The Weekend Round up 11 & 12 Aug 2007

Click on the keepers names to see what gloves they wore this weekend.

By Danny Wright

The Weekend Round Up

The Premiership began in earnest this weekend, and it didn’t come a moment too soon as Danny Wright gives his thoughts on the weekend’s talking points…

Manchester United began their title defence with a frustrating draw at home to Reading, firing blanks against Steve Coppell’s resolute side. United’s lack of dimension in front of goal will raise an eyebrow or two, yet it will be Wayne Rooney’s injury that will be the main cause for concern – a suspected broken foot following a collision with clumsy defender Michael Duberry forcing the youngster to hobble off mid-way through the first half.

Marcus Hahnemann saved the Royals’ bacon with a fine display; meanwhile Tony Warner can hold his head high following a similarly heroic display in Fulham’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates. The same can’t be said for the Gunners Jens Lehman, who played a fine one-two with David Healy for the visitor’s goal. Birmingham’s Colin Doyle also had a game to forget, showing a good pair of lettuce hands to gift Chelsea two goals in their narrow 3-2 win at the Bridge in the Brummies first game back in the big time.

New boys Derby got off to a better start, earning an admirable point in a 2-2 draw with Portsmouth at Pride Park. The Rams may well have won the game had things been kept a bit tighter at the back, but you have to admire Billy Davies’ men for their endeavor. Sunderland had no such problems as they saw off Tottenham with a last gasp winner from former Newcastle man Michael Chopra in a 1-0 win at the Stadium of Light, record signing Craig Gordon keeping a clean sheet on his Black Cats debut. Roy Keane’s men didn’t look overawed by the occasion and will prove a handful for any side expecting an easy three points, which Spurs certainly found out as they limped to defeat. You feel Martin Jol’s mean will have to improve immensely if they are to realize their Champions League aspirations.

Elsewhere, Steve Gerrard was Liverpool’s hero once again as he fired in a last minute free kick to give the Reds a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, who looked like they had salvaged a point thanks to Jamie Carragher’s generosity, the colossus centre back handling needlessly to gift Villa a penalty which Gareth Barry stuck away with some aplomb. Blackburn saw off Middleborough 2-1 at the Riverside, as subs Roque Santa Cruz and Matt Derbyshire fired them to victory after Benni McCarthy suffered what looked like a serious head injury. Wishes of a speedy recovery go out to the Blackburn man, who was carried off sporting a neck brace and oxygen mask.
It was perhaps Bolton who were more in need of urgent medical assistance as they crumbled to a 3-1 defeat on Big Sam’s return with Newcastle, the former manager using the strategy he perfected himself at the Reebok to undo his former employers. Sammy Lee’s men will have to regroup quickly if they are to avoid further humiliation in the near