Wolverhampton 2 - 1 Man Utd

Below-par Manchester United fell to a first league defeat of the season as bottom-of-the-table Wolves proved that relegation is not a formality for them.

United led after three minutes as Nani drilled home inside the near post after turning George Elokobi inside-out.
But Elokobi headed in well soon after with United's defence sleeping as Matt Jarvis executed a short-corner routine.
Kevin Doyle then glanced in just before the break, after which the visitors failed to carve out any clear chances.
Not only will Wolves' hopes of avoiding relegation soar with a fine win that puts them just two points behind 17th-placed Wigan with a game in hand, but United's Premier League title rivals will be seriously buoyed now that their daunting 29-match unbeaten run is over.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson looked livid with his United team as they failed to usurp the record of his 1999 Treble winners with a display that deteriorated rapidly after Nani's early opener.
Though Wolves remain bottom by virtue of a lesser goal difference than Birmingham and West Ham, they have now beaten five of the top seven - United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Sunderland - this season.
United appeared to pay the price for the absence of in-form England captain Rio Ferdinand, whose calf injury suffered in the warm-up meant Jonny Evans was pressed into action.
Instant drama ensued as Wolves appealed for a penalty as Brazilian right-back Rafael swept away danger from Matt Jarvis with his upper body after 40 seconds.
But United took the lead soon after as Nani showcased the superior side to his inconsistent game.
Breaking into the right side of Wolves' penalty area, he played with Elokobi over and over while ignoring both Berbatov and Rooney as they lurked in the centre with arms aloft.
In a flash of movement he then sent Olokobi the wrong way before cutting inside to power a ruthless left foot shot past Hennessey at the Welshman's near post.
The visitors could have added an instant second, but Rooney screwed an ugly attempt high into Hennessey's arms after Berbatov cleverly found the unmarked England striker.
Yet United may have paid the price for overconfidence as they completely lost their concentration after 10 minutes to let Wolves back in.
As Jarvis took a quick corner Rafael jogged into his penalty area with his back to the ball with United utterly disorganised.
And when it was quickly returned to Jarvis, with United failing to mark up properly, his clean cross was met with a full-blooded header by former Colchester defender Elokobi - who had to stretch his neck back to add power - with Edwin Van der Sar well beaten at full stretch.
Rooney then just failed to find Berbatov as the strong wind took his searching long pass out of his strike partner's stride.
Berbatov, who has scored 13 goals in his past nine Premier League appearances, then brilliantly found space in box with series of effective flicks but his weak shot caused Hennessey no trouble.
But, after Nani went close with a 28th-minute free kick, Wolves dug deep into their resources to turn the tide as they began to control the rest of the half.
Impressive debutant Jamie O'Hara, on loan from Tottenham, nearly squeezed the ball home at the near post but alert 40-year-old goalkeeper Van der Sar improvised to kick the ball away for a corner.
Nemad Milijas nearly put Wolves ahead when his 37th-minute free-kick from 20 yards nearly crept inside stranded Van der Sar's far post, but the wicked deflection off Vidic's head took it just wide.
But his free kick three minutes later, from wide on the right, proved a crucial assist.
Wolves team-mates Kevin Doyle and Olikobi both battled to get a headed touch as the ball flew into the net, although Doyle insisted his was the last as they celebrated in front of the joyous home fans at Molineux.
United did have a chance just before the break but, with Ferguson fuming on the sidelines, Nani headed Rafael's right-wing cross over the bar.
Midfield veteran Paul Scholes replaced ineffective Michael Carrick for the second half.
But, for once, his enduring class failed to instigate a real sense of urgency for United although he did come close to connecting with an early low cross across the box.
Wolves, however, looked just as likely to extend their lead as United wasted the ball when well-placed in advanced areas.

