Premier League round-up:Chelsea extended their winning start to the Premier League season into a third game with a 2-0 success against Stoke. Florent Malouda opened the scoring 15 minutes from the interval as the home side dominated proceedings.
They could have been 3-0 by the break as Thomas Sorensen saved Frank Lampard’s feeble penalty while Ashley Cole hit the crossbar. Stoke almost levelled when Glenn Whelan’s long-range rocket also rebounded off the bar but Didier Drogba converted a second penalty (77) after being tripped by Sorensen.
Tottenham suffered from a Champions League hangover as they went down to a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Wigan. Latics centre-half Steve Gohouri smashed the ball against the crossbar early on from Mauro Boselli’s knockdown but Jermain Defoe forced a wonderful save from Ali Al Habsi in a rare attack from lacklustre Spurs.
Wigan squandered two clear chances, Antolin Alcaraz somehow firing over from two yards and Jordi Gomez also too high with an effort while stretching.
But Hugo Rodallega (80) finally found the net, controlling Mohamed Diame’s raking long ball before his cross-shot bobbled beneath Carlo Cudicini’s dive. Tom Huddlestone was then narrowly off target before Younes Kaboul missed a glorious late chance for Spurs, heading wide of an open goal.
Blackpool and Fulham shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw as top-flight football made a thrilling return to Bloomfield Road. Bobby Zamora took his chance to impress watching England manager Fabio Capello when he benefited from a marginal onside call to head in Moussa Dembele’s cross (35).
Blackpool, though, were gifted a leveller when Stockdale could only parry Luke Varney’s cross-shot and John Pantsil swiped the loose ball wildly into his own goal (71) and Varney put the Tangerines ahead five minutes later with a well-taken goal, racing onto Charlie Adam’s defence-splitting through-ball and finishing first time.
But Dembele was again the provider as the visitors levelled three minutes from time, Dickson Etuhu galloping onto his pass to clip a superb finish over the head of Matt Gilks.
Blackpool’s fellow Premier League newcomers Newcastle also earned a draw after
coming from a goal down at Wolves. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake earned Wolves the lead two minutes before the interval when he brought down Jelle van Damme’s cross and lashed a low finish inside Steve Harper’s near post.
But in-form Andy Carroll levelled when he rose above team-mate Kevin Nolan to head Barton’s free-kick against the inside of the post and into the net (62).