Week 10: Premier League Tops & Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Weekend

WOW!

Everton dropped two goals and points late on at Fulham, David Moyes ruing missed chances and giveaways. However, I think he can be more than chuffed when he looks at the table, the Toffees sitting in fourth and Champions League qualification whilst the red side of Merseyside stay stuck in 12th. Ok, it is their fourth draw in a row, so, the local rivals are both struggling to find their winning ways. However, as long as they keep creating and dominating the way they do, I don't think there is too much to worry about (yet). They just need to learn to kill a game off. Yeh, I don't think that is the first time and they are the only sides that have heard that!

OMG!

Spurs fell hard to defeat against Wigan. They have enjoyed their fair share of success on the road under Andre Villas-Boas, including at Old Trafford in September, but at home they have looked second best, chasing the game and relying too much on counter attacks. Wigan exceeded on that and well done to Roberto Martinez's men for doing so!

TOP!

Swansea fought hard to draw against Chelsea. The Mark Clattenburg allegations made by the Blues were hanging over them like a dark cloud, which did not help them. But no discrediting the Swans. Miguel Michu and Pablo Hernandez were the top performers for the Welsh side and Michael Laudrup can be more than proud. After inheriting Brendan Rodgers' squad, the pressure was all-on the new manager. I don't think there is any doubt about the improvement Laudrup has made and the quality he has added to the side. Good on him.

FLOP! 

The Gunners saw Jack Wilshere sent off whilst Sir Alex Ferguson's men were lucky to keep all eleven on the pitch. Arsene Wenger was on the referee's case straight away accusing Patrice Evra of conning an "unbelievably naive" Mike Dean and also claimed RVP should have been sent off for a reckless challenge on Bacary Sagna in the second half. The Frenchman has a case with both arguments, however, it cannot cover up his side's shambolic performance and poor defending (Andre Santos and Thomas Vermaelen especially). It was only thanks to United's wastefulness in front of goal that the game did not end up like last season's epic 8-2 thrashing inflicted upon Arsenal.

HERO!

Luis Suarez was the saviour once again for Liverpool after hitting the equaliser against Newcastle. It was a fantastic goal indeed, the control the Uruguayan displayed followed by some exquisite touches concluding a sublime goal which spared his side another defeat. The more interesting it was then to hear Rodgers in the post-match press conference saying that will soon change. Is he hinting about the January transfer window? Rumour has it, Theo Walcott is one of the names at the top of the Reds manager's most wanted list. And if Wenger keeps denying his forward a place in the team, I think it would come as no surprise for him to leave and that would not be bad news at all for Liverpool fans.

ZERO! 

Only 158 seconds into the game, RVP scored against his former side in United's controversial win against Arsenal and then gave away his shirt to Santos at half time. To make things worse, he then, tellingly, did not take the Arsenal left back's jersey in return. First of all, since when do players swap shirts before full time?! And secondly, the Dutchman is not allowed to forget what the Gunners and Wenger (should) mean to him as it is the London club that established him as a top striker and made him what he is. He should respect that and show his respect rather than disowning them and living in denial.

*All images taken from the Sky Sports website's match reports

My Predictions => Actual Results:
Man United 2-1 Arsenal => 2-1
Fulham 2-1 Everton => 2-2
Norwich 2-1 Stoke => 1-0
Sunderland 2-1 Aston Villa => 0-1
Swansea 2-1 Chelsea => 1-1
Tottenham 2-1 Wigan => 0-1
West Ham 2-1 Man City => 0-0
QPR 2-1 Reading => 1-1
Liverpool 2-1 Newcastle => 1-1
West Brom 2-1 Southampton => 2-0

In case you noticed and wondered, I once again forgot to put through my predictions, hence, all games were set to 2-1 automatically...

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):

Top 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).

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?!

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.

Top 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.

Flop 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

Premier League Tops and Flops

Sports - Football - Premier League - Picks of the Weekend

Adrenaline was running high at Old Trafford, nerves were pumping wild at the Reebok Stadium and Stamford Bridge had plenty of reasons to cheer and jeer:

Top game: An intense encounter between bitter rivals made the match at Old Trafford the one worth watching most. Especially after all the furore Arsenal caused midweek in the Champions League qualifier against Celtic, all the eyes were on the players' and referee's actions and reactions. Everything and everyone was put under scrutiny.

Top team: Chelsea looked unstoppable with some beautiful fluent and fast play. It is only thanks to exemplary goalkeeping, Burnley did not end up thrashed by six, seven or even more. And this is the same confident and competent team that came to Stamford Bridge after they had beaten Manchester United and Everton.

Top player: It was a weekend of super-subs at White Hart Lane. Birmingham's Christian Benitez created most pressure and served for the equalizer. He was a livewire for his side. Peter Crouch was the same for the home side. He came on for an injured Luka Modric, who suffered a fracture to his leg. After missing a set of chances, the striker headed a free kick into the right corner of the net. Both players were crucial for their sides and the run of play, the home side ending up on top.

Top goal: Andrey Arshavin's super strike, a wonderful right-foot belter, which took the lead at Old Trafford, was the most crucial and decisive after just moments before that the Russian striker was brought down by Darren Fletcher and denied a penalty. Great statement to make and way to react and reply to that letdown by the referee. Steven Gerrard's bullet-volley from the edge of the box was just as breathtaking and opposition-silencing.


Top save: Burnley could have conceded dozens of goals if it were not for their goalkeeper Brian Jensen. Chelsea had 25 attempts, with over half on target, it could have ended up in a gate-crashing thrash, if the goalkeeper would not have been omnipresent and the top stopper he was on the day.

Top manager: Alex Ferguson must have said something right at half time, because United were a different side in the second half. They started the match holding off Arsenal, being chased around and laboured, not creating anything themselves. The second half, they put on the pressure and thereby made Arsenal slip up and give the match away. It was not the best and most convincing way of winning, but in the end, Ferguson got three points out of it and that is the main thing, especially against thier main rivals.

Flop game: Blackburn's goalless draw against West Ham was a wretched match, but the only disappointment of the weekend.

Flop team: Arsenal could not have been more hypocritical. They were the side on top, dominating the home side. Then they started to slip and give the match away with an own goal out of nowhere and stupid, stupid, stupid fowling, diving and whining.

Flop player: Emmanuel Eboue's dive, after everything that has happened in the last week, discredited and disrespected him and his side in my eyes. It was just plainly stupid and it has nothing to do in football, a supposed man's game.

Flop goal: Abou Diaby's own goal off a United counter attack started off the crumbling of Arsenal's cookie. The class performance and dominance could have hardly ended more ugly and stupid, with not much influence of the opposition.

Flop manager: Arsene Wenger and his antiques for the press and opposing fans to thrive on, just summed up the day for Arsenal. His and his side's childish actions and reactions look everything else but professional and will hardly make them champions or even win a case like the one against Eduardo. They have drawn a contrasting sad picture of themselves after starting the season with some beautiful football.

My Predictions - Actual Results

Blackburn 0:1 West Ham - 0:0

Bolton 0:2 Liverpool - 2:3

Chelsea 2:1 Burnley - 3:0

Man Utd 1:2 Arsenal - 2:1

Stoke 3:0 Sunderland - 1:0

Tottenham 2:0 Birmingham - 2:1

Wolves 0:1 Hull City - 1:1

Aston Villa 0:1 Fulham - 2:0

Everton 0:2 Wigan -2:1

Portsmouth 0:1 Man City - 0:1