LONDON, 3 October 2004 — Champions Arsenal opened a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League after a 4-0 thrashing of Charlton Athletic at Highbury yesterday.
With closest challengers Chelsea hosting Liverpool today, Thierry Henry scored twice as Arsene Wenger’s team kept up their momentum and stretched their record unbeaten league run to 48 games.
Arsenal have 22 points after eight matches, with Chelsea on 17, one clear of third-placed Everton who lost 1-0 at home to Tottenham Hotspur. Aston Villa drew 2-2 at Blackburn Rovers and Norwich City and Portsmouth also shared four goals at Carrow Road. Earlier struggling Southampton drew 0-0 at home to Manchester City.
Arsenal pair Patrick Vieira and Lauren started at Highbury following their midweek scuffle on the team bus after the disappointing 1-1 Champions League draw with Rosenborg Trondheim.
Wenger’s team controlled the match from the start and broke through after 33 minutes when Dennis Bergkamp squared the ball for Swede Freddie Ljungberg to tap in.
Henry then struck the cheekiest of goals three minutes following the break, back-heeling the ball into the corner of the net.
The Frenchman drove in his seventh goal of the season after 69 minutes when he and Spaniard Jose Antonio Reyes toyed with the Charlton defense and Henry set up Reyes for the fourth a minute later.
At Goodison Park, Spurs’ miserly defense held firm and French defender Noe Pamarot headed his first goal for the club after 53 minutes to seal the three points. The goal was against the run of play and Everton were unlucky, with Tim Cahill and Leon Osman striking the woodwork.
Jacques Santini’s team leaped six places to fourth on 13 points with victory.
At Ewood Park, Swedish defender Olof Mellberg snatched a point for Villa against Blackburn with an 80th-minute equalizer in their 2-2 draw. Czech midfielder Patrik Berger scored a screamer for Portsmouth at Norwich but the home side, still seeking their first league win of the season, earned a deserved point through Simon Charlton’s rare header.
Struggling Southampton looked toothless in their goalless draw with Manchester City and suffered a further blow when striker James Beattie suffered a suspected broken toe that could sideline him for several weeks.
In a late game West Bromwich Albion became the first of the three promoted clubs to win this season when they beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 to move out of the relegation zone.
Nwankwo Kanu and Zoltan Gera were both on target for West Brom while Stelios Giannakopoulos pulled a goal back for a disappointing Bolton who slipped to fifth.
Today, Wayne Rooney should make his league debut for Manchester United against Middlesbrough. Newcastle United visit Birmingham City.
Bayern Into Third With Win at Werder
Bayern Munich moved into third place in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 victory at champions Werder Bremen in yesterday’s top game.
Bayern took the lead with a headed goal from midfielder Michael Ballack in the 20th minutes. Substitute midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger doubled it in the 75th minute but Werder kept fighting and pulled one back with an acrobatic header by Germany striker Miroslav Klose nine minutes from time.
“We were well organized and were helped by the fact that Werder seemed to struggle a bit physically today,” said Bayern coach Felix Magath. “We’re now near the top of the table and we’re playing better football,” he added.
Bayern, desperate for a title after missing out last season, climb a place but stay four points behind surprise leaders VfL Wolfsburg, who held on to top spot with a 2-1 home win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Wolfsburg, who have now won six games out of seven, took the lead on 13 minutes courtesy of Argentina midfielder Andres D’Alessandro, the best man on the pitch. Olivier Neuville, now the league’s joint top scorer with Klose with six goals, equalized two minutes later but Wolfsburg defender and captain Stefan Schnoor hit the winner against the run of play with a header shortly before halftime.
“I have to say that Moenchengladbach were the better side but my players put up a combative performance and I’m satisfied with that,” said Wolfsburg coach Erik Gerets.
Werder, who sealed the title last season with a 3-1 win at Bayern in May, drop a place to fourth, six points off the pace. The northerners, who had not lost at home to Bayern in five years, looked tired put the visitors under sustained pressure only for a short spell early in the second half. VfB Stuttgart were in second place, ahead of Bayern on goal difference, before their visit to Arminia Bielefeld today.
Zola Helps Cagliari to Win Over Brescia
Gianfranco Zola was on target for Cagliari as they picked up their third win in five games with a 2-1 victory over Brescia. Former Parma and Chelsea striker Zola put Cagliari ahead from the penalty spot in the 13th minute, to claim his first goal of the season.
An Andrea Caracciolo header brought Brescia level seven minutes before the break but an 83rd-minute solo effort from Antonio Langella ensured victory for the Sardinians.
Cagliari forward Mauro Esposito and Brescia defender Davide Zoboli were sent off in the 89th minute.
Marseille Score First Away Victory of Season
Pre-season favorites Olympique Marseille scored their first away win in Ligue 1 this season when they beat promoted neighbors Istres 2-0.
The win brought Marseille to 16 points, one behind leaders Monaco, who host Nice in another Mediterranean derby. The game took place in Nimes as the Istres stadium has not yet been improved to Ligue 1 standard.
Habib Bamogo opened the scoring with a header in the 16th minute from a cross by former French international defender Bixente Lizarazu.
Laurent Batlles hit the woodwork two minutes from the break but Senegal’s Sylvain Ndiaye made it 2-0 in the 48th minute.
