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ekansekans's blog: "df"

created on 10/29/2012  |  http://fubar.com/df/b351055

Added-Time takes a look back at Week 9 of the English Premier League season to get you caught up on all the important results, stories and moments. This week saw a wild back-and-forth battle between Chelsea and Manchester United as well as Arsenal and Man City snatching victories with just a single goal.. STORIES OF THE WEEK Sundays table-topping clash between Chelsea and Manchester United promised to be one of the highlight matches of the early season and it did not disappoint in terms of entertainment value. Seeking their first win at Stamford Bridge in 10years, the Reds stormed out of the gate and staked themselves to a shocking 2-0 lead after a David Luiz own-goal in the fourth minute was followed in the 12th by Robin van Persies seventh goal of the campaign. However, the tide would turn just before the half as Juan Mata converted a stunner from a set piece just outside the United penalty area. Chelsea came out strong in the second half as well, equalizing on a Ramires header in the 53rd. The pitch would tilt again, though, in the 62nd minute when Branislav Ivanovic was shown a straight red for taking down Ashley Young with a clear path to goal. A 10-man Chelsea would further be reduced in the 68th minute when referee Mark Clattenburg showed Fernando Torres – already playing on a yellow card – a second yellow for diving. United would eventually crack the nine-man Chelseas defences with a goal from Javier Hernandez in the 75th minute, despite video evidence that Chicharito was offside prior to scoring. The victory bunched the top teams in the Premiership, leaving just a single point between the two Manchester clubs in second and third. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said after the match that Torres had only himself to blame for the ejection. "Did he intend to dive? He could have gone on," Ferguson told reporters. "I think its his own fault. He had already been booked." Chelsea, meanwhile, pointed the finger squarely at Clattenburg and accused the official of using inappropriate language towards their players during the match. The FA has opened up an investigation into the incident. City did its part to keep up with the leagues top clubs, too. They topped Swansea 1-0, despite their opponents being much the better team in the first hour in front of the Etihad crowd. Michu broke in alone and put one past Joe Hart in the 37th minute but was clearly offside on his run. He would break in again in the 40th, but Hart would prove why hes one of the leagues best keepers, storming off his line to block the opportunity. Carlos Tevez would make the Swans pay for their misses, though, scoring a stunning goal from distance into the bottom left corner in the 61st minute. The result was less than convincing from the defending champs, who may still have been smarting from a Champions loss to Ajax. Still the win brought them level with United, though the Citizens sit one win behind. Swansea certainly felt they deserved better. "We deserved a point," manager Michael Laudrup told The Guardian. "They didnt create really big chances, we had the best ones." Arsenal was able to rebound from an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Norwich the week prior, getting the lone goal in their match with Queens Park Rangers. However, it, too, was hardly done in a convincing manner. The Gunners were embroiled in a scoreless draw with the cellar-dwelling QPR before their cause was aided by Stephane Mbias foolish red card with just over 10 minutes remaining. Mikel Arteta would bang home the winner just minutes later, but it was hardly the prettiest goal of the season thus far. The victory allowed Arsenal to forget about the Norwich loss (as well as a Champions defeat to Schalke), climb back within a victory of the promotion zone and build up some positive momentum for next weekends visit to Old Trafford. RESULT OF THE WEEK The most surprising result and, certainly, the weeks wildest finish belonged to the 3-3 draw between Reading and Fulham. Fulham came in with a valuable opportunity to stay with the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Spurs below the league`s top tier, facing a Reading side that has still not claimed a victory this season. Despite conceding the opener in the 26th to Mikele Leigertwood, Fulham looked in control after getting goals from Bryan Ruiz in the 61st minute and Chris Baird in the 77th. But the final 10 minutes would be a struggle for both sides. Dimitar Berbatov`s 88th-minute marker appeared to atone for Garath McCleary`s late mark after a scramble in the Fulham box. However, Reading would make good on a broken play in the 90th as Hal Robson-Kanu snatched two points out of Fulhams pocket and prevented the Cottagers from pulling ahead of Arsenal. LOOKING AHEAD There are two EPL matches this week on TSN2, including the weeks marquee match-up. Arsenal visits Old Trafford for a date with Manchester United live on Saturday, starting at 8:45am et/5:45am pt. The second match-up of the week comes your way on Monday when Southampton visits West Bromwich Albion. That game can be seen live at 2:55pm et/11:55 am pt. Lastly, but certainly not least: TSN is happy to announce it has secured comprehensive rights to Barclays Premier League matches starting in the 2013-14 season. The three-year deal gives TSN and French-language broadcaster RDS media rights to half of all Barclays Premier League games through to the 2015-2016 season - approximately 190 games per season which more than triples its current EPL package. Cheap Jerseys . - Reliever Juan Carlos Oviedo stood outside the Miami Marlins spring training clubhouse Tuesday, eager to resume his career under a new name. