2011/12 FA Premier League - The story so far...

THE 20^th FA Premier League season is three months old and is already developing into an intense scrap for the championship, European positions and the battle to stay afloat in the top flight.  There has been some landslide scorelines, surprising stories and sorry struggles and it is time to assess how things are panning out so far.

The rise and rise of Manchester City

SHAKING: Manchester City set a high standard at Old Trafford

Last season, Roberto Mancini’s Manchester City went very negative in games against the top teams, but this season is a totally different story.  There might have been the well-publicised conflict between the manager and former golden boy Carlos Tevez, but the players have responded magnificently to the challenge of aiming to win the title that has eluded them for so long.  They ripped Tottenham to shreds, 5-1 in August at White Hart Lane, but the result that shook the football world came last week, when they routed Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford.  If that doesn’t mark City down as serious challengers, I don’t know what will.  Sergio Aguero is the signing of the season, Edin Dzeko looks a totally different player and David Silva’s football is on another planet.  Still unbeaten, Manchester City have set a standard so far that is proving difficult to keep up with.

Never write off the Red side of Manchester

Despite the 6-1 mauling by their city rivals, Manchester United look very strong in regards to the title battle.  He has gone off the boil since the moment of madness in Montenegro for England, but Wayne Rooney is almost back to his best.  Sir Alex Ferguson’s ability to give youth such as Phil Jones, Danny Wellbeck and Tom Cleverly a real chance in the first team has been a shrewd decision.  After some early season wobbles, David de Gea is beginning to look like a solid first choice goalkeeper, though he has some way to go to match standards set by Schmeichel and Van der Sar.  The 8-2 demolition of Arsenal and a masterful 5-0 triumph at Bolton highlighted United’s attacking threat, but they still look vulnerable defensively, as Chelsea proved and Manchester City showed to devastating effect.  However, seasoned campaigners often come through, so you’d be a fool to write off Manchester United.

Newcastle’s surprising start

Alan Pardew has brought together a brilliant team unit at St. James Park and the results speak for themselves.  Demba Ba is following in the footsteps of Alan Shearer in the famous No.9 shirt on Tyneside and they hold the best defensive record in the league.  Last night’s impressive 3-1 triumph at Stoke has taken the Magpies upto third place, still unbeaten and going remarkably well.  The Geordies fans will begin to expect now and although they still have some way to go, a tilt at the European positions would be daft to not rule out.  They have been a genuine and excellent surprise package so far.

AVB and Chelsea: The cracks begin to show

I criticised Chelsea strongly in the summer for their decision to hire the youthful Andre Vilas-Boas as boss instead of someone far more experienced.  Despite a promising start, which included a very open and expansive attacking line-up at Old Trafford, but ended in a 3-1 defeat, I fear the cracks are beginning to show.  Chelsea’s team is ageing and badly; the youth of the squad in the Mourinho era is long gone.  John Terry is at the centre of a race row for alleged comments he made to Anton Ferdinand during a bad-tempered loss at QPR.  Fernando Torres has shown signs of great form, but still is unpredictable to work out and discipline has been shocking, with four reds in the league already.  Defensively, they were totally exposed by Arsenal at the weekend, conceding five at Stamford Bridge in the league for the first time since December 1989.  Exciting to watch at times, but fresh new blood on the playing side is urgently required in West London.  Don’t be too surprised if Mr. Abramovich gets the chequebook out in January again.

Who is the leading light in North London?

DEVASTATING: Van Persie is in the form of his life in Arsenal's recovery

Both Arsenal and Tottenham made nightmare starts to the season, as they took heavy thrashings off the two rampant Manchester clubs, but there have been significant signs of improvement in North London.  Since losing 5-1 to City, Tottenham have won six of their last seven games, with Luka Modric looking back to his best and Emmanuel Adebayor proving an excellent loan signing.  Their 4-0 demolition of Liverpool in September was one of Spurs best ever Premier League performances.  With eight wins from nine in all competitions since woefully losing 4-3 at Blackburn, Arsenal have turned a corner, culminating in that incredible 5-3 win at Chelsea on Saturday.  Robin Van Persie is leading by example as captain and is in great goalscoring form.  I still worry for the Gunners if the injury-prone Dutchman picks up an injury, but Arsene Wenger’s youngsters have defied the critics.  Although a serious title challenge is unlikely from either side, both can’t be discounted in the battle for fourth place and that crucial Champions League chance.

