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"One accusation you can't throw at me is that I've always done my best." (Alan Shearer) And our Chairman Damon can never be said to be one to make unfair criticisms.

Harsh, but fair, our Chairman dispenses his trenchant, pithy post match analysis of the overpaid heroes and goats that make up the “Happy Band” of the EPL. If you're in the prawn sandwich and skim latte club, or part of the "Dippy Darling" brigade this column is not for you!!

Who's hot? Who's not? Who's left their bottle at home? Watch this space carefully as the season unwinds.

Previous Analysis :

Week 23.... Week 22.... Week 21.... Week 20.... Week 19 - Boxing Day

Man Utd Roll On

 

Arsenal 0 - West Ham 0

Arsenal fail to find a way through West Ham's massed defence. In a thoroughly turgid first half, neither side did enough to deserve anything out of the game, but Arsenal looked to pick things up after the break and were the dominant side from there on in. They came up against a Hammers side who defended resolutely to extend their unbeaten run to eight games and with Emmanuel Adebayor in profligate nick when the chances did fall, were unable to make their possession count. Both sides, therefore, come out of the weekend exactly where they started it.

 

Aston Villa 0 - Wigan Athletic 0

Villa pass up the chance to move up the table after being held by Wigan. The pattern of this game largely followed the one at the Emirates, with a dull first half (albeit of better quality than in North London) followed by a second forty-five minutes where the home side looked to force the pace without finding a way through. The last quarter of an hour, especially, saw the Latics put under unrelenting pressure but with Paul Scharner and team-mates consistently willing to throw themselves in front of the ball, the home side just couldn't find a way through. Both these teams also tread water this week.

 

Bolton Wanderers 3 - Tottenham Hotspur 2

Bolton snatch a late winner after a Tottenham fightback to leapfrog their visitors in the table. Wanderers started the better and took the lead after half an hour when Sebastien Puygrenier lost his marker to head home Mark Davies's free-kick. They went two up on the hour when Kevin Davies drilled home Gary Cahill's flicked pass and things were looking bleak for Spurs. Two goals in as many minutes from Darren Bent, though, suddenly threatened to turn the game on its head. The much-maligned striker was on hand to tuck away Pascal Chimbonda's pull-back in the seventy-third minute and then again with a quarter of an hour left after Jussi Jaaskelainen could only parry a Wilson Palacios snap-shot. There was to be one final twist, however, as with three minutes remaining, Kevin Davies stooped to head Matt Taylor's corner between David Bentley and the near post and give Bolton their first win in six matches.

 

Fulham 3 - Portsmouth 1

The storm clouds continue to roil for Pompey as Fulham take all the points at Craven Cottage. Portsmouth started brightly, getting plenty of joy down the right-hand side, but went behind a quarter of an hour in when the dozy Sylvain Distin played Andrew Johnson onside to receive Clint Dempsey's through ball and notch his eighth of the season. The visitors continued to come forward but with Younes Kaboul's header crashing back off the bar and two potential penalty shouts turned down, it didn't look as if it was going to be their day. That was underlined with twenty minutes left when substitute Erik Nevland ran onto Simon Davies's long ball to extend Fulham's lead on the counter before putting them three up ten minutes later. David Nugent pulled a goal back with five minutes left, heading home Jermaine Pennant's free-kick, but with just a point separating his side from the drop zone, these are dangerous times for manager Tony Adams.

 

Hull City 2 - West Bromwich Albion 2

Two sides in need of points have to settle for one apiece after a lively game at the KC Stadium. The hosts took a deserved lead just before half-time when Bernard Mendy outsprinted the Albion defence to take Ian Ashbee's hoofed through ball round Scott Carson and looked to be in the ascendant at the beginning of the second period. West Brom came back, though, and grabbed a barely-deserved equaliser after fifty-two minutes when Jay Simpson cracked home after some good work from James Morrison. The Tigers came back and re-took the lead with twenty minutes left when Craig Fagan headed home Mendy's right-wing cross but the Baggies levelled again just three minutes later. Kamil Zayette brought down Robert Koren during a penalty-area scramble and Chris Brunt stepped up to put the kick comfortably past Matt Duke. Hull, then, manage to end their losing streak but will be disappointed not to have come away with a win, whilst Tony Mowbray's side inch a little closer to safety.

