted to set up team-mate Thierry Henry. The ball appeared to move, Manchester City defenders charged in to clear and the shambles concluded with referee Mike Riley awarding the visitors a free-kick - presumably for pushing by Henry as he attempted to reach the ball or because the ball did not roll its circumference.

The unusual penalty routine was famously executed by Johan Cruyff and Jesper Olsen for Ajax in December 1982 - but the Dutchmen performed the move far more successfully than their French counterparts today.  (Malcolm Allison used this tactic when managing Plymouth Argyle, coincidently against City in the early 60's, I know I was there - Malc Hough, webmaster)

Luckily for Arsenal, they were not punished - although manager Arsene Wenger was relieved when Riley ruled out Darius Vassell's 80th-minute header for a marginal offside.

But Arsenal, even with Henry back in the team, looked sluggish and struggled to break City down.

Henry - fresh from becoming Arsenal's record goalscorer with his double strike at Sparta Prague in midweek - returned to the Gunners' line-up against Manchester City today, his first start since August 24.

Fellow striker Dennis Bergkamp was also restored to the team, with Robin van Persie dropping to the bench as Arsenal looked to celebrate manager Arsene Wenger's 56th birthday by maintaining their 100% record in the Barclays Premiership this term.

For City, striker Andy Cole and defender Nedum Onuoha missed out, with David Sommeil and Antoine Sibierski stepping in.

City had not beaten Arsenal since 1991 and had not won at Highbury since 1975, but began the game four points above their opponents in the table.

Henry was presented with a trophy by Ian Wright - the previous holder of the goalscoring record - shortly before the match to mark his achievement.

But the opening stages of the match were not so memorable as Arsenal struggled to make headway against a City side content to sit deep.

The visitors' skipper Sylvain Distin did well to clear over his own bar in the seventh minute after Bergkamp had set up Lauren to send in a low cross from the right - and Stuart Pearce's men had an even luckier escape after 13 minutes.

Henry raced onto a clever through-ball from Lauren before winning the ball from Stephen Jordan and cutting it back for Pires, who somehow shot over the bar from 10 yards when he appeared certain to put the home side in front.

City were solid in defence, and Vassell worried the Arsenal back line with his pace. The former Aston Villa striker twice got the better of Pascal Cygan before providing chances for Kiki Musampa.

But Musampa's first effort, in the 28th minute, was struck weakly into the arms of Jens Lehmann, while his second - a fierce left-footed strike from 20 yards six minutes later, flew narrowly wide of the left post.

Henry and Lauren represented Arsenal's greatest threat going forward. Following a cross-field pass from the Frenchman, Lauren broke into the penalty area but could only steer a 10-yard effort straight at David James 12 minutes before the break.

The match had been tetchy throughout, and it appeared inevitable that there would be a flashpoint.

It duly arrived two minutes into the second half when Pires appeared to shove Danny Mills after the pair had contested possession, but Riley showed both players only a yellow card.

City did not lose their concentration, however, and Musampa again found space in the box, latching onto a fine long pass from Sommeil before forcing a smart save from Lehmann at his near post.

City continued to look secure in defence, and they were incensed at the penalty decision which allowed Pires to give Arsenal the lead on the hour mark.

Henry ran onto Kolo Toure's pass and tumbled under the challenge of keeper James. City's players believed the Frenchman had fallen too readily, but Riley awarded the spot-kick which Pires fired into the roof of the net.

But City maintained their spirit and Musampa, a regular threat on the left, created a chance for Sibierski which the forward hit too close to Lehmann after 65 minutes.

Arsenal had the chance to kill the match 18 minutes from time when they won another penalty, this time Bergkamp falling under pressure from Jordan and Musampa.

Pires messed up the routine and it gave Stuart Pearce's men new belief that they could steal an equaliser.

And City thought they had done so when Vassell headed substitute Lee Croft's right-wing cross past Lehmann, only for Riley to disallow the goal for a marginal offside.

Cesc Fabregas went close for Arsenal and Matthieu Flamini hit the outside of the post as Wenger's side maintained their 100% record at Highbury in the Premiership this season.

Teams:

Arsenal Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Cygan, Clichy, Fabregas, Flamini, Silva, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry.

Subs Not Used: Van Persie, Senderos, Almunia, Owusu-Abeyie, Eboue.

Booked: Pires, Clichy, Bergkamp.                               Return to Main Page           Home Page

Goals: Pires 61 pen.

Man City James, Mills (Richards 85), Sommeil, Jordan, Distin, Barton, Reyna (Croft 73), Ireland, Musampa (Jihai 85), Vassell, Sibierski.

Subs Not Used: Hussein, De Vlieger.

Booked: Barton, Vassell, Mills, Musampa, Sommeil.

Att: 38,189

Ref: M Riley (W Yorkshire).
 