Signs of recovery from Anfield

The last two years have been very bleak for Liverpool supporters, but Kenny Dalglish is slowly lifting them out of the wilderness.  Luis Suarez has shown his immense quality and that there is life after Torres.  Andy Carroll still has a lot to do to justify his hefty price tag but a morale boosting goal at West Brom on Saturday will do his confidence no wonders.  Despite Raul Meireles departing for Chelsea and Steven Gerrard’s constant injury troubles, the consistency of Charlie Adam and Lucas in the centre of the park has shown that the Reds are more than a one-man team.  A 4-0 nightmare at Tottenham aside, Liverpool have produced some excellent results, including away wins at Everton and Arsenal along the way.  Like the North London sides, a title tilt looks a long shot, but there are signs of promising recovery in the second generation of the Dalglish Anfield reign.

Great attacking from the newly promoted sides

All three promoted teams have come up and once again shown that the gap between the Premiership and the Championship is now not as big as some might think.  Swansea City’s home record is very impressive, with three wins and two draws, just conceding one goal in the process.  They sit in the top half and although I worry about their strength in depth, Brendan Rodgers has adjusted well to Premiership life.  So too has Paul Lambert at Norwich.  An expansive side, full of promising youngsters has scared the life out of Chelsea and Manchester United already.  Then, they took a deserving point at Anfield two weeks ago.  With excellent starts, both teams have a chance of staying up.  I reckon QPR have the best squad out of the new sides.  Tony Fernandes investment in the club has seen the likes of Joey Barton and Shaun Wright-Phillips arrive at Loftus Road and the 1-0 win over Chelsea was a mighty result for everyone connected with the club.  There have been bad days, such as the 6-0 battering they took from Fulham, but with the ability to strengthen when the transfer window opens again, Neil Warnock might finally have a squad worthy of his talents in the top division.  For me, there’s a good chance all three promoted sides will stay up and if so, that will be the first time this has happened since 2001/02.

Relegation worries for the established

GO: The message from Blackburn fans to their beleaguered boss

Sitting bottom of the league at the moment, Wigan can’t buy a point if their life depended on it.  They have lost seven games in a row since the beginning of September.  As he stayed loyal to the Lactics in the summer, by turning down a move to Aston Villa, Roberto Martinez is in no danger of the sack but his team need a result.  They also need Hugo Rodallega to start scoring soon; otherwise I don’t know where the goals are going to come from.  Bolton’s defence has conceded 27 goals in their first ten games and the last team to do that in the Premiership were Barnsley in season 97/98.  The Tykes were relegated at the end of that season, so the omens don’t look good for Owen Coyle’s side.  I feel for Steve Kean, who is in an almost impossible situation at Blackburn.  The fans want his head, but the side is playing well, if not getting the right results.  Kean can’t help that he has the most inept owners the Premiership has ever seen.  Note to the Indian owners at Ewood Park; Stick to the chickens, you are hopeless at football!  I worry for Wolves too, who won their first two games, but collected little since and despite showing some potential; I’m still unconvinced by Aston Villa under the guidance of Alex McLeish.  It’s difficult to say who will go down, but some of the established clubs in the Premiership will be feeling the pressure already.

Winter is approaching and the games will now be coming thick and fast.  After Christmas, things in the league will begin to take shape, but if the first three months have anything to go by, then the FA Premier League is proving once more why it is the most unpredictable league in the world.

FA Barclays Premiership Report (9th - 11th April)

THERE was no change at the top or bottom of the Premiership table on a fairly predictable weekend.  However, it still kept things very intriguing in a variety of issues down the league.

CLINCHER: Van Persie sets Blackpool on their way to another loss

    At the bottom of the table and another defeat for Blackpool leaves Ian Holloway’s men in deep trouble.  Their open defending was exposed by Arsenal at Bloomfield Road, who strolled to a 3-1 win on Sunday.  Both Abou Diaby and Emmanuel Eboue helped themselves to rare goals in the first half.  After the break, Blackpool showed more fight and Gary Taylor-Fletcher bought them back into the game, with his first goal since January.  They were also denied a couple of possible penalties, but the Gunners two goal lead was restored in the last 15 minutes by the clinical Robin Van Persie.  The win keeps Arsenal seven points adrift of Manchester United in the title race, with a game in hand.  As for United, they never really needed to break sweat against Fulham, coasting to a 2-0 win at Old Trafford to record their 12^th successive home Premiership win.  In the absence of the suspended Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov returned to the starting eleven and scored the opener to maintain his place at the top of the Premiership scoring charts.  Antonio Valencia nodded in the second, who kept Sir Alex Ferguson happy, after his highly-fancied horse What A Friend pulled up in the Grand National.