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . The tournaments official Chinese-language microblog posted a message late Thursday saying: "This is regrettable news and we hope Serena Williams will get well soon. http://facialhairstyleshq.info/cheapjerseys.html . And with the NHL now in a lockout, its unlikely hell be getting contract offers any time soon. "(The long wait) is something that can be frustrating, because the unrestricted free agent market is a lot smaller this summer because of the lockout," said McArdle, a 25-year-old Toronto native who grew up in Burnaby, B. METAIRIE, La. -- When Ben Grubbs ventured into free agency, all signs pointed to New Orleans. The former Pro Bowl guard with Baltimore didnt even need to hear Saints offensive line coach Aaron Kromers recruiting pitch about the benefits of blocking for Drew Brees or how much other players have enjoyed working and living in the football-mad Big Easy. "I tried to sell him on coming here and he just said, Coach, Im coming. Lets just go sign the contract," Kromer recalled after practice this week. Grubbs grew up in Alabama and played at Auburn, and when All-Pro guard Carl Nicks left New Orleans during the same off-season in which Grubbs became a free agent, the opportunity to play closer to home and with a record-setting offence presented itself. "Im a Southern boy, so I fit right in. I feel like Im at home," said Grubbs, who signed a five-year, $36 million contract in March. "From top to bottom, the Saints are a first-class organization -- good coaches, good players. It was similar to Baltimore. Thats why I made that decision." Personally, Grubbs expects New Orleans to suit him well. He loves sea food, particularly char-broiled oysters. "The food here is ridiculous, man," the 6-foot-3, 310-pound Grubbs said. "You can throw a rock and hit a good restaurant." Grubbs settled in a quiet suburban neighbourhood along the Mississippi River where he can ride his bike on the levee. He also enjoys live music, of which there is no shortage in New Orleans on any night of the week. The real question is how well Grubbs will take the place of Nicks, who outweighs him by about 50 pounds. "Ben Grubbs was the next best guard in the league, by far, when free agency started," Kromer said. "It wasnt close. If Ben would have chosen another team, it would have been a huge drop-off. I really feel that other than weight, that Ben is a very qualified substitute for Carl Nicks. The difference is he hasnt played with our guys." In Baltimore, Grubbs was part of an offence that revolved around a running game that is spearheaded by Ray Rice. In New Orleans (No. 9 in the AP Pro32), everything runs through Brees, who passed for a single-season record 5,476 yards last season. There is a ton of pressure on the guards to hold firm at the line of scrimmage on pass plays so Brees can step up in the pocket, while the Saints offensive tackles funnel opposing defensive ends wide. "In the past, weve done a good job of that, playing physical insidde," Kromer said.dddddddddddd "So what Ben is now adapting to is that whole inside presence, making sure that next to the centre is solid and nothing leaks inside." Grubbs said hes still adjusting to the change in schemes during the early stages of training camp, still thinking on the field a little more than he would like instead of performing instinctively. "I had to switch gears. We were a run-first offence (in Baltimore). Everything revolved around Ray Rice. We had a hell of a fullback in Vonta Leach and we passed second," Grubbs said. "I would like to call this offence balanced. Any day, you could pick what you want to do." While the Saints offence is generally associated with Brees record-setting passing numbers, there are also four good running backs -- Darren Sproles, Pierre Thomas, Mark Ingram and Chris Ivory -- who have combined to help New Orleans rise among the leaders in rushing in recent seasons. "The arsenal of running backs is amazing. And when youve got Drew behind you, all youve got to do is protect for him and hell make the passes," Grubbs said. The Saints already know how well Grubbs can run block. How well he protects Brees will hinge on the chemistry he develops with centre Brian de la Puente and left tackle Jermon Bushrod, Kromer said. "The biggest thing with a new offensive lineman is adapting to the guy next to you," Kromer said. Bushrod and Grubbs already had a relationship before Grubbs arrived. They both entered the NFL in 2007 and had trained together. "Hes a good dude, man. Im excited about the opportunity we have this year, he and I playing beside each other," Bushrod said. "It sucks we lost Carl, and he deserved to get what he did. But we brought Ben in. Hes a good guy and were excited about it." Notes: Brees said he meant no disrespect to Commissioner Roger Goodell when he told a magazine that players have trouble trusting Goodell in the wake of the leagues bounty investigation. "I was asked direct questions about how the players felt and I gave a very honest and direct answer," Brees said. "It was blown out of proportion a little bit when people said I was bashing the commissioner. That was not the case. That was all I said and I really have nothing else to say about it." ... The Saints remained without first-team cornerbacks Jabari Greer (groin) and Patrick Robinson (shoulder) during Wednesdays practice. ' ' ' 

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