Arsenal Back in Title Hunt After Weekend of Surprises

December 13, 2009

What a strange old week in the Premier League. Full of shock results, great goals and no little controversy once again, I really don’t know where to start.

How about at the beginning? As good a place as any I suppose. The early Saturday fixture was Stoke vs Wigan. Not normally a game where you might expect to see footballing excellence, but this was where it was this weekend.

Step forward Maynor Figueroa. The Wigan left-back did just that for a free kick in his own half and drilled a superb shot over 60 yards into the top corner of the net. It was sublime. It’s goal of the season, without question.

As a side note, the game ended 2-2.

Then came the traditional 3pm kick-offs and Chelsea had the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League as they hosted Everton. They got off to a terrible start with a Petr Cech own-goal but Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka have them the lead. Yakubu levelled things up before Drogba restored the Blues’ lead only for them to be pegged back again by Louis Saha. And so it was to be two points dropped for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

That gave Manchester United the opportunity to join Chelsea at the top of the table when they faced Aston Villa at tea time. But the Villans had other ideas as England duo Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor combined for the latter to grab the winning goal as Villa ran out 1-0 victors at Old Trafford. That’s Liverpool, Chelsea and now Manchester United all defeated by Martin O’Neill’s men so far this season. The top four aim is still well and truly on.

Manchester City are also looking to push themselves into that elite group. They came back from a goal down on three occasions at Bolton as they managed to gain a point following a 3-3 draw at the Reebok Stadium. There was controversy when Craig Bellamy was shown a red card for ‘diving’. Video shows that there was contact. It’s an ultra-thin line with diving, and on reflection referee Mark Clattenberg probably fell on the wrong side of the line and made an incorrect decision.

Bellamy’s wasn’t the only red card of the weekend. There was another in the match between Sunderland and Portsmouth. With Sunderland leading 1-0, Pompey defender Younus Kaboul popped up with an injury time equaliser. Clearly delighted, he ran to celebrate with the Pompey fans and removed his jersey. Having already been cautioned, he picked up a second yellow and was ordered off the pitch. What is the world coming to? The aim of the game is to score goals. Yet when you score one, and celebrate it, you get sent off.

Ok, he removed his shirt which knowing the rule he shouldn’t have done. But what a stupid rule it is, really. Ok, we don’t want riots inside football grounds, but people are surely entitled to celebrate a goal. Topless or not. Rant over.

In the remainder of the Saturday fixtures, Wolves pulled off a shock 1-0 win away at White Hart Lane against Tottenham. Kevin Doyle’s early goal gave them all three points. Meanwhile, Birmingham continued to impress with a 1-0 win over West Ham with Lee Bowyer yet again amongst the goals.

Burnley shared the points with Fulham after a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor while Hull and Blackburn played out an instantly forgettable game. What was the score again? Erm, 0-0 if my memory serves me right.

With Saturday’s games out of the way, the scene was set for Liverpool and Arsenal to play out a classic match at Anfield. Well, it was set, but never materialised as both sides looked lacking, Arsenal less so than Liverpool as the Gunners triumphed 2-1.

If England are lacking a goalscorer who is deadly in the six yard box over the summer in South Africa, then look no further than Glen Johnson. The full-back never looked like missing as soon as he saw the ball come in his direction. Unfortunately, it was in his own goal. Oh dear.

That concluded a thrilling weekend of football. There’s no rest for the wicked though, as a midweek programme of fixtures lies ahead for the majority of the Premier League teams, those who are fortunate enough not to be involved in the Europa League anyway.

Paul Harper

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