Top game: Liverpool's win over Manchester United was the most decisive match after the bad run of four defeats by the home side. Many have already written them out of the title race. However this season has shown, all sides have exploitable weaknesses, making the race more unpredictable. Liverpool certainly exploited United's weaknesses with their strongest performance of the season so far, most notable without their skipper Steven Gerrard and with a not fully fit Fernando Torres.
Top team: Liverpool showed their stamina, making United look like a mediocre side, staying tight at the back whilst exploiting gaps and breaks at the front, tormenting Rio Ferdinand and Nimanja Vidic. Stoke also did brilliantly against Tottenham, keeping a clean sheet and taking all three points from their frustrated opponents. Spurs will have wondered where all their chances went, 17 in total, all for nothing.
Top player: Fernando Torres was only 80% fit according to his manager Rafael Benitez but made a hell of a difference, ask Ferdinand and Vidic. Steve Simonsen got drafted in at short notice for Stoke due to illness of their first-choice goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen, but what a job he made of it, keeping Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane and Aaron Lennon out. James Beattie put his body on the line, too, to help out. Brilliant stuff.
Top goal: Torres outrun, -played and -mastered United, Vidic's and Ferdinand's frustration made obvious and defensive tactics flawed. Edwin van de Sar could only collect the ball from the back of the net once the Spaniard pounced on his team mates lack' of pace and coordination, after a brilliant break and cross by Yossi Benayoun.
Top manager: For once Sir Alex Ferguson conceded his team had been outplayed, Liverpool were the better side and deserved the win. But then he had to go on and put part of the blame onto the inexperienced referee Andre Marriner for overlooking a clear penalty and sending off. Liverpool had shouts against United, too, it all evened out in the end. But it would have been too good to be true for Ferguson to have nothing to complain about...
Flop game: In Portsmouth's goalless draw against Hully, Pompey were the better side but were not able to convert their chances in an overall poor encounter. It just showed why both teams have been stuggling and are in the relegation zone.
Flop team: Sam Allardyce called his side pathetic conceding five against Chelsea. They are facing Manchester United next, who will be coming firing in all guns blazing wanting to recover strongly from their defeat. Blackburn are fifth from bottom with just ten points out of nine games so far this season. They need to restructure and regain confidence somehow if they want to pull further away from the relegation zone.
Flop player: There were a lot of drama queens on the pitch again today, going down at every little hint of a touch instead of staying up, fighting for the ball and creating pressure, chances and goals. Dirk Kuyt and Carlton Cole annoyed me especially, very frustrating to watch talents falling to bits like that, the latter being awarded a penalty for it! Something has to be done to stop it, even if it means post-match suspensions.
Flop goal: Wigan's equaliser was a gift and came at a price on top of that, with Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen slipping when coming for Mario Melchiot's hopeful cross, leaving Hugo Rodallega with an empty net. It was painful and shameful to watch, but Wigan made a great recovery after that.
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