EPL week 35 - 19th April

• Author: admin
• Filed under: Premier League
• Date: Apr 20,2008

Carlos Tevez’s late strike at Blackburn Rovers means Manchester United retain the destiny of the Premier League title. The Argentine striker’s late strike after a Brad Friedel masterclass at Ewood Park levelled a Santa Cruz goal that looked to have given Chelsea control.

United are now three points clear of Chelsea and they visit Stamford Bridge next Saturday and can afford defeat should they win their other two matches.

Arsenal turned back the clock to cruise past relegation battlers Reading at Emirates Stadium 2-0 and keep alive their hopes of finishing as runners-up in the Barclays Premier League.

The Gunners’ dreams of the title and European glory have evaporated in recent weeks, but they dominated from kick-off, with recalled Theo Walcott producing another impressive display.

Fulham’s survival hopes were virtually finished off by a 2-0 defeat via Jermaine Pennant’s and Peter Crouch’s goals as Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez again sent out a virtual reserve side at Craven Cottage.

Benitez risked the wrath of Fulham’s relegation rivals by fielding another weakened Liverpool team in west London - a gift which Fulham snapped up almost a year ago with a 1-0 win that ultimately saved them from the drop.

Emile Heskey salvaged a 1-1 draw for Wigan for the second time in six days against visiting Tottenham, although their fight for survival is far from over.

Bolton’s win at Middlesbrough means the Latics are now just five points clear of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone with three matches remaining.

That means Wigan fans will not be allowed to rest in a time of the season famously described by Sir Alex Ferguson as `squeaky bum time’, although Heskey’s strike soon after Dimitar Berbatov had opened the scoring means another point gained for the Latics, rather than two dropped.

Gavin McCann snatched a dramatic winner as Bolton stunned Middlesbrough 1-0 to keep alive their hopes of escaping relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

McCann had been lucky not to concede a penalty for handball just moments before he stabbed home from close range with 59 minutes gone at the Riverside Stadium.

The result, which had seemed unlikely as Boro ran the visitors ragged in the opening 10 minutes, was enough to lift the Trotters out of the bottom three with Birmingham playing on Sunday.

Substitute Carlton Cole scored a late winner as West Ham made hard work of beating relegated Derby 2-1 at Upton Park.

Bobby Zamora had given the hosts a 20th-minute lead when he headed home George McCartney’s free-kick from six yards, but Tyrone Mears levelled for the rock-bottom Rams in the 64th minute.

However, Cole finished off a run and cross from Freddie Ljungberg in the 77th minute to give Alan Curbishley’s side all three points.

But the home fans were less than impressed and a chorus of boos rang out when referee Steve Tanner blew the final whistle.

Chelsea kept alive their Premier League title ambitions with a tense 1-0 defeat of Everton at Goodison Park.

Michael Essien’s first-half strike lifted Avram’s Grant side to within two points of league leaders Manchester United, and went some way to banishing thoughts of Monday’s lacklustre draw with Wigan.

Once again Chelsea were far from convincing however. Despite dominating possession they struggled to create clear-cut openings and were ultimately forced to cling on as Everton searched in vain for an equaliser.