Jarvis was a constant threat, and jinked well inside Rafael in the penalty area to work a smart pull-back for O'Hara.
But the midfielder needed more power behind his side-footer as Vidic cleared the danger.
Rafael then needed medical attention as he suffered an alarming-looking dislocated finger, although he was able to continue after it was reset.
Chris Smalling came on for injured Evans, before Mexican forward Javier Hernandez replaced Berbatov.
But Hernandez - United's late saviour on many occasions this season - could not work his magic as a substitute once more.
After O'Hara was replaced by Kevin Foley, seemingly to protect him from receiving a second yellow card, Nani then showed the more frustrating side of his character as he shot wildly into the crowd with a host of team-mates well placed.
And United's desperation became clear when Scholes handled - rather than headed - a late attempt to steer a cross past Hennessey, although the keeper made sure of the save as Wolves sealed the three points despite five minutes of added time.


nini/news.bbc

Saha hits FOUR to sweep Seasiders away

Louis Saha scored four and Jermaine Beckford was also on target as Everton came from behind to beat Blackpool in an eight-goal thriller.
Blackpool had come from 2-1 down to lead 3-2 with just over an hour gone of a frenetic Barclays Premier League clash at Goodison Park.
But Saha's third levelled the scores and he completed the scoring with his eighth goal in his last six games after a superb Beckford volley.
Saha had opened the scoring after 20 minutes and was angry to have another disallowed before half-time after Blackpool equalised when Alex Baptiste made sure Ian Evatt's effort crossed the line.

He put that right early in the second half but Blackpool roared back in characteristic fashion with goals from Jason Puncheon and captain Charlie Adam.
However, as has also been their way recently, Blackpool let their opponents back in and are now slipping alarmingly towards the relegation zone.
Blackpool boss Ian Holloway rang the changes as he tried to prevent a run of six defeats in seven league outings worsening.
Goalkeeper Richard Kingson was the biggest casualty of Wednesday's loss to West Ham as Paul Rachubka came in for his first league start of the season.
New signings James Beattie and Puncheon made their full debuts, while Evatt and Elliot Grandin returned.
But it was an unchanged Everton, with Tim Cahill available again but on the bench, who made the early running as the rain set in from the start.
The hosts won a free-kick in the first minute but the wall blocked Leighton Baines' shot and Mikel Arteta's follow-up attempt.
John Heitinga tested Rachubka when he robbed Grandin and tried his luck from distance, but the American saved comfortably.
Everton deservedly took the lead after 20 minutes as Diniyar Bilyaletdinov weaved his way into the area and picked out Saha, who confidently swept home from seven yards.
It was over half an hour before Blackpool got a serious sight at goal but Adam shot well wide from 30 yards.
Adam got another chance after Sylvain Distin was caught out by an awkward bounce and handled on the edge of the area. Adam's free-kick was blocked but the ball ran out for the corner which led to the 37th-minute equaliser.
Adam picked out Evatt at the near post and his shot may have crossed the line after striking the woodwork before Baptiste followed up to make certain.
Everton thought they had reclaimed the lead two minutes later when Saha touched the ball past Rachubka from a Seamus Coleman pass.
However, referee Kevin Friend had already blown his whistle for a foul on Coleman just outside the area.
Everton and Saha removed that sense of injustice within two minutes of the restart as the former Manchester United striker finished off a slick move to restore the lead.
Jack Rodwell fed Baines down the left and the full-back found Saha with a perfect ball into the area which was turned in at the near post with a first-time shot.
Baines almost added another soon after with a low drive from the edge of the area which he just dragged wide.
Rodwell looked certain to score after a brilliant touch took him past Baptiste in the area but he flicked his shot across goal.
Everton paid for those misses as Blackpool turned the game on its head with two goals in the space of three minutes.
The second equaliser came in the 61st minute after Heitinga lost the ball to Grandin 30 yards out, who quickly fed former Everton striker Beattie down the left and he cut inside to cross for the inrushing Puncheon to sidefoot home.
Before Everton had time to recover, Blackpool broke from deep to set up DJ Campbell on the edge of the area.
Campbell's shot was tipped onto the bar by Howard but Adam followed up to dive forward and head home the rebound.
A compelling game almost took another twist when Rodwell caught Rachubka off his line, but Evatt got back to make a brilliant acrobatic clearance.
Everton got themselves back level 14 minutes from time when Saha completed his hat-trick from a corner when he headed home from close range after a Distin flick-on.
The crowd called out for another and substitute Beckford obliged in the 80th minute when he raced onto another superb Baines cross and hit a fine left-foot volley past Rachubka.
Given what had gone before, Everton did not want to take any chances and surged forward to put the game beyond doubt with a fifth.
Saha showed some of the determination of old as he beat Adam on a race to goal and slid in his fourth.