     In the relegation scrap, it was Aston Villa who had the best weekend.  In a dismal game at Villa Park, Gerard Houiller’s side recorded a crucial 1-0 success over Newcastle United.  The game was settled by a James Collins header midway through the first half.  The relief on Houiller’s face at the final whistle was clear to see, as Villa move five points clear of the drop zone.  Midlands rivals West Brom can begin planning for top flight football again next season, as Roy Hodgson’s minus touch continues at the Baggies.  They came from behind twice to overcome Sunderland 3-2 at the Stadium of Light.  Paul Scharner netted the winner in a nervy game, which was full of chances for both teams.  An own goal from Nicky Shorey had put Sunderland infront, which was cancelled out by a Peter Odemwingie scrappy effort.  Phil Bardsley’s spectacular free-kick had the Black Cats back ahead, before Yusuf Mulumbu bought Albion back on level terms.  Scharner’s winner sees West Brom now sitting comfortable in mid-table.  However, Sunderland have now lost eight of their last nine Premiership games and have gone to pieces since Darren Bent’s shock departure to Aston Villa in January.  At Molineux, a first half onslaught from Everton keeps Wolves firmly rooted in the bottom three.  Everton won 3-0, to make it 12 points from their last six matches.  Jermaine Beckford found the net from the Toffees first attack and from that point on, Wolves lacked the fight to compete.  Phil Neville hit his first goal in three years and Russian international Diniyar Bilyadetinov produced a strike that someone saw the net remain intact on the stroke of half-time.  The lack of desire and communication with Wolves must have Mick McCarthy worried in the dying stages of a gripping season.

     West Ham United and Wigan Athletic also remain in the bottom three, after defeats at the weekend.  The Hammers were left ragged by Bolton’s loan star Daniel Sturridge.  Sturridge scored another double in Bolton’s 3-0 win; his goals were both stunning strikes in a fabulous individual performance.  Roman Abramovich must be wandering whether he could have saved himself £50million now, when Fernando Torres struggles continue at Stamford Bridge.  Torres did play a part in Chelsea’s winner against Wigan, but it was so illegal that it seemed remarkable he got away with it.  Torres clearly impeded Ali Al-Habsi in a goalmouth scramble, acting like a kid pushing in a Year 3 PE line!  It was criminal play of the highest calibre!  In the confusion, Florent Malouda turned in the winner in an unremarkable 1-0 scoreline.  Chelsea would have scored more had Al-Habsi not been in outstanding form.  

PAINFUL: A bad night for Manchester City and Mancini at Anfield

     Chelsea leapfrogged above Manchester City, who crumbled to a spectacular 3-0 defeat at Anfield last night.  Liverpool had a rampant approach to their gameplay and it left City startled.  Andy Carroll scored two special goals, his first for Liverpool and Dirk Kuyt added another midway through the first half.  Three goals in the first 35 minutes, combined with what looks like a serious torn hamstring for Carlos Tevez and it made for a nightmare evening for Roberto Mancini on Merseyside. 

     In the other two matches this weekend, Blackburn and Birmingham shared a point apiece in a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park.  Junior Hoillett saved the day for Blackburn, equalising in stoppage time at the end of the first half.  This came after Lee Bowyer had scored with the first serious attack by either side in the 30^th minute.  It was a fair result, but stretches Blackburn’s winless run in the Premier League to nine matches.  At White Hart Lane, Peter Crouch went from zero to hero in an amazing first half.  Crouch scored twice in Tottenham’s topsy-turvy 3-2 success over Stoke City, with all five goals coming in a pulsating first half.  Luka Modric also found the net for Tottenham.  Stoke’s seventh successive away defeat in the Premiership wasn’t help by Jonathan Walters hitting the post from three yards out with the goal gaping at his mercy.  It has to be a leading contender for miss of the season.  Matthew Etherington, with a great solo goal after an amazing run and Kenwyne Jones were on target for the Potters. 

     With the FA Cup semi-finals taking centre stage this weekend, attention will no doubt be focusing on the Wembley final four.  However, with Blackpool v Wigan, West Ham v Aston Villa and Arsenal v Liverpool on the agenda, there is still plenty to look forward to this weekend in the Premiership.  

