Week 1: Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Week

It wasn't the most riveting opening weekend in Premier League history with only 11 goals on the opening day, but it was certainly not the most boring with a lot of controversy as always, here are my picks of the week:

Top team: Without a doubt Manchester City run away with this award with the most convincing result and win after thrashing Swansea 4-0. But their rivals United impressed and showed why they are champions as always with their team performance although they needed that bit of luck to get the winner in the end, thanks to a Steven Reid who deflected Ashley Young's shot into goal.

Top player: Wayne Rooney - everything and everyone is revolving around him at United. Apart from his new hairdo, he is taking over the game and headlines for all the right reasons, dominating possession, walking all over the opposition and providing his team with crosses, chances, goals and with it wins and points. Champion indeed.

Top goal: Sebastian Larsson's stunner and equaliser against Liverpool. Ahmed Elmohamady's corking cross found Larsson, who was waiting and watching patiently before smashing the ball in with his right foot to make it 1-1 and let Sunderland grab a point at Anfield.

Top news: Queens Park Rangers have confirmed the successful takeover of Malaysian business tycoon Tony Fernandes.


Flop game: Obviously it was sad to see the Tottenham-Everton game having to be postponed due to safety reasons after the London riots, but, hey, rather safe than sorry. The most disappointing encounter after their 4-4 drama of last season was the 0-0 between Arsenal and Newcastle. They just didn't live up to last season's action-packed clash... Shame.

Flop team: Things could not have gone worse for QPR. After impressing so much in the first half, it all went downhill from there, from bad to worse to just embarrassing, especially the sending off of Clint Hill was the most stupid icing on the already horrible cake. QPR were certainly taught a hard lesson on Premier League football.

Flop player: Alex Song! The way he stamped on Joey Barton is unacceptable, no matter what his excuse is of what Barton might have done or said. It is not what I call sportsmanship! Good on the Premier League for acting fast and penalising and banning him accordingly and appropriately to show other players to not even think about spitting out with any kind of similar disgusting attitudes!

Flop goal: New United keeper David De Gea has enough pressure on him to fill Edwin van der Sar's shoes, but after he let Long's shot sneak under him which should have been an easy stop, all eyes will be on him even more. Every keepers nightmare. And can someone tell me why Andy Carroll's goal was disallowed, exactly? If that minute physical contact is deemed  to be a fowl, then there should be about 22 red cards in every game!

Flop news: Arsene Wenger, just stop denying and refusing to stand up and come out with it! Your main players ARE GONE (or in the process of leaving)!

My predictions - Actual results

Blackburn 3:1 Wolves - 1:2

Fulham 2:1 Aston Villa - 0:0

Liverpool 3:0 Sunderland - 1:1

QPR 1:1 Bolton - 0:4

Wigan 1:0 Norwich - 1:1

Newcastle 2:2 Arsenal - 0:0

Stoke 1:2 Chelsea - 0:0

West Brom 0:4 Man Utd - 1:2

Man City 4:0 Swansea - 4:1