On Tuesday four Premier League games kicked off a full slate of midweek action, and we had some real drama in some slow burners across England and Wales.
Chelsea missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of the PL standings, while West Ham moved into the top half with a vital win over fellow strugglers Norwich City. Southampton went to Hull and won, while Aston Villa were thwarted by a stubborn Cardiff side in South Wales.
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So, here is some brief analysis, a recap and highlights from all four PL matches that took place on Tuesday.
Here it goes.
How did Aston Villa not win this game? They battered Cardiff for vast swathes of the second half and wasted several glorious opportunities to take three points back home with them. David Marshall made three fantastic saves, and he saved the best until last with a marvelous reflex stop from Andreas Weimann in stoppage time to hand the Bluebirds a point in their battle against the drop.
Saints dominated from start to finish at the KC Stadium, as Jose Fonte’s 70th minute scrambled effort put Southampton up to eighth in the PL standings and just two points behind Manchester United. Jay Rodriguez and Jack Cork hit the woodwork, while Rickie Lambert spurned some good chances for the South Coast club to stretch their lead. Hull worked hard but lacked an end product.
West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Chelsea
Chelsea looked to be heading four points clear at the PL summit thanks to Branislav Ivanovic’s opener right on half time… but a late equalizer from Victor Anichebe bagged a late point for the Baggies. Chelsea were dominant for the opening 60 minutes of this match, but then West Brom came storming back at a snowy Hawthorns to shock Jose Mourinho and give Arsenal and Manchester City the chance to go top of the PL on Wednesday.
West Ham United 2-0 Norwich City
An end to end game at Upton Park was decided late on, as the Hammers dealt a cruel blow to Norwich with efforts from James Collins and Mohamed Diame in the final 10 minutes. West Ham were holding on for most of the match, as their ‘keeper Adrian bailed them out on several occasions. The Canaries were their own worst enemies, as Gary Hooper and Robert Snodgrass were both guilty of missing gilt-edged chances. The Hammers are up to 10th with that win, while Norwich remain just two points above the drop zone.
