Picks of the Big Derby Weekend

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Weekend

Champs: This week saw two crucial derbies go the home sides' way, two very crucial results in who will finish off in the top four at the end of the season. However, my pick are Hull City. They have impressed me very much lately. They are fighting on and I would find it very cruel if they would not be rewarded for their effort and team work and stay up at the end of the season.

Hero: Didier Drogba is for Chelsea what Wayne Rooney is for Manchester United and what Arsenal are missing: A star striker, a saviour scorer. The Gunners looked totally exposed once again, Drogba was unlucky not to leave Stamford Bridge with a hat-trick.

You Beauty! George Boateng's smacker from outside the box that made it 2-0 for Hull City against Manchester City was unstoppable, breathtaking and crucial. It was a huge win for the Tigers, their first in 11 matches and only the fifth all season. Mohamed Diame strike for Wigan was a stunner, too.

Has-Beens: It was dreadful to watch Portsmouth, sad to see them crumble, like crippled and petrified, numb and rigid, leaving Manchester United time and space to thrash and push them over without much effort scoring an own-goal hat-trick in the process, to make matters even worse. Worrying times for Pompey.

Zero: David James could not have had a more embarrassing appearance in front of the England goalkeeping coach Franco Tancredi. It was an easy ride for United, as Pompey did not pressurize, move or touch them much, leaving James to pick up the pieces - well, from the back of the net that is.

Ouch! The referee Martin Atkinson was everything else but consistent with his decisions at the Merseyside derby at Anfield. He sent Liverpool defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos off but let Marouane Fellaini and Steven Pienaar get away with similar if not even worse offenses. It was a typical rough and tough, brill derby match.

My Predictions - Actual Results

Bolton 2:1 Fulham - 0:0

Burnley 1:1 West Ham - 2:1

Hull City 2:2 Man City - 2:1

Liverpool 1:2 Everton - 1:0

Man United 4:0 Portsmouth - 5:0

Stoke City - 1:1 Blackburn - 3:0

Sunderland 0:0 Wigan - 1:1

Tottenham 3:0 Aston Villa - 0:0

Birmingham 1:1 Wolves - 2:1

Chelsea 2:1 Arsenal - 2:0