2011 Carling Cup final - Magnificent Martins ends Blues silverware drought

DROUGHT: Birmingham City celebrate their Carling Cup triumph

BIRMINGHAM CITY beat Arsenal fair and square last Sunday 2-1 to win the Carling Cup, and end a 48-year drought without silverware.  Substitute Obafemi Martins, on loan to the Blues from Russian side Rubin Kazan scored the winner in the 88^th minute, after a calamitous mix-up between Laurent Koscieny and Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal defence. 

     Traditionally, the Carling Cup final, the first major piece of silverware to be settled, has been a drab affair with both teams nervous to concede and too cautious to attack.  This wasn’t the case on a immaculate Wembley pitch surface, which make the pitch troubles during last year’s FA Cup semi-finals look like a storm in a teacup.  Most experts predicted a comfortable Arsenal win, but a bright start by Birmingham soon had many eating their words.  In fact, they should have had a penalty inside of four minutes.  Lee Bowyer was wrongly flagged offside, and was tripped in the penalty area by the nervous Szczesny.  Television replays soon confirmed that Bowyer was at least two yards onside and justice hadn’t been done.  Arsenal got a free-kick, when they should have been facing a penalty and Szczesny should have seen red.  Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott could only look on after their midweek injuries as the Gunners looked more like they were being gunned down rather than shooting their way passed the opposition.  However, Arsenal did create the first serious chance when Andrei Arshavin, preferred to Niklas Bendtner brokethrough, but his shot was blocked by Ben Foster’s legs.  

LANKY: Tall Zigic headed Birmingham into an unlikely lead

     Birmingham kept the pressure on though and the underdogs took the lead on the half hour.  Roger Johnson won the first header from Craig Gardner’s corner and lanky Serbian Nikola Zigic helped the ball on past the hapless Szczesny, whose positioning must be questioned.  So must Arsenal’s marking, as Zigic was left completely free in the six-yard box and despite Samir Nasri’s best efforts on the line, Alex McLeish’s side had a deserved lead.  It should have been 2-0, had Zigic converted a one-on-one against Szczesny and he was made to pay for missing such a glaring chance.

     Arsenal fought back and equalised seven minutes before half-time.  Jack Wiltshire’s smashing shot rattled the crossbar and as Birmingham failed to deal with the rebound, Arshavin found in-form Robin Van Persie.  The Dutchman produced a cracking shot on the volley with his back to goal.  Foster had no chance as the ball landed perfectly in the corner of the net to level the score.

     The second half wasn’t quite as action-packed but had its moments.  Jean Beausejour, a star of Chile’s World Cup heroics last summer, added some energy to Birmingham’s frontline and he pressured Johan Djourou into a rushed clearance.  Keith Fahey hit a shot that struck the post with the goalkeeper completely stranded.  Birmingham kept battling on, but it was Arsenal that looked the stronger side in the last 20 minutes.  Foster had to make smart saves to dent Nasri and Tomas Rosicky.  As the game entered its climax, extra-time beckoned, but there was going to be a sting in the tale.

     With two minutes left, Foster’s long kick was flicked on by the dangerous Zigic and led to a horrible mix-up between Koscieny and Szcenzy.  Whether it was a language barrier issue or a miscommunication, the result was the same.  Koscieny mis-kicked the ball bounced off the Pole and fell straight to substitute Martins.  The Nigerian had been presented with a gift and simply couldn’t miss.  As the Birmingham celebrations went into overdrive, Arsenal fans broke down in tears, realising that their long six-year wait for a trophy must go on a little further.

     So, Birmingham won against all the odds and it was left to Stephen Carr, who came out of retirement to skipper Birmingham in February 2009 to lift the trophy.  Their last trophy was the League Cup in 1963 against city rivals Aston Villa.  Alex McLeish hailed the success as his best triumph in management afterwards.  Talking to the BBC, he said; “This is the best ever in the world.  For a small club like Birmingham to put one over Arsenal is a titanic effort.”  Arsene Wenger was full of symphony for his players; “It’s a big disappointment.  The team had a great performance and gave everything.  In the end, a little misunderstanding has cost us.”

     Foster earnt the man of the match award; this is his third successive Carling Cup triumph, after being part of the Manchester United side that won in 2009 and 2010.  Birmingham owner Carson Yeung was 51 on the day of the final, so this is the perfect birthday present.  A place in the UEFA Europa League next season is Birmingham’s ultimate prize and for Martins, he has a £5million clause in his loan if Birmingham wants to use the option.  Surely, they’ll be fools not to exercise this option. 

