Premier 10 Minute by Minute Review – March 22 & 23
It was another rollercoaster Premier 10 weekend as the top 4 went head to head on Grand-Slam Sunday and the whole of the North-East had something to celebrate as all three of their Premier League sides picked up important and in some cases surprising wins. There were also celebrations in Suffolk as the triple rollover was won by just one lucky player this weekend who picked up a cool £18,500 in the process! Here’s your minute by minute guide to when the goals went in either boosting or ruining your Premier 10 predictions.
FIRST HALF GOALS
6 MINS - Mark Viduka
NEWCASTLE 1-0 FULHAM
8 MINS - Yakubu
EVERTON 1-0 WEST HAM
12 MINS - Roque Santa Cruz
BLACKBURN 1-0 WIGAN
17 MINS - Marlon King (penalty)
BLACKBURN 1-1 WIGAN
31 MINS - Andre Bikey
READING 1-0 BIRMINGHAM
32 MINS - Tuncay
MIDDLESBROUGH 1-0 DERBY
34 MINS - Wes Brown
MANCHESTER UNITED 1-0 LIVERPOOL
45 MINS - Jason Roberts
BLACKBURN 2-1 WIGAN
SECOND HALF GOALS
59 MINS - Bacary Sagna
CHELSEA 0-1 ARSENAL
63 MINS - Roque Santa Cruz
BLACKBURN 3-1 WIGAN
64 MINS - Mauro Zarate
READING 1-1 BIRMINGHAM
68 MINS - Dean Ashton
EVERTON 1-1 WEST HAM
73 MINS - Dider Drogba
CHELSEA 1-1 ARSENAL
79 MINS - Andre Bikey
READING 2-1 BIRMINGHAM
79 MINS - Cristiano Ronaldo
MANCHESTER UNITED 2-0 LIVERPOOL
80 MINS - Darren Bent
TOTTENHAM 1-0 PORTSMOUTH
81 MINS - Nani
MANCHESTER UNITED 3-0 LIVERPOOL
82 MINS - Jamie O’Hara
TOTTENHAM 2-0 PORTSMOUTH
82 MINS - Didier Drogba
CHELSEA 2-1 ARSENAL
83 MINS - Michael Owen
NEWCASTLE 2-0 FULHAM
83 MINS - Michael Chopra
ASTON VILLA 0-1 SUNDERLAND
Arguably the biggest Premier 10 shock of the weekend came at Villa Park on Saturday as the Black Cats finally ending their away day hoodoo. The Villans have been on an indifferent run but were still backed by 85% of you as Sunderland had yet to win an away Premier League game this season. Unfortunately for you substitute Michael Chopra ended your hopes with a 83rd minute goal. However whilst there was misery for the majority of you, there was also great joy for the 4% who bravely predicted Roy Keane’s side could finally end their travel sickness.
Steve Bruce’s Latics side slumped to their first defeat in 5 Premier League matches on Saturday at Blackburn. Despite keeping 4 successive clean-sheets, a whopping 69% backed a home win for the Rovers. Despite having Christopher Samba sent-off in the 16th minute, Mark Hughes’ side ran out worthy winners. The match saw Marlon King score his first goal for Wigan albeit from the penalty spot and Roque Santa Cruz net 2 goals. The Paraguayan has now scored 5 goals in just 2 games with the Latics this season.
Bolton’s slow slide into the Championship continued despite gaining a point against Manchester City. A dull goal-less draw delighted 33% of you who backed that outcome correctly. However the 44% who thought City could build on a win over Spurs last week were left blue.
The Toffees wasted an ideal opportunity to put pressure on near neighbours Liverpool by drawing at home to the hard-to-predict Hammers. Despite taking an 8th minute lead through Yakubu, Everton failed to kill off West Ham and Dean Ashton’s second-half equaliser ruined the predictions of a staggering 80% of Premier 10 players. A mere 14% predicted a draw, which is unsurprising as the Hammers had lost their previous 2 away games 4-0.
Doomed Derby lost again thanks to a first half strike from Boro’s Tuncay. The overwhelming majority of you correctly predicted this result though 4% did have a cheeky punt on the Rams upsetting the odds. However it was the 85% who backed Middlesbrough who shared in Boro’s Turkish delight.
King Kev finally saw his Newcastle side win at the 10th time of asking. Despite this appalling run, 62% of you backed the Toon to grab all 3 points and goals from Mark Viduka and Michael Owen saw to that. Despite not winning away from home for 19 months 11% of you backed a shock Fulham win at St James’. The future suddenly looks far brighter on Tyneside as this win gives them a 6-point cushion from the bottom 3.
The Royals kept up their recent resurgence with a home win over troubled Birmingham. The victory was predicted by 51% of Premier 10 players but few would have expected Cameroon defender Andre Bikey to net his first goals since August. The 33% who backed a draw would have been delighted by Argentinean Blues forward Mauro Zarate’s 64th minute equaliser but it wasn’t to be, thanks to that man Bikey.
Totteham continued their impressive home run with another 2 goals to make it 43 goals scored in just 15 games at the Lane this season. However, Premier 10 players were made to wait until super subs Darren Bent and Jamie O’Hara both netted in the last 10 minutes. Despite an impressive away record Pompey were without a number of first team regulars including ex-Spur Jermain Defoe who only found out he was ineligible late Thursday night. The majority 54% will have enjoyed yet another tactical masterstroke from Juande Ramos with his significant late substitutions.
Grand Slam Sunday saw United pick up a convincing win over Liverpool as 62% of you predicted. However, was it not for Javier Mascherano’s sending off this match could have ended very differently. The Argentinean must’ve been avoiding the papers all week following the Ashley Cole fiasco and therefore paid the penalty for his constant moaning at referee Steve Bennett. Despite Liverpool’s 7-match winning run only 14% of you backed an away win and you were proved correct.
The Gunners title hopes took a crushing blow at Stamford Bridge this Sunday as Chelsea moved ominously into 2nd place in the table and emerged as United’s main rivals for the Premier League trophy. Despite losing just once all season, only 18% of you backed an Arsenal win. A high amount of you (40%) backed the draw but events at Old Trafford earlier in the day meant both sides had to push for a win. A Didier Drogba double in a nine-minute spell gave Avram Grant the respect he craves and 42% of you a perfect prediction that didn’t look possible when Arsenal had gone ahead with half an hour left.
So another weekend of Premier 10 matches has passed and the shocks are still coming thick and fast as we reach the business end of the season. Few of you predicted a Black Cats away win, who’d have thought the Toffees would throw away more home points and how can you anticipate the stupidity of the Reds midfielder Mascherano in such a big game. Well, one lucky Premier 10 player from Ipswich did and he’s £18,500 richer as a result. So if you think you can use your football knowledge to win you big money whilst watching the game we all love unfold, get predicting now and it could be your turn to celebrate!
Tags: Premier 10 review, Premier League
