Tuesday 13 September 2011

Week 4: Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Week

This week saw enough Manchester goals again, plenty of penalty controversy, missed and given, with the referees being accused of being the main offenders (as always, nothing new there):

Sergio Aguero (right) celebrates scoring his second goal against WiganTop game: Manchester will be in a very good mood once again after this weekend, both teams having a bash, the games going and ending in obvious fashion, the results not suprising. Liverpool's draw against Stoke was very competitive, entertaining and had all the controversy and temperaments a good game needs (Luis Suarez by name).

Wayne Rooney is praised by his team-mates after bagging a hat-trick Top team: The two teams from Manchester ruled the show yet again. With (only) eight goals between them this time round (it could have been 10, 11, 12,...), they top the Premier League with plenty of points (100% record of 12 points each, two ahead of Chelsea in third place), goals (33 between them, United three ahead of City, lightyears ahead of everyone else, Chelsea and Bolton come closest with 14 goals between them), stars (Wayne Rooney and Sergio Aguero leading the way with their hat-tricks) and flare. Can anyone or anything stop them?!

Wayne Rooney spins away after scoring past Bolton Top player: With successive hat-tricks and equaling Bobby Charlton's record for Manchester United, nothing and no one can get in the way of Rooney at the moment. He is just riding and smiling on top of everyone, the emphatic finish on the fifth goal against Bolton, the way he thumped it in from the edge of the box just shows how much he is enjoying it.

Blackburn's Ruben Rochina scores the openerTop goal: The strike that put Blackburn ahead out of nowhere against Fulham on Sunday was a nice one. Ruben Rochina powered an unstoppable brive into the roof of the net from the edge of the box, goal, thank you, full stop. Stiliyan Petrov's equaliser for Aston Villa against Everton was a fantastic shot too, from outside the box, giving the goalkeeper no chance whatsoever. Sweet.

Top news: Champions League group stage kicking off with all four English teams still in the battle.

Jon Walters celebrates scoring against LiverpoolFlop game: Tottenham's 2-0 win at Wolves was nothing too riveting, so too the 0-0 draw between QPR and Newcastle. Liverpool will be wondering how the hell they got nothing out of their game at Stoke. Stoke showed great resilience under attack constantly and consistenty, keeping bodies everyhwere. But the referee Mark Clattenburg helped them with his controversial decisions, giving them a penalty (Jamie Carragher did have his left arm wrapped around Jonathan Walters), whilst denying Liverpool any such thing (two hand balls not given), leaving King Kenny not amused.

Flop team: Blackburn manager Steve Kean is under a lot of pressure, many fans calling for his head, his side at the bottom of the table and still waiting for their first win this season. They did get a point against Fulham but were lucky, Paul Robinson pulling off some great saves. The match ended in unsavoury fashion after Mark Schwarzer and David Hoilett clashed heads in stoppage time, with the latter forced off the field on a stretcher wearing a neck brace, a picture which summarises his manager's and team's state at the moment too well.

Flop player: Gabriel Tamas was a very lucky man after his late swinging arm which gave James Vaughan a bloody face was not spotted and penalised by referee Mark Halsey. Norwich were understandably furious. West Brom won't complain after they got away with all three points and their second clean sheet under Roy Hodgson after Peter Odemwingie had scored the quickest goal in the Premier League season so far (3. minute).

Flop goal: The way Andrey Arshavin was presented with a goal by Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm is one of those bloopers you will find on your best and worst of football DVD. The Dutch keeper took the ball to prevent a corner, threw it onto one of his players who didn't have a clue what was going on as he had his back to him, for it to deflect off him, Arshavin to swoop in and net it, thank you and goodbye.

Flop news: It's because of men like Hodgson why football was, is still and will stay years behind every other sport not accepting new technology into the game, sad! Are you telling me Tamas didn't deserve any punishment?

My predictions - Actual results
Arsenal 3:0 Swansea - 1:0
Everton 2:2 Aston Villa - 2:2
Man City 4:0 Wigan - 3:0
Stoke 1:2 Liverpool - 1:0
Sunderland 1:3 Chelsea - 1:2
Wolves 1:0 Tottenham . 0:2
Bolton 1:4 Man Utd - 0:5
Norwich 1:1 West Brom - 0:1
Fulham 2:1 Blackburn - 1:1
QPR 0:2 Newcastle - 0:0

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