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Blackburn Rovers 2 Aston Villa 0

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Blackburn’s new owners had plenty to cheer about as a brace from Morten Gamst Pedersen gave them a 2-0 victory and ensured they made a winning start against Aston Villa.

Rovers, playing for the first time since being taken over by Indian company Venky’s, took the lead in stoppage time at the end of the opening period thanks to Pedersen’s delightful looping free-kick.

The Norwegian then struck again midway through the second half to wrap up a comfortable victory for Sam Allardyce’s side.

Venkateshwara and Balaji Rao, the directors of Venky’s, came on to the pitch to greet Blackburn’s fans before kick-off and received warm applause.

Morten Gamst Pedersen

Morten Gamst Pedersen

Once things got under way Rovers’ players seemed eager to please the new owners as well, with Jason Roberts sending a dangerous ball into the box in the opening few minutes that was cleared away.


Rovers snatched the lead just before the interval through a Pedersen free-kick, the midfielder curling a strike perfectly just over Brad Friedel and in.

The hosts appeared to be threatening another goal and in the 66th minute it duly arrived, Pedersen again providing the finish after getting his foot to Ryan Nelsen’s drive following a scramble at a corner.

Villa boss Gerard Houllier responded by bringing on Robert Pires in place of Stephen Ireland, the French veteran making his first Premier League appearance since 2006.

Blackburn

* 01 Robinson
* 04 Samba
* 05 Givet (Chimbonda 46)
* 06 Nelsen
* 27 Salgado
* 28 Jones
* 08 Dunn
* 12 Pedersen (Goulon 72)
* 10 Diouf
* 23 Hoilett (Diouf 64)
* 30 Roberts

Substitutes

* 13 Bunn,
* 31 Hanley,
* 33 Morris,
* 39 Chimbonda,
* 26 Goulon,
* 09 Kalinic,
* 41 Diouf

Aston Villa

* 01 Friedel
* 02 L Young
* 03 Warnock
* 05 Dunne
* 21 Clarkyellow card
* 06 Downing
* 07 Young
* 09 Ireland (Pires 69)
* 25 Bannan
* 28 Hogg (Herd 81)
* 11 Agbonlahor (Delfouneso 78)

Substitutes

* 22 Guzan,
* 30 Lichaj,
* 34 Lowry,
* 08 Pires,
* 27 Osbourne,
* 31 Herd,
* 14 Delfouneso

Tottenham 4 Blackburn Rovers 2

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Tottenham cruised to a comfortable 4-2 victory over Blackburn thanks to a brace from Gareth Bale and strikes from Roman Pavlyuchenko and Peter Crouch.

Bale put Spurs in front in the 16th minute with a firm header before Pavlyuchenko missed a 31st-minute penalty.

Pavlyuchenko made amends with a header four minutes before the break and Crouch added a third in the 68th minute.

Bale scored his second with a fine finish in the 76th minute before Blackburn substitute David Dunn and Gael Givet gave the scoreline a more respectable look for the visitors.

Ryan Nelsen

Ryan Nelsen

The home side had dominated the early stages of the game and took the lead with their first real chance, when Rafael Van der Vaart’s corner in the 16th minute was firmly headed home at the near post by man of the moment Bale.


Spurs were denied a penalty in the 24th minute when Luka Modric was upended in the box but referee Andre Marriner booked the Spurs midfielder for diving.

The hosts were awarded a penalty in the 31st minute when Paul Robinson was adjudged to have brought down Peter Crouch – but Roman Pavlyuchenko sent his spot-kick wide of the former Tottenham goalkeeper’s right-hand post.

Pavlyuchenko forced Robinson into another good save before making it 2-0 in the 41st minute. A typical Bale run down the left was followed by a cross to the far post, where Pavlyuchenko headed home unmarked.

Gael Givet

Gael Givet

Spurs had William Gallas to thank in the 61st minute when he cleared a shot from Morten Gamst Pedersen off the line. It was the Blackburn striker’s last act of the game as he was replaced seconds later by David Dunn

Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes saved Spurs again in the 66th minute when he denied substitute El-Hadji Diouf, with Spurs going 3-0 up two minutes later when Gael Givet dithered and Peter Crouch took advantage. Bale then grabbed his second goal in the 76th minute when he slipped the ball home from a cross by Alan Hutton, before Rovers rallied.

Defender Ryan Nelsen touched in Dunn’s 79th-minute shot and, after Younes Kaboul had cleared a Diouf effort off the line, Givet scored the visitors’ second with a thunderous 18-yard shot in the 89th minute.