Chelsea fight back after Long hits target

Premier League round-up:Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long scored for the second straight week but yet again it wasn't enough to prevent West Bromfrom going down to defeat as Chelseafought back to win 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Florent Malouda spared Andre Villas-Boas’s blushes on his home debut as Chelsea manager with a late winner.

Malouda lost his place in the starting line-up but was brought on in the first half and came to the rescue by converting Jose Bosingwa’s cross with seven minutes remaining.

Villas-Boas had been heading for his first league defeat for more than 16 months when Long continued his dream start to life at Albion by giving them a half-time lead but Nicolas Anelka equalised with a deflected shot before Malouda pounced.

But Chelsea looked anything but title challengers and are in desperate need of the type of midfield inspiration the likes of transfer targets Luka Modric and Juan Mata would doubtless provide.

Alex McLeish was able to savour the applause of the Aston Villafaithful at the end of a convincing first home victory as manager as his side beat Blackburn3-1.

Goals from Gabriel Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey and Darren Bent also gave McLeish his first Premier League win over a fellow Scot in charge at his 12th attempt.

For opposite number in Blackburn’s Steve Kean, it has been an eight days to the start of the season to forget, with back-to-back losses sandwiching a court appearance in which he was banned from driving for 18 months for drink driving.

A difficult week off the pitch for Evertonwas matched on it as their delayed start to the Premier League season began with a home defeat to newcomers QPR.

In the days preceding kick-off the Merseyside club had been in the news as their financial plight came under the spotlight once again.

So tight are the finances at Goodison Park - chairman Bill Kenwright admitting they cannot borrow any more money from the bank and desperately need a new owner - that manager David Moyes has not been able to sign anyone this summer.

With a number of senior first-teamers still not fully fit, Moyes’s resources were stretched even thinner and QPR - who this week were taken over by airline boss Tony Fernandes - took full advantage to snatch a 1-0 win.

Tommy Smith scored the goal just past the half-hour - securing their first points of the season - in what was probably the visitors’ only real chance to inflict Everton’s first home defeat since December.

It was also the visitors’ first top-flight away win since February 1996.

In fact, the last time QPR beat Everton 15 years ago they did so with the help of the likes of Ray Wilkins and Mark Hateley.

Goalkeeper Michel Vorm was the hero for Swanseaas he saved Ben Watson's penalty to earn the Welsh club their first Premier League point in a 0-0 draw with Wiganat the Liberty Stadium.

The Dutchman got down low to his right to make the stop after captain Ashley Williams gave away a 73rd minute spot-kick for a foul on Jordi Gomez.

It earned the hosts a point they thoroughly deserved after dominating large parts of the game, with Danny Graham having a series of chances and Scott Sinclair firing wide. But they also rode their luck as second-half efforts from Gomez and Victor Moses came back off the crossbar with Vorm beaten.