Nini/mirrorfootball

Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal

Cheik Tiote's first goal in English football secured a remarkable point for Newcastle as they fought back from 4-0 down against 10-man Arsenal.
The Ivory Coast international pegged back the Gunners with a stunning 87th-minute volley after Joey Barton had scored twice from the penalty spot either side of Leon Best's fourth goal of the season.
Alan Pardew's men were in complete disarray as the Gunners raced into a 4-0 lead at St James' Park within the opening 26 minutes.
Goals from Theo Walcott, Johan Djourou and a Robin van Persie double looked to have wrapped up the points and allowed Arsenal to keep the pressure on Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United.

But after midfielder Abou Diaby had been sent off for furiously pushing Barton to the ground after a no-holds-barred 48th-minute challenge, Newcastle, roared on by a crowd of 51,561, pulled off the most unlikely of recoveries.
Life for Newcastle without Andy Carroll had got off to a bad start at Fulham on Wednesday evening, and the mood inside St James' was decidedly ugly by the time 10 chaotic minutes had elapsed.
Arsenal were breathtaking as their pace and movement left the men in black and white at times bewildered.
However, they met little resistance as a Newcastle side which had won 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium in November showed few signs of producing a similarly dogged display on their own pitch, even with combative midfielder Tiote restored to the side after his three-match ban.
The worry before kick-off had been that, without Carroll, now at Liverpool, and the injured Shola Ameobi, the ball would not stick in the final third of the field and that would invite pressure on to Newcastle's back four.
In the event, neither Carroll nor Ameobi would have made a significant difference as their side saw too little of the ball to worry the Gunners.
They did not see it at all in amid a red and white blizzard as Arsenal had the game under control before they had broken sweat.
Walcott had scored twice in a 4-0 Carling Cup victory on Tyneside in October, and he needed only 42 seconds to increase his tally as he ran on to Andrey Arshavin's pass and slid the ball past Steve Harper with Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson trailing in his wake.
There were less than three minutes on the clock when Djourou was inexplicably allowed to meet an Arshavin free-kick seven yards out, and his header flew in off the underside of the crossbar.
When Van Persie fired home a third goal from Walcott's cross in the 10th minute, a packed house settled down for what looked certain to be an agonising remaining 80 minutes.
The first chorus of disapproval aimed at owner Mike Ashley rang around St James' Park as the game restarted.
Wenger's men were simply irresistible, with Cesc Fabregas and Diaby dominating in the middle of the pitch to allow Arshavin, Walcott and Jack Wilshere to repeatedly run at the shell-shocked Newcastle defence.
Arsenal increased their lead with 26 minutes gone when Van Persie headed Bacary Sagna's cross home, and it came as a surprise that the scoreline remained at 4-0 when the half-time whistle handed the Magpies brief respite.
Van Persie might have done better after running on to Williamson's weak header and shooting wide, and Harper managed to turn the Dutchman's shot against the post in injury-time.
But the cracks started to appear after Diaby over-reacted to Barton's rugged challenge and pushed him to the ground to earn an inevitable red card.
Newcastle took the Frenchman's untimely departure as their cue to step up a gear, and they got their reward after 68 minutes when, after Koscielny had brought down Best inside the box, Barton converted from the penalty spot to at least give the more optimistic members of the Toon Army some hope.
Alarm bells started ringing for the Gunners when Best struck from close range with 15 minutes remaining, and when Barton drilled home a second penalty with seven minutes to play, a point was there for the taking.
Tiote saved the best for last when he lashed an 87th-minute left-footed volley into the bottom left corner to complete a remarkable repair job.
Kevin Nolan might even have won the game for Newcastle in injury-time, but that was a little too much to ask.

Adjie's remains buried at Jeruk Purut

The remains of celebrity-turn-lawmaker Adjie Massaid, who died last night after playing futsal, were buried Saturday afternoon at Jeruk Purut cemetery in South Jakarta.

His burial was attended by a number of top national politicians, including House of Representatives deputy speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, former House speaker Hidayat Nur Wahid and West Java deputy governor Dede Yusuf.

A number of local celebrities were also present at the burial ceremony, including Jamal Mirdad, Lidya Kandau, Ayu Azhari and Sarah Azhari, kompas.com reported.

Fellow Democratic Party politician Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, the youngest son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was given the first opportunity to scatter flower petals on Adjie’s grave, followed by Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi and Public Housing Minister Suharso Monoarfa.

Adjie died at the age of 43 and was survived by his wife, fellow Democratic Party legislator Angelina Sondakh, and three children.
He reportedly died of heart attack.


nini/thejakartapost