    Birmingham may be the lowest goalscorers in the Premiership, but their attacking instincts at Wembley well and truly paid off.  This was the day when David beat Goliath, and it is always nice to see the underdog triumph, especially in a major final.  

FA Barclays Premiership Report (12th - 14th February)

VALENTINES weekend in the Barclays Premiership provided the fans with a breathtaking goal, the title race narrowing to a two-horse race and another dramatic collapse.  Sadly, it didn’t quite live up to the drama of the previous weekend’s antics.

SPECIAL: Rooney heads away to celebrate after the magic moment

After the dud match at Eastlands in November, there were doubts that the second Manchester derby of the season would form a similar affair.  Ultimately, the neutral fans wouldn’t end up being disappointed.  On the weekend of love, there was never going to be an ounce of good feeling and sparks certainly flew between Manchester United and Manchester City.  In the end, it took a belter of a goal from Wayne Rooney to separate the teams, and bury City’s fading chances of a title challenge.  David Silva missed a glaring early chance for the visitors, and he was made to pay for this, as United hit the front shortly before half-time.  Nani was found by a lovely Ryan Giggs pass, which cut out Pablo Zabaleta.  The ever-improving Portuguese winger finished coolly.  City improved after the break and got a deserved equaliser, even if it was fortunate.  Substitute Edin Dzeko’s shot deflected wickedly off Silva and left Edwin van der Sar stranded.  A point apiece would have been the fair outcome, but a special goal from Rooney changed that; a goal worthy enough to win a title, let alone a match.  Nani’s cross may have deflected off Zabaleta, but Rooney’s fantastic improvising couldn’t be faulted.  His overhead kick was simply breathtaking.  Eight points clear of their Manchester rivals, Sir Alex Ferguson only now needs to worry about one team in the Premier League.

That team are his old adversaries from North London, in the shape of Arsenal.  The Gunners had been humiliated at Newcastle seven days earlier, letting a four goal lead slip.  However, they comfortably saw off Wolves 2-0 at the Emirates.  It was an Arsenal onslaught, as even Mick McCarthy admitted afterwards that his team had been ‘completely spanked.’  Robin van Persie continued his rich vein of scoring form, netting twice.  Had it not been for an inspired goalkeeping performance from Wayne Hennessey, the scoreline could have been an absolute avalanche.  The result keeps Arsenal within four points of Manchester United and warms them up nicely for the Champions League showdown tomorrow night with Barcelona.

CONTROL: Jerome Thomas extended Albion's lead, but they didn't hold on

Down at the foot of the table, West Brom did an ‘Arsenal’ and threw away a massive lead and two costly points with it.  New manage Roy Hodgson could only watch on as Albion stormed into a 3-0 lead, only to be pegged back to a 3-3 stalemate with West Ham United.  It was a day for defences to forget.  Both teams’ backlines looked as shaky as the coalition government’s spending cuts!  With First Team Coach Michael Appleton in charge, West Brom charged into their handsome lead inside of half an hour, courtesy of a first of the season for Scot Graham Dorrans, Jerome Thomas and a shoddy own goal from Winston Reid.  After the break, the roles were reversed, as the Hammers took the attacking route and the Baggies; the shocking defensive route.  Spirited by a emotional Scott Parker half-time speech, West Ham looked full of confidence in the second half.  Demba Ba scored twice on his Premiership debut and Carlton Cole scrambled a goal home too.  On the evidence of these defensive displays, don’t be too surprised if both played their football next season in the npower championship.

With Wolves losing and West Brom and West Ham drawing, Wigan had the chance to gain some ground, and they produced a strong performance at Anfield, to hold Liverpool to a 1-1 draw.  Raul Meireles continued his hot streak, scoring his fifth goal in six games to give the Reds the lead; chasing their first five wins in a row streak for over two years.  However, Kenny Dalglish’s troops looked jaded after the break and despite Luis Suarez hitting the woodwork twice on his full home debut, Wigan deserved their point.  Steve Gohouri was fractionally offside, when he turned in Charles N’Zogbia’s cross from close range, but Wigan got their just desserts, showing some qualities that had simply been missing on the road for most matches this season.

