Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Weekend
Adrenaline was running high at Old Trafford, nerves were pumping wild at the Reebok Stadium and Stamford Bridge had plenty of reasons to cheer and jeer:
Adrenaline was running high at Old Trafford, nerves were pumping wild at the Reebok Stadium and Stamford Bridge had plenty of reasons to cheer and jeer:
Top game: An intense encounter between bitter rivals made the match at Old Trafford the one worth watching most. Especially after all the furore Arsenal caused midweek in the Champions League qualifier against Celtic, all the eyes were on the players' and referee's actions and reactions. Everything and everyone was put under scrutiny.
Top team: Chelsea looked unstoppable with some beautiful fluent and fast play. It is only thanks to exemplary goalkeeping, Burnley did not end up thrashed by six, seven or even more. And this is the same confident and competent team that came to Stamford Bridge after they had beaten Manchester United and Everton.
Top player: It was a weekend of super-subs at White Hart Lane. Birmingham's Christian Benitez created most pressure and served for the equalizer. He was a livewire for his side. Peter Crouch was the same for the home side. He came on for an injured Luka Modric, who suffered a fracture to his leg. After missing a set of chances, the striker headed a free kick into the right corner of the net. Both players were crucial for their sides and the run of play, the home side ending up on top.
Top goal: Andrey Arshavin's super strike, a wonderful right-foot belter, which took the lead at Old Trafford, was the most crucial and decisive after just moments before that the Russian striker was brought down by Darren Fletcher and denied a penalty. Great statement to make and way to react and reply to that letdown by the referee. Steven Gerrard's bullet-volley from the edge of the box was just as breathtaking and opposition-silencing.
Top save: Burnley could have conceded dozens of goals if it were not for their goalkeeper Brian Jensen. Chelsea had 25 attempts, with over half on target, it could have ended up in a gate-crashing thrash, if the goalkeeper would not have been omnipresent and the top stopper he was on the day.
Top save: Burnley could have conceded dozens of goals if it were not for their goalkeeper Brian Jensen. Chelsea had 25 attempts, with over half on target, it could have ended up in a gate-crashing thrash, if the goalkeeper would not have been omnipresent and the top stopper he was on the day.
Top manager: Alex Ferguson must have said something right at half time, because United were a different side in the second half. They started the match holding off Arsenal, being chased around and laboured, not creating anything themselves. The second half, they put on the pressure and thereby made Arsenal slip up and give the match away. It was not the best and most convincing way of winning, but in the end, Ferguson got three points out of it and that is the main thing, especially against thier main rivals.
Flop game: Blackburn's goalless draw against West Ham was a wretched match, but the only disappointment of the weekend.
Flop team: Arsenal could not have been more hypocritical. They were the side on top, dominating the home side. Then they started to slip and give the match away with an own goal out of nowhere and stupid, stupid, stupid fowling, diving and whining.
Flop player: Emmanuel Eboue's dive, after everything that has happened in the last week, discredited and disrespected him and his side in my eyes. It was just plainly stupid and it has nothing to do in football, a supposed man's game.
Flop goal: Abou Diaby's own goal off a United counter attack started off the crumbling of Arsenal's cookie. The class performance and dominance could have hardly ended more ugly and stupid, with not much influence of the opposition.
Flop manager: Arsene Wenger and his antiques for the press and opposing fans to thrive on, just summed up the day for Arsenal. His and his side's childish actions and reactions look everything else but professional and will hardly make them champions or even win a case like the one against Eduardo. They have drawn a contrasting sad picture of themselves after starting the season with some beautiful football.
My Predictions - Actual Results
Blackburn 0:1 West Ham - 0:0
Bolton 0:2 Liverpool - 2:3
Chelsea 2:1 Burnley - 3:0
Man Utd 1:2 Arsenal - 2:1
Stoke 3:0 Sunderland - 1:0
Tottenham 2:0 Birmingham - 2:1
Wolves 0:1 Hull City - 1:1
Aston Villa 0:1 Fulham - 2:0
Everton 0:2 Wigan -2:1
Portsmouth 0:1 Man City - 0:1
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