Jon Mcleod
Andrew MacdougallPremier League final word
The final word:
Arsenal 1 Wigan 0
Where does this win fit in the narrative of an Arsenal team trapped in a cycle of unfulfilled potential.
A telling battling win borne out of hard lessons learned for a team closing in on their true selves or just another incidental win for a team short of what it takes to win a championship?
The latter seems the likier.
Blackburn 1 Liverpool 3
Self-delusion is the final refuge of a man on the brink of his demise.
Blackburn boss Paul Ince’s claims that his team’s improved performance against Liverpool means they have no cause for concern will be far more terrifying for the team’s fans than the act of shipping three goals against a Liverpool attack spearheaded by Dirk Kuyt.
Blackburn are second bottom and have lost five league games on the bounce.
The effort may have improved, the performance may have improved but they still got stuffed. These are worrying times for Blackburn whatever Ince may claim.
Bolton 0 Chelsea 2
That is 11 straight away wins for Chelsea - the ideal away side.
With the pace of Nicolas Anelka up top and the precise distribution of Deco and Frank Lampard waiting to pounce, they are a potent counter-attacking force.
But they need to find a way of replicating that form at home and teams may now assume more cagey away-from-home tactics when Chelsea come visiting - Didier Drogba could yet have an influential role to play in their title challenge.
Fulham 1 Manchester City 1
Without their Brazilian trio of Elano, Jo and most importantly Robinho, Manchester City had to rely on a more physical approcah against Fulham and it worked until Jimmy Bullard’s fine effort grabbed a point for the hosts.
It may be silly season with the tabloids transfer stories, but expect Manchester City’s novelty-size cheque book to be the first open in the New Year.
Hull 2 Middlesbrough 1
An intoxicating 12 minutes and the man in black decide this one.
Hull boss would have appealed for a bit of luck after going five games without a win and he certainly got it when the referees sent off David Wheater for a foul on Geovanni and award a penalty which Marlon King dispatched with glee.
Manchester United 1 Sunderland 0
A defender’s injury-time winner against ailing opposition - it is what so many cliches about title winning credentials were founded on.
Nemanja Vidic’s late header ensured Sunderland’s situation, which was relatively solid a few games ago, could quickly turn into a full blown crisis.
Sunderland need to fill the Roy Keane void sharpish.
Newcastle 2 Stoke 2
Just because other clubs have claimed the limelight recently does not mean Newcastle are a club out of crisis.
Little has change in the North East, Joe Kinnear is still ranting to no positive effect, teh team are still drawing rather than winning, in-form striker Michael Owen is doing his best to avoid a new contract and Newcastle are still tettering on the brink of the final humiliation of relegation.
Could they fall for the great footballing gods’ trick of ‘crisis, what crisis’.
Arsenal 1 Wigan 0
Where does this win fit in the narrative of an Arsenal team trapped in a cycle of unfulfilled potential.
A telling battling win borne out of hard lessons learned for a team closing in on their true selves or just another incidental win for a team short of what it takes to win a championship?
The latter seems the likier.
Blackburn 1 Liverpool 3
Self-delusion is the final refuge of a man on the brink of his demise.
Blackburn boss Paul Ince’s claims that his team’s improved performance against Liverpool means they have no cause for concern will be far more terrifying for the team’s fans than the act of shipping three goals against a Liverpool attack spearheaded by Dirk Kuyt.
Blackburn are second bottom and have lost five league games on the bounce.
The effort may have improved, the performance may have improved but they still got stuffed. These are worrying times for Blackburn whatever Ince may claim.
Bolton 0 Chelsea 2
That is 11 straight away wins for Chelsea - the ideal away side.
With the pace of Nicolas Anelka up top and the precise distribution of Deco and Frank Lampard waiting to pounce, they are a potent counter-attacking force.
But they need to find a way of replicating that form at home and teams may now assume more cagey away-from-home tactics when Chelsea come visiting - Didier Drogba could yet have an influential role to play in their title challenge.
Fulham 1 Manchester City 1
Without their Brazilian trio of Elano, Jo and most importantly Robinho, Manchester City had to rely on a more physical approcah against Fulham and it worked until Jimmy Bullard’s fine effort grabbed a point for the hosts.
It may be silly season with the tabloids transfer stories, but expect Manchester City’s novelty-size cheque book to be the first open in the New Year.
Hull 2 Middlesbrough 1
An intoxicating 12 minutes and the man in black decide this one.
Hull boss would have appealed for a bit of luck after going five games without a win and he certainly got it when the referees sent off David Wheater for a foul on Geovanni and award a penalty which Marlon King dispatched with glee.
Manchester United 1 Sunderland 0
A defender’s injury-time winner against ailing opposition - it is what so many cliches about title winning credentials were founded on.
Nemanja Vidic’s late header ensured Sunderland’s situation, which was relatively solid a few games ago, could quickly turn into a full blown crisis.
Sunderland need to fill the Roy Keane void sharpish.
Newcastle 2 Stoke 2
Just because other clubs have claimed the limelight recently does not mean Newcastle are a club out of crisis.
Little has change in the North East, Joe Kinnear is still ranting to no positive effect, teh team are still drawing rather than winning, in-form striker Michael Owen is doing his best to avoid a new contract and Newcastle are still tettering on the brink of the final humiliation of relegation.
Could they fall for the great footballing gods’ trick of ‘crisis, what crisis’.