 

Manchester City 2 West Ham 1           Cole on Fire
Sunday 16th October 2005 : Steve Hunter for Get Your Kits Out at the COMSTAD


Birthday boy Andy Cole scored a decisive victory in the battle of Manchester United's old-timers at Eastlands.

Had it not been for the fact they dislike each other intensely and have not exchanged a word for seven years, Teddy Sheringham would be buying the drinks for his former team-mate.

While Sheringham was as lifeless as his West Ham team and was eventually replaced midway through the second half, Cole rolled back the years with a striking masterclass to fire City into fourth spot.

Thirty-four on the eve of the game, Cole celebrated in appropriate manner, curling home a brilliant first, then ramming home a typical poacher's effort to seal a richly-deserved Blues win 11 minutes after the restart.

It was a good job the former England striker was on form too.

While the approach play and industry of Kiki Musampa and Darius Vassell deserved immense credit, they left their shooting boots at home and were largely responsible for City's host of wasted chances, failures which ensured a few nervous moments at the end when Bobby Zamora netted an injury-time consolation.

While the loss of Richard Dunne to a knee injury picked up on World Cup duty with the Republic of Ireland was a major blow, Blues boss Stuart Pearce could still call upon impressive teenager Nedum Onuoha to partner skipper Sylvain Distin.

The new England Under-21 international has proved himself a competent performer at Premiership level already and was involved in two of the more noteworthy incidents of an enterprising opening period in which the hosts should have opened up a bigger lead than they did.

Alan Pardew had already voiced his disapproval at a string of borderline decisions when Onuoha went clattering into Marlon Harewood when the Hammers striker was about to break clear.

Harewood thought he had been fouled and if the decision had gone against Onuoha he would almost certainly have been dispatched to the dressing rooms.

Fortunately for the youngster, referee Mark Clattenburg ruled it a 50-50 tussle and Onuoha escaped, surviving long enough to come agonisingly close to converting his first senior goal in first-half stoppage time when he stooped to meet Musampa's corner with a low header, only for Paul Konchesky to nod off the line.

It was the second time Konchesky had saved the visitors. The first occasion came after Tomas Repka had dived in ridiculously early to tackle Musampa.

The Dutchman used his strength to ride the challenge, sped clear down the wing then crossed for Vassell, whose flicked effort may have been going wide anyway but Konchesky blasted away from danger just to be sure.

Roy Carroll made a good save to deny Stephen Ireland and a better one to beat away a powerful Danny Mills drive - but there was little the goalkeeper could do to prevent the opening goal of the game.

The pair weren't Old Trafford team-mates for long but Carroll would have been around Cole long enough to fear the worst when the forward continued his run after playing a forward pass to Vassell, then latched on to his strike partner's astute backheeled pass.

Although the initial angle was not an inviting one, in an instant Cole widened the target by opening his body and curled an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

West Ham mounted little in response and any relief Pardew must have felt at being only a single goal behind at the break was magnified as City tore into his team after half-time.

The visitors did manage one chance of their own, Harewood sending Matthew Etherington through with a deft flick.

Other than that, it was all City, with Carroll heroically trying to keep them at bay.

The former Red Devils stopper saved once from Cole and twice from Vassell. He even kept out Musampa's low drive after Vassell's persistence had allowed him to rob Hayden Mullins on the edge of the Hammers box.

This time though Carroll's luck did not hold, the rebound flicked off Danny Gabbidon and up stepped Cole to gleefully ram home from five yards.

It more or less confirmed West Ham's first away defeat of the campaign - but there were still plenty of chances to increase the margin of victory.

None were better than the one which saw Musampa race clean through four minutes from time but, at top speed, the Dutchman could not keep his feet as he tried to round Carroll.

Zamora's first top flight goal - well taken after he rounded David James and tucked the ball into the net following an incisive reverse pass by Yossi Benayoun - caused a few heart scares among the home support.

But anything other than a home win would have been a rank injustice.

Get Your Kits Out verdict - another good win but also one well worth watching

Teams

Man City James, Mills, Onuoha, Distin, Jordan, Reyna, Barton, Ireland (Croft 81), Musampa (Jihai 87), Cole, Vassell.

Subs Not Used: Sommeil, Sibierski, De Vlieger.

Booked: Musampa, Jordan.

Goals: Cole 18, 56.

West Ham Carroll, Repka (Dailly 45), Gabbidon, Ferdinand, Konchesky, Benayoun, Mullins, Reo-Coker, Etherington (Newton 82), Sheringham (Zamora 67), Harewood.

Subs Not Used: Bellion, Hislop.                 Return to Main Page           Home Page

Goals: Zamora 90.

Att: 43,647

Ref: M Clattenburg (Co Durham).
 
Man City 2 Everton 0        Late goals in early ko
Sunday 2nd October 2005 : Get Your Kits Out at the COMSTAD - Kick off - 11:15am

Everton boss David Moyes admitted he might have to rebuild his rock-bottom Everton side - after Danny Mills' 25-yard cracker sent them to their sixth defeat in seven Premiership games.

