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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 29.... Week 28.... Week 27.... Week 26.... Week 25.... Week 24

Man U Slip Again

Blackburn Rovers 1 - West Ham United 1

Blackburn come from behind to earn a deserved point and move fractionally closer to safety. West Ham's recent defensive solidity was put through a stern test from the first whistle, not least through Rovers' increased deployment of Morten Gamst Pedersen's long throws into a crowded box. The visitors weathered the storm and took the lead just after the half hour when a bright move put Mark Noble in to provide a classy finish with the outside of his boot. The hosts could feel rightly aggreived that Luis Boa Morte, who played a central role in the goal's creation, did so from an offside position but they didn't let it get to them. Blackburn continued to press and got back on level terms five minutes into the second half after another Pedersen throw led to a penalty area scramble and Keith Andrews hammered home the loose ball. The home side were then fortunate to see an official's error in their favour, after Keiron Dyer was brought down by Christopher Samba in the box, to balance the earlier offside call but they had certainly deserved the draw and look in decent enough form to get out of trouble.

 

Fulham 2 - Manchester United 0

The league leaders crash to their second defeat on the bounce as Fulham gain some revenge from their recent cup humiliation. The Cottagers completely dominated the first half, with an out-of-sorts United struggling to retain possession all over the park, and took a deserved lead just before the twenty-minute mark. Edwin van der Sar managed to parry Bobby Zamora's header, but the ball came straight back to the Fulham striker to have another go and Paul Scholes made an instinctive save on the line to prevent the goal. With the midfielder off down the tunnel, perpetual thorn in United's side Danny Murphy stroked home the spot kick with ease. The Londoners continued to press with the impressive Zamora, in particular, causing the stretched Mancunian defence no end of problems. The visitors rallied after the break, though with Mark Schwarzer in fine form were unable to get back on level terms and Zoltan Gera made the game safe with a fine overhead effort with three minutes remaining. It was all too much for Wayne Rooney, who embarked on an embarrassing bout of dummy-spitting that saw him sent to join Scholes in the Early Bath Club. Roy Hodgson continues to impress at the Cottage and his side have helped open up the competition as the season approaches its conclusion.

 

Liverpool 5 - Aston Villa 0

The Merseysiders take full advantage of the leaders' loss by humping Villa to close to within a point of the top of the table. Martin O'Neill's side look to be running on empty after their impressive start to the campaign and look to be in danger of losing even their current fifth place. Liverpool, though, are flying right now, with confidence high and the goals raining in. They were ahead within ten minutes when Dirk Kuyt lashed home the loose ball after Xabi Alonso's header had crashed back off the bar and doubled their lead in the face of a Villa fightback when Pepe Reina's long, long hoof from the back was latched onto by Albert Riera to smash an effort under Brad Friedel's crossbar. Any hopes the visitors had of getting back in the game were snuffed out five minutes before half time when a soft penalty, given for a slight clash between Nigel Reo Coker and Riera, was despatched by Steven Gerrard. With the game won, the England midfielder took centre stage, slipping a beautifully-placed free kick past Friedel five minutes into the second period and then completing his hat-trick from the spot after an outrageously poor decision that saw Friedel sent off for little more than standing still. All the momentum is with Rafael Benitez's side right now and, though they still need Man Utd to drop points, there is reason for real optimism at Anfield.

 

Manchester City 1 - Sunderland 0

Man City continue their impressive home form to see off a determined Sunderland and consolidate their top ten position. They were certainly helped by a ludicrous sending off for George McCartney after a quarter of an hour when the full-back was adjudged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity by pulling back Shaun Wright-Phillips with the ball in goalkeeper Marten Fulop's hands. City spurned an early chance to take advantage of their numerical superiority when Robinho made an utter cods of a stutter-run penalty, effectively passing the ball comfortably to Fulop after failing to get the keeper to commit himself. They weren't going to be denied, though, and Micah Richards, fouled for that penalty and looking back to something like his best form, popped up to head Elano's free kick into the net ten minutes after the restart. Mark Hughes's side can now start looking up the table to possible European qualification, whilst Sunderland still need a couple of wins to allay their relegation fears.

 

Newcastle United 1 - Arsenal 3

An Obafemi Martins penalty miss cost Newcastle dear as a resurgent Arsenal struck three times in ten second half minutes to leave them in serious trouble in the bottom three. Manuel Almunia clashed with Ryan Taylor mid-way through the first half with referee Mark Halsey pointing to the spot. Martins's effort was poor, though, and Almunia gathered comfortably to ensure the Gunners went into the break on level terms. The deadlock was broken ten minutes after the restart when Nicklas Bendtner climbed highest to head home Andrei Arshavin's free kick but United were back on terms within a minute when Martins found the corner at the second attempt from the edge of the area. Parity was only to last a further five minutes as Abou Diaby made the most of Steven Taylor's temporary absence to charge through the middle of the Newcastle defence to score, before Samir Nasri wrapped the game up with a sharp strike inside Steve Harper's near post just three minutes later. With Aston Villa all but gone, Arsenal's anxieties about their Champions' League qualification can be laid to rest but for Newcastle the next two months promise to be fraught, indeed.