Tottenham claimed back the initiative in the race for fourth spot and the final Champions League qualification spot, courtesy of a hard-fought 2-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday evening.  Like Wigan, this result showed Spurs newly-found spirited qualities.  This was a match they didn’t play well in, but would have almost certainly lost two seasons ago.  When William Gallas decided to walk off and change his boots, Asamoah Gyan took advantage of the extra space to score beautifully.  Gallas might need a new sponsor after this gaffe!  Tottenham equalised through Michael Dawson’s header, his first of the season, although Craig Gordon should have done a lot better in dealing with the effort on goal.  Tottenham’s winner was through another Croatian cracker from Nico Kranjcar, his second in successive matches.

SAVE: Petr Cech keeps Dempsey out to spare Chelsea's blushes

Tottenham are now a point ahead of Chelsea in the table, after Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues stumbled to another faltering result; a 0-0 draw with West London rivals Fulham last night.  Fernando Torres started again and once more, looked totally out-of-depth.  The Spaniard was subbed with 20 minutes to play and replaced by Didier Drogba, overlooked from the start by Ancelotti.  Chelsea can even consider fortune to claim a point, as David Luiz made a clumsy challenge and conceded a penalty in time added on.  Luckily for the Blues, Petr Cech rescued them, saving Clint Dempsey’s poor spot kick.

Everton’s stuttering season continued with a 2-0 reverse at Bolton on Sunday afternoon.  Whilst the result keeps Bolton in a healthy 8^th, Everton now loom only three points above the drop zone and their players, whom looked well below standard at the Reebok, need to realise that they are in a relegation battle.  Bolton took the lead on nine minutes, as Gary Cahill’s header deflected off Johnny Heitinga’s chest and left Tim Howard motionless.  Despite Everton threatening for periods, David Moyes men could only muster three attempts on goal in the whole match, and to his fury, they conceded a soft second as Danny Sturridge found room in a crowded penalty area to finish the game.  For the Chelsea loanee, he now has three goals in three matches, and is surely not far off England recognition from Fabio Capello.

In the other weekend matches, Blackpool stopped their losing rot, drawing 1-1 at home to Aston Villa.  Gabby Agbonlahor hit the net for the visitors on the 10^th minute, from a classic Villa breakaway.  Elliot Grandin equalised for Blackpool; the Tangerines 11^th goal from a corner in the league this season.  In the second half, Jean Makoun got a straight red card for bringing down DJ Campbell.  Birmingham City and Stoke City produced a poor advertisement for the Premiership at St. Andrews, but it was Birmingham smiling at full-time, producing a last-gasp 1-0 win.  Asmir Begovic spilled David Bentley’s hopeful shot, and Nikola Zigic headed home with 30 seconds of time remaining to settle this very drab affair.  Finally, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United cancelled each other out in a goalless stalemate at Ewood Park.  Peter Lovenkrands and Roque Santa Cruz came closest for the two teams; both hitting the post during the match.

All in all, this weekend lacked the drama and goals from the previous crazy weekend, but it was another decisive weekend and it belongs to a moment of magic from Wayne Rooney.  What a shame he doesn’t produce it for England on a regular basis then!

FA Barclays Premiership Report (22nd - 24th January)

WHILST Richard Keys and Andy Gray have made the headlines of all the wrong making in the past 72 hours, other go on about their business quietly.  Manchester United remain unbeaten, some top class strikers returned to form and other ridiculous rules saw refs on the run from furious bosses, AGAIN!  Here’s the round-up of the weekend’s action in the Barclays Premiership.

Saturday 22^nd January: Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City

PRICELESS: Darren Bent made a dream debut for Aston Villa

RANDY Learner splashed the cash in midweek to bring Darren Bent in from Sunderland for £18million and he scored on his debut for struggling Villa, earning them a priceless victory.  His first involvement in the game was to score the solitary goal in the 18^th minute, tapping in from close range after Joe Hart let slip a tame Ashley Young shot.  City looked poor all night and although Nigel de Jong hit the post in the closing stages, it was a very happy evening for the home side and their new star striker.

Monday 24^th January: Bolton Wanderers 0-4 Chelsea

ON A night where Bolton paid tribute to the legendary Nat Lofthouse, Owen Coyle’s side continued their poor run of form, as they were easily brushed aside by a Chelsea team, that look back to form.  Once Didier Drogba found the back of the net in sensational fashion on eleven minutes, the game was the visitors for the taking.  Florent Malouda doubled the lead in the dying stages of the first half from a narrow angle and Nicholas Anelka also netted on his return to the Reebok in the second half.  Brazilian Ramires completed the rout with twenty minutes to go, his first goal for Chelsea, who consolidate their place in the top four.  Bolton slide down to tenth on the back of this battering.