Right-back Mills surged through to reward the hosts' second-half superiority on 72 minutes.

And Darius Vassell added flattering gloss in stoppage time to end City's run of three straight defeats with a frenetic victory.

Moyes said: "It is too early to talk about relegation.

"We will find out who can handle it, the ones who have enough to take the ball under pressure, who can carry on playing and doing the right things and we are beginning to see the ones who can't.

"It is not about me, it is about Everton - and we all have to do much better.

"The boys lack confidence. I have had these tests before and I will have them again in the future. It is something we all have to deal with.

"You should find out more about people in adversity but I have been saying that for three or four weeks now."

Everton snatched the fourth Champions League spot this season - but now Mills is hoping City can revive their own Euro dream.

He said: "It was nice to score - but more importantly the team's won.

"We needed to get back to winning ways and we were disappointed to lose the last three games.

"We played exceptionally well against Bolton and couldn't score - and then we've lost to Doncaster and Newcastle. But we've been working hard and doing the right things.

"We are going in the right direction and we bounced back. This is all about the team."

Yet, for the drab first hour at least, Everton must have thought they would earn a draw or more.

That hope was shattered by Mills' first goal for three years as he latched on to Lee Croft's square pass to drill a right-footer in the top corner.

Everton rallied commendably, Kevin Kilbane almost levelling before City defender Sylvain Distin magnificently cleared off his line.

But City striker Vassell shot home from close range to send David Moyes' men into the international break two points adrift at the foot of the table.

If life could not get any worse the Scot could also fear a tap on the shoulder from the FA.

They may want to look at the video of Phil Neville apparently lashing out with his boot at Croft - unseen by referee Mark Halsey.

The pulsating finish was a stark contrast to what had gone before.

The earliest kick-off in Premiership history left supporters of a religious disposition with a straight choice between football and church.

Those who chose the former found little in the way of spiritual guidance in a dreadful first half.

If events at The Valley and Craven Cottage yesterday offered counter evidence to the argument of a boring Premiership, this dismal fare backed up every claim which has been made.

The most noteworthy incident - before Halsey brought merciful relief with his half-time whistle - came before the game had even started when Claudio Reyna pulled out with a neck injury.

It forced City boss Stuart Pearce, bidding to arrest his own mini-slump after three successive defeats, into playing Joey Barton even though the tenacious midfielder was not fully fit.

Typically, though, Barton responded to the challenge and was in the middle of most of the cut and thrust around the halfway line.

So too was Neville, the United old boy receiving a predictably warm reception on his return to Manchester.

Neville was eager to make his mark and did so with a couple of searing tackles.

But it was Joseph Yobo who followed through another forceful challenge on Barton by smacking the City man on the nose, leaving blood running down his face.

The reason for Everton's present plight is clear.

Moyes' side were hardly free-scoring last season, but one league goal in six previous starts is a sorry record in anyone's book.

And it needs immediate attention if the Merseysiders are to prevent a relegation battle.

Tim Cahill did so much to deliver last season's fourth-placed finish, including the winner in the corresponding fixture.

But as with the rest of his side, the Australian's goals have dried up this term.

Cahill did find the net during that poor opening period, only to have the effort ruled out for offside.

The midfielder also had the most meaningful shot, although David James collected with ease.

It was more than City could muster, even with Andy Cole back after his recent hamstring trouble.

Only once did Cole look like breaking free of the shackles imposed on him by Toffees captain David Weir, but even then the Scot quickly recovered his ground.

The former England striker had a bit more luck after the interval, smashing a shot into the side-netting as Kiki Musampa had done earlier.

Thankfully, Mills soon broke the deadlock.

Given Mills has previously scored only six Premiership goals, the former England full-back was an unexpected match-winner.

Kevin Kilbane came close to levelling within a minute.

But James produced his best save of the match to keep out the Irishman's angled drive - allowing Vassell to finish the contest with his third goal of the campaign.

Impressive young City midfielder Stephen Ireland said: "I was very nervous to start with - but once I got my first touch I was happy.

"All the players have encouraged me, and I'm very happy to get into the first team.

"If you're playing well Stuart Pearce will definitely give you a chance."

Mills added: "Stevie has shown some fantastic touches. He opened them up a few times and picked them off."
 

Man City: James, Mills, Dunne, Distin, Jordan, Musampa (Croft 63), Barton, Sibierski, Ireland, Cole (Jihai 90), Vassell.
Subs Not Used: Sommeil, Onuoha, De Vlieger.

Booked: Barton.

Goals: Mills 72, Vassell 90.

Everton: Martyn, Ferrari, Yobo, Weir, Nuno Valente, Osman (Davies 75), Cahill, Neville, Kilbane, Bent (Beattie 63), McFadden (Ferguson 70).
Subs Not Used: Wright, Kroldrup.

Att: 42,681

Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).

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