Lots of winners in this weekends Premier League games

Manchester United are the most notable winners in this weekends Premier League fixtures defeating title rivals Arsenal 2-1 at Old Trafford. I have to admit I think they were lucky to have won the match. Darren Fletcher’s blatant foul on Andrey Arshavin was somehow overlooked, but then again this was at Old Trafford and referees aren’t allowed to give penalties to opposition teams.

Not only did United win they claimed a vital psychological edge over the Gunners. Previously the Gunners looked like they could take on anybody, but now that air of confidence has been knocked and it will be interesting to see how Arsene Wenger’s young side recover from this blow. United boss Sir Alex Ferguson will be chuckling over his wine tonight after seeing opposite number Wenger sent to the stand and not being able to find anywhere to sit. The professor nearly found himself sitting next to some of the United faithful.

There must be something in the water at Tottenham at the moment they can’t stop winning. Their latest result a 2-1 victory over Birmingham at White Hart Lane might of came late, but Tottenham seem to have more resolve than previous seasons and they dug deep to find a winner.

If England winger Aaron Lennon can find the consistency hes missed in past years, then Spurs could have an outside chance of making the top four. However they have lost star midfielder Luka Modric, who unfortunately fractured his Tibula. The Croatian is expected to be out for up to six weeks.

Chelsea also recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over Burnley. The Clarets gave a good account of themselves, before the Blues superior quality shone through. The Nicolas Anelka/Didier Drogba strike partnership is finally baring fruit after Carlo Ancelotti decided to switch to a 442 diamond. This will be Chelsea’s season in my view. They are showing signs of the team that won the Premier League twice under Jose Mourinho.

The losers from this game Burnley shouldn’t be disheartened as I think they will survive the drop this season. They have already impressed against the likes of Manchester United and Everton. They are not just a kick and rush side either they try and play the game the right way. There are three worse teams in the Premier League than the top flight new boys and upset all those pundits out there just waiting for them to fall flat on their faces.

Everton secured a massive victory over Wigan at Goodison Park on Sunday. This 2-1 victory wasn’t just about three points it was about boosting morale and confidence at the club. Everton fans and players have been down in the dumps yet again this summer. The Blues had a poor start to last season, but turned the whole season round by finishing fifth and reaching the FA Cup final. Here’s hoping that will happen again this season and be the catalyst for a rise in the league. (Not biased at all!)

Stoke also defeated Sunderland 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium. These two teams will be midtable at the end of the season, as both teams have got enough ability and quality in their squads to avoid a relegation battle. They also have two managers who are very good at man managing their players. Steve Bruce is an experienced campaigner and knows how to get the best out of his players. Stoke’s Tony Pulis has done an excellent job to get Stoke promoted to the Premier League and even more importantly keep them there.

Manchester City sealed their third consecutive Premier League victory at crisis club Premier League Portsmouth. Emmanuel Adebayor’s single strike enough to seal a 1-0 victory. Enough has been said about City already this summer. Simply put if City don’t make the Champions League this season they will see it as a season of failure. Portsmouth sadly are preparing for the Championship rather the Champions League in my view.

Liverpool secured a rather lucky 3-2 victory at Bolton. Liverpool again looked sluggish but won through thanks to one-man-team Steven Gerrard. They were also helped by the harsh sending-off in my view of Bolton midfielder Sean Davis. Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will know that his team will have to perform better than they did at the Reebok or they could even miss out on the Champions League.

Aston Villa also clinched a 2-0 victory over Fulham at Villa Park. The game was rather lacklustre and Villa never seemed to be in any danger of conceding. Fulham will also need to improve if they are going to challenge for a European place again. Villa’s season suddenly seems to have a brighter outlook and there’s no longer the distraction of European football for Martin O’Neill’s side this season.They can now concentrate on their league campaign.