Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Weekend
The Premier League served plenty of action and entertainment over the weekend, as always:
The Premier League served plenty of action and entertainment over the weekend, as always:
37 goals, of which 5 were penalties and 2 were own goals; 32 bookings, 2 sendings off - plenty of surprises, questions and realisations:
Top game: I had to pick the biggest surprise: Chelsea succumbing to Wigan. The Blues defence was uncharacteristically all over the place, giving Wigan's Hugo Rodallega time and space to create chance after chance and conceding a penalty against him to top it all. Sensational win for the Latics, their first victory against a top four side at the 35th time of asking.
Top teams: Liverpool and Tottenham rode the show with 11 goals between them, the fans definitely got their money's worth. It just looked too easy for them. They have to be careful though, they won't take their next opposition so lightly - Chelsea and Bolton respectively, both away, even if they are not at their best at the moment, they should not be underestimated.
Top players: Fernando Torres 3-4 Robbie Keane - both tormented the opposition's defence. Torres hit the target despite having three defenders and the goalkeeper around him. He knows his target and just cannot get strayed away from it, unstoppable. Yossi Benayoun was a brilliant provider for him, too. Keane was certainly back to his best. Burnley's defensive rues cost them dearly, Keane using and abusing them, top-notch.
Top goal: If he meant it or not, Steven Gerrard's curl-shot from the left outside the box into the right corner of the net was sensational and topped the dominant victory for Liverpool. Man United's opener against Stoke just showed how crucial Ryan Giggs still is for his side, even after 21 of his 35 years at the club.
Top saves: Arsenal's Vito Mannone made one great save after another, keeping his side in the match and hold on to the win in the end. How and why Fulham did not get anything out of the match, has the Italian youngster at the core. Fulham played really good with double the attempts on target against Arsenal. Stoke in stark contrast, never had a chance against United.
Top manager: Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti did not moan or complain about the penalty and sending off and did not try to excuse his team's sorry display and defeat with it. He lauded Wigan's strong performance instead and conceded his side's weaknesses. Rare honesty and great manager, although I am happy I was not in the dressing room after the match!
Flop teams: Wolves showed some comical defending against Sunderland, conceding five goals against a side that were everything else but stunning and top-quality. Two of them were penalties, one an own-goal; a team's, goalkeeper's, defender's and manager's nightmare! Chelsea were the same, all over the place, too, unrecognizable!
Flop player: Nani disappointed for United, not being able to time and place his crosses to provide and press the attack forward. Having been branded "the next Cristiano Ronaldo" when he joined the club in 2007, the Portuguese has only scored 12 goals in his 80 appearances, leaving a lot of doubts whether he is worth the £17 million the club was estimated to have spent on the winger. Great change by Alex Ferguson once again, with Giggs scoring seconds after coming onto the pitch.
Flop goal: The equaliser for Chelsea that snook through Chris Kirkland's legs is every goalkeeper's nightmare. Same for Keane's fourth and Tottenham's fifth that crept through Brian Jensen's legs - you just want to forget those as a keeper... Petr Cech would like to forget his day at work today, too, being sent off and conceding a penalty after letting his leg dangle foolishly and catch Rodallega, who created most of the pressure for Wigan, fowled and denied a goalscoring opportunity, no question about it. The Blues won't be looking forward to their next visitors that's for sure... Liverpool.
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