Saturday 22^nd January: Manchester United 5-0 Birmingham City  

TREBLE: Berbatov starred again

THIS was the best performance of the season from Manchester United, as they outplayed and outclassed a very poor Birmingham side.  Dimitar Berbatov’s golden touch continued, as the Bulgarian turned in his third hat-trick of the season.  The first was a tap-in inside of 90 seconds and a second on the half hour with another basic finish.  The lethal striker completed his treble in the second half, with Ryan Giggs and Nani also getting onto the scoresheet in this riot.  With Giggs instrumental and Wayne Rooney near his best, it will be difficult to see anyone stopping the leaders.

Sunday 23^rd January: Blackburn Rovers 2-0 West Brom

STEVE Kean’s first match in permanent charge as Rovers boss bought a comfortable win, as West Brom lost their seventh away match in a row in all competitions.  In an even first half, it was Blackburn who broke the deadlock on 41 minutes.  David Dunn’s dangerous cross was steered into his own net by the uncertain Gabriel Tamas.  Rovers doubled their lead soon after the restart; David Hoillett’s swerving shot viciously beat Boaz Myhill to seal the match for the home side.  Paul Robinson produced two good save to deny the threatening Jerome Thomas in the second half, as Blackburn move into a solid seventh in the table.  Once again, defensive errors cost Albion dear.

Saturday 22^nd January: Arsenal 3-0 Wigan Athletic

FIRST: Hat-trick in the Premiership for Robin Van Persie

DAVID Beckham was an interested spectator as Arsenal produced a home masterclass against a Wigan team that look more Championship material with every passing week.  Robin Van Persie scored a hat-trick; his first came on 21 minutes from an Alex Song pass.  The second was a picture book pass from Fabregas that was accurately put in by the Dutchman.  Van Persie went on to horribly miss a penalty, after Steven Caldwell was sent off for bringing down Fabregas.  However, the rocking Dutchman made up for it, by squeezing the ball past Ali Al-Habsi’s near post to complete his first Premier League hat-trick and move the Gunners into second spot in the table.

Saturday 22^nd January: Everton 2-2 West Ham United

NOBODY expected Avram Grant to be in charge of this match, probably even Avram himself.  However, his side showed a load of character at Goodison and should have won, had it not been for a ridiculous regulation in the laws that need urgent attention.  The Hammers took the lead on 26 minutes; Luis Boa Morte pulling the ball back for Jonathan Spector to score his first goal in the Premiership.  They then proceeded to miss a hatful of chances and substitute Diniyar Bilyadetinov made them pay with a nice finish from the edge of the area.  West Ham looked to have won it, when Frenchman Frederic Piquionne headed home from Wayne Bridge’s terrific cross.  Piquionne’s celebration for jumping into the travelling supporters saw him sent off for two yellow cards.  Grant called the red card a ‘joke’ and few could disagree with him.  Everton made the extra man count, as Maroualine Fellani popped up to break West Ham’s hearts in stoppage time to rescue a point for the home side.

Saturday 22^nd January: Wolves 0-3 Liverpool

SMILE: Kenny Dalglish could look on with satisfaction at victory

WHILST Richard Keys and Andy Gray were showing how unprofessional they really were, Liverpool showed real professionalism in seeing off Wolves, leaving the home club in low spirits and giving a happy Kenny Dalglish his first win back in caretaker charge.  Fernando Torres was back in the goals, with a double.  Both of his goals were tap-ins, in the first half from Raul Meireles pass, after line official Sian Massey made a correct borderline call and the second from Dirk Kuyt’s usual persistence.  This brace came either side of a Portuguese pile driver from Meireles, with a superb strike as Liverpool dominated throughout, and move seven points clear of the dreaded drop zone.

Saturday 22^nd January: Fulham 2-0 Stoke City

THINGS are beginning to look up for Fulham, as they continued their march up the table.  Clint Dempsey had the Cottagers infront on 33 minutes, finishing inside the six yard box after Andy Johnson had skimmed Ryan Shawcross.  Shawcross miserable day continued, as he saw red for hauling Dempsey to the ground in the second half.  The American converted the penalty with glee.

Saturday 22^nd January: Newcastle United 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur

ANOTHER week and another two points squandered by Newcastle United.  Fabricio Coloccini scored a rare goal on 59 minutes, producing control that Alan Shearer would have been proud of.  Carlo Cudicini should have done better, but the Argentine’s lovely skill deserved a bit of luck in the finish.  In an entertaining match, the Magpies were on top for most of the match, but conceded again in injury time, as Aaron Lennon’s shot beat the despairing Steve Harper.

