Final Whistle

This weekend saw some real movement at the top of the tables; some upsets; some records stopped and a few score draws.

Chelsea were knocked off top spot and lost their unbeaten home record when Xavi Alonso’s shot deflected in past Petr Cech. Liverpool took their place three points clear at the head of the table.

Man United were held to a 1-1 draw away at Everton despite having more than equalled their Merseyside opponants. United fans will look at Tim Howard and wonder why things couldn’t have been different after the American stopper performed heroics to keep his side in this match, making saves from Ronaldo, Vidic and Giggs in quick succession. I heard once that Tim Howard has tourettes – most of the United fans I spoke to on Saturday seemed to have the affliction too, particularly when reminded where Howard used to play football…

As if rubbing salt in the wounds of their near neighbours, the league’s latest rich boys, Man City, began to repay their new foreign owners with a 3-0 home win courtesy of a “Mr Expensive” Robinho hat-trick.

Portsmouth, without their talisman, Harry Redknapp, were held at home 1-1 against Fulham. Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe again combined to produce the Pompey goal, which looked to have sealed the victory until Dempsey found himself free at the near post with four minutes remaining to equalise. Portsmouth have yet to name a successor to Redknapp, but whoever inherits this team will have plenty to work with.

That man Redknapp galvanised his new Spurs, and led them to an impressive 2-0 home win against Bolton Wanderers – their first three points of the season (after only nine matches played!) – in which both centre forwards Bent and Pavlyuchenko showed that their price tags weren’t just plucked form the sky. Its amaing what a little bit of confidence will engender.

Arsenal left it late to beat West Ham 2-0 with an own goal and a goal from their big forward, Adabayor. Russell Green in the West Ham goal played out of his skin and produced some real quality saves for the Hammers, otherwise this score-line could have been far worse for West Ham.

Aston Villa rolled over Wigan 4-0 away in the biggest win of the weekend. Martin O’Neil’s men are looking more and more like their “best of the rest” label will prove accurate come the end of the season.

Blackburn and Middlesbrough played out a 1-1 draw which puts them both roughly mid table. Barring a tremendous run of form, that looks about both teams lot this time around.

Sunderland got the better of their local rivals in the derby match against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light. Roy Keane will be happy with his massive squad of old pros and ‘good young ‘uns’. Newcastle fans will probably be happier when they have a manager who wants the job, and a team that looks half likely to achieve something… anything.

And that leaves the third placed team, Hull City, who yet again surpassed all expectation, beating the bookmakers home favourites, West Brom, by three well taken goals. Phil Brown will be praying they don’t make Hull favourites next time out against Chelsea, because they are 4 from 4 in these matches they aren’t supposed to win. Chelsea away isn’t what it used to be either thanks to Rafa Banitez’ men!

With all that action under the bridge, we find ourselves almost 25% through the season, with the league table looking like this:

Who would have thought it!