Shocking Losses Dominate Final EPL Recap of 2011

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December 31, 2011, 10:38 pm
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Aston Villa displaced Chelsea, dropping the Blues into 5th place to close 2011. Today marked the last EPL match day of 2011. It included some surprising upsets which shook up the standings a bit. Four of seven results produced draws, but it was the losses that made headlines today.

Manchester United v Blackburn

Manchester United experienced a shocking loss to last place Blackburn. To add insult to injury, the loss took place on Sir Alex Ferguson’s 70th birthday, giving him little to celebrate as the year comes to a close. The result keeps the Red Devils in second place for the year behind their cross-town rivals. Manchester City pair up against Sunderland tomorrow.  Check out the in depth match report from United fan Kayla Knapp. Final score 2 – 3 at Old Trafford.

Chelsea v Aston Villa

A home crowd at Stamford Bridge watched in disbelief as Chelsea was unable to capture a win against middle of the table Aston Villa.

A Didier Drogba penalty kick gave the Blues their one and only lead of the game in the 23rd minute after a foul by Richard Dunne.  Five minutes later, Villa equalized as Stephen Ireland tapped in his own rebound to make it 1 – 1 at the half.

As the match entered the final 10 minutes, Chelsea feared they might be looking at their fourth 1 – 1 draw in a row.  Little did they know, a draw would have been a preferred result today.

In the 83rd minute, Stiliyan Petrov scored to give Villa the lead.  Only three minutes later, Darren Bent sealed the win, their first at Stamford Bridge since 2002.

The Claret and Blue have reason to celebrate their spectacular year-end result.  The three points breaks them into the top ten in a much deserved ninth place.

Chelsea has been displaced from the top four, allowing fifth place Arsenal to squeak into the number four spot thanks to their win today against QPR.

Arsenal v QPR

Robin van Persie can celebrate bringing in the new year with style.  His single, match-winning goal broke Arsenal’s record for most goals scored in a calendar year.
That record was previously held by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who will be on short-term loan to the Gunners in early 2012.  Henry was in attendance and probably thought van Persie would finish the game with multiple goals, given the many chances he had.
QPR looked most dangerous in the first 10 minutes, spurning a couple of decent chances. For much of the rest of the game, Arsenal dominated but even after RVP’s second half goal, the result remained in doubt as they could not score another.
All in all, a fantastic day for the Gunners as (with Chelsea and Tottenham dropping points) they entered the top four for the first time since the season began.
Check back later for a detailed match recap from UK blogger and QPR supporter Sophie Bowen. Final score 1 – 0 at Emirates Stadium.

Other Results from Saturday, December 31, 2011

Bolton 1 – 1 Wolverhampton

Norwich City  1 – 1 Fulham

Stoke City 2 – 2 Wigan Athletic

Swansea City 1 – 1 Tottenham

Tomorrow’s New Year 2012 Matches

Sunderland v Manchester City

West Brom v Everton

 Stay with Aerys Soccer for all your EPL coverage!

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