Benayoun gives Liverpool last gasp win at Craven Cottage
Israeli forward Yossi Benayoun kept Liverpool’s title hopes alive with a dramatic injury time winner as the Reds moved two points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premiership.
Despite battering the Fulham goal time and again, Liverpool failed to find the back of the net till substitute Benayoun hit the back of the net in what will go down as a season defining moment. Fulham, who stunned Manchester United in their last game, seemed to have done enough to come away with a point, but Liverpool produced another of those late goals that seem to have become a regularity with the club.
Manchester City were poor as they went down 2-0 to Arsenal, while Chelsea ensured that Alan Shearer did not have a happy start to his Magpies managerial career as they ran out 2-0 winners at St.James Park. Middlesbrough’s relegation woes continued as they were flattened 4-1 by Bolton Wanderers, with boss Gareth Southgate tearing his hair out in despair on the sidelines as his side defended like amateurs.
Stoke beat West Brom 2-0 as they picked up three valuable points, and West Ham’s good run of form continued as they beat Sunderland by the same number of goals.
Cole injury blow for West Ham
West Ham United’s European ambitions took a major blow after it was revealed that striker Carlton Cole would be out of action for six weeks due to injury. Cole aggravated his groin problem in England’s international friendly against Slovakia on March 27. He was a fifteenth minute substitute for Emile Heskey, but himself lasted only eighteen minutes before he was replaced by Peter Crouch.
With Cole out, Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola now has to do without both him and Dean Ashton. Midfielders Valon Behrami and Jack Collison are also on the long term injury list.
David Di Michele and Diego Tristan are the only front line strikers left at Upton Park currently. The loan window has also been shut, which means Zola cannot bring in somebody on a temporary basis.