Saturday 22^nd January: Blackpool 1-2 Sunderland

LIFE after Darren Bent started well enough for Sunderland, as Kieran Richardson stepped upto the plate at Bloomfield Road.  Richardson scored a double in the first half, his first Premiership goals since October 2009.  Blackpool bombed forward and as ever, gave the opposition goalkeeper plenty to do, but Charlie Adam’s late penalty counted for little for the Seasiders.  Blackpool’s next test will be to keep hold of Adam, who has handed in a transfer request and is under close scrutiny from the likes of Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Arsenal - Are They The Most Frustrating Side In The Premiership?

This blog was first published on February 8th at http://happydude88.livejournal.com/

 

It’s an interesting question which Arsenal fans probably have difficulty answering themselves, but I would have to say ‘yes,’ if I was asked this.

The Gunners have gone five seasons without silverware, since the 2005 FA Cup Final and yesterday’s 2-0 Premiership loss at title rivals and bitter adversaries, Chelsea have left Arsene Wenger’s men nine points off the top and with little hope of winning the major domestic prize. Three weeks ago, Arsenal topped the table, but why have they fallen off the pace so soon afterwards.

The simplest answer is the style of football that the North London side play. Although it is electrifying, stunning to watch, almost undoubtedly the best in the league, this style does not win you trophies. Holland’s total football approach in Euro 2008 deserved more than a quarter-final berth, but when up against it, they couldn’t produce the goods and Arsenal is the domestic example of the Dutch.

Fluent going forward is a joy to watch, but it’s no good smashing teams like Blackburn, Bolton and Hull to the cleaners, if you can’t grind out results against the ultimate title rivals. Arsenal’s record against the leading lights this season is appalling. Two defeats against Chelsea, two losses against Manchester United, a 4-2 reverse at Manchester City and dropped points at home to Everton. All very costly results and apart from a gritty second half display at Anfield, which saw them overcome an inconsistent Liverpool pre-xmas, the results against the current top six have been terrible. It seems like they can only play one style of football, so when they meet Chelsea and Manchester United, those teams will cut Arsenal to the sword with devilish counter-attacking, which Arsenal can’t do.

The lack of firepower in these games also can’t be overlooked. The devastating injury to Robin Van Persie on international duty in the autumn has been a massive loss to the striker frontline. Nikolas Bendtner has also had his injury issues this season and Eduardo does not look the same player he was before his horror leg-breaking injury at Birmingham two years ago. It leaves Wenger with limited options up top and it was very surprising he didn’t bring someone in during the recent January transfer window – even if they were cup-tied from participation in the Champions League.

What was even more curious is Wenger’s decision yesterday to play Theo Walcott, who looks a pale shadow of the star who stunned Croatia with a sublime hat-trick in Zagreb 18 months ago. Walcott has had a catalyst of injuries since then, and every time I’ve seen him, he looks like he is getting worse, not better. He is still very young, but naivety has surely cost him the chance of going to South Africa this summer. A loan move might be best to restart his career. Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Manuel Almunia continued to look unsteady and insecure yesterday. The Spaniard is by far, the worst goalkeeper in the Premiership, and that’s something that needs to be re-addressed as soon as possible. Even if this means, giving Almunia a break to regain his shattered confidence. The form of Belgian Thomas Vermaelen and Cesc Fabregas have been key to Arsenal’s global brand of attractive football, but more underachieving begs the question to whether Fabregas would stay at the Emirates much longer. He is the new golden boy of Spanish football and Barcelona + Real Madrid would surely be interested in his services should Arsenal fail to deliver the success he desperately craves.

Finally, why did Wenger put out an under-strength side in the FA Cup tie at Stoke two weeks ago? The FA Cup was a great chance to win silverware, with Manchester United and Liverpool already eliminated. Instead, he gambled on a young side that flopped under Stoke’s physical prowess and the demanding fixture schedule of tough games. One point from three matches and a steadily improving Liverpool to come on Wednesday suggest this gamble has backfired badly.

Wednesday night is now a crunch game for Arsenal at home to Liverpool, as is the Champions League test against FC Porto in ten days time. Arsene Wenger is under no danger regarding his job, but things need to change and a reduction in excuses is required for this side of young starlets to end up with any silverware at all. Arsenal FC is a frustrating side to watch, because you don’t what you are going to get. The question is, can they change to win trophies?