 

Liverpool 2 - Chelsea 0

Two very late goals put Liverpool's title challenge back on track at the expense of Chelsea's. The first hour of this game was woeful and anything but the advert for the Premier League the TV schedulers would have hoped for. Luckily for everyone, Mike Riley had also decided the game needed livening up by that stage, so sent off Frank Lampard for making a sliding tackle to produce another headline for the ref's scrapbook. The game understandibly opened up a little after that but was still heading for a goal-less draw until two minutes from the end. Fernando Torres beat Alex to Fabio Aurelio's cross, glanced a header inside the over-committed Petr Cech's near post and Chelsea were beaten. To add insult to injury, Torres was then on hand two minutes later to receive Yossi Benayoun's pass after the Israeli had disposessed a sloppy Ashley Cole and make the final scoreline as emphatic as the relative possession stats would suggest. Liverpool then close to within a win of the leaders, whilst Chelsea will be watching over their shoulders at the progress of Aston Villa.

 

Manchester United 1 - Everton 0

The unfamiliar sight of United grinding their way to the title on a succession of one-nil wins. In truth, the hosts deserved the three points with Everton offering little beyond committed and resolute defending. Cristiano Ronaldo was able to bag the winner from the penalty spot just before half-time after Mikel Arteta carelessly flicked out a leg at the onrushing Michael Carrick. Contact was fairly minimal but it was just enough to put the midfielder off-balance and, after initially pausing to allow advantage, referee Rob Halsey pointed to the spot. Everton won't be too dispirited in having got this fixture out of the way and, meanwhile, it's hard to see the defending champions being caught as they continue to do just enough to win.

 

Middlesbrough 0 - Blackburn Rovers 0

A bore draw leaves both these sides in the bottom three. In a closely-contested, if uninspiring, match of few clear-cut chances, it was Blackburn who just about shaded things and they continue an unbeaten run that nonetheless contains too many draws to keep new boss Sam Allardyce content. Gareth Southgate's side, meanwhile, has now gone twelve games without a win since beating Aston Villa in early November and look in desperate need of some inspiration. On the positive side for both teams, though, a win next weekend would likely be enough to see them climb out fo the basement, such is the nature of this season's relegation battle.

 

Newcastle United 1 - Sunderland 1

Honours even in the Tyne and Wear derby. In an all-action game, it was Sunderland who enjoyed the better of the early exchanges and they deservedly went ahead just after the half hour. Dean Whitehead's hopful lob forward found Djibril Cisse being played onside by Fabricio Coloccini and although the striker's initial effort was blocked by Steve Harper, he was able to tuck it away at the second attempt. Newcastle were spurred to greater efforts by the goal and had narrowly the better of the game from that point on. They drew level with twenty minutes remaining when Steven Taylor succeeded in conning referee Howard Webb into giving a penalty after going down under an inoccuous challenge from Steed Malbranque. Shol Ameobi stepped up to blast the spot kick into the roof of the net and then should have put Newcastle ahead, only to tamely steer Damien Duff's right wing cross to a grateful Marten Fulop. Both sides could have gone on to win in a frantic last quarter of an hour but, though it does neither side much good, the draw was probably the fair outcome.

 

Stoke City 1 - Manchester City 0

In the tale of two Cities, it's Stoke who come out winners. Looking to fight Stoke's direct and robust approach by keeping the ball and building patiently, Man City enjoyed the upper hand in the opening stages and things only looked to improve for them when Rory Delap was shown a straight red with seven minutes of the first half to play after a hot-tempered clash with Shaun Wright-Phillips. However, it was the home side who took the lead just before half-time when Matt Etherington's cross beat Wayne Bridge at the far post and was converted emphatically by James Beattie. The second half was largely played out in the Stoke half but Man City couldn't find a way through and Tony Pulis's side held on to climb out of the relegation zone.