 

Portsmouth 2 - Everton 1

Portsmouth grab a much-needed win to dent Everton's chances of climbing to fifth. The Toffees took the lead after just four minutes when Leighton Baines curled an excellent free kick in off the foot of the far post but were on teh back foot for most of the game thereafter. Pompey got back on level terms after twenty minutes, when Peter Crouch was on hand to convert Glen Johnson's header across the area, and continued to press for a winner. They finally got their reward with a quarter of an hour remaining when Crouch, again, stood tallest in the penalty area to head home Sean Davis's corner and the Merseysiders never really looked like taking a point as the game played out to its conclusion. The win puts Paul Hart's side back in with a cluster of desperate teams and with each week providing a different twist to the tale, it's anyone's guess who'll end up surviving.

 

Stoke City 1 - Middlesbrough 0

That said, it's looking inceasingly unlikely it will be Middlesbrough, after the Teessiders lose this critical six-pointer in the Potteries. With so much at stake for both teams, it was little surprise the first half descended into a bruisingly physical encounter with tackles flying in all over a congested midfield. With chances at a premium, it was ultimately Stoke's not-so-secret weapon that was to prove the difference. There were just six minutes left on the clock when Rory Delap wound up for another trademark launch into the area. The Boro defence, having coped admirably with the aerial threat for most of the game, momentarily lost the clever diagonal run of Ryan Shawcross and the centre-back provided the deftest of touches to flick the ball into the far corner. Joy unbounded for Stoke but storm clouds and misery for Boro: Four points and a poor goal difference away from safety, a quite horrible set of fixtures during the run-in and Gareth Southgate really has his work cut out for him, now.

 

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - Chelsea 0

Chelsea pass up a golden opportunity to close on the leaders and with it, probably their last, slim chance of the title at a reinvigorated Spurs. Tottenham started much the better side with Luka Modric clever and inventive in his advanced, centre-left midfield role. It was Huerelho Gomes who was forced to make the better saves, though, with the much-ridiculed stopper alert to deny both Michael Essien and Nicolas Anelka as the West Londoners continued to pose a threat on the break. Tottenham got the goal their play had deserved five minutes into the second half when an uncharacteristic sequence of errors from the Chelsea defence finished with Aaron Lennon's poor lay-back reaching Modric, who converted an awkward chance in some style from the edge of the area. Predictably, Chelsea looked to lay siege to the Tottenham goal but with Gomes pulling off top-drawer stops to deny Didier Drogba and John Terry and with Alex's injury-time header coming back off the bar, it just wasn't to be their day and the chance of another Premier League title slips away for another year.

 

West Bromwich Albion 1 - Bolton Wanderers 1

West Brom take a point against Bolton as they look to ensure they'll be going down with heads held high come the end of the season. Wanderers can consider themselves slightly unlucky not to have left the Hawthorns with all three points after having slowly taken control following an initially bright start from their hosts. The Trotters took the lead mid-way through the second half when Jussi Jaaskelainen's big launch down the park was only half-cleared to the lurking Matt Taylor at the edge of the Albion area, and he sent a precise right-footed effort straight back into Scott Carson's bottom left corner. Given the balance of the game at that point, it looked as if it would probably be enough to give his side the win but with nine minutes left, Robert Koren cut in from the right wing before seeing his skidding effort take a deflection off Danny Shittu and find the net. Bolton creep closer to safety, but only wins will save Tony Mowbray's side from here on in.

 

Wigan Athletic 1 - Hull City 0

It's been a quietly-impressive season from the Latics and they pick up another deserved three points against a Hull side now in a relegation scrap that looked unlikely just a couple of months ago. Wigan started the better and built a momentum over the course of the game that was eventually to take them over the line, though will be slightly concerned by the lack of cutting edge that has seen them manage only seven goals in their last twelve games. Ben Watson's wonderfully-improvised finish proved the difference here and it's perhaps churlish to harp on the goal return of a club of Wigan's stature sitting seventh in the table, so I'll not. Hull's early season form might yet save them from the drop but with five of their remaining eight games against fellow strugglers and two of the other three against the current top two, they'll certainly have to fight all the way to the wire.