English Premier League – Match Recaps – 18 August 2012
Fulham thrashed Norwich, Swansea crushed QPR, Sunderland held Arsenal, and Newcastle edged Spurs in the English Premier League on August 18, 2012. Other results include West Brom cruising past Liverpool, Reading rallying for a draw, and West Ham winning their season opener.
Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Arsenal dominated possession and chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. They had 70% of possession and 23 shots but only three were on goal. One of the best chances for the Gunners was late in the second half when Olivier Giroud was free in the box but sent the shot wide of goal.
Fulham 5-0 Norwich City
Fulham put away the distraction of Clint Dempsey to cruise towards a great opening round victory. Mladen Petric led the way with two goals while Damien Duff, Alexander Kancaniklic, and Steve Sidwell scored the others. One Fulham took the lead, it was a very one-sided match with Norwich City struggling to defend.
| 26′ | Damien Duff | 1 – 0 | |
| 40′ | Mladen Petric | 2 – 0 | |
| 53′ | Mladen Petric | 3 – 0 | |
| 65′ | Alexander Kacaniklic | 4 – 0 | |
| 87′ | Steve Sidwell (pen) | 5 – 0 |
Queens Park Rangers 0-5 Swansea City
Swansea surprised many with braces from Miguel Perez Cuesta and Nathan Dyer to get the three points. QPR barely escaped relegation last season and many are predicting similar results this season. The home side actually had a great chance early but were denied by a great save. Swansea pounced on their opportunities and will be aiming for a top half finish with new manager Michael Laudrup.
| 7′ | 0 – 1 | Miguel Pérez Cuesta | |
| 52′ | 0 – 2 | Miguel Pérez Cuesta | |
| 62′ | 0 – 3 | Nathan Dyer | |
| 70′ | 0 – 4 | Nathan Dyer | |
| 81′ | 0 – 5 | Scott Sinclair |
Reading 1-1 Stoke City
Stoke City took a first half lead but a second half red card allowed Reading to equalize in the 90th minute. Stoke were a bit fortunate on their goal as goalkeeper Adam Federici should have made the save. Dean Whitehead was sent off for a poor challenge inside the box and Adam Le Fondre converted the ensuing penalty kick to make it 1-1. It’s a good result for Reading who will need to consistently get result at home to avoid relegation.
| 34′ | 0 – 1 | Michael Kightly | |
| 87′ | Dean Whitehead (red card) | ||
| 90′ | Adam Le Fondre (pen) | 1 – 1 |
West Bromwich Albion 3-0 Liverpool
The Baggies took a late first half lead and never looked back as they won their season opener. Gera’s goal was a magnificent strike following the corner kick while Peter Odemwingie converted a penalty kick and Lukaku headed in a cross. Any chance of a Liverpool comeback was halted when Daniel Agger was sent off in the 57th minute. It’s likely going to be a tough season for Liverpool who will have aspirations of a top four finish.
| 43′ | Zoltan Gera | 1 – 0 | |
| 57′ | Daniel Agger (red card) | ||
| 59′ | Shane Long (pen miss) | ||
| 64′ | Peter Odemwingie (pen) | 2 – 0 | |
| 76′ | Romelu Lukaku | 3 – 0 |
West Ham United 1-0 Aston Villa
Newly promoted side West Ham United started the season strong with a solid home victory. The goal was from Kevin Nolan after a free kick was not cleared by the Villa defense.
| 40′ | Kevin Nolan | 1 – 0 |
Newcastle United 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
The Magpies never trailed in the match as Hatem Ben Arfa converted an 80th minute penalty to get the win. Spurs were the stronger side in the first half but Newcastle improved in the second half. Demba Ba picked up where he was last season with a great curling shot but Spurs did equalize when Jermain Defoe tapped in a rebound. Ben Arfa would draw a penalty four minutes later and convert it to give his side a 2-1 lead. Both teams are expected to be fighting for a Europa/Champions League spot.
| 53′ | Demba Ba | 1 – 0 | |
| 76′ | 1 – 1 | Jermain Defoe | |
| 80′ | Hatem Ben Arfa (pen) | 2 – 1 |
